Ridiculous, yes. But I couldn’t help myself.
And seriously, check out how deftly Bush dodges that thing. The way he pops back up, you’d think he was going to leap out over that podium and take out the shoe-throwing journalist with his bare hands.
Hail to the Chief? November 5, 2008
It should be pretty clear to just about anyone who knows me that I’m more than a little disappointed by the outcome of the presidential election. I’m not surprised, of course, but still, it’s hard for me to be excited about the American political system when so many of my fellow Americans are eager to elect a leader that has a questionable past and has shown himself to be a far left-leaning liberal. It’s difficult for me to be hopeful about the future when our country is fast headed toward becoming a welfare state. The greatness of America is tied up in the idea of working hard, perseverance, and creating a better life for yourself and the generations that follow. I’m afraid that this election shows that we’ve hit the peak in that mindset, and are now slipping further into becoming a country that prefers the helping hand of Big Brother rather than the working hand of oneself.
Still, I’m not nearly as bitter as some might imagine. Do I think John McCain would have made an excellent president? Absolutely. Do I think Barack Obama will lead the country in the right direction? No, I don’t. But to be honest, the amount of “hope” he’s brought to so many people – many of my friends and loved ones included – has me to the point where I really do hope he can make a difference. Otherwise, there are going to be throngs of disappointed Americans milling about. And with the nature of our country the way it is right now, disappointment and lack of hope on that scale could be a devastating blow.
I thought all day about what I wanted to say about the outcome of the election, and there’s a lot I can spout off about. I don’t think our country is particularly smart as a whole. I don’t like the direction it’s going. And the cynical part of me thinks that the excitement surrounding such a radical liberal leader is a sign that we’re entering into – if not already in – the beginning of the end of the era where America stands out amongst a world of nations.
But the optimist in me says that maybe Obama will attempt to work across party lines for the betterment of our country. Maybe he will be able to hold true on some of his promises. Now exactly how he’s going to fund educations, healthcare, social programs, and new initiatives while lowering taxes remains to be seen. (Here’s a hint: It’s not possible! Welcome to Economics 101, Barack, sweetie). But maybe he’ll be able to pull something off. We’ll see.
And like I told a friend earlier today, I really don’t want to see him fall flat on his face. I think there’s a chance that will happen, but if it does, that spells bad news for my country. And despite the cheesy factor of it, I really do love my country. I do hope that people soon realize that Obama is just a man who managed to raise enough money to buy his way into the White House. He’s not alone in this … every president in modern history, Republican, Democrat, or otherwise has bought his way into the White House. It’s how our system works. But he’s not a God, or the God, or a superhero. He’s a career politician, and an inexperienced, arrogant one at that. I think that will shine through soon enough.
I’m also displeased with how quickly Sarah Palin has become a scapegoat for the McCain campaign. Now, if you don’t know already, I’m immensely cynical and bitter about the mainstream media and, yes, the not-at-all-subtle liberal bias. And I fully believe that the immediate finger of blame for McCain’s loss to Palin is designed to dent her career and minimize any immediate talk of a 2012 campaign run. The thing is, Palin did wonders for the Republican party. Yes, her social conservatism and inexperience (which somewhat matches our President Elect’s) did probably turn away some more moderate independents. But her appearance onto the national scene also added much needed rejuvenation to the Republican party. Where McCain’s rally would draw several thousand, Palin’s would draw tens of thousands. I have to believe those supporters were coming out for more than a look at her glasses. Palin and her family took a beating throughout this campaign, and I hate that they’re continuing to take it now that it’s over. I don’t agree with every policy Palin supports, but I’ve been increasingly impressed by her tenacity and her gracious response to the barrage of attacks that she’s been subjected to, and I really do hope to see more of her on a national scale in the coming years.
My other annoyance out of this election has been the issue of race. It’s always irked me, but I realize that it was pivotal to this election. The moment I heard Obama refer to his late grandmother – the woman who raised him – as a “typical white woman,” I knew the race factor was going to be key to the election. And following last night’s results, the historic nature of our first African American president has proven to capture the attention of folks worldwide. (As a side note and gentle reminder, Obama’s biracial. He’s as much white as he is black. No one seems to remember that fact).
But here’s something interesting – on the news today, a lot of talk about the long road from Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights activism that began in the 1960s was going on. And the world is celebrating what is a monumental moment in our history, as well we should be. And I’ve heard Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech quoted numerous times today. But I have one concern, especially when I hear the “judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character” line from Dr. King’s speech mentioned. I’m concerned that we focused far too much on the color of our president elect’s skin, and not nearly enough on the content of his character. And I have to wonder, is that really what the Rev. King had in mind? Are we really making the strides we seem to think we’ve made, or are we compensating and further creating racial tension with our out-of-focus focus?
I really don’t know. All we can do now is have faith and, according to the months of campaign slogans & promises, “hope” for the future.
McCain’s Folly October 30, 2008
I’m getting to the point where I can’t even stand to read the news – I really think the McCain – Palin campaign should, come Wednesday morning, start working on a book entitled “How NOT To Run a Presidential Campaign.”
It seems to me that the Republicans have not only thrown in the towel, but also are doing everything possible to take McCain’s campaign and make it into a total train wreck. Everyday, they seem to do something more and more ridiculous. Knowing the way the media works, those ridiculous things are grossly magnified and amplified while the Obama campaign is heralded all along the way.
Case in point: Earlier this week, campaign aides started going to the press with reports that Sarah Palin had “gone rogue” and was no longer taking their advice and not sticking to the scripted plans and plots that the campaign had put forth for her.
