Great Video: Interesting...Do you know the answers to these questions?

This is great. I personally was against Obama, myself, but I thoroughly believe that most Americans don't know anything about politics or their politicians. I, regretfully, include myself in that, but, I am trying. During this election, I realized how little I really know & I have decided to become more aware & to study it more. It may not be the most exciting subject to study but it is our duty as Americans in order to protect our nation, belief systems, rights, & freedoms.

clipped from www.moonbattery.com

Watch and weep:

November 17, 2008

Their votes counted as much as yours.

The interviews above are backed up by a multiple-choice Zogby poll. Some of the results, via How Obama Got Elected:

57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing).

81.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing).

82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing).

88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing).

56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).

Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes.

Mike Huckabee's thoughts on Election '08

Here is a message update that Mike Huckabee posted on Facebook today. I really like this man. I really wanted him to be our President but, alas, this was not to be. :)

We Will Be Back in Strength

Today at 11:23am

by Mike Huckabee

I'm very proud to have supported Senator McCain and the only regret is that more Americans didn't share my conviction that he would have made an outstanding President. I not only recognize, but respect that we are a nation in which the people choose and tonight they have chosen Senator Obama. He was not my choice, but he will be my President and I will pray for him to lead this great nation with God's help and grace. He will face serious challenges to lead our country and he will need all Americans to give him a chance.

The campaign is over and now is the time for governing and leading. The Republican Party must now reassess where it is and where it is going. Our problem is not that our views aren't acceptable, it is that many in our party have abandoned the very principles that once drew Americans to trust us. Our party will be back with strength, but tonight we should all celebrate the historic nature of this election and put our country ahead of our party.

As disappointed as I am that we have lost the election, I can't help but feel that many courageous leaders of the civil rights movement look down from heaven tonight with a smile that the day has come when a man is elected without regard to his color. I salute President-elect Obama for his discipline and tenacity that has given our country the opportunity to witness this significant event.

Politics is not an event but a process. We sometimes lose the events but it never gives us the right to stop being faithful to our principles that enlisted us in the process. We shall live to fight another day.

The people have spoken

So, Obama is now the President-elect.

What the heck does that mean? Well, commonly "President-elect" refers to a person who has won the Presidency but has yet taken office & the current President is finishing out his/her term. Wikipedia explains this much better. "In the United States, the members of the U.S. Electoral College are elected by the people in November once every four years; in December, they are in session and in turn elect the President of the United States; finally, the President of the United States assumes office in January. One is officially the president-elect only after being chosen by the Electoral College, but unofficially the person chosen in the November general election is called the President-elect even before the Electoral College meets; more accurately he is the president-designate until the electoral college meets and votes."

I know, if you aren't familiar with American politics then the practice of an "Electoral College" seems very strange & a bit redundant. To be honest, it is. Even those who make politics a hobby are a bit confused as to the purpose. According to Wikipedia, "The Electoral College consists of the popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States; since 1964 the electoral college has had 538 electors." This will happen on Dec. 15 this year.

"Rather than directly voting for the President and Vice President, United States citizens cast votes for electors. Electors are technically free to vote for anyone eligible to be President, but in practice pledge to vote for specific candidates[2] and voters cast ballots for favored presidential and vice presidential candidates by voting for correspondingly pledged electors.[3] Most states allow voters to choose between statewide slates of electors pledged to vote for the presidential and vice presidential tickets of various parties; the ticket that receives the most votes statewide 'wins' all of the votes cast by electors from that state. U.S. presidential campaigns concentrate on winning the popular vote in a combination of states that choose a majority of the electors, rather than campaigning to win the most votes nationally."

"Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in the United States Congress." "Each elector casts one vote for President and one vote for Vice President. In order to be elected, a candidate must have a majority (since 1964, at least 270) of the electoral votes cast for that office. Should no candidate for President win a majority of the electoral votes, the choice is referred to the House of Representatives.[5] Should no candidate for Vice President possess a majority of the electoral votes, the choice is given to the Senate.[6]"

Here is some even more interesting information: "An example of the practical effect of the official status is found in the U.S. Constitution's provision that if the President-elect dies, then the Vice President-elect becomes president on Inauguration Day. That rule takes effect only after the meeting of the Electoral College. If the person unofficially called the President-elect dies before that meeting, then the Electoral College would have broad discretion to choose some other person."

