No Credible Candidates

I was talking to someone today about the Republican candidates that are popping out of the woodwork -- like cockroaches.

Oh me, oh my, do the Repubs have a credible candidate one?

I don't think so.

Seriously, each of the Republicans that have thrown their hat into the ring has some kind of major flaw that's going to put off enough voters to wreck their chances at winning.

Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm not unhappy with this, being a Democrat and all...

But seriously, who is going to vote for the Mormon candidate? Who is going to vote for the candidate associated with the Tea Party? Who is going to vote for the guy who has little or no political experience (think Palin in a man's suit)? In all seriousness, I don't see a single viable candidate on the Republican side of the house. Every single one is going to have insurmountable issues when it comes to the mainstream moderate voter.

Oh, yeah, they'll jump up and down and have hissy fits, bring up all kinds of BS about our President, make false accusations and in the end, shoot themselves in their own big feet. There will be more discussion of our President being born in Kenya despite all the evidence to the contrary. There will be more carrying on and that's all it's going to be, the same blah blah blah that was completely unsuccessful in the last election.

When will they ever learn?

When will they figure out that Americans don't want to hear all that negative BS? Americans want to hear what the heck the politicians plan to do to boost the economy -- and that does NOT include lining the pockets of the rich. Giving tax cuts and incentives to the rich means just one thing -- the rich get richer and there's still no jobs...

Yeah, the Repubs are going to have to do better than they have so far if they even want to have a smell of the 2012 election.

(Thank goodness! Our President is doing the best job possible considering the horrible mess and the stonewalling of the Republicans in Congress. I know who I'm voting for and it's not a Republican candidate.)

Army to Court Martial Officer Who Doubts Obama Was Born in U.S. -- Politics Daily

Oh my gosh, what a doofus!

Read the comments and shake your heads at the foolishness of the some people. Thank the good Lord that most Americans have more brains than this man.

(And he's a doctor? Frightening, isn't it?)

Army to Court Martial Officer Who Doubts Obama Was Born in U.S. -- Politics Daily

More Paranoia In The Hinterland

Oh my goodness!

I just got back from out of state.

Did you know that there is some MAJOR paranoia going on in the hinterland?

I heard not one, but several people comment on how they're afraid of Obama.

Whaaaaa????????????????????????????

Oh my goodness, I really couldn't believe it. Some people are listening to way too many right wing whack job radio hosts.

Obama isn't going to overturn the Constitution. Even if he is a Democrat.

He isn't going to start a race war. Even if he is African-American. (Or bi-racial if you prefer.)

He isn't going to take your guns away. Even if he is a liberal.

Why?

Folks, do I really, really have to explain it?

Obama BELIEVES in civil rights and has worked as a lawyer. He wasn't always a politician. He has a real law degree and has used his education, training and knowledge to help those less fortunate than himself.

He's probably the best thing for our country right now, despite what the tin foil hats are blathering right and left.

He's not against the Constitution of the United States. He TAUGHT constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years!

He's not a neo-Marxist. Shoot, he served on the Senate Committee for Veteran's Affairs and sponsored legislation favorable to our Veterans.

He's not anti-white. People, his MOTHER was white!

He's not a Muslim. He's been a member of a Christian church for what, twenty or so years. He's going to swear his oath on the Lincoln Bible, for God's sake!

My people, my people, he's an American citizen, just like you and I. Born in Hawaii of a US citizen, all the blatherings about his birthplace are just that, blatherings.

I really have trouble believing the paranoia in the hinterlands of our country. People will believe anything bad about anybody, won't they? Because they saw it on TV, because someone on the Internet said it, so it must be true.

I just shake my head. Then I sigh. People will believe anything except the plain, unvarnished truth...

Check this out:
http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Li-Ou/Obama-Barack.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jun/27/obamas-birth-certificate-part-ii/

Hope Has Prevailed Over Status Quo

Hope has prevailed over status quo.

Tonight, Barak Obama becomes our next President.

Personally, I'm thrilled.

Obama is a symbol of hope, not just for Black American, but for ALL of America.

Now, the cynic in me is already saying,

Watch this, Obama has won, so the people who voted against him will start justifying and compartmentalizing him. Suddenly, he'll be "different" than the rest of our African-American Brothers and Sisters. His father was African, his mother was white. Somehow, there will be those that will put him into a different category than other Black men.