A couple of points here … for one thing, if you really are trying to get your ticket elected to office, don’t go bitching the press about the VP nominee a week before the election, referring to her as a “diva.” Seriously. I have to wonder if these guys care at all about the campaign (and, for that matter, the party) that they’re working for. And secondly, and slightly off topic, good for Palin. The major criticism that she’s received since being tapped with the VP nomination is that she’s been too scripted and can’t handle leadership “off the cuff.” If these campaign aides aren’t letting her address what needs to be addressed, good for her for breaking loose and taking the reins on it. With a successful campaign, she would be second in command of the country – I’d rather see her have the nerve to shirk off the scripted recommendations of campaign aides and talk about the issues and the things she thinks are important. Palin’s willingness to make the calls she thinks are right regardless of her popularity is one of the reasons that I really like both her and McCain.
But back to the “How NOT To Run a Campaign” issue. I realize that Barack Obama’s campaign has tons of money ($600 million … yeah, that’s what Kerry & Bush had combined in 2004!), and can afford half hour primetime TV spots. But it’s like McCain-Palin have retreated to some underground bunker to wait things out until Tuesday.
Are you kidding me? Get your faces out there as much as you can, and do something to make some noise. The media will continue it’s love affair with Obama, I have no doubt. But po-dunk rallies with stump speeches that never change are not going to maintain momentum into next week. McCain needs to step it up, and make something happen.
Otherwise, come Tuesday night when he’s conceding to Obama via telephone, his campaign will have no one to blame but themselves.
UPDATE: OK, so, apparently McCain was on Larry King Live last night after the Obama television barrage. Who knew? At least he FINALLY brought up the issue of Obama lying & going back on his word on public campaign financing. I guess he’s not completely curling up in a ball for the last few days of this mess. 
Presidential Debate Deux October 7, 2008
One of the classes I took in grad school was focused on the study of rhetoric. In that class, we discussed at length the power of imagery as it relates to rhetoric, so whenever I watch something like a presidential debate (as I’m doing now), I can’t help both notice something: Barack Obama is going to win this election (much to my disappointment) almost solely based on imagery and powerful rhetoric.
For one, most people would say that he’s much easier on the eyes than McCain. Americans like pretty people. Dozens of studies have been done that show that we rate a person’s trustworthiness and overall judgment based on how we perceive their physical attractiveness. Obama is young and charismatic. McCain is not young, and while there is considerably CONSIDERABLY more substance to his speech, he does not possess the charisma that Obama does.
But perhaps worst of all is the fact as a result of the torture he endured as a prisoner of war, McCain looks physically awkward. He’s suffered limited mobility in his arms and upper body, which gives him considerably less suave mannerisms than his opponent. When I see this, I feel a surge of respect for the man. But I worry that the effect that physical awkwardness has on other viewers lends them to subconsciously make judgments on McCain.
And the media doesn’t help. Time and time again, I’ll pull up the news online or on my iPod and see two photos from the campaign trail of each major candidate. And 9 times out of 10, one photo will show a smiling, pleasant Obama, and the other shows a scowling or pained-looking McCain. I’ve watched. McCain does, in fact, smile. But either the photographers aren’t snapping during these smiles, or the editors aren’t selecting them (Hint: it’s the second option).
Here’s a case in point from about midway through tonight’s debate. I pulled this photo from the front page of CNN.com at about 8:45 this evening. While the difference here is subtle, the impact that these subtleties in the photo have an enormous impact on the perception of the candidates. (Go back to the first televised presidential debate, which took place in 1960 between John F. Kennedy & Richard Nixon. What 1960 voters saw – not what they heard – largely determined the outcome of that race).
At any rate, here’s the photo – notice that Obama is smiling, kicked back & casual looking. McCain appears to be barking an order (I’m sure he’s just talking!) and is leaning aggressively forward. Editors aren’t dumb. They see these things and they pick these photos for a reason.
While there are certainly plenty of Americans who take the time to understand the issues, explore the track records of the candidates and the impact those candidates will have on the issues, and then critically consider which offers the best potential for the country, an equally (and probably much larger) number make their decisions based on shallow imagery like this. It’s sad, it’s frustrating, and it’s going to lead to the eventual demise of our country.
At least I find it interesting!
So, What Are You? September 4, 2008
People who know me know that I tend to get pretty fired up about politics and certain issues. I have pretty solid beliefs, and to be honest, I enjoy discussing (read: debating) many of those beliefs with individuals who have different viewpoints. (Although I learned earlier this year that at least one of my friends doesn’t like it when I do this …).
Most of the time, you’ll find me rallying alongside Republican politicians and Conservative leaders. I really don’t consider myself to be fully aligned with Republican as I’m really more of a cross between a Republican & a Libertarian, but I usually end up putting my votes and financial support behind Republican candidates.
My only real issue with Republican ideology is the desire to manage a number of social issues which, frankly, are private and should not be debated or legislated at the federal level. I have my personal views on the “big issues” like gay marriage, abortion, and the like, but as far as I’m concerned, those are private, individual matters which should be left to individuals to decide and determine for themselves.
I am loving the Republican National Convention this week, but I find myself bristling when one of these private social issues come up. Our national leaders need to focus on economic policy and national defense, not whether or not they’re going to allow Tommy and Timmy to marry. When I hear Barack Obama promise national healthcare & an education for all while still lowering taxes for the “middle class,” though, I know that I can suck it up and deal with my few complaints against Republican idealogy to prevent someone who clearly has no understanding of successful fiscal policy and economic strength out of the White House.
So I’m thinking of going to Borders tomorrow to acquire the biographies of John McCain and Sarah Palin to learn a bit more about these two candidates. I’m spending some time doing some research on these two because, frankly, I’m almost tempted to throw my full-fledged support behind them … you know, as opposed to my sort of begrudging “lesser of two evils” defense that I generally offer up for major party candidates.
Maybe I’ll just go ahead and order up a McCain-Palin bumper sticker … or maybe not …
