As most of those who know me have discovered, I’m a person of rather conservative values. In light of the election of a very liberal president, I’ve taken time to reflect on this campaign and its potential effect on the world around us.
It is an interesting time in our world. One of the most exciting and historic presidential elections in our nation’s history was decided with the election of the Democratic nominee, Barack Hussein Obama, soon to be the 44th president of the United States. The election of Obama and the campaign in general, have made history and, in the process both united and divided a country.
On one side of this campaign was the Republican candidate, Arizona Senator John McCain, a Vietnam War veteran, an all-American hero with a history of bipartisan politics, working with not only people from within his own party, but also with Democrats across the aisle. Seemingly, Senator McCain would be an ideal candidate for president.
On the other side, the Democratic candidate, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, a former community organizer who rose through the ranks of the Chicago political machine. Obama served less than one term in the Illinois state senate, then four years of his first term as a United States senator before running a successful campaign to become president of the United States. During his time in the Senate, NationalJournal.com listed Obama as the number one most liberal senator. Number 4 on the list is Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a socialist.
This campaign has brought to the surface a number of different emotions in the people of this country. For some, this election was just like any other – not worth voting in because neither candidate was worth the effort. After all, they’re just like everyone else in Washington – full of crap and carrying plenty of big shovels to spread it around. For others, it was very emotional and energizing, with people choosing to fiercely support either conservative or liberal ideologies. What sorts of ideologies were there to create such polarization in our country? Why are so many people on both sides up in arms over this election?
From a conservative’s point of view, Barack Obama left much to be desired as a presidential candidate. First of all, we have a man who got to where he was with the help of the highly corrupt Chicago political machine. This fact alone made some people nervous because the Chicago political machine is known for promoting some rather seriously shady characters. Regardless of Obama’s intentions, merely being associated with some of the Chicago politicians within the machine was an issue.
During his time in the Illinois state senate, Obama’s voting record on issues was questionable and cause for concern. It wasn’t so much what he voted for. On the other hand, it wasn’t really what he voted against, either. The concern came from the 130 (no, you didn’t read that wrong – that's one hundred thirty) times that Obama voted “Present”. A vote of “Present” is neither a vote for or against the issue at hand. It’s merely a designation that one showed up for the vote. This raises the all-important question why refuse to take a stand on issues 130 times? Was it because Obama was afraid that his voting record might come back to haunt him some day? In a sense, it did. For me, a representative of the people who is afraid to make a decision because he has his eye on his own political future rather than the future and well-being of the people he represents is a major issue. When I’m considering who I would want to represent me, my family, and my nation, I’m certainly worried about electing someone who might be afraid to commit to a decision because it might come back to bite him in the end. From where I’m sitting, isn’t that the job you’re signing up for? As president, you have to make the best decision you can, based on your own education, experiences and the help of trusted and hopefully knowledgeable advisors. Is it the right decision? Who knows? You may not have the luxury of worrying about whether or not it will make you look good to the historians. Only time will tell how truly smart or foolish your decisions as president were. What a president needs to be concerned with is how to best serve the people of this nation. THAT’S the job. Based on all of those “Present” votes, it didn’t exactly look like Barack Obama was looking toward the best interests and needs of the people.
Going hand-in-hand with Barack Obama’s questionable voting record is his questionable associations with people who worked against the best interests of this country. For example, William Ayers, member of the Weather Underground, an anti-Vietnam War organization which protested the war through explosions at the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, and several other government buildings in the 1970’s. If someone is seeking to be entrusted with the well-being of this nation, why should we look to a man who is, in any way, associated with someone who is best remembered for violently attacking government? In all reality, that doesn’t say much for the Weather Underground that if they had the resources to set off these explosions, couldn’t they have put those resources to better, more constructive use? Don’t get me wrong. I think the fact that our government lied to many of our soldiers, as well as to the nation as a whole, is terrible. We sent more and more soldiers into Vietnam to fight a war we knew we couldn’t possibly win. I don’t, on the other hand, condone violent means of protesting those actions.
Ayers aside, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright ranks as another disturbing piece of Barack Obama’s past. I have a hard time accepting the idea that Barack Obama was in the church of a man who was so outspoken against our nation and yet never really knew it and didn’t really agree with it either. If he didn’t believe the notions being put forth from Reverend Wright’s pulpit, why stay in his church for so many years?
So, let’s assume Barack Obama is being labeled guilty solely on the basis of being associated with these people. Why sidestep the questions about these associations and several others? Barack Obama had the media in the palm of his hand throughout his campaign. He had plenty of opportunities to properly address the questions about why he would be connected with Ayers, Wright, and others. For me, his quick, dismissive answers really weren’t very convincing. I wanted him to convince me that he really didn’t agree with the ideas of these men. Reverend Wright’s pulpit tirades were simply too much to explain away.
What about the real issues of the campaign? Did any of them matter in my decision not to support the election of Barack Obama? Absolutely! Consider these three words – Joe the Plumber. One of the most referenced moments in the latter days of the campaign came from Barack Obama himself, when Ohio plumber Joe Wurzelbacher asked how Obama’s economic policies would affect him and his desire to buy his boss’s business for himself. Joe was concerned because Obama had been talking about how he was going to give a tax cut to 95% of Americans, about how only that 5% making over $250,000 per year would see a tax increase. It seems that if Wurzelbacher bought his boss’s plumbing business, he would become part of that 5%, and would see his tax burden rise. Obama told Joe that the 5% seeing a tax increase needed to pay more to pay for the tax cuts that everyone would get. “I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.” That issue alone is troubling to me in more ways than one.
