[I have many feelings about Tuesday ad the subsequent election results and don't want to dilute any of these feelings so I will be posting 3 separate posts regarding the 2008 Election.]
Unlike many Americans, my life has not been better the last 8 years. Yes, not all of it was directly related to the Bush "Presidency" but there were many policies he supported that hurt my family (CHIP comes to mind...). Once I decided on Barack Obama as my choice for President before the February primary, everyday I became more and more empowered and excited with his philosophy and plans for the future of America.
Needless to say, I was elated with his landslide victory Tuesday night. I mean, I knew he'd win, but I didn't know he'd win so big! I'm very excited about the future of our country and know that Barack Obama is the right person to lead our country at this precarious time.
President Obama...sounds pretty awesome, doesn't it?!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
My 2008 Election Thoughts (Part 1 of 3)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Who this election is really for
This election isn't for me. It's not for my daughter or even her daughter yet to come.
It isn't about Barack Obama or Joe Biden or even John McCain and Sarah Palin.
This election is about all of us. It always has been. Many have accused Barack Obama of being just another politician who only has ideas and no real solutions. He's talked a lot about change and how that change will help our country. Watch this video and listen. Notice how Obama doesn't just say that HE will provide the change, but that WE will provide the change.
Barack Obama provides more than just hope and change. He provides the forum for all of us to create change in our community that will lead to a better life for all of us. In the history of our country, all momentous occasions occurred due to the efforts of everyday, extraordinary Americans. That change can and will happen again on November 4th. You won't want to miss it.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Barracudas scare the s#!t out of me
Sarah Palin is definitely the easiest politician to make fun of in our world today. I mean, it's not like it's very hard. Personally, I thought she did well in last week's debate against Senator Biden. Yeah, sure she didn't actually answer the questions but to about 85% of Americans watching, they didn't care or notice.
Sarah Palin does not appeal to or represent women like me. But I'm not your average woman. Young girls and soccer moms everywhere are idolizing this woman. I'm amazed at this because of the sheer stupidity of most of the things Sarah says or does. But again, I'm not most women.
What scares me the most about Sarah Palin is that people like my oldest sister LOVE her. They want to be her. They have 3 or more children, live in nice houses in nicer neighborhood, most likely have a part time job but still manage to run their kids to soccer, piano, dance, skating, math club, etc. They are vocal about their opinions to the point I'd like to run them over with their own mini-van. They are the "social planners" of their kids' soccer teams and must always look perfect with every hair in place even if they're just running to the Super Wal-Mart to get some milk.
And, they vote. They vote every year for every race and make sure all their fellow PTA moms do so as well. They are a large segment of our population and sometimes end up being the deciding factor in many elections. This scares me.
Now, I know Obama is up in every poll and has the electoral votes now and WILL WIN next month, but I'm still nervous...we don't need crazy people like my sister running our country.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
On Qualifications
There has been a lot of talk about Sarah Palin Tallhair's (this is her official Eskimo name) experience and qualifications to be Vice President. A blog I read posted an exchange between the author and her mother discussing the qualifications of Sarah Palin and Obama. The author felt that Sarah had a lot of executive experience while Barack only had a few years of legislative experience.
This got me thinking about everyone's definition of experience and why it matters so much to them. First, I don't think it's fair to compare Sarah Palin and Barack Obama and their respective experience since they are not running for the same office. There is a vast difference in what the President does on a daily basis than what the VP does. I do understand that Sarah is a mere heartbeat from the #1 seat but that is only an IF.
Second, if Executive Experience is so important to people, then why aren't they worried about McCain's lack of executive experience? There is a difference between legislative and executive and both Obama and McCain have some. So can SOMEONE show me McCain's?
Third, I was not around to personally see it but I seem to recall another legislator from the State of Illinois who became President and who a lot of people felt wasn't experienced enough either. I my opinion, this man is one of the greatest Presidents in our nation's history. And you know what? Our lives are much better off because of him.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Megan's Victory Map for Obama/Biden
Create your own and be entered to win prizes here!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Better late than never
So, the Democratic Primary is over. Finally. And yes, I'm late in blogging about it but there's a good reason.
But now, this Presidential election is quite boring. I mean, without the fighting of Hillary and Barack, it's become very dull. And it completely makes sense. I mean, have you listened/seen/watched/read about John McCain?! Wow. He makes watching paint dry exciting.
More new posts to follow!
Maybe.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Memo to Democrats Everywhere: If you want to win in November, here's how.