So, how do I feel about the whole situation? I have mixed feelings. I'm disappointed but not surprised. I'm a bit concerned but excited & interested to see what the out come will be. Regardless, this is an exciting, historic moment in our country's history. No, I don't believe our country will cease to be a free country or will turn into some God-hating, Marxist nation because Obama has been chosen. I don't expect to agree with most of his decisions but he will probably not even try to implement many of his ideas just because of the controversies over many of them.

I expect that foreign policy & health care may be adjusted a bit. I doubt some issues will even be approached such as pro-life/pro-choice issues & gun control. I do hope he does something about environmental issues. That is one area that I actually agree with Democrats on & worry about Republican's stance.

Regardless of who I think should or should not be President, this is an exciting time in our country's history & I am grateful for being given the opportunity to experience it.

I hope McCain isn't too disappointed. His story is an amazing one. To go from being a POW for several years in Vietnam to almost becoming the President of the United States of America is is amazing.

As for Obama, I do not envy him. I cannot imagine the burden, stress, anxiety, doubt, fear, & excitement he must be feeling. Don't try to tell me he isn't experiencing any doubt. Anyone who has ever taken a job or any other responsibility always has doubt. "Am I really right for this? Have I made a mistake? Am I really ready for this? Will I be able to do what I promised? What if I make a mistake?" I'm sure all of these questions are running through his mind right now. I'm sure antacids are his best friend right now. Good luck, Mr. Obama.

Now, comes an important part of our job as Christians (if you are reading this & are a Christian, otherwise you may think this is a bunch of dribble & you can find something else to read, it won't hurt my feelings), prayer. Regardless of whether you voted for him or not, as a Christian we are called to respect those in authority over us & to pray for them & those who advise them. We should pray every day that he surrounds himself with wise counsel & considers their advice. We should also pray for the other politicians who actually wield more power than the President; Congress, Senate, the Supreme Court.

Before you start to complain about some politician, ask yourself if you have been doing your part, have you been praying for that man or woman? If you haven't, what else would expect? I am personally going to do better about this. I have a prayer list on my mirror in my bathroom so that I can see it as I get ready. Obama & the rest of our leaders have been added. I may not be able to list everyone of their names but God knows who needs what, He just asks me to pray for them. Trust me, I think I got the easiest part of the job. :)

For another great blog about this topic (also much shorter) see Linda Williams' blog entitled "And now we pray..." on her blog site Life as a Christian Woman.

My response to another blog.

John Smulo wrote in a recent blog discussing an email he had recently received by a family friend discussing why she was a Democrat. In the end, he asked his readers to express our thoughts on the post, so, John, here are my thoughts. You asked for it. :)

No, I really don't mean any offense by anything I say here. I love this country & love the fact that we have the right to disagree & discuss those disagreements. We are just like a family. We disagree & we have arguments, but we are still family.

I have many Democrat/Liberal friends & family and think no less of them for their choice of political party. Just because I disagree, & disagree strongly, with someone does not mean I don't love & respect them. Our differences are what makes this such a great world. Wouldn't it be a boring place if we all looked alike, thought alike, & believed the same things. If every flower, tree, or other plant were the same color, gardens wouldn't be so beautiful. Sometimes our differences can lead to less beautiful things such as war an because of this, we must learn to disagree yet still respect each other.

In order for me to share my thoughts, I am going to, first, quote each statement the woman made, then, I will state my thought/argument with her statement.

1.) I'm voting Democrat because owning a gun is a privilege and a
responsibility, not a right.

Actually, bearing arms is a right according to the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

2.) I'm voting Democrat because I love my fellow humans and I respect their right to the same happiness I have found in my personal relationships. Happier people
make happier communities.

Since when do love & respect have anything to do with political party? I've heard unloving, disrespectful comments come out of both parties. And, since when is it the government's job to make people happy? Happiness is a choice, not something that can be granted to a person. The Declaration of Independence states we have "unalienable rights" that are "...Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." That is the pursuit of happiness, not happiness alone. You have the right to desire & seek happiness but you are not guaranteed you will find it. Like I said, you must choose to whether you will be happy or whether you will be miserable. Happiness is up to you, not the government.

3.) I'm voting Democrat because I believe oil, insurance, pharmaceutical and
other large companies have a right to profit from their businesses without being
able to use those profits to buy the people who run our government.