First of all, I absolutely despise the idea of wealth redistribution. Last time I checked, Robin Hood was a fictional character, not a form of government. We shouldn’t rob from the rich to give to the poor. One of the founding principles of this country is that if we work hard, we should profit from the fruits of our labors. Obama’s tax policy seems to work against that. His policy would discourage people from working hard for fear that the government would come it and take it away, in the form of higher taxes. If I work hard, I should be able to decide what to do with my money, not the government. If I work hard and sacrifice to make a better life for my family, I shouldn’t be told that I don’t need the money, that there are others who need my money more and I’m going help them regardless of what I might think about it. I’m not an idiot. I do know there are others who aren’t as well off as I am, but shouldn’t it be MY decision who I help and how? I don’t need politicians to pass laws that decide for me. I can tithe to the church or churches of my choice. There are also plenty of charitable organizations in this world that I believe do good work for needy people – St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few. You may have noticed that “supporting people too lazy to work for what they have” didn’t quite make that list. Before I’m dragged out into the streets understand two very important things – 1) I don’t oppose welfare programs that help people get back on their feet and teach them how to support themselves, and 2) I know that a lot of people who are on welfare are actually hard working people who are just having problems making ends meet or finding a decent paying job.
Along with the problem of wealth redistribution, I also loathe the idea of promoting wealth envy -- that hatred people have for people make more money than they do and have more things than they do. To me, wealth envy is completely pointless and non-productive. From time to time, we all see someone who has something we would like to have. Strangely enough, people, we have a great solution for that – work for it! That might mean working more hours at work; it might mean doing without a few of the extras so many of us have in our budgets – cable TV, internet service, cell phones, movies, whatever. Most of us have the capacity to find the money in our budgets that can be saved, possibly invested if needed, to allow us to get that which we want. The problem with wealth envy is that it teaches you to hate people for having more or that they owe you something. I’ve got news for you. No one owes you anything. You owe it to yourself to do the best that you can do for yourself and your family.
Aside from the social issues surrounding it, Obama’s economic plan is fundamentally flawed. One of the basic principles of his plan involves raising taxes on large corporations and individuals making more that $250,000 per year. He says those tax increases will allow lower taxes on 95% of families in this country. Wrong! Raising taxes on corporations is just a fancy name for raising taxes on families. The only way for families to avoid these tax increases is for them not to buy anything from any company that will be subject to these higher taxes, or from any company that buys any thing from a company that will have its taxes raised. Okay, I know what you’re thinking at this point – “What in the world are you babbling about”? Well, I’ll tell you.
Pick a corporation, any corporation. How much in taxes did they pay last year? Any guess? $1000? $50,000? $1,000,000? How about ZERO? Economics lesson – businesses DON’T PAY TAXES! People pay taxes. You pay taxes. Businesses don’t pay taxes. Of course, you’re thinking that I’m crazy. Businesses pay taxes. You can go online and look up how much they paid in taxes. We have laws governing how much in taxes businesses must pay and by when. All of that is absolutely true. However, in essence, businesses still don’t pay taxes. You, the consumer, pay taxes for them. Let’s look at an example.
We have a company we’ll call Cool Cases Company. Cool Cases makes those refrigerated cases you see in your neighborhood grocery store. Cool Cases, being a large company, will be subject to a tax increase under Barack Obama’s plan. Well, Cool Cases has its overhead costs – utilities, equipment maintenance, rent, payroll, etc. These costs aren’t going to go away just because their taxes have gone up, so Cool Cases is going to have to make sure they make enough to cover them, plus pay their taxes, and still come out with an acceptable profit margin for their shareholders. Because of the fact that they will owe more in taxes, CCC raises their price for their products. Now, let’s say Walmart is a customer of CCC and they’re in the process of building yet another Super Center. Their rep from CCC tells Walmart the price on their cases went up. Walmart, needing the case to furnish their new store, pays the new, higher price. A few months down the road, Walmart opens the new Super Center to its customers. Because Walmart had to pay more for the equipment to go in this store, they have to set their prices on the products a little higher. After all, that money has to come from somewhere, along with the money that Walmart has to pay because they, too, are subject to higher taxes. So now, instead of $3.99 for a gallon of milk, maybe it’s $4.19. A loaf of bread that would have been $1.79 is now $1.89. And who pays those higher costs? You do – you, the consumer. And where is that money going? To the corporations, to pay their bills, including their taxes. It’s called “trickle down economics”. A tax increase on corporations ultimately trickles down to the little guy.
Another issue I had in this campaign didn’t involve Senator Obama directly, but more indirectly. It was the issue of racism. It disturbed me to see so many people who were voting for Obama solely because of his race. It disturbed me even more to hear some of those people declaring that anyone who didn’t vote for him was simply racist. We’ve already been through several of the reasons I wasn’t interested in voting for him. You’ll notice not one of them was because of his racial heritage. I, for one, don’t have a problem with race in politics. Years ago, Alan Keyes was a very promising presidential candidate. Had Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice run for president this year, I likely would have wholeheartedly supported their candidacy. For me, race wasn’t an issue and it never was.