Yes, I know, it's pretty cynical to say this.

But I know how people are.

My youngest son is very fair. Some "overlook" that his father is Black, Mexican, and Italian. But my sweet child said, "I'm white on the outside and Black on the inside."

He knows who he is, no matter what others think, no matter how fair he is, he knows and embraces his heritage.

Thus is Obama. No matter what people may think and say, he embraces who he is, he embraces his heritage. And no matter what people may think or say, Obama is the President of all Americans.

McCain is speaking as I type, conceding the victory to Obama. He is gracious in defeat. He offers all his support to President Obama to find ways to compromise and bridge our differences. He hushes those who boo, speaking of love for our Country, wishing our new President well, and asking for God's blessings on America.

Yes, we will, once more, have a peaceful transition from one President to the next.

America will stand today, tomorrow, and for many more tomorrows, together as one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Today, many of our Brothers and Sisters of Color who were disenfranchised in the past have found new hope, new faith, new belief in America.

Hope has prevailed over status quo in America today.

It is a day to be proud to be an American.

History Will Be Made Tomorrow

Yes, it's a historic election in many, many ways.

It's more than electing our first [officially] Black President.

Honestly, whether Obama wins or loses, it will still be historic.

We've already had a huge turnout of voters. People who have never voted in their lives have not only registered to vote, but stood in line for two or three hours to vote.

I know I'm planning on being at my polling site when it opens at 7am. I normally vote after work, but with the anticipated huge turnout of voters, plus bad weather, I don't want to take a chance that I'll miss my chance to vote this year.

Obama is a remarkable man. Grieving his beloved grandmother, who passed on to Heaven today, he has stayed poised and on track throughout this election.

Despite vile lies, misdirection, out and out racism, and then even more lies, Obama is still standing strong and proud.

And let me say again, lies, lies, lies.

It's not like it's the first Presidential campaign that tried to imply that the candidate wasn't a citizen, that he wasn't really a Christian (remember it was a huge thing that JFK was Catholic), that he would bring chaos into the American system of government, that he wasn't white (but of course, Obama is mixed, so he really isn't all white), etc, etc, etc.

PULEEZE people, get a grip.

The United States system of government has been amazingly successful for us. We manage, every four years, to elect or re-elect a President, to maintain a stable government, to avoid chaos in the transition.

IE, life goes on.

I do believe that Obama is the best man for the job.

I'm sure I'll have someone e-mailing me and telling me a bunch of horrible lies that have long been discredited by www.snopes.com (a valuable resource, you should check it out).

Even my own parents, die hard Republicans, told me some of the blathering that's being smeared across the air by too many right wing radio hosts.

For example, did you know that if Obama loses, there will be riots in the streets of America? REALLY??? I'm rolling my eyes and shaking my head over that crazy idea. I haven't heard any such thing over here on the Democratic side of the world. I can't imagine that people would riot over a Presidential election. That just does not happen in America.

(The ONLY way there would be riots would be if some idiot caused harm to our Brother. And my Brothers and Sisters of Color would not be alone, there'd be a boatload of whites up in the mix. Fortunately the Secret Service is on top of security, there won't be any slip ups.)

I must say, the Republican machine must be getting pretty desperate to come up with that kind of bull droppings...

And I'm sure you've heard all the nonsense about Obama's birth certificate, that he's not a native born American, that he's an Arab, that he follows Islam. I even read one comment online, that he's the anti-Christ.

OMfreakinggoodness!!

People, as important as this election is to all of us, get a grip!! And in fact, take a hard look at the sources of all these lies.

Remember, the ends DO NOT justify the means.

Obama has remained poised and gentlemanly, despite all the mudslinging. McCain seems more shrill by the minute.

Yes, Obama is Presidential material. He'll be a fine figure leading our country.

Remember, the President is the leader, but Congress runs the show. Obama can only do so much in our system of checks and balances.

Even Bush could only do so much damage. It was plenty bad enough, but he wasn't able to destroy the country, in spite of all his efforts. Thanks to Powell and Rice and many, many other bright, intelligent staff, even Bush was generally not all bad.

Get a grip, my people!!

The world won't end when Obama wins the election. In fact, neither will the country.

