With Obama still with good approval numbers after an incredible speech to the Muslim world, yet another right wing lunatic decides to cash in on all the lunatic fringe comments from the lunatic wing of the right wing party by shooting a security guard in the name of white supremacy.
You also have the Right in a CANNOT WIN battle against Obama's new Chief Justice nominee, Sonia Sotomayer. Calling her a racist, while simultaneously inferring that she was only picked because she's Hispanic (a subtle racist comment in itself).
Either way, there is a lot for Progressives to be happy about. With a new health care plan being debated, the rightwing being led by Rush Limbaugh, Fox News being led by Glenn Beck (interesting fact: Glenn Beck converted TO Mormonism...a religion that, let's face it, is full of good intentions, but base their entire stance on an absolute false prophet - Joseph Smith) and Obama getting high marks in all areas of the country, we all have a reason to smile and be glad to be Progressive. Okay enough with the run-on sentences...down to business.
How I Would Save America:
I think 2 things can easily and quickly save this countries economy. I know many of you will cry socialism or that this is unfair economic practices, but let's be clear...these dire times require a dire solution.
#1 Thing: 3.9% APR Home Mortgage rate backed by the federal government. The government needs to offer a low percentage rate to all Americans with decent credit. This will not only allow most families to re-finance their homes...but will allow families who may be on the brink of foreclosure make their monthly payments lower. This is not a system to reward bad decisions. This rate will only apply to those with good enough credit and those who have been in their homes and paying on time for years. This one change can save the entire mortgage industry and bring back construction of new homes at a record pace. This rate would NOT apply to a second home or investment property.
#2 Thing: 3.9% APR Auto Loan rate for all American cars that get over 30mpg, once again, backed by the federal government. Allowing a guaranteed low percentage rate to those with decent credit is not only smart, it will get the auto industry booming again and all of them making cars/trucks that get over 30mpg. This can not only help save the environment...but also to save working families on a budget with gas prices.
Now I'm not pretending to know the ins and outs of the mortgage industry or the auto industry. But I do know simple math. I also know my current situation. My home mortgage is at 5.9% and my auto loan is at 4.99%. In both instances this would help me.
I thought about a "#3 Thing" being a government backed credit card at 3.9% interest but then realized that's what got us into this mess to begin with. Instead we need a credit class in all of the high schools across the country.
Anyway...that's my tirade for the day...back to work!
After working hard and experiencing what is likely to be my greatest political victory in my lifetime, I have been tired. Add a beautiful wife who has begun gaining weight for all the right reasons (Madison Elizabeth is due March 20th, 2009!!!), and things get even tougher. A large work project that has kept me working late for weeks is also worth a mention. Then, I am finally taking a risk and attempting to start my own business in the near future. Sometimes life sure can keep you churning lemonade. However, you won't find me frowning.
My Thanks to You: I have read what Grey Fedora and SueBee have posted with great appreciation. When my life begun handing me lemons...they stepped up and continued to keep this blog active and a good place to check in on now and then. I thank both of you from the bottom of my heart and am glad to have you as authors. (I am still accepting applications if anyone is interested)
"Hope & Change" - Dead Ideas?
Of course not. But to hear a conservative talk show or a quick glance at FOXNews Channel and you'd think Barack Obama is already a complete and utter failure. He's not, of course. However, he's also not perfect. And get this... he actually admits it now and then!
Yes, a long glance or a quick listen to all things conservative shows them so riled up that I continue looking for a stained blue dress from an Obama intern. What are they so amped up about? The republicans in Congress are upset that the policies and ideas they've been shouting from the rooftops for the last 8 years aren't being included in the "Stimulus Package." Their solution is, quite literally, to use the same exact strategies they have been using the last 8 years that clearly do not work.
Tax Cuts
Yes, tax cuts need to be a part of any passed stimulus (Jobs) package. Guess what...they are? In fact, 42% of the package go to tax cuts, while the other 58% goes towards new Government spending. I think he was very generous.