We Democrats have a problem.
Most of the time, we tend to screw up winning when it counts the most. Believe me, I've seen it happen again and again.
This year, however, we Democrats have the opportunity to not only change the direction of our country, but also to elect a man (or woman, if you want) with strong progressive credentials to help foster this must-needed change. What we do between now and November is absolutely critical. And, what progress is made over the next 4 years will be contingent on what we do over the next 10 months. There are many things progressives around this country can do to ensure this happens. The first one requires that we all work together.
The November 4th election is not just about who wins the Presidency, however. We have the chance to make the next Congress the most progressive and effective Congress ever. It's not enough to just send Barack Obama (or Hillary Clinton) to the White House; we must also give him or her a Congress who will support his or her initiatives.
In 2004, there were a host of groups hell-bent on making sure George W. did not win re-election. The problem was that none of them were working together. When trying to get things done in a political arena, the number one rule is to build coalitions with other like-minded organizations. Just think of the power we could have unleashed upon Karl Rove and his minions if we had all been working together in 2004!
As fabulous and easy as this sounds, it wasn't my original idea. In this recent article, Ken Brociner outlines what we, as progressives, can do to take back our country.
Brociner gives us a 2nd track to take back our country:
Track two: In order to seriously address the problems that are facing our nation and the rest of the world, we will need to construct a vital and visible left-wing of the progressive movement.
One of the reasons the progressive movement lacks a coherent left-wing is because the term “progressive” has lost its radical edge.
Yes, that's right, we need to become more progressive and, dare I say it, liberal.
30 years ago, top republicans met behind closed doors at the Cato Institute to craft a different kind of conservativism that they would slowly unleash upon us unsuspecting Americans. Since 2000, we have seen the worst of these policies and now, people are rebuking these policies by the thousands.
Many so-called 'red' states are now turning a bright shade of purple (and sometimes blue) because of the progressive people who have been elected to office recently. This isn't rocket science. People know that progressive Democrats have the right policies. Brociner again:
On practically every issue that we care about—from stopping the war in Iraq, to fighting global warming, to protecting civil liberties, to tackling economic injustice—the Democrats have far better policies than the Republicans.As a Democrat and opponent of the Iraq War, I've often been called un-patriotic. But it's because I love my country that I strongly believe the Democrats are best suited to run our country and fix the problems we currently have. We can no longer sit around and complain about the problems in our country and just write letters to the editor. We MUST start working together NOW on progressive ideas and policies that will transform our country into the great power it once was.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Super Tuesday by the Numbers
UPDATED at 10:51 AM
National Democratic Turnout: 14.4 million people
National Republican Turnout: 8.7 million people
Amount of money raised by the Clinton campaign in the last 24 hours: $5 million (35,000 new donors)
Amount of money raised by the Obama campaign since Tuesday: $7.2 million
Amount of money raised and spent by Romney: almost $90 million
Amount of money raised and spent by McCain: almost $40 million
Amount of money raised and spent by Huckabee: almost $8 million
(And Mittens wants us to believe he's a good businessman?)
Clinton delegates: 979
Obama delegates: 898
Edwards delegates: 12 (more on this later)
McCain delegates: 680
Romney delegates: 270
Huckabee delegates: 176
Paul delegates: 16 (there will not be more on this later)
Utah Primary Fun Facts
1992 Party-run Presidential “Firehouse” Primary
TOTAL VOTE: 31,638
(Bill Clinton came in 3rd)
1996 Precinct Caucuses
Bill Clinton - Unopposed
2000 State-run Presidential Primary
TOTAL VOTE: 15,687
2004 Party-run Presidential “Firehouse” Primary
TOTAL VOTE: 34,854
Total votes cast in Democratic primaries from 1992-2004: 82,359
2008 State-run Presidential Primary
Democratic votes cast:
124,307
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
It all started in a place called Hope.
I love Election Day. Anytime, anywhere, all throughout the year.
Today was no exception. Knowing that my vote would actually matter today, I had to make the best decision for myself. I was supporting John Edwards up until the very end and found it difficult to choose between Obama and Clinton.
As I said before, I agreed with and believed in everything John Edwards said and believed in; and there are many things I like about Hillary and Barack. I'm so thrilled to actually have had a choice between three intellectual and amazing candidates this year.
I disagree with Obama on a few issues: health care, illegal immigrants, and his troop withdrawal plan in Iraq.
I disagree with Clinton on a few issues: tax cut and government reform.