We will have our normal orderly change of the guard, at the last minute Bush will pardon some doofus(s) that don't really deserve it, he'll sign a few more bills into law, he'll give his outgoing speeches, and then Obama will take his oath of office on the Bible -- yes a regular Bible, just like the one you have on your nightstand.

Everything will go on, just like it does every four years.

History will be made tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to it...

Obama And The Pastor

Here we go again.

I read about this last week, but honestly, I haven't had a lot of time to write.

So I'll keep this short and blunt.

What the heck does Obama have to do with his FORMER Pastor's apparent affair?

Not a blasted thing!

The Pastor apparently has some moral failings, in the area of marriage and relationships.

But what does this have to do with Presidential candidate Obama?

Not a darn thing!

I would hope that most Americans are smart enough to know that just because someone you know, whether your Pastor, boss, neighbor or friend, cheats on his/her wife or husband, it doesn't have a darn thing to do with your own morality.

Unless, of course, you knew all about it and helped cover it up.

Which is not relevant to the Pastor's latest media uproar.

AND

While I'm ranting about this, yes, Pastor Wright was all wrong if he had an affair.

And so was the woman.

It takes one to sin, but two to tango.

Pastor Wright sinned the minute he conceived the seduction. (Or maybe it was Elizabeth Payne, if she seduced him.) But the other party still had the opportunity to say NO.

Just like Adam and Eve.

Eve sinned not by being deceived but by disobeying God's instructions. She could have been deceived but then chose to obey, just because God said so. She could've chose to wait and ask God what He had to say about Satan's deceptions.

But Adam then quadrupled the problem, because he chose to sin. He CHOSE to take the forbidden fruit. And then he CHOSE to blame Eve for his own failure, even though he was equally guilty of the sin. He disobeyed God. Instead of saying, "hold up here, let's take this back to God and see what He says about this situation" Adam just went ahead and ate that forbidden fruit anyway.

And didn't repent.

Didn't take it right to God and say "We screwed up Lord."

Nope, tried to hide themselves, tried to hide the sin, tried to blame everyone else but themselves.

It took two to get kicked out of the Garden.

The same as Wright and Payne.

Whoever started it, well then, the other STILL had the CHOICE to not participate.

So I return to the question: What the heck does Pastor Wright's alleged affair have to do with Obama?

Not a darn thing.

Oh, yeah, and I have little sympathy for her crying now about her ruined marriage and being banned from her church.

Like, duh!!

The wages of sin are death.

But not all deaths are physical.

Death of a marriage. Death of a relationship. Death of her church membership. A high price to pay for an empty promise.

So what was it I was saying?

Oh, yeah, what does all this have to do with Obama?

Not a darn thing.

It's "just" another failed attempt by the media to make Obama look like he condones bad behavior.

Ummmm, yeah. Right.

Obama led his Pastor to sin? Really?

Ummmm, so do you blame your own bad behavior on the Twinkies you had with lunch? Or on the guy down at 7-11 that sold you the Twinkies? Or the food company that makes Twinkies?

Yeah, it's the same.

Obama doesn't have a thing to do with his FORMER Pastor's inability to follow marriage vows.

So move along now, let's get back to the issues.

Don't be distracted (and yes, this is deliberate distraction) from the issues.

Don't believe the hype. Don't believe everything you read.

A + B does NOT equal Z.

Wright plus Payne does NOT equal Obama.

NOPE, sure doesn't!!

Hmmm, Interesting Choice For Vice President

McCain's choice of a VP is pretty interesting.

In fact, I think it's brilliant!

As the talking heads were announcing that Sarah Palin was the choice, and started describing her, I felt my heart leap.

Dang, if I were a Republican, I'd vote for her!

Lucky me, I'm not, I'll stick with Obama.

But listen. McCain's choice is a smart one for many, many reasons. Yes, her experience is limited, but her life choices outweigh a lot of that.

What am I talking about?

McCain is going for the marginal (and not so marginal) votes.

Palin is a Christian, hunter, mooseburger eater, NRA member, anti-abortion advocate, anti-gay marriage that still followed her state's court rulings regarding discrimination against gays.

She has a Down Syndrome child that she CHOSE to have, despite the results of the prenatal testing. IE, no lip service here, she walks the walk.

Oh, and she's a white woman, still married to her first husband, with five kids and one is in the military, preparing to be deployed to Iraq.