State of the Union....sorta...
Obama has addressed Congress in I can safely call a well delivered ball of caution wrapped in hope. He spoke of cutting the deficit in half, saving or creating 3.5 million jobs, our kids having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, double our renewable energy supply and lastly (and certainly least) moving our medical records into the 21st Century. Add finding a cure for cancer and you can begin to see why some ignorant people would begin viewing him as the Anti-Christ or Hitler.
Wow, really? So because our new President is an incredible speaker, an leader and we're going through a recession that we can compare him to a psychopathic sociopath? I don't think so. I won't go into the Anti-Christ accusation as there is no comparison to actually make. The ridiculous comparison is beyond any condescending words I could come up with.
Either way, Obama gave a great, mostly factual speech that worked well and sat well with the American people.
"Good evening and happy Mardi Gras"
So as I sat there beaming in the glory of the distinguished gentleman I helped get elected there was mention of a "Republican response." While this is normal practice for an official State of the Union address I didn't realize it would be happening. At the mention of Piyush "Bobby" Jindal I began to worry that some of Barack's thunder would be stolen. I had heard his name and seen him speak before when all the Governer's met with Obama in the preceding days. After suffering through the open mic of Chris Matthews' "Oh, God..." cry, Mr. Jindal began to speak (here is some "FOX News" analysis).
I was immediately relieved.
I felt like I was being lectured by Mr. Rogers without a changing of the shoes. I believe Jindal may have ruined his chances with that one blip in time he had to do well in front of a widespread audience. In fact, most people turned him off before he finished. That says it all...
When the old policies don't work...suggest the old polices anyway:
I have heard much criticism of the stimulus package over the last few weeks and if I wasn't such a political nut I would have tuned out long ago. My biggest problem with 99% of the critics is that the only ideas that are offered meant to "one up" the ideas of President Obama are nothing but the SAME EXACT IDEAS that got us into the recession that former President Bill Clinton pulled us out of and the SAME EXACT IDEAS throughout the awful years of the G. W. Bush administration. Trickle down economics. If we give money to the rich, they give money back to the poor and middle class. It didn't work for Reagan and Bush Sr. and it won't work now.
Wealth can be earned quite easily even if the Capital Gains tax rate goes up to 40%. Wealth can be earned easily even if the largest corporations see their taxes go back to the way they were in the 90's. It was earned at an incredible rate then and it can still do it now.
What can we do to help?
Honestly, I think taxes should go up for anyone making over $100,000 a year. I don't make even close to that, but would pay more taxes for a few years if it meant solving the economic crisis we're in. Since that will likely not happen, as I'm too "middle class," I will now make larger donations to the local food bank, the Salvation Army and Red Cross.
Anyone who can afford to chip in, should. If it's not through helping or volunteering for a government entity, then send it to your favorite local charity. Scrapped for cash? Don't get that box of cookies or bag of chips the next few times you're at the grocery store and put it towards a charity you like. Skip going out to eat for a few weeks and give that money to a favorite charity. Do as my wife and I do...have a competition for the most "luxury or unnecessary spending" skipped.
Even if you don't like who is in office, you can still help out those less fortunate who have lost their jobs and are less fortunate that those of us who still have one. I will not be that person who tells you to "Go out and shop" as others have in the past. Charity and contributions to society through volunteer work and helping your neighbor can go a long way into turning this great country of ours around.
I apologize for my long absense...but the fight for peace and prosperity still hold true.
When the night began Sarah Palin turned her mic on a bit early, (perhaps not intentionally, but I think so) leans into Joe Biden and says, "Hey, can I call you Joe?" to which Joe Biden replied, something like "Absolutely no problem." The reason it's not listed in the transcript is because Joe Biden did not turn his mic on until the debate had actually started. A great swing by Palin, likely thought up by Karl Rove or someone similar. This was a good stab at BarackObama's calling John McCain, "John" while not asking permission as she made sure everyone knew she did.
