Referred by Colin Powell

       There was a recent announcement that Colin Powell, former Secretary Of State, has given his endorsement of Barack Obama.  Powell has been a pretty well respected retired United States General.  He was once approached about running for the Presidency but he turned that idea down.  Powell is a respected Republican.  A Republican that is concerned with the direction that the party has been taking in recent years…he is not alone.  However, he not only says he is voting for Barack Obama…he has itemized his reasons for doing so.

       Powell says that Obama’s campaign is of an “inclusive nature”…and that Barack is steady, intelluctually curious and that he exhibits depth of knowledge.  This puts his stamp of approval on the Obama campaign.  In contrast, he says that he is very concerned about the negativity in the John McCain campaign…that it is inappropriate.

        This is America…and everyone has a right to feel strongly about their leaders in public office.  I think that Colin Powell will have a lot of influence on those who hear his expressions of support.  Is it right for someone who is so very powerful and famous to publically state their position?

         I think many people who have been staunch supporter of the Republican party has felt divided with the direction that the party has taken over the last 8 years.  It would be wise for the Republican party to take notice of the conflict of those who align themselves with the party.  Rest assured that the Democratic party is taking notes.

          I also feel that the media has been overwhelming supportive of the Barack Obama campaign.  This has helped to slant the political temperature in our nation, as well as several other factors.  The American public has been very unhappy with the course the United States has been heading since President Bush has been in office.  This is unprecedented…an all time Presidential lack of support.  It is sad; but why do leaders back themselves into a corner this way.  I think a candidate should run on it’s own positions…but then they wouldn’t get the kind of funding that they do from their individual parties i guess.  There is alot wrong with our system that spends so much money on negative advertising, up to 30 million a week, when this country is in the financial condition that it is in.  There should be a rising up of protest over such shennanigans.  That shows a lack of fiscal responsibility to me, right there!!!

          What is going to happen on election day?  Who knows.  Whatever happens…we have to find a way in this country to try to unite behind our leaders and try to correctly establish some stability, some respect within other countries for the reputation of the United States…and, we have to get the American people working, saving, living productive lives and re-investing in the society of the United States once again.  The alternative is frightening…divisive relationships, a broken economy, a weakened image, and a Congress that is locked in an ineffectual battle of positions that can no longer function and provide the American citizens with leadership that performs as it is supposed to perform; with integrity and a sincere desire to represent the public in how they vote.  Do you think this country will find a way to heal itself after this election?

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Don’t Give Up On Michigan, Senator McCain! Every Vote Counts!!!

         Last Thursday, the McCain campaign decided to stop aggressively campaigning in Michigan.  This is a mistake, as Sarah Palin at least recognizes.  She has expressed a desire to come back to Michigan to continue campaigning.  I say to you Senator McCain…Michigan Matters!!!  Do not give up on Michigan. 

         The voter’s in Michigan can make a big difference in this Presidential campaign; every vote counts!  Remember the fierce contest between Bush and Gore?  Please respect the voters who haven’t made up their minds by understanding that many of them are on the fence; give them a reason to support your team.  For those who choose to support Obama-Biden…it gives them an unfair advantage to influence the voters; who may feel abandoned by half of the Presidential nominees.

         We are a unique state, in a lot of ways.  We are also mavericks.  We have overcome alot.  Many of us, those who have continued to stay in Michigan despite the economic difficulties, are strong willed.  We have been overlooked in the primaries…our votes were cut in half.  Do you think that is ok with us?  No!  Now we are being told that you aren’t thinking that we are worth your time to campaign here; because, some stupid polls are saying that Obama is ahead in numbers?  Come on…give us some credit for making our own decisions politically.  Polls don’t always transition to winning votes when push comes to shove.  Your decision to exclude Michigan from further campaigning is going to carry some serious impact on the outcome of the election.  Every votes counts…are you willing to gamble with the votes that you have already gained by ignorning those who haven’t made up their minds?

         With your history of heroic action in the military…i didn’t figure you for a quitter.  What if your country had given up on you?   Your running mate doesn’t appear to give up easily!  If you trust her decision making ability, you will reconsider the decision to stop campaigning in Michigan.  I say to you…when things look the bleakest…that is when the most amazing things happen; things miraculous! 

