It’s 10 days until election day and at this point, I’m crossing each day off as another tick on my padded cell wall. This presidential election has brought out the dumb in so many otherwise intelligent people. Let’s get real and judge each candidate upon who they are as individuals, what their policies would be, and their track records as elected officials.
Barack Obama is NOT:
A Communist Marxist. He may be a socialist to a certain degree, but how many college professors AREN’T liberal socialists? Not many. His tax plan isn’t unlike that which any other Democrat would propose.
A Terrorist. I doubt Barack Obama is planning to undermine the security of the United States and join forces with Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. Hanging around with Bill Ayres, Rev. Wright and Tony Rezko was dumb, and it showed poor judgment, but that’s all it shows. Chicago is crawling with slimy politicians, left-leaning loonies and crooks – Obama was bound to run into a few of them.
A Muslim. I don’t think there’s such a thing as a closeted Muslim.
The Anti-Christ. That’s just silly.
On the flip side, John McCain is NOT:
George Bush. John McCain has a long career of being his own man. Democrats and Independents have always admired him for his willingness to work across the aisle and stand up to his own party. It’s not fair to conveniently forget all that now, just because he’s running for president with an (R) after his name.
On his death bed. If McCain does win the presidency, his critics already have him arriving to his own Inauguration Day in a hearse. He seems pretty healthy to me!
Reckless and Unstable. John McCain isn’t going to throw a temper tantrum and cause World War III.
Sarah Palin is NOT:
Stupid. Let’s face it, she was flung onto the national stage and came in as the underdog from the get-go; she was bound to flub up here and there. However, if we compare Palin to Joe Biden, they’d make a matching set of bookends with their gaffes.
I agree with you on all of the above. My dislike – infact strong strong dislike – of Sarah Palin has nothing to do with her intellegence or even with her far right wing views. It is her nasty mean spirited attacks and intolerant attitutes towards opposing points of view. In fact McCain’s selection of her made me DREAD the possiblity of him winning and really lowered my respect for him. Previously though disappointed I would still have have considered it an inprovement over Bush. Now I consider it a continuation of the same old polarizing politics of the past 8 years. I do not have a clue how they think they can “reach across the aisle” when they treat and talk about their opponents with this type of PERSONAL putdowns and disrespect. I absolutely cannot stand the woman and it has NOTHING to do with thinking she is dumb.
She describes herself as a “pit bull in lipstick” – I have to agree with her on that point she is pretty much a female dog in my book. Many of Obama’s views and much of his past is pretty darn similar to mine and the personal put downs of him from her – I take personal. She would think about the same of me if she knew me. The fact the Rush Limbauld thinks she is wonderful says it all. Can’t stand her but I agree, she is not dumb.
The “change” I’ve been for from the start is not some outsider. It has been a change in tone. A tolerance and respect for the fact WE Americans have many different views but can still be good people. And SHE absolutely does NOT represent that. I thought at one time McCain did but no longer he didn’t stand by his views.
McCain has been a disappointment. I wish he had stuck to his independent spirit. His campaign has been without focus and it’s a miracle he’s not down 20% in the polls.
Palin has been a disappointment too. I liked her when I first met her but after her speech at the convention, I walked away with a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach. If she had taken a more positive approach, I think McCain would be ahead in the polls right now.
I agree I think it was a bad approach. What did he do use the same campaign team of Bush? The approaches seem not to have changed with the times and the mood of the country. I cant say whether Palin was a good choice or not because she did energize the base and he needed that too but going negative was a bad choice. Completely off track from who McCain has been or at least who I thought he was. He has always been in my mind a republican I would listen to and even consider voting for – prior to now. Maybe I’m wrong but I think he won the Rep nomination BECAUSE he is more moderate, middle of road, willing to work with both sides. I think I am not alone – people are sick to death of the partisan approach to this that demonizes the other side. Most of us are just not THAT BAD. No matter what side of the aisle we are on. And most people know that!
Or is the republican base just so intolerant that they CANNOT work with anyone who disagrees with them on anything? I can’t imagine that to be true I think it is more likely BAD leadership on that side that tends to use polarization as a way to win elections. FYI – I do not like that type of tactic from the left either. It hurts weakens us as country.
You should watch this:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/choice2008/view/#vod
It goes indepth on both Obama and McCain and has some reall interesting history on both
There’s no doubt McCain’s campaign has been awful. I think the Republican hacks got a hold of McCain and Palin and tried to turn them both into people they aren’t – George Bush and Karl Rove. McCain didn’t need to appease the Republican base; it’s not like they’d ever vote for Obama anyway. He should have been true to himself and told his campaign advisers to take a hike.
McCain’s appeal has always been his independent streak and willingness to be nonpartisan.
I agree with you – but why did he let them? It’s his campaign…
I don’t know why he let them hijack his message. I guess they convinced him that he couldn’t win any other way. Maybe that’s the only way he could bring in the donations.