That’s enough about why I didn’t want to vote for Barack Obama. Why did I vote for John McCain? Several reasons, actually. One is experience. I believe that John McCain’s experiences both in war and in public service were assets which would have served him well as president. When I’m considering a presidential candidate, I want to know that the person I’m voting for is going to have the fortitude to stand up to the threats which might present themselves. I also respected that Senator McCain has a history of bipartisan politics, working with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. I see that as a step toward getting things done in Washington. Personally, I’m tired of these whizzing contests politicians have with each other where regardless of how good an idea you have, they’re not listening because you don’t have the right letter in parentheses after their name. Furthermore, I was impressed with McCain’s history as a maverick. He was more interested in doing what was right, regardless of whether or not he personally got the credit, regardless of whether or not it the “popular” thing to do. Sometimes you have to do things to help people, even if it turns out you’re helping to protect them from themselves.
In the end, I suppose none of this truly matters – why I wanted McCain elected, why I didn’t want Obama elected. The fact of the matter is Obama was elected. Almost certainly, he’ll be inaugurated on January 20, 2009. I don’t necessarily like the fact that he was elected, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect that he will be the President of the United States. Believe it or not, I also understand why he was elected.
First of all, over the past decade, the Republican Party has drifted away from their core values. These days, they’re more like the Democrats than not. For many conservatives, that’s a real downer. In some ways, I can see how McCain may not have been able to win the election. His principles seemed to have kept him from directly addressing issues that he could have. For example, he refused to attack Obama over his involvement with Reverend Wright. Also, McCain, as the Republican candidate, was viewed as merely a continuation of the George W. Bush years. While it’s not been all bad, some parts, especially the past six months, have been horrendous.
Another reason Barack Obama was elected was because of what he claimed to represent – change, or more importantly, hope. The idea of hope is very important to people. It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning. It’s was keeps us pushing on. Over the past several months, Americans have watched as the economy has been steadily declining. The stock market took a nose dive, costing investors hundreds of billions of dollars. When families are already struggling to make ends meet, the last thing they need is to watch the economy collapsing. In the darkness of these troubling circumstances, Barack Obama offered people hope – hope of a better life, where they don’t have to struggle as much to keep food on the table, gas in the car, and have a few of the extras that make life a little nicer. Hope, however, can’t be spent. Neither can promises.
Over the next two years, we will see if Barack Obama can really deliver on his promises. If he does, we will then see if we’re the better for it or if we’ve merely succeeded in making people happy by giving them things the government isn’t really responsible to provide. If he doesn’t deliver sufficiently on these lofty promises, will we as a nation swing once again from center-left back to center-right? Even though President Obama would still have two more years left at that point, the fault would fall upon both him and his party, in control of both Congressional houses. While he wouldn’t feel the brunt of backlash, their control of Congress would be in serious jeopardy. He would then find himself in the same, unenviable position that George W. Bush has been in, fighting to get his agenda done in the face of opposing party control of Congress.
To those who did not vote for Barack Obama, I hope you did so for meaningful reasons. I hope you didn’t vote against him simply because he was “the black guy”. For those who supported Obama in his pursuit of the presidency, I hope you didn’t vote for him simply because he was “the black guy”. I hope you cast your vote for real, meaningful reasons. I also hope you were right in voting for him. If you were wrong, we could all pay the price. That price may be more of a bitter pill than any of us are prepared to swallow.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
In a world...
A Hollywood legend passed away yesterday. If you passed him on the street, you’d probably never know it. If you heard his name, you’d probably say “Oh, yeah – umm, who?” But if you’ve been to a movie in the last thirty years or so, you know who I’m talking about.
Don LaFontaine died yesterday at the age of 68, as a result of complications from treatment for a lung-related illness. He started in the business as an audio engineer until 1965, when he got what turned out to be his big break. By the time he died, he was possibly the most prolific actor in Screen Actor Guild history, based on the number of signed contracts he had. Still haven’t got a clue, do you?
How can a guy have over 5000 appearances to his credit and yet be generally unrecognized in public? LaFontaine’s 5000 plus appearances aren’t in movies, per se, but in movie trailers. He’s the voice you’ve heard in so many movie trailers such as “Batman Begins”, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, “Dr. Strangelove”, and “Cast Away”. He was also heard on television, doing voiceover work for shows such as “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insiders”, as well as the Academy Awards. His voice was used by every major network, as well as several cable stations. In 2006, he even parodied himself in a Geico Insurance commercial.
Don LaFontaine is survived by his wife and their three children.
Check on this video on YouTube about the life of Don LaFontaine.
If you liked that one, check out this comedian's take on LaFontaine's work.
Don LaFontaine died yesterday at the age of 68, as a result of complications from treatment for a lung-related illness. He started in the business as an audio engineer until 1965, when he got what turned out to be his big break. By the time he died, he was possibly the most prolific actor in Screen Actor Guild history, based on the number of signed contracts he had. Still haven’t got a clue, do you?
How can a guy have over 5000 appearances to his credit and yet be generally unrecognized in public? LaFontaine’s 5000 plus appearances aren’t in movies, per se, but in movie trailers. He’s the voice you’ve heard in so many movie trailers such as “Batman Begins”, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, “Dr. Strangelove”, and “Cast Away”. He was also heard on television, doing voiceover work for shows such as “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insiders”, as well as the Academy Awards. His voice was used by every major network, as well as several cable stations. In 2006, he even parodied himself in a Geico Insurance commercial.