From what I remember, it was Clinton & the Democrats that fought for NAFTA. That agreement did nothing but hurt the common man by taking away his job & benefited no one but the "big" businesses by giving tax incentives to those businesses that sent jobs overseas.

4.) I'm voting Democrat because I would rather have the government use the taxes I pay in a responsible manner. Yes, Democrats tend to spend money on social
programs to help their fellow man while Republicans spend just as much or more
borrowing and bailing out large corrupt companies and giving to those who
already have enough or more than enough.

I think it is clear that both parties are guilty of this by the way they both fought for the insane bail out of the latest baking fiasco.

5.) I'm voting Democrat because freedom of speech is a responsibility as
well as a right. It is patriotic to speak out against my government if I feel
that government is acting in an irresponsible and dangerous manner. It is
possible to be patriotic and support our troops while not supporting an immoral
war.

I don't really even understand this point. However, what did jump out at me is that all of a sudden freedom of speech is a right but freedom to bear arms isn't. I'm confused. Are we able to pick & choose what bits of the Constitution we want to abide by & what bits we don't?

It kind of reminds me how some people treat the Bible. Picking out which bits they want to follow & which bits they don't. It is funny to me that the parts they like to follow they never question, but the more difficult bits they all of a sudden claim were either misinterpreted, mistranslated, or were written only for that era. My comment is this, "Yes, times have changed, but God doesn't." Sorry, I got off on a bit of a tangent there. Oh well, I'll leave it because it is true & never hurts to rehash it a bit.

Also, labeling it as an "immoral" war is an opinion. At that point, have there been many moral wars? I can't remember. What would a moral war look like?

6.) I'm voting Democrat because we should not have engaged in a war with
Iraq in the first place. The terrorists who bombed the World Trade Center were
not Iraqi; they were hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan. Before we decide to
occupy a country (this one being one of the oldest civilizations in the world)
we should ask ourselves why there are people who hate us in the first place.
Maybe they think of us as the "terrorists" and this is the only way they know
how to fight back, in a way that truly frightens us. Our country needs to
realize that we are all created equal and one is not necessarily better than the
other.

No, we probably shouldn't have gone to war in Iraq but hind sight is always 20/20, isn't it? Regardless as to whether or not we should have gone, we are there & responsible for what has happened. You can not walk into a room, make a mess, then say, "Oops. I shouldn't have done that," then not expect to have to clean up the mess. Leaving it up to whom ever owns the house to clean up is childish & irresponsible.

Also, you would think that the country "being one of the oldest civilizations in the world" would at least act like one of the more civilized ones. But, after all these years, they haven't figured out a way to control their citizens & live peacefully with each other much less the rest of the world.

The way this woman ends her statement completely infuriates me. "...this is the only way they know how to fight back, in a way that truly frightens us." Are you kidding me?! Is she actually trying to defend the actions of terrorists? I really don't know how to respond to this, so I'll just move on to the next comment.

7.) I'm voting Democrat because global warming is a threat and we need to
take it seriously, if not for the rest of the world, then for ourselves. Each
species depends on another for survival. This should probably be our biggest
concern; it is more important than the economy, who pays which taxes, the war,
etc. If we end up killing our world nothing else will matter because there will
be nothing left to matter. We will be dead!

I agree that global warming is an important issue. However, in order to fix this problem it is going to take a lot of money. Prices of goods & necessities will rise. Gas, electricity, food, etc... will be more & more expensive. Not only that, but the social programs, Democrats love so much, will be diminished. If we are going to fight this issue, then we will all have to sacrifice & sacrifice is rarely something we enjoy or want to do.

8.) I'm voting Democrat because I'm concerned about the babies after
they are born. Who will take care of them if their parents are unable to take
care of them? Republicans believe in the "right to life" until the child is
born; then they are unwilling to help to pay for the social programs, education,
medical care, etc. that will help that child to become a self-respecting, cared
for, contributing human being.

It is time for people to step up & take responsibility for their own actions & quit relying on the government to fix everything they break or screw up in the first place. Government is supposed to take care of the nation, not each individual person. You have to take responsibility for your own self. If young people aren't taught to be responsible for their actions, what is going to happen to this country when they are the leaders? If someone is always there to bail them out, how will they every learn?