She's a Moderate Republican's wet dream of an up and coming politician. She leans far enough to the Right to make most Republicans happy, without swinging so far that she's unpalatable to the undecided voters.

And she's quite attractive too. Which rarely hurts a candidate.

Don't underestimate the desirability of this woman to the Republicans and the wobblers. Don't underestimate her desirability to the Christian Right.

If she'd been paired with a better Presidential candidate, she'd be perfect, I might have even considered voting Republican.

McCain made a brilliant choice with his Vice Presidential candidate. She's going to pull in a LOT of votes that might(maybe) have went Democratic -- a lot of traditional, middle-American white votes.

But I don't think I could stand four more years of the Bush brotherhood of Republicans in charge.

I just can't do it.

Link:
http://www.ontheissues.org/Sarah_Palin.htm

Is It Racist?

In a forum I hang out in, there are often whites posting this question:
Is it racist to vote for Obama because he is Black?

I find this pretty ironic, because for many long years, people have voted for candidates from their communities and no one ever thought about it being racist.

However, my response to this common question is:
If you vote for someone just because he's Black, it's not racist.
If you vote against someone just because he's Black, that's racist.

There is a huge difference that doesn't appear to be visible to a lot of people.

Voting for someone because he/she is a Christian, Jewish, Mormon, Black, Native American, Latino, Hispanic, Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, your friend, your neighbor, your cousin, from your state - none of that is racist or wrong. (Perhaps a little unenlightened if they don't support the things you believe in, but that's another topic entirely.)

Why?
Obviously, there is a positive element in voting FOR someone in/of/from your community, whatever community it may be, political, racial, ethnic, spiritual, etc. Supporting someone of your community isn't wrong. (Yes, even if your community is German, Irish, Swedish, French, English, white.)

Voting AGAINST someone because of any of those factors is wrong.

It's not racist to vote for Obama because he's Black.

Again, in my not-at-all-humble opinion, a bit foolish if you're a die-hard Republican who's voting against all you believe in JUST because Obama is Black.

But it's not racist.

Also, in my opinion, if you want to have the right to bitch, moan, whine, and complain about our government over the next four years, you'd better get to the polls and VOTE!

People who don't vote shouldn't be complaining when politicians make decisions on their behalf. They had a chance to vote the buggers in or out. If they didn't vote, they're just stuck in the same old rut with everyone else.

IE, if you choose not to participate in the process, don't be surprised when the process doesn't represent you.

Joe Biden?

Joe Biden? Well, OK....

I know on KGO talk radio, the hosts were going off last night. According to several hosts, Obama and Clinton would've been the "Dream Team".

I completely disagree with that evaluation.

Clinton as Vice President might've gotten more Democratic votes, but Obama would've shot himself in the foot. There are just too many potential cross-over votes that he'd lose with a Clinton VP candidate. Too many Republicans absolutely HATE the Clintons.

Joe Biden?

Well, Biden is a safer choice than many of the other prospective candidates.

Let's see who McCain picks.

Then we'll have a better idea of which way the political wind is blowing...

So McCain Thinks It's OK To Mock Obama?

If McCain thinks his nasty little campaign ads are funny, he's out of his pinhead mind!

Comparing Obama to Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton?

Excuse me?

Let's take this down the low road for just a minute.

What if some Obama supporters started making fun of McCain's disabilities? His withered arm? His bouts with skin cancer (melanoma)? His cheating on his first wife? Abandoning his DISABLED first wife to marry the rich blonde with political connections? Hmmm?

Oh, is that different?

REALLY?

I think not.

I think that the current ad campaign, mocking Obama, is beyond despicable.

I hope that the American voters see through this, and see the face of the man who thinks this kind of negativity and nasty humor is acceptable behavior for a President. I hope that they see that if we vote this man in, America will be represented by a man willing to take the lowest road to the top.

I don't want that.

McCain thinks it's OK to mock Obama?

I think we're seeing the inner character of the man. Ugly from the inside out.

Take off your sunglasses and blinders folks. The mean is shining through.

McCain is showing more and more of his true colors.

Bile is not a good color for a President...

Jesse, Shut Up!!

Attn: Jesse Jackson

Dude, you must be getting old. To actually think that a mike is turned off? OMG, dude, what were you thinking? Haven't you walked this road before?

And to talk mess about Obama on top of it?