In the beginning:
The answering of the first question pretty much set the tone of the entire debate. The question was:
The House of Representatives this week passed a bill, a big bailout bill -- or didn't pass it, I should say. The Senate decided to pass it, and the House is wrestling with it still tonight. As America watches these things happen on Capitol Hill, Sen. Biden, was this the worst of Washington or the best of Washington that we saw play out?
A great first question with two very different answers.
Joe Biden:
I think it's neither the best or worst of Washington, but it's evidence of the fact that the economic policies of the last eight years have been the worst economic policies we've ever had. As a consequence, you've seen what's happened on Wall Street. If you need any more proof positive of how bad the economic theories have been, this excessive deregulation, the failure to oversee what was going on, letting Wall Street run wild, I don't think you needed any more evidence than what you see now.
So the Congress has been put -- Democrats and Republicans have been put in a very difficult spot. But BarackObama laid out four basic criteria for any kind of rescue plan here.
A great opening answer that actually answered the question. On the other hand, Sarah Palin had this to say:
Sarah Palin:
You know, I think a good barometer here, as we try to figure out has this been a good time or a bad time in America's economy, is go to a kid's soccer game on Saturday, and turn to any parent there on the sideline and ask them, "How are you feeling about the economy?" And I'll bet you, you're going to hear some fear in that parent's voice, fear regarding the few investments that some of us have in the stock market. Did we just take a major hit with those investments? Fear about, how are we going to afford to send our kids to college? A fear, as small-business owners, perhaps, how we're going to borrow any money to increase inventory or hire more people. The barometer there, I think, is going to be resounding that our economy is hurting and the federal government has not provided the sound oversight that we need and that we deserve, and we need reform to that end.
Now, John McCain thankfully has been one representing reform. Two years ago, remember, it was John McCain who pushed so hard with the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac reform measures. He sounded that warning bell.
While this answer wasn't a terrible answer, it never answered the question and led into what John McCain thought, not Sarah Palin. This would continue to be the theme of the night for Gov. Palin. A lot of talk about McCain, not enough talk about her own views. Despite this, however, she did very well overall.
Getting the ball rollin':
Both candidates did decent jobs of answering the next few questions without any real substance being the issue for both. Sarah Palin listed off canned answers that she gave her own "rootin' tootin', down home hillbilly" spin as an attempt to seem "more authentic" and "more like us." As is always the case, I don't want a President who is "just like us." I want a President who I look up to as being better than me in many areas. Despite this, I still feel I could have a beer with any of the 4 candidates.
Joe Biden was not the pillar of perfection, either. While Palin ignored what she herself thought about issues, Biden spent too much time saying who John McCain isn't, instead of who BarackObama is. However, he did finally even up Palin's first swing with this:
Joe Biden: (The question was on Healthcare)
Now, with regard to the -- to the health care plan, you know, it's with one hand you giveth, the other you take it. You know how BarackObama -- excuse me, do you know how John McCain pays for his $5,000 tax credit you're going to get, a family will get?
He taxes as income every one of you out there, every one of you listening who has a health care plan through your employer. That's how he raises $3.6 trillion, on your -- taxing your health care benefit to give you a $5,000 plan, which his Web site points out will go straight to the insurance company.
And then you're going to have to replace a $12,000 -- that's the average cost of the plan you get through your employer -- it costs $12,000. You're going to have to pay -- replace a $12,000 plan, because 20 million of you are going to be dropped. Twenty million of you will be dropped.
So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere."
A great response that put things back to even on my scorecard.
Lies:
There were a few lies told by each candidate but I think they evened each other out overall. Instead of rehashing each lie told I am just going call it even for both as I do not feel a lie gave the advantage to one candidate over the other. While McCain's lies obviously outweighed Obama's lies in the first debate, I think in this case it wasn't near as big of a deal. I think Biden and Palin both did well at keeping the lies to a minimum and the ones they did tell were equally stupid.