Don LaFontaine is survived by his wife and their three children.
Check on this video on YouTube about the life of Don LaFontaine.
If you liked that one, check out this comedian's take on LaFontaine's work.
Introducing Governor Sarah Palin and Child...and Child
On Friday, Republican presidential nominee John McCain surprised the political world when he announced his Vice Presidential nominee, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. In the few days since his announcement, Governor Palin’s life has been the target of great media scrutiny. As of now, we know a few things about her past – she’s married with four children, athletic, and a member of the National Rifle Association. She’s even a former first runner-up in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant. Much to the envy of politicians all across the country and all across the aisle, she currently enjoys an approval rating in the 80-90+ percent range. How many politicians would love to have that? On top of everything else, she’s tough, not afraid to make the hard decisions.
Much to the contrary of what you’ve heard in the news lately, Governor Palin is not just an “out of the blue” choice for a running mate. In fact, even to my surprise, there was scuttlebutt floating around many months ago that Palin would make an excellent choice. In spite of the fact that the Alaska governor’s name has been on the radar for some time, many in the media would seem to suggest that she’s “an unknown”.
One of the “surprise” topics the media seems to have latched onto today revolves around Governor Palin’s 17 year-old daughter, Bristol, who is herself five months pregnant. As the picture is being painted, the presidential race might just as well be conceded by the Republicans next week for being foolish and ignorant enough to believe that a running mate with a pregnant teenage daughter would be a good choice. They’re probably right.
Think about it. Isn’t it obvious how patently unqualified Governor Palin is? As governor of Alaska, when she’s considering whether or not to support a tax increase, wouldn’t the obvious tipping point in that debate revolve around whether or not Bristol Palin is an unwed pregnant teenager? When pondering her position on legislation which would impact the citizens of her state, wouldn’t the citizens expect her decision to revolve around the fact that her daughter is pregnant? If another oil tanker spill occurs off the coast of Alaska, wouldn’t the cleanup effort have to be coordinated with Bristol’s appointment for an ultrasound at her OB/GYN’s office? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, please follow these simple instructions:
1. Remove your voter’s registration card from your wallet/purse.
-- If you don’t have a voter’s registration card or a wallet/purse, skip to Step #3
2. Burn the aforementioned voter’s registration card
3. Contact your employer and quit your job
-- If you don’t have a job, you probably should be doing something more important than reading this blog, like LOOKING FOR A J-O-B!!
4. Set out in search of your village. You know the one I’m referring to – the one that’s missing their idiot!
5. (And this one's the most important...) Never, EVER vote for anyone or anything.
Let’s be realistic. Governor Palin is doing what any mother should do in this situation. She’s standing by and supporting her daughter. Being that Governor Palin is strongly anti-abortion, she’s demonstrating that she can walk the walk.
Consider a few things.
-- Who among us has children that have never, EVER made a terrible mistake without first considering the potential results of their actions?
-- Who among us have, ourselves, never, EVER made a terrible mistake without first considering the results of our own actions?
-- For those who raised their hands to both of the previous questions, the final question is what color is the sky in the imaginary world in which you live?
For those who argue that this girl is too young to have to deal with this much pressure, she’s about to have a child. Parenting and all of the responsibilities that come with it can be the greatest pressures anyone can have to deal with. As Sarah Palin has explained to her daughter, it’s time for her to grow up and face her impending adulthood. A further thought -- which would be more pressure for her to deal with: having to deal with a pregnancy in the public spotlight, or having to deal with the fact that her mother had to give up a chance at being Vice President of the United States, all because of her?
It’s interesting that so many are focused on the age of this “child”. What makes it interesting is that we live in a society where children younger than her make their way through our judicial system every day – the ADULT judicial system, charged with crimes like armed robbery and murder. This 17 year-old, is just a kid, though. Yeah - that makes sense.
Ultimately, this is a non-issue. It’s certainly not a concern of the political campaigns. Bristol’s pregnancy has no bearing on whether or not her mother will make an effective Vice President, or potential President. Even Senator Obama’s campaign has denounced the story, stating that candidate’s families are off limits to such reporting. When both presidential candidates are saying it’s not a problem, why is anyone else whining about it? Maybe the media needs to cover something far more newsworthy -- like whether or not someone remember to change the toilet tissue rolls aboard Air Force One.
Much to the contrary of what you’ve heard in the news lately, Governor Palin is not just an “out of the blue” choice for a running mate. In fact, even to my surprise, there was scuttlebutt floating around many months ago that Palin would make an excellent choice. In spite of the fact that the Alaska governor’s name has been on the radar for some time, many in the media would seem to suggest that she’s “an unknown”.
One of the “surprise” topics the media seems to have latched onto today revolves around Governor Palin’s 17 year-old daughter, Bristol, who is herself five months pregnant. As the picture is being painted, the presidential race might just as well be conceded by the Republicans next week for being foolish and ignorant enough to believe that a running mate with a pregnant teenage daughter would be a good choice. They’re probably right.