OK, Jesse, what is up?

I find it hard to believe that you did this "by accident". What was your goal? Why are you trying to undercut Obama? What are you trying to distract the American public from?

Jesse, since MLK's death, you've been working to stay in front of America's cameras. Yes, I do want to believe that your intentions were and are good. You have done many good things in the past. You've brought attention to many important issues that may well have been swept aside without your efforts to expose the truth.

But dude, a whole lot of people remember what happened that sad day when MLK was murdered. You were NOT with him, next to him, on that balcony. But you sure ran to get in front of the cameras. You tried to jump up into MLK's place with a story that was blatantly untrue. People still hold that against you.

Jesse, if you want Obama to win, you need to shut up!

Yes, you heard me. Shut up and sit down and let the man work the crowds. He doesn't need your help. Hard as it may be for you to accept, he knows EXACTLY what he's doing and he doesn't need you trying to pump up the volume.

Obama is the new wave, the wave of the future. Whether he wins or loses, America is talking. America is taking note of the new Black man.

Obama is the face of Black America right now.

Jesse, shut up and let the man work!!

If We Had Any Quality Candidates...

Yes, that's what my Dad said.

He's a die-hard Republican. Yet, he's not happy with his choices for President.

He won't vote anything but Republican, but he's not happy with McCain. I didn't really ask him why, but I suspect if he'd heard about McCain divorcing his first wife because he's a cheating man, that could be a BIG reason.

My Dad has little tolerance for a man who cheats on his wife. He's honest to a fault, BRUTALLY so.

If the die-hard Republican in the family is unhappy with our choices of candidates, what then for the rest of us?

If we had any quality candidates...

An interesting phrase from a man who votes a straight Republican ticket.

Change is coming. I can see it, feel it, smell it in the wind.

I don't know what it's going to be, but maybe next time around, in the next Presidential campaign, even Dad will see some quality candidates. Because I think Obama is going to be our first officially Black President.

(I know, you're saying, "Officially Black? Huh?" Do some research my friends, we've already had some "closet" Brothers as President. http://www.diversityinc.com/public/1461.cfm)

And the Republicans are going to have to make some changes in order to try to regain the Presidency.

The next four years are going to be very interesting.

Change is coming!

Today, A Light Went Out In America

Yes, today a light went out in America, the day that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was murdered.

A light went out.

Yet at the same time, a torch was lit. America woke up to the true state of affairs of the Civil Rights movement and many good hearted (and previously oblivious) people were horrified at his murder.

I was listening to Good Morning America this morning and Dr. King's son and daughter were talking and it really made me think. Coretta Scott King's words to her children brought me to tears. How can a mother explain to her children that their father was murdered for doing the right thing? Not the popular thing, not the thing society thought he should do, but the right thing?

It brought another train of thought about sacrifice.

Dr. King sacrificed himself and when he did, it changed our whole society -- it changed America.

Like Jesus, he gave his own life for his people. And not just his people, but for all Americans of every color. His words are quoted often, "I have a dream". Today so many of us share that dream, that all people should be equal in America. Just like they are equal in the eyes of the Lord.

Yes, unlike Jesus, Dr. King was a man. A great man, but a man with flaws. Of course he wasn't perfect. He was a man, like every other man. He had weaknesses that his enemies tried to exploit.

Don't we all have weaknesses? Flawed thinking? Even prejudices and bigotry?

Yes, we all do.

As a Christian, Dr. King was held to a higher standard. Sometimes he failed and sinned, as we all do, but the point of being a Christian is that we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and try again. We are mandated to try again.

I know in my heart, my Faith tells me, that when Dr. King met Jesus at the throne, he was welcomed as a good and faithful servant.

How can I know this, beyond my heart's desire, beyond my Faith?

Look at America today.

Today, our children go to school together, play together, work together, live in the same neighborhoods.

There were many catalysts that brought this about, but the murder of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr brought an epiphany to America.

Thus here we are, April 4, 2008, forty years after his untimely death, reflecting on the legacy that he left his four little children as well as all of America and the world's little children.

Today so many of us share his dream. His dream that is still marching toward reality, step by step, day by day, year by year.

Today, we reflect on the man and the Cross he chose to pick up and bear. Each of us has a load that we can choose to pick up, or leave lying on the path of our lives, on our road to Heaven.