9.) I'm voting Democrat because I believe that businesses should be
allowed to make profits for themselves, but not to use that money to buy a
government that works only for those who have money and against those are
are less fortunate.

This comment is the same as argument #3. So, see my argument up there.

10.) A Liberal is a person who cares about all the people of the world
and believes that we are all connected, no matter what color, race, religion, or
income level. We are all in this together and we take care of ourselves by
taking care of our fellow humans. If we can afford to supply some financial help
in the form of job training, good education for all, medical care, etc. we will
be helping to make the world a better happier place for all, especially
ourselves.

A conservative, in my opinion, is one who holds to moral values as more important that selfish desires & pleasure, a person who believes citizenship & respect are earned not handed out like candy.

Life is not fair. Not everyone is treated the same. Not everyone is given the same privileges & opportunities. It takes everyone to make this country work. If everyone is given the chance to go to college & get a bachelors degree or higher then who will do the blue collar work? Who will cook our food? Who will pick up our trash? Who will make the clothes we wear? To run a small town of say 1000 people, you only need one or two doctors but you need several teachers & even more sanitation workers. Yes, it would be nice if we could all get a great education but it is not realistic or necessarily good for society.

In closing, I am surprised about all the negative propaganda about Barack
Obama. Obama is a very intelligent caring man who will probably do a lot to get
us out of the mess that George W. got us into. Republicans always say that the
Democrats are into big government. I don't think anyone could ever have imagined the huge deficit, the bad economy, the expensive war, the lack of privacy, and
the FEAR enveloping this country right now that has been caused by Bush, Cheney, Rove, etc. Now that's the "biggest government" I think anyone has ever seen. I
guess in the end, I want live in a country of "We", not "Me". That's why my vote
will be for Barack Obama, the Democratic condidate.

I'm sick of everyone blaming Bush for every bad thing in their life. Do you really think the President has that much power?

Yes, I do believe he has made poor choices but I don't believe he is the cause of all our nation's problems. (For example, most major nations are having serious economic problems right now but Bush isn't running their country, is he?) Let's remember who is in control of Congress.

I don't know about you, but I don't feel like my privacy has been affected at all. Besides, I'm not hiding anything from the government. Are you? Wouldn't you be concerned if you knew someone was hiding something from the government? It is rarely good things that are being hidden anyway, right?

Liberals don't want to take responsibility. They want to rely on "social" programs to take care of their lives & families but don't want their privileges tampered with. If you live with your parents or someone else, & rely on them to meet your needs, then you must obey their rules & give up certain privileges such as privacy.

As for the economy, I believe that is a result of the Democrats & their precious NAFTA agreement as I stated in #3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John's next instructions were to explain why I am or am not a Democrat.

Well, to be honest, I believe I'm actually registered as a Democrat. This is because my parents told me to register as a Democrat when I turned 18 so that I could vote in local elections. I still don't actually understand this but I just didn't care at that age & wasn't about to do any real research on the topic.

The Presidential election between Gore & Bush occurred when I was in my second year in college. I was starting to get somewhat interested in politics then, or at least in the race for President (unfortunately, I am pretty much the same now. I really need to pay more attention to local & state elections to. I'm not being a good American.). During this race, I decided to really research the platforms of at least the two major parties & figure out which one I leaned toward, doubting I was full-blown one way or the other.

I was definitely a Republican. I don't necessarily agree with all of their viewpoints or the policies they pass but, value-wise, I lined up with the Republicans more times (especially on issues that were more important to me than others, i.e., abortion, education, etc) than I did with the Democrats. In recent years, I've even more strongly moved toward the Republican side of things; even more so with recent events, such as, health-care, immigration, the economy, etc. In fact, I'm probably more conservative in my views that most Republicans.

In reality, I really ought to research all the political party & see if there is another one that I would relate to better. But, until that time, I guess I will claim to be a Republican.

Embarrassingly, I must admit I have yet to change my registration to Republican but I don't think that really matters. Regardless of whether I change my affiliation or not, I will vote for the person & not the party. I don't believe all Republicans are good & all Democrats are bad. For example, with the exception of NAFTA & his "extracurricular" activities, I feel that Clinton will go down as one of our better Presidents (that is if he can keep his mouth shut; he seems to have gone a little nutty after leaving office, or at least during his wife's run for the White House).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, he, John, also wanted us to explain why we affiliate with a certain party.