Think about it. Isn’t it obvious how patently unqualified Governor Palin is? As governor of Alaska, when she’s considering whether or not to support a tax increase, wouldn’t the obvious tipping point in that debate revolve around whether or not Bristol Palin is an unwed pregnant teenager? When pondering her position on legislation which would impact the citizens of her state, wouldn’t the citizens expect her decision to revolve around the fact that her daughter is pregnant? If another oil tanker spill occurs off the coast of Alaska, wouldn’t the cleanup effort have to be coordinated with Bristol’s appointment for an ultrasound at her OB/GYN’s office? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, please follow these simple instructions:
1. Remove your voter’s registration card from your wallet/purse.
-- If you don’t have a voter’s registration card or a wallet/purse, skip to Step #3
2. Burn the aforementioned voter’s registration card
3. Contact your employer and quit your job
-- If you don’t have a job, you probably should be doing something more important than reading this blog, like LOOKING FOR A J-O-B!!
4. Set out in search of your village. You know the one I’m referring to – the one that’s missing their idiot!
5. (And this one's the most important...) Never, EVER vote for anyone or anything.
Let’s be realistic. Governor Palin is doing what any mother should do in this situation. She’s standing by and supporting her daughter. Being that Governor Palin is strongly anti-abortion, she’s demonstrating that she can walk the walk.
Consider a few things.
-- Who among us has children that have never, EVER made a terrible mistake without first considering the potential results of their actions?
-- Who among us have, ourselves, never, EVER made a terrible mistake without first considering the results of our own actions?
-- For those who raised their hands to both of the previous questions, the final question is what color is the sky in the imaginary world in which you live?
For those who argue that this girl is too young to have to deal with this much pressure, she’s about to have a child. Parenting and all of the responsibilities that come with it can be the greatest pressures anyone can have to deal with. As Sarah Palin has explained to her daughter, it’s time for her to grow up and face her impending adulthood. A further thought -- which would be more pressure for her to deal with: having to deal with a pregnancy in the public spotlight, or having to deal with the fact that her mother had to give up a chance at being Vice President of the United States, all because of her?
It’s interesting that so many are focused on the age of this “child”. What makes it interesting is that we live in a society where children younger than her make their way through our judicial system every day – the ADULT judicial system, charged with crimes like armed robbery and murder. This 17 year-old, is just a kid, though. Yeah - that makes sense.
Ultimately, this is a non-issue. It’s certainly not a concern of the political campaigns. Bristol’s pregnancy has no bearing on whether or not her mother will make an effective Vice President, or potential President. Even Senator Obama’s campaign has denounced the story, stating that candidate’s families are off limits to such reporting. When both presidential candidates are saying it’s not a problem, why is anyone else whining about it? Maybe the media needs to cover something far more newsworthy -- like whether or not someone remember to change the toilet tissue rolls aboard Air Force One.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
November is fast approaching
Hey, folks, November will be on us before we know it, and we all know what that means. Time to vote! Time to select the people who will represent us in our government. Are you registered?
After years of sitting on the sidelines, I was finally motivated to register to vote. This won’t be the first time I’ve voted, but admittedly it has been a while since I did. With the possibility that Barack Obama might actually be elected to run this country, and in a sense, the rest of the world, I felt the need to register, so Marsha and I went down to the county courthouse last week and did our civic duty.
I’ve come to realize that there’s a price to pay before one can truly be allowed to complain about what’s happening in government. The price for that is voting for our representatives. You have to speak your mind. If you don’t, you shouldn’t complain. After all, you had the opportunity to change the situation. If you didn’t take that opportunity, then you get to shut your pie hole when our representatives don’t do what we expect them to do.
It’s amazing, really. You hear after every election about low voter turnouts. It always seems to surprise us, because during the campaigns, we’re told over and over about how many people in the area are registered to vote. Yet, when the votes are tallied, the figures seem to reflect how few people got out to the polls. Now, we know that the number of “registered voters” isn’t really an exact figure. Some of those people have moved out of the area. Some have been incarcerated. Others have simply died. When you account for all of those demographics, you still have a sizable group of people, most of whom ultimately didn’t go vote. Why do you suppose that is?
One of the most prevalent excuses appears to be “My one vote doesn’t count”. I used to believe that myself. Over the past few years, I’ve come to eat those words. In the local elections, Angela Tuttle, 32, was elected constable in Hancock County, TN. Her father, a former constable himself, encouraged Angela to write her name in as candidate for the open position. Angela won the election by one vote – her own, which turned out to be the ONLY vote cast. Turns out no one else ran for the position.
On a more serious note, too many people think their vote doesn’t count. When you picture your one vote compared to the thousands or millions voting in any given election, it can seem that one vote wouldn’t matter one way or another. But, if enough people stay home with that kind of thinking we end up with what we’ve always had – a “good ole boy” network of people who continue on in office term after term. Take for example, former Knoxville, TN, mayor Victor Ashe. When he was first elected, Ashe seemed to be a true man of the people, a man ready to answer the call when the constituents needed him. By the time the third of his unprecedented four terms came about, he had become a very large cog in a system that listened to few and worked for even fewer. He and several members of the city council pretty well worked to benefit themselves and a few of their more financially fortunate contributors. It was only the passage of term limits which finally freed Knoxville from the grip of Ashe and his cronies on the city council, since so many of those who complained never actually showed up at the polls to voice their dissatisfaction in the form of a vote for the other guy.
Another excuse is “I don’t like anyone who’s running”. Often times, we’re forced to pick the lesser of two evils in an election. Such seems to be the situation in this year’s presidential election.