         Take a stand, send Sarah; matter of a fact… come back yourself.  Even the runt of a litter that gets picked rewards it’s caretaker with loyalty.  This state has a history of turning things around…we’ve done it before…and, we are going to do it again.  We have gone through difficulties with businesses closing up and moving out of state or, out of country; we have had the automobile industry take some hard hits…we have struggled to survive.  We are going to be on the forefront of the alternative energy field…we are going to turn the economic predictions for Michigan on it’s head.

         We don’t forget those that stick by us.   Maybe it is time to remind you that Detroit, one of the biggest cities in Michigan, has been RECENTLY scandalized by Detroit’s former mayor, DEMOCRAT Kwame Kilpatrick and his behavior.   We want a candidate for President who respects the citizens of this nation and has their best interest at heart.  Is that candidate you?

         Michigan remembers the bullying tactics that Kilpatrick’s team allegedly used to try to stay in power…Republicans could use that behavior in their favor; as they try to win this state in the Presidential election.  Come on, refocus on the voters in Michigan that have been feeling neglected, abused and in-validated over the last year, in the tug of war for votes.  It is time to remind the world that Republicans understand that, every vote counts!

        There is a grass roots effort to get 100,000 signatures on a petition to bring the McCain-Palin campaign back to michigan here: www.fightformichigan.com  Make your voice heard!  If you only hear once side of an argument (or campaign) how do you think that will influence the outcome?  There is another organization that is going to try to express the opposition to the Obama-Biden campaign message www.ourcountrydeservesbetter.com,  by spending up to $500,000 on advertising a Stop Obama campaign.  People can’t make informed choices if they are only given one choice…all we ask is give us options in our choosing!

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Surprise Party (Republican that is)

        Breaking news…Sen. John McCain has allegedly announced his running mate…and it is a surprise pick for the Republican party to spring on the American public…it is a name not well known, at least to me. 

         Her name, yes I said “her”, is Gov. Sarah Palin from Alaska.  Wow, i have never heard about her, that i am aware of.  The basic information coming out is that she is a first time Govenor…she was a a former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska for two terms.  She is a parent to five children along with her husband.  She is anti-abortion which should help with Sen. McCain’s conservative supporters; she is also a member of the NRA. 

         Some people feel that picking a female running mate may help assuage those female voters who have expressed extreme satisfaction with the way that Hillary Clinton was dismissed by the Democrats as a potential running mate for Sen. Obama in his bid for the Presidency of the United States.

         So, today is also Sen. John McCains birthday…and i guess it goes without saying that the surprise party has definately caught many by surprise.  We will see how this pick shakes out with the American public in time. 

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Hillary Upset!

         Don’t take this the wrong way or anything…it isn’t like i am saying she should have won the nomination…because as I have said before…i haven’t been terribly thrilled with any one of the choices we have had, put before us as a Presidential candidate; however, i was in my mind’s eye, thinking how “interesting” it would have been if when Hillary got up to give her speach for unity, if she would have said…ummmm..ya know…i have had alot of support thrown my way and well…i was thinking…maybe i will run on the party of a DemoPublican ticket.  LOL  I will just take my supporters and run with it!  Wouldn’t that have made a statement?  We all know how dissatisfied the Clintons have been with the process.  Still, from all reports, Hillary stood her ground and called for unity…and buried her alledged upset at the situation.

          I just hate the way that this whole thing has played out.  People will vote who they want to vote for and that is as it should be…vote your conscience.  However, i just don’t like all of the political maneuvering that has seemed to take place behind the scenes.  I don’t like all of the celebrity hoopla that has gone on in this campaign.  I am not a fan of let’s play pretend and say that we are a united party when you know, at the truth of it all…there was probably intense pressure, power plays, and promises for future support or endorsements; if only you do this for us…then, we will do “that” for you down the road.  Who do they think they are fooling with all of this circus entertainment?  It is detracting from the candidate and the foundation of his campaign.

            If the point of a national convention is to make the candidate stand out and shine in their moment of nomination…why  do we have all of the distractions that we have been hearing about for the last week?  Trot out the old school and relive the glory days, have the national anthem sung by a former American Idol contestant, negative attack political commercials, bring in the star power endorsements, celebrity poker games to benefit world hunger, twist the arm of a former competitor to push for unity from her supporters, placate her husband and give him a podium to voice a message that we all understand is crucial to our country’s well-being…terrorism…instead of his forte, which some claim is strengthening the economy, pick a running mate that can growl like a tiger…say what you really want to say and take the flack for it, tout the experience of said running mate who is embedded in the old school ways of running the country; all the while, taking the focus off of the inexperience and uncertainty of whether the nominee is qualified to run the country in his own right.  Don’t forget to add a little flash and dance celebration and emotional triggers about how historic this moment is to the evolution of our country to finally have both a black man, and a woman, running for President of the United States. 