Obviously, from above, you can tell that I am a Republican. So, why?

I am pro-life, anti-socialized medicine/universal health care (even though I totally feel something needs to be done), believe we should enforce the immigration laws that we already have & maybe make them more strict (no amnesty) , pro-Israel, support the 2nd Amendment, anti-embryonic stem cell research, anti-human cloning, pro-capital punishment, & several others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will be voting for McCain this November. Not because I'm a huge fan of McCain (although, I do believe he is good man) but mainly because I am so against Obama. If Hilliary had won the Democratic ticket, I still probably would not have voted for her, but I would definitely not be as upset if she were to win the Presidency as I will be if Obama wins the election.

If I had any inkling that he might win at all, I would vote for Ron Paul. Yeah, he may sound a little crazy, but I believe he is the only one who has been truly honest with the American people. He is way less worried about how he sounds & being "political" and way more concerned about the truth. I also believe he has a much better grasp of what is really going on in "Washington." However, if I did vote for Paul that would be one less vote for McCain & one more chance at Obama winning the seat.

If it were up to me, we would do away with the Presidency all together. No one person should have that much power over a country. God warned the Israelites about putting one man in control over their country but they insisted & they immediately felt the harsh realities in doing so. I feel, we should be run by a committee of people much like Greece had with their Senate. I do know we have that already but there is still that one man/woman who has a small amount of power to wield over the people.

I also believe we should do away with political parties. I know it is mainly just a way of identifying your opinions but as George Washington stated in his farewell address in 1796, "However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, if you have made it this far, congratulations, you have an admirable amount of patience & determination. I am sure I'm going to get a lot of flack for this entry because people are passionate about these topics but, oh well, this is what I believe. I may be wrong but that's how I feel. So, I'll leave you with a few great quotes about political parties & a few links to websites that I found that I would highly recommend when deciding who to go with. I include websites that would interest all Americans, not just Replicans.

"Men think they think upon the great political questions, and they do; but they think with their party, not independently; they read it's literature, but not that of the other side." -- Mark Twain

"The President cannot make clouds to rain and cannot make the corn to grow, he cannot make business good; although when these things occur, political parties do claim some credit for the good things that have happened in this way." -- William Howard Taft

"There's no way in the world you're going to make a political party respectable unless you keep it out of office." -- Will Rogers

"In his farewell address, George Washington warned the people about political parties. Now we see how both Democrats and Republicans have conspired to reduce democratic participation. If this is the best the Democrats and Republicans have to offer, it's time to look elsewhere...Politics should be the prism for our most noble intentions." -- Marianne Williamson

"Ignorance makes most men go into a political party, and shame keeps them from getting out of it." -- Edward F. Halifax

And, lastly, another, & probably much more important one, by George Washington.

"While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the rights of conscience in others, ever considering that God alone is the judge of the hearts of men, and to him only in this case they are answerable." -- George Washington, in a letter to Benedict Arnold, Sep. 14, 1775

Republican National Convention

Democratic Party

Project Vote Smart

On The Issues: Every Political Leader on Every Issue

2008 Republican Platform

2008 Democrat Platform: Renewing America's Promise

The Heritage Foundation

Free pocket copy of the Constitution & Declaration of Independence (I think every American should have these documents so that they may be able remember what this country was built on to start with.)

Politics 1: Presidency 2008

P0litics 1: Political Parties

Wikipedia: List of Political Parties

2008 Presidential Election: McCain ads & GOP Convention videos

This first video I think was pretty good. Just watch.







This next video surprised the heck out of me. My eyebrows rose in surprise at Obama's first statement, then rose again, & again. I didn't know my eyebrows would get that high. I cannot believe he said these things. I'm sure he did not mean them the way they sounded but, "Hello, your a politician. You can't say things like that & not expect them to bite you in the butt." (FYI, if you didn't watch Palin's speech at the GOP Convention, you may not understand why this video is so shocking.)




Here is an article that discusses the above video & comments by Obama.
Obama accuses McCain camp of lies, phony outrage

There were a couple of parts of the article that surprised me too. At one point, Obama is quoted saying, "I don't care what they say about me. But I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and Swift-boat politics. Enough is enough."

"Another election?" Of course, I'm not a complete idiot. I know what he is referring to but this just makes him look like a conspiracy theorist. Drop it. Move on.