One the one hand, Barack Obama isn’t exactly well liked, due to his lack of experience in federal government. The fact is it wasn’t too long ago Obama was a small time politician in Chicago who no one had ever heard of on the national level. The fact of the matter is, 2008 was supposed to be Obama’s “Coming Out” party, of sorts – get his name out there, so when 2012 rolls around, he wouldn’t be a complete unknown. It was assumed that Hillary Clinton would actually be the Democrats nominee this year. Instead, they’ve got Obama.
On the other hand, we have John McCain. A seasoned, experienced politician to be certain, but not really the one the Republicans were hoping for either. It seems that many Republicans would have been far happier with Fred Thompson, Ron Paul, or Mitt Romney as a candidate. McCain is viewed by some as merely a continuation of Bush’s policies – effectively, George W. Bush’s “third term”.
In the end, it’s still the responsibility of each registered voter to make a decision on who they want, even if the one they’re voting for isn’t exactly their first choice. Not only do they have to make a decision, they need to make an INFORMED decision, which brings us to our third excuse, “I don’t know who to vote for because I don’t know where the candidates stand on the issues”. Be informed, people! Don’t just sit around watching the latest installment of “American Idol” or “The Bachelor”. Some of these people who are running for office will actually be elected. Do you want to be the one who just picked someone for the sake of saying you voted? Just your luck, you’ll have ended up helping to elect the guy who stands for everything you’re against. If you’re not going to pay attention to who you’re voting for, you might as well not vote at all. At least, then you don’t run the risk of electing the guy who’s a complete idiot, as opposed to the one who may be just a partial idiot.
And remember the difference between an ignoramus and a gross ignoramus. A gross ignoramus is 144 times worse!
Okay, folks, enough from the Great Soapbox. Those of you who aren’t registered to vote – get registered – NOW! Time is running out to be registered in time to be eligible to vote in the November elections. Those of you already registered – get to the polls. And don’t try the fourth excuse – “I couldn’t get off from work”. The law REQUIRES your employer to make reasonable accommodations to allow you sufficient time off to vote in your home precinct. Now, for some, that will mean you will, in fact, have to leave work, go vote, and then return to work. Sorry, folks. Do what you have to do. And, in the process, if you can find anyone to vote for who supports the Fair Tax Initiative, VOTE FOR THEM – they are your friends!!
After years of sitting on the sidelines, I was finally motivated to register to vote. This won’t be the first time I’ve voted, but admittedly it has been a while since I did. With the possibility that Barack Obama might actually be elected to run this country, and in a sense, the rest of the world, I felt the need to register, so Marsha and I went down to the county courthouse last week and did our civic duty.
I’ve come to realize that there’s a price to pay before one can truly be allowed to complain about what’s happening in government. The price for that is voting for our representatives. You have to speak your mind. If you don’t, you shouldn’t complain. After all, you had the opportunity to change the situation. If you didn’t take that opportunity, then you get to shut your pie hole when our representatives don’t do what we expect them to do.
It’s amazing, really. You hear after every election about low voter turnouts. It always seems to surprise us, because during the campaigns, we’re told over and over about how many people in the area are registered to vote. Yet, when the votes are tallied, the figures seem to reflect how few people got out to the polls. Now, we know that the number of “registered voters” isn’t really an exact figure. Some of those people have moved out of the area. Some have been incarcerated. Others have simply died. When you account for all of those demographics, you still have a sizable group of people, most of whom ultimately didn’t go vote. Why do you suppose that is?
One of the most prevalent excuses appears to be “My one vote doesn’t count”. I used to believe that myself. Over the past few years, I’ve come to eat those words. In the local elections, Angela Tuttle, 32, was elected constable in Hancock County, TN. Her father, a former constable himself, encouraged Angela to write her name in as candidate for the open position. Angela won the election by one vote – her own, which turned out to be the ONLY vote cast. Turns out no one else ran for the position.
On a more serious note, too many people think their vote doesn’t count. When you picture your one vote compared to the thousands or millions voting in any given election, it can seem that one vote wouldn’t matter one way or another. But, if enough people stay home with that kind of thinking we end up with what we’ve always had – a “good ole boy” network of people who continue on in office term after term. Take for example, former Knoxville, TN, mayor Victor Ashe. When he was first elected, Ashe seemed to be a true man of the people, a man ready to answer the call when the constituents needed him. By the time the third of his unprecedented four terms came about, he had become a very large cog in a system that listened to few and worked for even fewer. He and several members of the city council pretty well worked to benefit themselves and a few of their more financially fortunate contributors. It was only the passage of term limits which finally freed Knoxville from the grip of Ashe and his cronies on the city council, since so many of those who complained never actually showed up at the polls to voice their dissatisfaction in the form of a vote for the other guy.
Another excuse is “I don’t like anyone who’s running”. Often times, we’re forced to pick the lesser of two evils in an election. Such seems to be the situation in this year’s presidential election.
One the one hand, Barack Obama isn’t exactly well liked, due to his lack of experience in federal government. The fact is it wasn’t too long ago Obama was a small time politician in Chicago who no one had ever heard of on the national level. The fact of the matter is, 2008 was supposed to be Obama’s “Coming Out” party, of sorts – get his name out there, so when 2012 rolls around, he wouldn’t be a complete unknown. It was assumed that Hillary Clinton would actually be the Democrats nominee this year. Instead, they’ve got Obama.