Dr. King paid a high price for his choice. But it was the right thing to do.

As we reflect on this day in American history, I look at the faces of my three children and reflect on how the world has changed.

They might not even exist if it weren't for Dr. King, Rosa Parks, the many who worked so hard to make the Civil Rights movement a reality.

We live in a neighborhood where the original CC&Rs say that we couldn't live -- before Dr. King.

My children go to a school that they wouldn't have been allowed to attend -- before Dr. King.

And today we follow the progress of Barack Obama, running for President of the United States of America, something that was unthinkable -- before Dr. King.

It's only been forty years since Dr. King left us, but see how far we have come.

Yes, there are many, many people who have worked to make this a reality. Dr. King didn't work alone, there were many who picked up the torch that was lit when his own little light went out.

Today, we reflect on Dr. King and his massive contribution to our society, our culture, our country.

There is still much to do, but I think Dr. King would be very pleased at our progress.

I think our Lord is too.

"Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done."

So Nader Is Joining The Race?

Ummm, OK....

Actually, I really don't think this will that much of a factor.

I know people who think he took votes from Gore eight years ago and thus cost the Democrats the election.

Nahhhh.

I can pretty much tell you what happened and why Bush has managed to be elected twice. It was a combination of two things.

First, Gore was associated with the Clintons. Now, the Clintons are a love/hate thing. It seems that most Americans either LOVE them or HATE them. There are enough people out there who HATE the Clintons that anyone associated with them will lose votes.

Second, especially in the last election, people were afraid of the liberal stance of the Democrats. The problem is that most people, if they have a choice between someone who appears to be a LOT more liberal, or a little more conservative, will go with the conservative.

In other words, the massive group of middle-of-the-road voters took their vote to Bush. Not because they really wanted Bush, but because they were making the best of bad choices.

Perhaps the Democratic Party has gotten a clue, because Obama, day by day, looks more and more like a truly viable candidate that can beat the Republicans.

Nader is joining the race?

In my not at all humble opinion, Nader isn't really going to make any difference at all.

Who're You Going To Vote For??

Do you know who you're going to vote for?

I know who I'm going to vote for.

Interestingly, the results this website gave me the same answer that I'd already come to...

http://www.votechooser.com/

If you haven't decided who to vote for, maybe it'll help you out.

If you've already decided, it may (or may not) confirm your decision.

Have fun!

South Carolina! Need I Say More?

Oh, my goodness!

I am just filled with joy on this day!

Obama is ruling the day and the Clintons' tactics blew up in their faces!

I really believe that the more the Clintons bring up race, the more it's going to accentuate their own failings. Dirty politics has never worked with me, and I'm becoming more and more hopeful that my fellow Americans are waking up and smelling the BS.

South Carolina! Need I say more?

Well, the Cali primary is on February 5th and for the first time in many a long year, I'm thinking that my vote is really going to make a difference, instead of making the best of a bunch of bad choices.

As I've said before, I don't think Hilary can win the Presidential election. Too many people just plain hate Bill. She's going to lose votes because of her husband.

I really believe Obama has a better chance of crossover votes from the Republican side. He's not too, too liberal. He's not too, too conservative. He FEELS like he's a better representative of the majority of Americans.

I was really doubtful that Americans were ready for a Black President, but every day I'm feeling more and more optimistic that Obama is THE choice for the Democrats.

Go Obama!!

Hmmm... Now this is interesting!

The primaries are certainly causing the local commentators to talk. All of their predictions seem to be completely off. Now that's a fascinating thought, have America's political commentators and radio talk show hosts finally lost all touch with the public?

I've been wondering about that for a while. I've noticed that all too many are marching lockstep with their broadcasting brethren and dissenting voices were disappearing. It was basically becoming the two extremes, Bernie Ward vs Rush. (Umm, we won't go into current legal issues...) It seems like they'd discounted both Obama and McCain. And now, oh my goodness!

I have to admit, I wasn't sure that America was ready to accept Obama. I am, but the rest of the country, hmmmm, I really thought the Clinton machine was going to roll over the Democratic Party like an M1 Abrams tank crushing aluminum cans.

And McCain, what a surprise! The only candidate that admits to being in favor of the Iraq action and on top of it, his campaign is out of money!