I now believe that Hillary or Barack can beat whoever the Republicans decide to nominate. Both will be great candidates and both represent the Democratic Party and America very well.
I inquired with many of my friends why they were supporting Hillary or Barack. I noticed a few interesting things. First, my older friends (those close to or older than me) are all supporting Hillary and that my younger friends are all supporting Obama. Second, when I asked my friends why they were supporting one over the other, I found that Obama supporters were not substantively able to tell my WHY they were supporting him. They talked about "change" and "justice"--values that I find admirable--but that wasn't enough for me. My Hillary supporting friends talked to me about her vast experience and her policies on a few key issues. This difference was striking to me.
I know that my decision is going to cause my friends heartburn one way or another. But this decision isn't for them. It's for me. And it's for McKenna.
As some of you know, she is supporting Hillary. She didn't get this idea from me, but rather from her daycare teacher. When people asked her why she was supporting Hillary, McKenna (8-years-old, mind you) would state: "Because we've never had a girl President before and she'd be the first one." As I've thought about my decision, my thoughts always go back to this simple statement. I wonder, how can I teach my daughter to be a strong-willed, independent woman and that women are just as equal as men in every regard and NOT be willing to show her that by voting for Hillary? I'm much more worried about her opinion of me--and of herself--than I am of my friends. I think back to when I was her age and how I dreamed of being the first female President and how much I have shown that I am just as equal to men in local politics. Would I be a hypocrite for voting for Obama?
I've been very critical of Obama's message of hope. I am moved by his words and commercials. I was there in Boston in 2004 and listened to his "Audacity of Hope" speech. He talks so eloquently about change. And he's right, the top two Democratic candidates are a black man and a woman--that's quite a change! I see Obama's supporters and see how he has revived political interest in many people--especially young people. During college, I spent most of my time increasing civic engagement among my peers. I don't understand how anyone can not be interested in politics and believe that Howard Dean in 2004 and Barack Obama in 2008 have inspired thousands of new voters--young and old.
Part of this inspiration has to do with the fact so many people are pissed off with the government. They're tired of what's been going on in Washington for far too long. They're tired of spending billions of dollars on a war they did not want and did not ask for. They're tired of being lied to.
Throughout the course of my decision since Edwards dropped out, I've gone back and forth on Clinton and Obama. I started strongly supporting Hillary then over the weekend slowly moved towards Barack. Reading through their policies one last time before I went to sleep, I moved back to Hillary. I disagreed with Obama on way too many issues and felt that Hillary was the right choice.
But the thing that made me finalize my decision was when I thought about all of my hard work within the local Democratic Party here over the last 8 years. I have worked hard to build a party that I am proud to be a part of and I just can't let this work be for nothing.
Something is wrong with our Government. It is broken and people do not trust it. Part of this is because of the vast corruption and the thought of "same ol', same ol'." Hillary Clinton is a part of this and I fear that if she is elected, it would be the same thing all over again. Hillary, if nominated, would hurt the Utah Democratic Party and all of our candidates this year, I believe. As soon as she's the nominee, the 50 state plan, The State Party Project, implemented by Gov. Howard Dean would cease to exist as she would require all that money to be forwarded to her campaign.
While I may disagree with how the state party has run the State Party Project here, I know that without it, neither Barack Obama nor Hillary Clinton would have had a viable grassroots campaign force here. Without the local work done over the past 5 years, there would not be such a huge movement of Utah Democrats voting for a Democratic Presidential candidate.
I agree with Hillary on more substantive issues. But today, that wasn't enough for me.
Today, I voted for me. I voted for my daughter. I voted for the future of the party and country I love so much.
I voted for Barack Obama.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The importance of tomorrow's election
The reason this decision is such a big one for me is because in tomorrow's election, unlike any other election in Utah, my vote for a Democratic Presidential Candidate will actually matter. Who cares about my vote in November? After tomorrow, the ads from Clinton and Obama will disappear from TV here.
But tomorrow, my vote will make a real difference in Democratic politics in Utah.
That thought gives me goosebumps and makes me realize why I began my involvement in politics in the first place.
The next step in my quest: Town Hall meeting with Hillary Clinton
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Sunday, February 3, 2008
Fire it up! Ready to go!
Last night I went to an Obama "rally/fundraiser." The Senator was supposed to come to Utah today but earlier this week changed his plans (to Idaho) and his Utah staff quickly threw together this event. I'm very picky when it comes to my events so I won't go into too much detail about the "little" things.
