During the last debate, I lost count of how many times John McCain repeated, "I can do that." No matter which one of Barack Obama’s ideas he was trying to shanghai, he always closed with this statement. To quote Shakespeare,"Me thinks he doth protest too much." Senator McCain waits to see which of Senator Obama’s ideas will be the most popular with the voters, then he pounces on it, like a stalking animal. Then he twists Obama’s words around to suit his own purposes. He even hijacked the idea of Change!
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Because of time constraints, the debates usually fail to sway voters one way or the other. Neither candidate is able to explain their policies in detail. In the last debate, each question could have been the subject of an entire debate: however, each time I listen to these candidates, my reasons for voting for Barack Obama become clearer. I am opposed to the war in Iraq because it is, and always has been the wrong war. This does not mean that I do not honor our troops and their heroic service. But, I along with Senator Obama, have always felt that we should have pursued Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan, hunted him down until we found him and then gotten out . Instead, we got distracted by Iraq and have been bogged down there ever since, spending millions of dollars every month, plus the lives of our precious servicemen, for what? We went in there on false premises based on fear and we are staying there because of fear. Senator Obama recognizes the futility of this war, while Senator McCain keeps on talking about victory. Because he is a military man, he cannot conceive of an honorable withdrawal. I am still concerned that he would keep our troops in Iraq until he could claim victory. Victory over whom? The insurgents will go on and on fighting for control over a country laid waste by bombs and their own terrorists. I agree with Senator Obama that we belong in Afghanistan where Al Qaida grows stronger every day.
I also feel that Senator Obama will revive our economy by making a concentrated effort to free us of dependence on foreign oil. It will take a long time for us to bridge this gap, but with real push and incentitives from Washington, new forms of energy will be produced and tested and put to use. Our labor force will find employment in new and innovative energy savings plans and we will lead the world in reducing global warming. We have no choice. These projects can no longer be put on the back burner of our oil burning economy. The business of energy can no longer be old-fashioned, out-of-date business as usual. Senator Obama will lead the way with new energy policies. He Can Do That!
Senator Obama addressed large groups of supporters in both Chillicothe and Columbus, Ohio today. He urged us to unite as Americans in facing the present economic crises in our country. Forgetting politics, he reached out to all citizens to work together and not to lose hope. His speech was inspiring and he spoke like a real patriot, rather than a politician.
Like a true statesman, he has risen above the nasty innuendoes and slurs that have been coming from the McCain campaign. I found the rally that Sarah Palin attended in Florida to be shocking and frightening. Aroused by the sheriff who introduced her and further inflamed by Sarah, the crowd became unruly and threatening. I felt as though I had gone all the way back in time to the French Revolution when the rabble demanded more and more beheadings.
I also watched a video posted on bloggerinterrupted.com, taken at a McCain rally where a blogger asked the crowd questions about Obama and Palin. These people were over the top in voicing their sentiments, none of them backed by any sense of factual knowledge. There seem to be a great many uneducated voters out there whose thinking was shallow as their prejudices. I don’t object to a difference in opinion, but I do object when that opinion is expressed in a hateful and demeaning way. These examples are strong cases for the importance of educating our children. In both of the above instances, The Dumbing Down of America was on display. I urge you to watch this video. You will be appalled.
If these people are indicative of John McCain’s and Sarah Palin’s constituents, they can have them. And, heaven help us. The fear and hate that their campaign is spreading is dividing our country at a time when we sorely need to pull together. And, we can do this on an individual basis. I am visiting my daughter in Ohio and she has put up an Obama sign in her front yard. Her neighbor, who is a wonderful friend and an upstanding member of her community, put up a McCain sign. Last night we had one of our usual get–togethers and we laughed about our political differences. Both sides think the other is wrong, but we all shook hands across the aisle and resolved that we would always be the best of friends and no matter who was elected we would work together. Then, she said to me that I shouldn’t worry about my daughter in this economic crises after I returned to California. "I’ll be here for her and we will all pull through this thing together!" She brought tears to my eyes. She exemplifies the spirit we need to move forward and survive this financial and political mess!