           I could buy how far we’ve come as a nation, just for that particular milestone; if in fact, we didn’t pit those two “historic” candidates to run against each other in the same party, at the same time; and, if we didn’t have other members of the black culture calling the black candidate the “N-word” when they should have been extending him the respect he deserved as the candidate of choice.  The Republicans are getting ready for their moment in the sun soon…wonder what we can expect from that particular convention?  Oh man…isn’t it November yet?

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DemoPublicans

        It may just be a bit presumptious to say so…but, i think that there are so many people who are dissatisfied with both the Republican and Democratic parties that we are going to see something that i tagged as a DemoPublican.  That is to say, that people’s value systems lie somewhere in the middle of these two parties that have become so out of touch with their constituents.  Alot of conversations that take a political turn tend to reflect the consensus that people are unhappy with the choices.  The reasons for that statement are varied.  Some don’t like the personality, or the past mistakes, or the perceived lack of experience…on and on.  That is not new to this particular election..that is always the case to a certain degree; people pick the person with who they consider will do the country the least amount of harm and promote the most positive changes possible.

         In this particularily historic Presidential election; people have  been trying to come to terms with issues that have plagued our country and tried to find the alignment within the party that they most closely associate themselves with.  That has become harder and harder to do with the economic reality that faces our nation; not to mention, constantly changing boundaries relating to levels of personal privacy as it has been invaded on the pretext of safeguarding our country in matters of national security.  Add into that mish-mash the polarization of voters applying personal religious belief systems towards determining which candidate to vote for.  Many people are conflicted on that issue; which candidate’s actions most closely reflect their own belief systems. 

          There are so many issues that have not even begun to be addressed by the candidates that it is a little worrisome.  Issues that demand addressing include things such as joblessness, homelessness, health care, education reform, addressing issues that impact the banking systems, transportation systems, homeland security, terrorism, how to provide and manage energy costs and concerns, etc.  These are the issues that people care about and base their votes on…not which celebrity gives them a personal endorsement or what music the candidate listens to; come on…get real and deal with the things that matter!

         Underneath those issues, runs a very heated debate about who should have been the Democratic nominee; experience or the lack of is important.  When Florida and Michigan delegate votes were discounted…this changed the course of the competition between Sen. Barack Obama.  There has been a strong battle between supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.  The split has been protracted and continues today…going into the Democratic National Convention this weekend.  Even some of the speakers have privately expressed unhappiness with the process; such as Bill Clinton, former President of the United States.  He says after the election he will speak his piece; of that, i have no doubt.  Sen. Hillary Clinton…now, I can’t even imagine how much pressure she is under.  She wanted to be in the place that Sen. Barack Obama is now standing; barring that…she, i am sure would have been happy to be his running mate…that did not happen. 

           How difficult it must be to stand up there and promote unity in the party when i am sure….that has to be the last thing she wants to do is encourage support for Mr. Obama.  Add into the drama, all of the “celebrity” endorsements that Sen. Obama is getting and it is turning into a bit of a 3 ring circus.  Today there was a report on a CNN research poll that said since picking Sen. Joe Biden… the run for the Presidency has become tied at 47% between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama…compared to percentages that showed Sen. Obama in the lead with 51%, just last month.

         Everyone has an opinion on how this will play out.  Some attempts have been made calling for unity in the Democratic party…but, there is great unhappiness still under the surface.  Those that thought Sen. Hillary Clinton should have been the front runner, then fully expected Sen. Barack Obama should give her due consideration for the position of his running mate.  When it became obvious that she was passed over; and, he chose Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate those who felt slighted have pledged to vote for Sen. Obama’s competitor Sen. John McCain. 

           The Republican party has to get out their position on the issues as well.  We dont need to see a few months of showboating by either of the candidates…we need to get down to the nitty gritty and quit wasting everyone’s time on surface nonsense.

          There is much work to do on both the Republican and the Democratic side to convince voters that the person that they choose to cast their vote for is deserving and capable.  In the meantime, DemoPublicans are going to be the deciding factor in this election…God help us all to make the correct choice, without compromising the things that are most important.

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News teasers for the day

          Does it seem like the news scene is exploding with activity to anyone else but me lately?  Geez…each day there are tons of news stories that are equally important…but, there is not enough time to do them justice so i will just touch briefly on the most noteworthy for today.