It was an electrifying event. We listened to speakers from various parts of the community talk about why they were supporting Obama. We watched commercials and clips of speeches Barack has given. There were people from all walks of life there: young and old, black and white, Democrat and Republican. We were inspired by a gospel choir and Pastors from two local churches.
A lady in front of me brought her two young daughters to the event and she something very interesting to me: "I've never given money to any candidate before, I've never put up a lawn sign for anyone. But Barack Obama really inspires me. I'm excited by his candidacy and I've never been excited about ANY candidate before."
As I looked around the room, I saw that look in the faces of all the people there. I know that look quite well because I've had that look ever since I started getting involved in politics.
There's definitely something happening here...
Friday, February 1, 2008
Post Debate/Snowstorm Thoughts
Looking over my last post and my thoughts as they occurred as I watched the Democratic debate, I still am no closer to deciding between Hillary and Barack. And even with me asking both sides exactly their stances on various issues and being harassed coerced convinced why I should vote for Obama over Clinton, what is really going to help me make a decision is figuring out for myself why I should vote for one.
I believed in everything John Edwards said so it was very easy for me to support him until the end. I think that without him and his work over the past four years, the other Democratic candidates would not have had such detailed policies on a majority of issues. Unfortunately for John, the media didn't give him as much coverage as he deserved. You see, John talked about sticky issues no one wants to hear about like poor people who are forced to choose between medicine and food everyone, homeless people in New Orleans who are still waiting for the government's help, and veterans who are being ignored by all of society. And let's face it, the media doesn't want to cover those issues. They're not sexy or exciting; they scare people and make them depressed.
So, the media covered Obama "The Rock Star" and Clinton "The Spouse of our Last Favorite President, Bill." Not that this was a bad thing, per se. This scrutiny forced them to craft progressive and lasting policies and made the debates more exciting full of substance.
While I don't think anyone can ever take John's place in my heart, I am going to seriously look at everything the Hillary and Barck say/believe up and down and everything in between. It's a hard decision for me. And everyday, almost every hour, I change my mind again.
My first endeavor: Obama Rally, Saturday Night
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Liveblogging the Democratic Debate. A first!
So, to figure out who I should vote for on Feb. 5th, I'm watching tonight's Democratic debate.
610: I started watching a little late. I LOVE Hillary's earrings! But she shouldn't lean forward like that. I'm glad she mentioned Johnny boy!
612: She'll implement a health care plan like Edwards? Hmmmm...
Not more of the same! I like that line!
614: Obama...Health care, mentioned his mother, how did she die again? And she didn't have health care? Reducing costs of health care and providing subsidies to those who can't afford it. Hillary's plan forces people to buy health insurance?
Home foreclosures: what about those people who waited to buy a house? They get nothing? That's not fair, to punish them for being prudent.
Barack believes in reducing the influence of lobbyists and corporations in DC. Ok, I like. He was opposed to Iraq from the start...
618: I don't like Wolf Blitzer.
619: Question: Most Democrats want FULL coverage. YES! We do! Obama: Anybody who WANTS health care will be able to get it. He doesn't think there is anyone who doesn't want health care. Most people up to 25 years old are already covered under their parents plan, Senator O.
621: Hillary: Her passionate cause. Maximize choice...Did she just say she'd open Congress' coverage to everyone?
It's the fight of, "I'm more Democrat/Liberal than her/him!"
What about lowering the costs of health care in general? Like, the costs of medication, tests, doctors, emergency rooms.
Obama: Having meetings with all those interested in fixing health care and showing the meetings on CSPAN. Transparent government!
Clinton: telling insurance companies they can't cherry pick who they cover. Yeah, right. Drug companies should be included in the process to bring prices down. I think there will be some backroom dealings no matter what. Not EVERYTHING will be open.
631: Question: Raising taxes. I'm a proud tax and spend liberal!
WOO HOO! Good line Barack about the Reps not being fiscally prudent! Straight talk express lost some wheels...lol...Preventative health care costs is the way to go. But, will it really save that much money? I dunno. Who are the tax cuts for? Who are they imposed on? Rich people should pay more taxes, that's brilliant!
Was that George Constanza?!
Wolf: Clinton plan $110 Billion, will you tax the rich to pay for that?
Clinton: Tax richest people, $77 million per year. Stop giving insurance companies tax subsidies. Electronic medical records would save how much money?
Of course people will do well under the tax rates you implement, Senator C, your husband implemented it...
Question: Immigration--unemployment and low wages of African-Americans due to illegal immigrants.