I must admit, I'm pleasantly surprised by this turn of events. Of course, there are a lot more primaries ahead, so things can change pretty quickly. But now, this is interesting!

2008 - A Year of Change?

Is 2008 going to be a year of change?

Or is it going to be lots of noise and talk and bull hockey, with no real change at all?

Shoot, I don't know!

I can say that it's going to be interesting as the politics get deeper and mudslinging gets uglier. And there's a whole lotta mud that's going to be slung. The Clinton machine is churning away. Obama is looking better by the minute. Edward's wife is looking tired (I need to pray for that woman, she needs ALL our strength and prayers as she continues to battle cancer). The Republicans are in about the same boat, lots of uncertainty.

Bottom line, which candidate has the best ability to win? Who can win the hearts of Americans? Actually, it's more of business as usual -- who is going to be the best of a bunch of bad choices?

I like Obama. I'm just not sure he's going to be able to win this year.

I don't like too many of the other Democratic candidates.

I pretty much don't like any of the Republicans.

Most of the other candidates aren't viable.

I'll be honest, I don't know who's going to win the election.

One thing I do know: No matter what any candidate promises the American public, if he/she thinks anything will be accomplished without the cooperation of Congress, he/she is a fool. And we're fools for believing anything different...

There's A Deep Wound Across Our Consciousness

Yes, there's a deep wound across our consciousness.

It's called racism.

Since I look "white", and was raised in a white society, it took me many years to comprehend some of the subtleties of racist behaviors. There are days I still don't "get it". I have to think and contemplate and pray on it, before it comes clear to me.

But you know, as a Woman, I experience similar behaviors every day. For example, if I go into Home Depot, men think nothing of stepping ahead of me when I'm trying to get an employee's attention. The same thing happens when I'm at the auto parts store, or buying tires. Unless I step right up to the customer service desk and get a manager, I'm likely to be ignored. And even then, while I'm being helped, guys will walk up and start talking to the manager, as if they're maneuvering around a tree or a post. It's like I'm not even there. I don't exist in their world.

Substitute racism for sexism, and the situation of my Brothers and Sisters of Color becomes clearer by the day.

Our society has a bleeding wound across it, and only if you actually experience it, do you even start to understand how deep, how ugly, how consuming it really is.

It's part of our society that the overt racists (and die-hard liberals, businesses, bosses, and individuals) don't WANT to understand. It's pervasive. It's an undercurrent in that deep river we call racism.

It's a crevasse that people fall into and can't get out of.

If you don't know it's there, you don't see it unless you really educate yourself with an OPEN mind and heart, and even then, you don't really understand it. You just may realize that it exists.

Unless you're POC or a woman who's experienced the situation.

We women, of every color, experience being ignored while all the men are being helped, and the men just step up right in front of us, like we have no business being in the hardware store. Or the auto parts store. Or the workplace.

We women, we're supposed to act, talk, be a certain way and if we don't, then we get pushed aside and/or ignored. And if we demand better treatment, we're pushy, bitchy, or [gasp] lesbians. Because nice girls don't act that way...

HUH!

POC receive that SAME treatment, and people act like it's OK.

There's a little box that we're supposed to fit into, and we're not supposed to step outside of it. Never. Except maybe Oprah, or Magic Johnson, or Obama. But then, they're "different", they're "not like the rest of them". Compartmentalized thinking. But as a poster on another forum pointed out, back in the day, Oprah, Magic, Obama would've been sitting in the back of the bus with all the other POC. And they would've been equally at risk of the noose. The same noose that hung in the "white tree" in Jena, Louisiana just this past year.

Well, you know what, I'm standing up and shouting, "IT'S NOT OK!"

Not until society STOPS and takes note of the chasm that divides our country, do we have a prayer of throwing a rope to our Brothers and Sisters, our young women, who may still be lost in the depths of its despair, then we can close the wound, let it heal.

Our children are being lost in this chaotic undercurrent that's condoned by society. People shake their heads and tisk-tisk, but do nothing to see or comprehend the the root causes. Nor do they choose to step up to help promote change.

Oh, yeah, they're willing enough to call for banning rap music, or complain about kids' clothes, but trust me, they didn't pay any attention until THEIR kids started "acting Black". Then all of a sudden, they noticed that our society promotes violence, sexism, racism. It becomes a huge issue.