In the article, Obama is also quoted as saying, "What their campaign has done this morning is the same game that has made people sick and tired of politics in this country. They seize on an innocent remark, try to take it out of context, throw up an outrageous ad because they know that it's catnip for the news media."

I'm sorry but I totally disagree with his statement. What has made people "sick & tired of politics in this country" is being lied to & promised extravagant "changes" & then not following through.

I know I don't speak for everyone but I totally believe the last thing we need is more "change." "Change," sometimes referred to as progress, has led us to where we are today. Morally declining into a puddle of putrid pus. (How did you like that description?) What we need is to go back. Go back to the founding of this nation & find out what our fore fathers were trying to accomplish through this nation. Go back to biblical values & morals. Return to a time when God was our leader not self.

Obama was later quoted, "This whole thing about lipstick, nobody actually believes that these folks are offended. Oh, we're shocked. Everybody knows it's cynical, everybody knows it's insincere."

Well, Mr. Obama, I, for one, was very offended by the lipstick remark. It seems like to me the only cynicism & insincerity right now is coming from you. Like I said before, how could he make such a remark, especially after her speech, & not expect to be attacked for it?

While Obama was getting all the attention, he was being portrayed as this "nice guy" with "new" & "fresh" ideas, but as soon as Palin stepped onto the scene & energized the Republican party & threatened this "nice little world" he was in, Obama has turned into this totally different person. Even the media, that seemed so "in love" with Obama, appears to be loosing some of it's infatuation & passion for him.

Just some of my thoughts. Take 'em or leave 'em.









And here are a couple from the GOP Convention that I liked. If you watched it, you can just ignore these. You can ignore them even if you didn't watch it. Either way, I don't care. I just thought I would offer them in case any of you are interested in them.

News: McCain chooses his running mate

McCain announced his choice of running mate this morning (Friday). He chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Who is Sarah Palin? That is what a lot of the country wants to know. She is pretty much an unknown in the political world. Which, in my opinion, may be a good thing. Obviously, she has not been tied up in lots of scandal, right? (She is being investigated for a small scandal. Something about her asking for her ex-brother-in-law to be fired from law enforcement. However, her response was pretty much "bring it on." She was even quoted as saying, "Hold me accountable.")

The Associated Press, via Yahoo! News, reports her as "Palin, like McCain, is a conservative with a maverick streak who has shown a willingness to clash with others in her own party. A self-styled hockey mom and political reformer, she has been governor of her state less than two years."

Another AP article said this of Palin. "A suburban mother and PTA member who described her fisherman husband as a proud union member and "champion snow machine racer," Palin brings to the ticket the blue-collar, everyday-American qualities that Sen. Joe Biden brought last week to Obama's ticket — with a distinctively Alaskan twist."'

It went on to say, "The pick earned McCain praise Friday from evangelicals and other social conservatives who have been skeptical of him. "Conservatives will be thrilled with this pick," said Greg Mueller, a conservative GOP strategist. ..... McCain's announcement of Palin made clear the paucity of her experience."

'"As the head of Alaska's National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself," the statement said, "Gov. Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops."'

Another AP article stated, "She brings a strong anti-abortion stance to the ticket and opposes gay marriage — constitutionally banned in Alaska before her time — but exercised a veto that essentially granted benefits to gay state employees and their partners."

'"She knows where she comes from, and she knows who she works for," McCain said in introducing her to an Ohio rally. "She stands up for what's right, and she doesn't let anyone tell her to sit down." He said: "She's exactly who I need."'

"Said Palin: "I didn't get into government to do the safe and easy things. A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built."'

"The Palins' five children are Track, 19; Bristol 17; Willow 14; Piper, 7, and baby Trig."

"Track enlisted in the Army in 2007 on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and has been assigned to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks."

"Palin was born Feb. 11, 1964, in Idaho, but her parents moved to Alaska shortly after her birth to teach. She received a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987."

She is 44 years old making her 3 yrs younger than Obama. Not to mention, she's gorgeous.

I think I already like her. She sounds great. She sounds like the Republican version of Hillary.

This looks like a great strategy by McCain, though, doesn't it? I think he held off making a decision until Obama had made his. If Obama had chosen Hillary, would McCain have chosen a black woman? Just a question.