Obama: Yes, yes, we KNOW you were an organizer in Chicago! He's diverse, he knows lots of people of color. WOW! Scapegoating?! Harsh! Control our borders, crack down on employers, pathway to citizen once they've been caught. The unemployment rate of all minority groups is due to a crazy economy.
Question: Illegal Immigrants getting driver's licenses
Clinton: Employers who exploit workers-needs to stop. We need a comprehensive, nationwide immigration policy. Helping Mexico develop their economy, yes! Republicans are living in another universe...hehehe...I don't know, I can see a lot of people driving without licenses and without insurance and then when they get in an accident with me, I'm screwed.
People sometimes have to drive to work...
Hilary sponsored comprehensive immigration reform before Barack joined the Senate. Oh snap! I don't understand how immigration became so politically divisive. The Republican solutions on immigration are not practical.
Wait, don't some conservatives also believe in not giving illegals DL's?
651: So, because someone took TIME to craft their plans automatically means yours is better, Barack?
653: Hillary: we need a strong Democratic Party to fix this problem.
Commercial!
658: Experience! Obama: A lot of Americans disagree that he doesn't have experience. Streets of Chicago line...again..Leadership that is needed, the ability to bring people together, transparency, "talking straight" to the American people. He's got skillz.
Clinton: First Lady experience helps? Go back 35 years...abused children, corporations, health insurance, rural Arkansans, test drugs, adoption system, world work, women's rights/humans rights--Chelsea!--public service is a trust!
Question: What if Mittster is the R nominee? Ceo of a country? Clinton: more than a business, government is not there to make a profit, we are there to help Americans--Current "President" sucks!
Obama: Mitt's a nerd.
704: Hilary: Big change! Woman or a black guy-quite a change!
707: Obama: He DOES sound like the Kennedy brothers...Who has the experience and can inspire people? I can!
710: We need change, but the same two families have been on the ticket for the past 40 years. I know! I totally wrote a blog about that!
Clinton: I am my own woman! "It took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush and it might take another one to clean up after this one!" Yes! Good line!
712: Commerical and shots of famous people in the audience...Oh wait, this IS Hollywoodland. I'm eating Cocoa Puffs with Peanut Butter...yum...
Ron Paul!
716: IRAQ. Clinton: Withdraw in 60 days. All troops out in a year. Would involved her foreign and military advisers. How do we help the Iraqis who helped us? Tell the Iraqi government to take responsibility for their own country. Bush's plan to leave 130,000 troops in Iraq is irresponsible!--Ugly Betty girl is there!
719: Obama: We will end this war. McCain has a profound lack of understanding. We should not have troops to punt into Iran. We never should have been there in the first place. I am the best Democrat to go up against McCain.
722: Clinton: We need to tell Iraq and the region that we are not there to take care of them. Hey, that guy who got fired from Grey's Anatomy is there! Legislation to prevent Bush from passing legislation to have a permanent presence/bases in Iraq--her and Barack have worked together to stop that.
725: Question: Why did you vote against the 11th amendment before the invasion? Clinton: I believe we needed to have the UN Inspectors go in and see if we were needed.
729: I'm losing interest....
Obama: Do Americans not want progress in Iraq? Heck, yes! They want their children to come home.
731: I should do homework.
Clinton: Knowing what you know now, why can't you say your vote was a mistake? We should not have diverted our attention from Afghanistan! There are so many problems we will have to untangle. We have to prove that we are stronger than the Republicans on foreign policy. Let's go forward! Force is a last resort. She's not naive! "That is a good try, Wolf." She was told--personally--by the WH that they would use all the intelligence available.
Sadaam's a megalomaniac? Uh, didn't we put him in office?
So, I had kid issues and missed the rest of the debate.
Good night!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The thoughts that keep me up at night. Seriously!
I started writing this post a few weeks ago and now, my thoughts are even more important.
Whenever I told someone I was supporting John Edwards until the day he drops out (or becomes the vice-presidential nominee), I was usually met with a snicker or a rolling of the eyes and the inevitable question, "So, when he doesn't win on Feb. 5th, who are you going to support then?" (Or in today's case, "Now that he's out, who are you going to support?")
I've thought a lot about this actually. I've had the conversation with two of my friends who are also supporting John about who we will throw our support behind
Please note: I will support whoever the Democrat nominee is. But, I have a feeling we won't know who our nominee is until the August convention.
Now that Edwards is out, I will follow him to whomever he endorses. But it's not easy for me.