Ironically, these are the same parents who paid to see "The Godfather" movies, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Tombstone", "Colors". They never noticed that American society has ALWAYS glorified violence. Somehow, they think that the violence of our past is OK, but suddenly the violence of today isn't.

America has always been violent. Always. Right from the beginnings, when the Europeans came to colonize a land that already had people living there.

You can't fix something if you don't know (or deny) its existence. Only when you acknowledge the REAL problem, not just the symptoms, then you can start working on the healing. And God knows, we need a healing on the psyche of this nation.

Too many Americans float through this life, denying that there's even a problem, and then when it broadsides them in their perfect little fantasy world, they blame the victims who are trying to speak out on it.

Sigh...

Too many Americans don't even try to peer through the glass dimly...
...and the wound keeps bleeding.

Does Obama Have A Chance?

Hmmm, you know, that's a good question. Does Obama have a chance?

And the answer is, I don't know.

I do have an opinion though. I don't see him as President this go-around. It's good that he's getting his name out there, he looks like a good future candidate.

But I think the Clinton machine is going to win the Democratic nomination this time. And I also think that the WORST thing he can do is to be Hilary's running mate.

Why? Because there are just too many people who hate the Clintons. Right or wrong, Bill's escapade with whats-her-name (Monica) just grated on too many people's personal morals. Even though, LOL, some of them aren't any better, they just haven't been caught.

I think Hilary is going to get the Democratic nomination. And then, unless the Republicans choose an utter loser, they're going to win the Presidency again.

Sigh, I'm not sure which is worse.

However, in four years, maybe eight, I can easily envision Obama as our new President. I really think he has a chance. He's just too new to the public eye right now.

One thing that the upper level spinmasters don't seem to take into account is that this country really has more middle of the road voters than the far right or left. When in doubt, voters are going to go for the more conservative guy. If voters are faced with the choice of a good candidate with a couple of views that are too far outside their comfort zone, or a much more conservative candidate that's not too, too far to the right, they're going to go for the more conservative candidate. People want change, but not too much change.

I really think that's why Bush won.

Gore didn't have a chance.

Plus, despite his intelligence, Gore is an idiot out here in the real world where the rest of us live. On top of it, his association with the Clintons tainted him from the beginning. There are just too many voters that hate the Clintons so much that they'll vote against anyone who's been a part of that administration.

So, my personal opinion, which is always subject to change, is that the Republicans are going to win the White House yet again.

Hopefully, the incoming President will get a clue about what the "little people" want and start cleaning up the mess in Iraq, not attack Iran, and start focusing more on issues that affect the people here at home.

What would I like to see here on the home front?

• Better coordination of benefits between the military and Veterans Administration.
• More health care for children. (I think ALL kids should have free or low-cost health care, no matter what their parents' income level or immigration status may be. And once they turn 21, then they are converted to the private insurance of their choice.)
• Open up immigration so we can properly document and tax the people who are coming here to work anyway. Jeez, people, we have people who come here to WORK! Don't tell me they're "taking jobs away from citizens". That is utterly false. YOU go out and pick fruit when it's 110 in the shade -- oh, wait, you're too good to do that, right? Yeah, I thought so. I'm not going to do it either...
• Better loans for subprime borrowers who've been caught up in the mortgage blowup. (Get people into fixed rate, long term loans at lower payments, even if it means a 50-60 year loan. Most people don't stay in their houses that long. It will average out...)
• If fuel is a problem, put the national speed limit back to 55mph. Let's not lie, the gov't and oil companies are screwing us over. People get the best gas mileage at 55mph whether they're driving a Prius or a Hummer. This would save a LOT of fuel (and lives).
• Nuclear power may be the most expensive to build, but in the long term, it's cheaper and cleaner than most other options. Coal fired plants are not clean and not a long term solution to our energy needs.
• More solar and wind power plants, because every bit counts.
• Encourage more alternative type housing, including passive and active solar systems.
• Fix our infrastructure - roads, bridges, trains, mass transit systems.
• Less posturing, more real work from our politicians. Let's see these men and women out there with Jimmy Carter, building houses for Habitat for Humanity. Let's see something more than the photo-op of the week!

Yeah, I know, my Republican dad thinks I'm too liberal.

My anarchist friend thinks I'm too conservative.

Guess I'm wobbling down the middle. Again.