So, it looks like McCain has got most of the bases covered, the women's vote because she's a woman, the younger vote because of her age, & the men's vote because she's a hotty. Basically, they are leaving out the gay vote, the pro-choice vote, & the environmentalist vote which wouldn't have voted for a Republican anyway.

This will certainly be an exciting election year.

Below is a picture of her parents, Chuck & Sally Heath, watching Sen. John McCain announce his running mate.

Below is a 2006 photo showing Palin with her husband, Todd, in Anchorage, Alaska.

News: McCain ad on Obama/Biden ticket

clipped from www.youtube.com

Joe Biden On Barack Obama

Added:
August 22, 2008
(Less info)

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News: Biden chosen as Obama's running mate

clipped from news.yahoo.com

Obama taps Biden to be running mate

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues.

Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

Across more than 30 years in the Senate, he has served at various times not only as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee but also as head of the Judiciary Committee, with its jurisdiction over anti-crime legislation, Supreme Court nominees and Constitutional issues.

Biden is seeking a new Senate term in the fall. there was no immediate word whether he intended to change plans as he reaches for national office.

The Presidential Race of 2008

I'm not usually that interested in politics but it is hard to ignore this year. I thought, in the beginning, both the Democrats & the Republicans had some great options on the table for candidates. But, some how, we ended up with these two bozos. Well, maybe that's a little harsh but I thoroughly believe there were much better options to begin with.

I am registered as a Democrat mainly because that is what mom & dad told me to do when I was 18. Something about being able to vote in local elections or something that I didn't care to understand at the time & still don't understand even though I would like to now. Having said that, during the election before last, when I was living in Arkansas, I started researching the two parties to see which went along with my values/opinions/beliefs. And, even though I don't agree with many of their policies/stances/platforms, I was clearly Republican. I have never changed my registration but I think I will as soon as I figure out how to do that.

Now, as to the election. I was going to have a more difficult time deciding if it were going to be a Clinton-McCain run (even though I am hard-line against many of Clinton's ideas), but now the decision is beyond easy. I will be voting for McCain. Not necessarily because I like McCain but because I am so against Obama. I think that is probably what McCain is counting on from a large percentage of his "supporters." Especially in the light of some new ads that have been released (For example, Celeb, The One, & Barack Obama Forgot Latin America).

I don't know if any of you have seen any of these ads, & I must confess these are the only two I've seen, but they are crap. They are attack ads against Obama which I know are part of it & don't hold any false expectations that, all of a sudden, this race will be any different from any of the ones in the past & "mud-slinging" will be omitted. If anything, I expect this one to be even dirtier. Having said that, I would like to see some ads by McCain that focus more on what his views, plans, etc... are. McCain, stop telling us how Obama is going to drop the ball & tell us how you are going to be different. Which is a good point that Obama did say in response to these ads & I do agree with him on that issue.

One of the ads, in Spanish, talks about how Obama went to Berlin & mentioned every country except Mexico. This ad made me so angry on several basis. First off, I don't want to offend any of my Hispanic friends. I have nothing against Mexicans or Mexicans who have legally obtained their American citizenship & are a productive part of our society. What I do take offense to are illegals (from any nation) & those who don't feel any need to learn English. Having said that, I will now move on to my point.

The first thing that irritated me was the title, Barack Obama Forgot Latin America. My first thought is, "Hello, he's not running for President of the world, he's running for President of America." So, what.

Then I started watching the video. The first thing you see is some Spanish words. This irritates me also because of what I mentioned before. Why are ads being run in any other language other than English? You have to speak English in order to obtain American citizenship so I just don't understand. If you can't speak English then you can't have an American citizenship then you can't vote. Why are they wasting money on ads for people who only speak Spanish. If you can't read English, then what are you going to do at the polls? Oh, yeah, that's right. They now have the ballots in Spanish. Arrrrhhhh!!!

The third thing that I thought was more funny than irritating was that Obama mentions all these nations but leaves out Latin America, hence the title. But, he also left out Canada, Greenland, Iceland, what about them? Where are their commercials? Again, what are they running for?

Just to reiterate, I am for McCain (mainly because I'm against Obama) but his publicity people need to stop focusing on the competition & start concentrating on the issues!

I have several blog entries I plan on writing between now & November on this & I'm sure it won't stop at November. This is going to be an exciting Autumn this year. Is everybody registered?