On the other hand, we have John McCain. A seasoned, experienced politician to be certain, but not really the one the Republicans were hoping for either. It seems that many Republicans would have been far happier with Fred Thompson, Ron Paul, or Mitt Romney as a candidate. McCain is viewed by some as merely a continuation of Bush’s policies – effectively, George W. Bush’s “third term”.
In the end, it’s still the responsibility of each registered voter to make a decision on who they want, even if the one they’re voting for isn’t exactly their first choice. Not only do they have to make a decision, they need to make an INFORMED decision, which brings us to our third excuse, “I don’t know who to vote for because I don’t know where the candidates stand on the issues”. Be informed, people! Don’t just sit around watching the latest installment of “American Idol” or “The Bachelor”. Some of these people who are running for office will actually be elected. Do you want to be the one who just picked someone for the sake of saying you voted? Just your luck, you’ll have ended up helping to elect the guy who stands for everything you’re against. If you’re not going to pay attention to who you’re voting for, you might as well not vote at all. At least, then you don’t run the risk of electing the guy who’s a complete idiot, as opposed to the one who may be just a partial idiot.
And remember the difference between an ignoramus and a gross ignoramus. A gross ignoramus is 144 times worse!
Okay, folks, enough from the Great Soapbox. Those of you who aren’t registered to vote – get registered – NOW! Time is running out to be registered in time to be eligible to vote in the November elections. Those of you already registered – get to the polls. And don’t try the fourth excuse – “I couldn’t get off from work”. The law REQUIRES your employer to make reasonable accommodations to allow you sufficient time off to vote in your home precinct. Now, for some, that will mean you will, in fact, have to leave work, go vote, and then return to work. Sorry, folks. Do what you have to do. And, in the process, if you can find anyone to vote for who supports the Fair Tax Initiative, VOTE FOR THEM – they are your friends!!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Barack -- ON TOUR!! Get your tickets now!!
In the news today, apparent Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama is touring around Europe. Touring – that’s a good word for it. Yesterday, he gave a speech in Berlin. What did he have to say? Was it insightful? Will it have a great impact on the world? Was it well-received by the German citizens? Does any of that matter? Absolutely – NOT!
Let’s ask the real relevant question – what was Barack Obama doing in Berlin giving a speech in the first place? Many have criticized Obama as being a highly inexperienced candidate; that he lacks foreign policy experience. Ok, so he hops a plane to Europe to talk to the various world leaders. That doesn’t involve making speeches covered by global media, nor having the nightly news anchors from the three major networks in tow. That simply involves sitting down and talking to the foreign leaders. Instead, Obama makes the news giving a speech in Berlin. Now, let’s look at why that’s a problem.
First of all, Barack is touring around Europe. Yes, back to that “touring” word again. As I said earlier, that’s a good word for what he does. He travels around from state to state, nation to nation, like a rock-star on a world tour. There’s a good analogy. See, like a rock-star, Barack is glad to take money from his screaming (and in some cases, fainting) fans and give them what they want to hear. In the end, it’s all just the same fluff to a slightly different tune.
Secondly, why is he giving a speech to the Germans, the French, or anyone else outside of America for that matter? Last time I checked, the citizens of Europe don’t actually get to vote for the AMERICAN president. It doesn’t matter one teeny, tiny, little bit what they think. The entire European community can back Obama for president and bring the Asians and Africans along with them for the ride. All put together, they still get exactly zero votes in OUR election. Essentially, it’s nothing more than propaganda. It’s just an opportunity to get Barack Obama in the news yet again, without actually doing or saying anything particularly important. It’s a good thing that the media in this country isn’t liberally biased or anything, because then it might look like they were playing favorites instead of being the fair, unbiased purveyors of information that we all know them to be.
Finally, aren’t Obama and/or the Democratic Party putting the cart before the horse? At this point, Barack Obama hasn’t even been officially selected as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, let alone actually elected to the office. Isn’t that part kind of important? Before one goes gallivanting around the world like he’s the president, shouldn’t he actually have the job first? Oh, right, sorry – that’s just another “distraction” from the Obama campaign. In other words, it’s not important because Obama doesn’t want to have to answer questions about it, as the answers might lead his followers to believe that he isn’t the “messiah” that some have proclaimed him to be.
“The Messiah”. Many have called Barack Obama by that name. In Aramaic, the word messiah literally means “the anointed one”. The Hebrew use of the word refers to Jesus Christ. I would hardly compare Barack Obama to Jesus Christ. While I’ve never personally been privileged and honored to be standing face to face with the corporeal form of the Lord, I truly believe that if I were to experience that, I wouldn’t have an irresistible compulsion to check my back pocket to see if my wallet was still there when I was done. Let’s get something straight, people. Barack Obama is not the Messiah. There is exactly one Messiah in the world. That’s Jesus Christ. None came before him; none shall come after. Exactly one. No more, no less. To use that word to describe any mortal man is disrespectful, in my opinion. Now, let’s stop for a minute, take a breath. Where does all of this talk to Barack Obama being the new messiah come from in the first place? Well, I have an idea on that. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you knew I would.