            The biggest story is that Hillary Clinton the ended her bid for the Democratic nomination for running for the office of the President of the United States…she says that she endorses Senator Barack Obama now and urges her supporters to throw their support to him in his bid for the office of the President of the United States.  This is newsworthy because their duo quest for the Presidency was historic; Hillary because she was a female running for the job…and him because he is the first African American who was running.  Some of Hillary’s supporters are angry and say they will not vote for Barack.  Both Hillary and Barack are calling for unity in the Party so that a Democratic can win the Presidency from the Republicans.

            Today it was announced that Lynda Carter, the actress who played Wonder Woman, found a body in the Potomac River, Washington.  It was a woman and Lynda didn’t have a cell phone so she called to some fishermen to get help.  She stayed near the body until help arrived.   She said it was something anyone would do.  I beg to differ, as earlier this week…a video showed a person being hit by a car and noone stopping to help him out.  The world is slowly becoming desensitized to people in  need.  Good job Lynda for acting with compassion.

            On a sad note….a person of great renown in the sports world passed away.  Jim McKay a wonderful sportscaster who set the bar for todays new crop of televised sportscasters died at the age of 86 at his home in Maryland of natural causes.  I remember watching him while i grew up and he had a voice that you wanted to listen to.  He could create a natural excitement about whatever sport he was addressing at the time.  He was special.

           Also, the weather is playing a big part in the news this past week.  There has been horrendous storms in the central part of the country.  There have been tornadoes, torrential rains, flooding and lightening strikes.  Right now the National Weather Service has issued warnings for 15 counties in Indiana.  There are several dams that are on the brink of failing…and already widespread flooding is occuring.  Parts of several highways have been shut down due to flooding and people are being evacuated in several areas for the same reason.  With rain predicted off and on over the next few days…the threat could become more widespread for the residents of Indiana.

              Last but not least, the Dow Jones dropped 400 points today and the price of oil jumped again making the leap up 13% in the last two days.  The price of gas continues to fly skyward…making many families fearful about their financial future.  There seems to be no end in sight as to the lengths that the gas/oil industry will push the cost of purchasing the much needed precious fuels that make the world go round.  It is frightening to think what this winter will hold when it comes to gasoline and heating fuels. 

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John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama

         In Grand Rapids, Michigan, today, John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama as his choice for the Democratic nomination.  His words were powerful.  Those same words were met by cheers and shows of encouragement that rival the excitement of any famous rock band’s groupies.  This does not bode well for Hillary Clinton.

          If John Edwards had spoken like this at any of the debates when he was vying for support in his own candidacy he would have gotten the nod himself.  He had the crowd in the palm of his hand.  What this means to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, is that they are in even more of a fight then, they were a week ago.  It is probably an uphill climb.

           There have been reports that the Clinton campaign was given a heads up about Edward’s decision to back Obama.  It will be known as a dark day to them…one they may not be able to overcome.

            The thing is…it seems to me, that over the last few years; the parties that are involved in politics, have forgotten the plight of the average John and Joanne Doe.  The working class man & women are struggling in ways that threaten to fracture the so called middle class, to such a degree that there will no longer be a definative middle class.  People are hurting financially.  The medical insurance plight of America is creating a whole new kind of poverty…those who have insurance; but, not enough to survive caustrophic illness.  Those without insurance get very little medical care at all. 

        These issues are what is fueling a need for change.  Whether Obama is the one to do it…who knows.  The republicans are watching the duel between Obama and Clinton closely, mark my words.  This contest of power is going to challenge the Republicans in a way they have never been challenged before…running against the first African-American or, against the first Woman to run for President of the United States.  John McCain is going to be up against some pretty persuasive people.

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Michigan Primary

        Well, today is the day for voting in Michigan.  I am not sure how productive it will be since half of the players took their names off the ballot.  The democrats swore that they would not enter in since Michigan changed the date of the primary. 

        So… then this morning we hear that two of them will be on it… the other democrats are coasting on the idea that if a voter wants to vote them in, then the voter will just vote the undecided category.  Huh?  I would think that the candidate would just disappear from the voter’s vision if the democratic candidate’s name was absent from the ballot.  Oh well, what do i know? In my mind, if i wanted one of the democrats to win the vote and they didn’t put their name on the ballot i would be mad enough to say forget them!  It is a lack of respect to me.

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