It's hard for me to choose between Obama and Clinton. There are good things about both and bad things about both. My decision to support John Edwards was not a hard one. I'm having a very difficult time choosing to support Barack or Hillary and it's not because of my support of John. Some of my thoughts about each include the following:
Barack Obama
While being a great public speaker, I don't know if he will be able to win nationwide. This thought keeps me up at night! What if a Republican DOES win in November?! I can't handle any more of this! I'll be moving to Canada for sure.
Barak has some great ideas but I'm not sure if he has the experience that is needed in a President. We currently have a president who lacks experience and fortitude we need in these tumultuous times; our country is worse off because of that inexperience. I'm not saying Obama is like Bush--AT ALL--Obama actually has principles and morals. He speaks so strongly about change in Washington and although I agree with him, I wonder if he really will be able to make that change. Will he constantly be fighting to get his policies implemented because he's seen as too inexperienced?
Granted, Edwards didn't have that much more experience in 2004 than Obama does now, but Edwards has spent the last 4 years talking and listening to people and crafting his platforms and ideas into workable solutions to our country's problems. Of course, just because he's planned a lot doesn't necessarily mean things will automatically be better, but I believe that he would be more able and willing to build consensus with those he needed to pass his initiatives.
But the questions that keep running through my head are, "Can Obama win in November? Can he win nationwide?" I don't know. I just don't know.
Hillary Clinton
One of the best things about Hillary becoming President is that we will have an automatic ambassador to the world in Bill. Other countries LOVE him and we'll be able to send him out and immediately fix our image that "President" Bush has destroyed. However, I wrote in a recent post that it's been 40 years since an incumbent President or Vice President has not been on the ballot. Our country IS tired of the same old BS that has been force-fed to us for 40+ years and by electing Hillary, we may just get more of the same. Also, our country needs someone who can help heal the divide. Is Hillary the one who can do that? I don't think so; if anything, I think she'll just divide us more.
The big thought that is floating around in my head is electability and likability. Sure, they are both likable enough but can they be elected? Can someone show me conclusive proof that they can win? Cause that may ease my mind a bit.
And while I know it shouldn't even be an issue--BUT IT IS--I wonder, is a majority of the country (50%+1 to be exact) more racist or more sexist? I've heard from a couple of people that while some people hate women and blacks equally, they wouldn't plot to assassinate the woman.
I know Edwards platform inside and out. The only thing I can do now is learn Hillary's and Obama's. Hopefully, that will make things easier for me.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
But the Feminist in me is conflicted.
From Time's Swampland this morning:
My husband and I just got back from voting at our polling place in Spartanburg, SC at 10:30am. There were about 10 people in line (seven African-American, three white). The polling ladies said that things had been steady all morning. I intended to vote for Obama this morning and my husband for Hillary. But on the way to the polling place, my five year old daughter asked who we were voting for. I said, "Mommy is voting for a nice man named Barak Obama and Daddy is voting for a nice woman named Hillary Clinton." She replied, "But I thought only men were presidents." Out of the mouths of babes. So I took her in with me and let her push the button on the electronic screen for Hillary. (My husband ended up switching and voting for Obama at the last minute so it all evened out.)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
40 years
40 years is how long it has been since we've had a Presidential race that has not included either the current President or current Vice-President.
That was 1968. I think this is reason enough for you to tell people why they should vote when they ask, "Why is this year's Presidential race SO important?" For the first time in MY lifetime (and a LARGE majority of my friends'), we have the choice to choose a President who is not (directly) affiliated with the current Administration. We have the opportunity to make some serious changes in how our country is run. That thought gives me the chills.
1968 was the year Richard Nixon was elected President. It was also the time when voter apathy began. Nixon's reign caused people to start hating and fearing their government. They became mistrustful and bitter and instead of becoming enraged and more engaged, they became apathetic and stopped caring who ran their country. The election of Nixon also ushered in the wacky conservatism that we all know too well. It has swelled into unbelievable proportions; it's the norm for us--we accept it as just how things are.
My, how times have changed.
I fully believe there is a link between voter apathy and our choices for President. Because there really hasn't been a choice, our government has been steamrolling over our freedom taking away our civil liberties and forcing our country into unjust wars.
I think that voter turnout will be exceedingly high this year. People today are enraged and they will vote for the Democrats. We've already seen evidence of their desire for change by the few caucus/primaries so far this year--Record Turnout.
It's going to be an awesome Democratic victory on November 4th!
PS. Make sure you vote in your states' Primary if you have one!