In his book, “The Third Reich, A Revolution of Ideological Inhumanity, Volume I: The Power of Perception”, Everette O Lemons talks about the plan of the Nazis to use propaganda to capture the hearts and minds of the German youth. In much the same way, Barack Obama has been targeting the youth of America. He’s focusing on young, college-age, first-time voters. These are young folks who have, for years, listened as their parents have said that we need “a change” in America. In most cases, their parents have never really defined what “change” was needed. Obama is capitalizing on that oversight. He runs about using the magic word “change” and the youth of America are flocking to him like moths to a flame. Here is their messiah, their anointed one, their savior. He'll help them. He’ll change everything that’s wrong with the world. They think by electing Barack Obama in November, they will finally bring about the “change” their parents have been pleading for, and won't their parents be so very proud of them? When they think about voting for Obama, they might want to remember that old saying…be careful what you wish for – you may get it!
Let’s take a minute to educate the youth of America. Here’s their first opportunity to make their voices heard. Before they step into that voting booth, they need to know who and what they are voting for. If someone is promising change, what exactly does that mean? What kind of change? Who benefits from that change, other than Barack and his followers, that is? Who is going to be harmed by that change? Be smart, people. Think. THINK! Use your head. Doesn't Barack seem a little too good to be true? When things seem like they're too good to be true, they usually are.
Let’s ask the real relevant question – what was Barack Obama doing in Berlin giving a speech in the first place? Many have criticized Obama as being a highly inexperienced candidate; that he lacks foreign policy experience. Ok, so he hops a plane to Europe to talk to the various world leaders. That doesn’t involve making speeches covered by global media, nor having the nightly news anchors from the three major networks in tow. That simply involves sitting down and talking to the foreign leaders. Instead, Obama makes the news giving a speech in Berlin. Now, let’s look at why that’s a problem.
First of all, Barack is touring around Europe. Yes, back to that “touring” word again. As I said earlier, that’s a good word for what he does. He travels around from state to state, nation to nation, like a rock-star on a world tour. There’s a good analogy. See, like a rock-star, Barack is glad to take money from his screaming (and in some cases, fainting) fans and give them what they want to hear. In the end, it’s all just the same fluff to a slightly different tune.
Secondly, why is he giving a speech to the Germans, the French, or anyone else outside of America for that matter? Last time I checked, the citizens of Europe don’t actually get to vote for the AMERICAN president. It doesn’t matter one teeny, tiny, little bit what they think. The entire European community can back Obama for president and bring the Asians and Africans along with them for the ride. All put together, they still get exactly zero votes in OUR election. Essentially, it’s nothing more than propaganda. It’s just an opportunity to get Barack Obama in the news yet again, without actually doing or saying anything particularly important. It’s a good thing that the media in this country isn’t liberally biased or anything, because then it might look like they were playing favorites instead of being the fair, unbiased purveyors of information that we all know them to be.
Finally, aren’t Obama and/or the Democratic Party putting the cart before the horse? At this point, Barack Obama hasn’t even been officially selected as the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, let alone actually elected to the office. Isn’t that part kind of important? Before one goes gallivanting around the world like he’s the president, shouldn’t he actually have the job first? Oh, right, sorry – that’s just another “distraction” from the Obama campaign. In other words, it’s not important because Obama doesn’t want to have to answer questions about it, as the answers might lead his followers to believe that he isn’t the “messiah” that some have proclaimed him to be.
“The Messiah”. Many have called Barack Obama by that name. In Aramaic, the word messiah literally means “the anointed one”. The Hebrew use of the word refers to Jesus Christ. I would hardly compare Barack Obama to Jesus Christ. While I’ve never personally been privileged and honored to be standing face to face with the corporeal form of the Lord, I truly believe that if I were to experience that, I wouldn’t have an irresistible compulsion to check my back pocket to see if my wallet was still there when I was done. Let’s get something straight, people. Barack Obama is not the Messiah. There is exactly one Messiah in the world. That’s Jesus Christ. None came before him; none shall come after. Exactly one. No more, no less. To use that word to describe any mortal man is disrespectful, in my opinion. Now, let’s stop for a minute, take a breath. Where does all of this talk to Barack Obama being the new messiah come from in the first place? Well, I have an idea on that. If you’ve been reading my blogs, you knew I would.
In his book, “The Third Reich, A Revolution of Ideological Inhumanity, Volume I: The Power of Perception”, Everette O Lemons talks about the plan of the Nazis to use propaganda to capture the hearts and minds of the German youth. In much the same way, Barack Obama has been targeting the youth of America. He’s focusing on young, college-age, first-time voters. These are young folks who have, for years, listened as their parents have said that we need “a change” in America. In most cases, their parents have never really defined what “change” was needed. Obama is capitalizing on that oversight. He runs about using the magic word “change” and the youth of America are flocking to him like moths to a flame. Here is their messiah, their anointed one, their savior. He'll help them. He’ll change everything that’s wrong with the world. They think by electing Barack Obama in November, they will finally bring about the “change” their parents have been pleading for, and won't their parents be so very proud of them? When they think about voting for Obama, they might want to remember that old saying…be careful what you wish for – you may get it!
Let’s take a minute to educate the youth of America. Here’s their first opportunity to make their voices heard. Before they step into that voting booth, they need to know who and what they are voting for. If someone is promising change, what exactly does that mean? What kind of change? Who benefits from that change, other than Barack and his followers, that is? Who is going to be harmed by that change? Be smart, people. Think. THINK! Use your head. Doesn't Barack seem a little too good to be true? When things seem like they're too good to be true, they usually are.
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