Monday, October 29, 2007

But...hes so old?



Republican John McCain sort of sings to his own tune when it comes to his political views. He is not overly conservative, and has the audacity to speak his mind on issues that don't align with his party, I like him and all..but what affect would his ancienticity have on the american public? And is this even a PC topic to be brought up?




When preparing to write this entry, I came aross several articles referring to McCain as the "Maverick." Forgive me for my stereotypical jest, perhaps McCain was a rebellious, promiscuous fighter pilot in his day; or perhaps 70 is the new 50; or perhaps the authors were aiming for a more docile interpretation of
noun
1. someone who exhibits great independence in thought and action

And i'm pretty sure they were referring to his active sponsorship in gun control, finance reform innitiatives, support for legalizing illegal aliens, and his array of comments about affirmative action.

However, i would fully support any political insiuations that McCain was in fact a sexy fighter pilot. Off topic. But he did receive all these awards:

Silver Star Legion of Merit Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Distinguished Flying Cross

A lifelong Repulican and American Conservatie Union, McCain has maintained outstandingly high acceptance ratings among his peers and the general public.
His traditional Republican side favors:
-very Pro-life
-in favor of free trade
-privatization of social security accounts
-against socialized health care
- in favor of school vouchers
-supports death penalty
-supports welfare reform


In more recent news, a debate between both Repulicans McCain and Giuliani began to get interesting as they focussed on the topic of...torture?

Of course, as Republicans often do, each candidate found it entirely necessary to do all but distribute paper copies of their resume to member of the audience. McCain detailed his personal experience in warning about the dangers of harsh questioning. Giuliani honed on his "work experience" section and explained his job as a prosecutor, and how those skills were relevant. It all seemed very cliche.

McCain’s shot at Giuliani’s credentials was the latest in an increasingly hostile back-and-forth on Friday between a pair who used to exclaim their mutual respect, as the issue of torture’s definition – once treated in Washington as an abstract issue of international law – has come to be personalized between the two Republican contenders.

On Friday, McCain, a former POW, criticized pro-torture opponents who “chose to do other things when this nation was fighting its wars.”

Giuliani, who never served in the military, said McCain “has never run a city, never run a state, never run a government. He has never been responsible as a mayor for the safety and security of millions of people, and he has never run a law enforcement agency, which I have done.” Blah blah, i have not hard Giuliani speak, without him interjecting this statement word for word.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

so what exactly is a "Hillary bond" anyway?

For many Americans, the concept of a "Hillary bond" not only induces skepticism but generalized and accredited fear. While scowling at the tv during Giulliani's distasteful attempt at a Republican candidacy speech, he brought up the Hil-bond conumdrum...which left me wondering to what degree the relevant facts had been twisted. (More on Rudy in a moment) Could Hillary really be planning on issuing a $5,000 goverment-backed treasury security to every new baby born in the U.S.? More-over, does she really intend to print her picture on this bill? Regardless of the facts, hats off to the GOP for making Hillary, at least appear to be completely nuts. Giuliani further commented on the Hil-bonds, "But you know something? I've got news for you -- this costs money. It doesn't come from trees; it doesn't come down from heaven," later stating that this initiative would cost an estimated $20 billion a year.
Ok so Hillary later stated that it was "just an idea" and she threw it out there to generate "conversation." Meanwhile Giuliani was commenting on Hillary's likeness to Karl Marx....this is why I hate politics, or to be more fair, politicians. Giuliani proceeded to tout his successes in running buinesses, cities, and the state of new york, and I think thats great and all...but he gave me such a bad vibe. I don't trust him, what are the chances that after a 30 year career in controversial politics he has an ounce of morality and optimism left? Ok, thats a little harsh. Maybe it's the cheesy smile in this picture, I just flat out don't trust the guy.

Well, I guess there goes my attempt at an impartial view of the presidential race.

I'll be objective. Here's Giuliani on the issues:

Abortion: supports abortion rights.

Immigration: supports providing a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants, but not ahead of those in the system legally. Immigrants must pay back-taxes, penalties and learn English and American history before granted citizenship.

War in Iraq: opposed to setting a timetable for withdraw. Supports Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, fears failure in Iraq will lead to broader regional conflict.

Same-sex marriage: wants to define marriage as man-woman, supports domestic partnerships and legal benefits.

Social Security: Supports private retirement accounts as part of social security, but not at the expense of guaranteed benefits

Taxes: basically same as Bush's current tax cuts

*Information mostly from CNN election center

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

whats obama's deal these days?


So, I've been wondering, where has the Barack buzz been lately...when I came across today's USA TODAY cover story "Obama is still seeking traction." Finally, I get to write about my personal favorite 2008 presidential candidate...

He has time and money on his side. But after a fast start, he isn't gaining much ground in the polls.

He has been identified as the most viable African-American contender for president in history. He has published books and has raised a LOT of money in the 8ish months since he threw his hat in the ring for president. In the midst of all the February hoopla he held an impressive 23%, trailing Hillary at 48%. However, 8 months, six debates, and millions of dollars later--he has only picked up another percentage. Has the novel candidate plateaued? Or is he just laying low and waiting for his next big moment to shine?

The article analyzed the breakdown of the national standing poll; showing that Obama has lost some of his African American support to Hillary. This loss is due to his apparent weakness among core blue-collar Democrats and Hillary's inherited support from her husband's African-American fan base--so the question remains, how does he intend to pull the necessary 15% of voters from Hillary? Well, with three months left until the Iowa caucuses I believe the political arena is about to zero in on these two candidates.

Obama's strongest demographics are:
-47% households with annual incomes >$75,000
-45% post-graduate degree
-44% very liberal
-43% 18-29 year old age group
-41% post graduates
-41% independents that lean democrat
-39% men

Well, I pretty much fit the stereotype (except for being a man, of course).
I guess thats pretty typical though, considering we have grown up in a world more accustomed to accepting different racial backgrounds. I am quite sure there are still some white-radicals out there that aren't quite on the same page as the rest of nation.

Obama is a great speaker. He is thoughtful and composed, not overly confident, yet powerful in performance and message. When he speaks, you want to listen to what he has to say, but you also feel you could ask him a question and not feel stupid. Communication skills are hugely important, I would probably rank them as more important than experience...Just look at President Bush's cabinet? could he have a more experienced advisory team...um probably not! However, just listening to him speak takes complete credibility from him. Its like having a a million dollars and no debit card to access it.

So, I'll leave you with this...
"I defied the politics of the moment and opposed the war in Iraq before it began."