Debate Flow:
It is in the flow of the debate I felt Joe Biden did well enough to keep the race against Palin's "I'm not near as bad as everyone thought" experience. While she appeared to do better because the bar was set so low, Joe Biden silenced all the critics by not gaffing or being long winded. It was the flow of how he debated that caused him to pull ahead in the end.
Sarah Palin, on the other hand, seemed very nervous and her voice quivered at times. I almost got the sense that she didn't believe what she was saying with a passion that could have convinced many more people to get behind her. While she did a good job debating, as I predicted, she was still not the debate winner. Unfortunately, throughout most of the debate she SEEMED like she was the winner because of the bar being set so low. Thankfully, Joe Biden came to compete and did so without offending anyone, attacking Palin personally or giving in to his critics with long, painful answers and a forked tongue.
Raw, Real, Respectable Emotion:
Joe Biden got choked up during the debate when speaking of his son in Iraq and his wife and infant daughter who have passed on. He did this because that's the type of guy he is. It is this type of emotional thinking and empathy that makes him the great man he is. He is a man of the people, who is for the people and lives like the people. His net worth is roughly $100,000. He doesn't live beyond his means and he only has one house, just like Obama. It was this emotion that won Joe Biden the first and only Vice Presidential Debate of 2008.
When Biden got choked up thinking of his family that has passed on and his son in Iraq, he did so with grace and a raw truth that nobody can dispute. Sarah Palin, unfortunately, did not show any sympathy whatsoever. She didn't apologize for his loss or express empathy in any way about her own situation or his. Instead, she rattled off another McCain sound bite in a poor attempt to change the subject. While I think she was smart to change the subject and not attack back, she should have at least said something to the effect of "Mr. Biden, I am extremely sorry for your previous loss and you have my most sincere condolences. We both have children in Iraq and that is why this war must be won." This would have put her back in the lead. She didn't do it so she didn't win.
Conclusion:
This was a great debate that did not bore me like the last one did. I was entertained and informed throughout the broadcast. Both candidates did well even though, in my opinion, Joe Biden took the trophy at the end. Not only did each candidate treat each other with respect, but they even had a nice chat afterwards showing that, politics aside, people can get along.
Joe Biden is a very nice man and is well liked on a personal level by man members of Congress. He has a great air of bipartisanship that many in Congress could take a lesson from. Sarah Palin also seems like a nice person. From what I could see she has the potential to be bipartisan and work with anyone. While I don't think she is ready yet for the position she is interviewing for, I think with enough study and real world experience, she may be one day. All in all I give the entire debate an "A."
Now that Palin has said she had a great time and wants to do it again, let's see if they let her give a press conference and finally put to rest once and for all if she can handle herself in a high pressure situation where you literally have ZERO clue what will be asked next.
"If the campaign has nothing to hide....why are they hiding so much?"
The lack of original thought process by Sarah Palin is mind boggling and very worrisome to me. The repeating of talking points over and over when asked the same question is an interview style that seems full of ignorance and disdain for the interviewer. Katie was as nice as she could be but it's still apparent she lacks confidence in the Gov. from Alaska. This is likely due to the fact that she hasn't had a real interview (including her own) where she answered any REAL questions with original answers that could show the ability to formulate her own opinion.
The Karl Rove Plan:
While Palin is doing the best she can to learned the canned answers from the McCain campaign, Karl Rove has a different plan. Karl Rove is a genius. He may be an EVIL genius, but an evil genius is still a genius.
Karl Rove has plans and then backup plans. His plan to keep Palin giving softball interviews and still coming up with ignorant responses is just that, a plan. He is lowering the American public's expectations of Sarah Palin. He is doing so in hopes that she comes out in the debates and does a really fine job. Karl Rove's plan may work. This would lead to the thinking, "Wow, she's not as stupid as she appears to be" to take hold of the American public.
Karl Rove's backup plan is being seen this week. He is preempting the possibility of postponing the debate with Mr. Obama on Sept. 26th, 2008. He did this in hopes that Obama would give in and they could use the VP debate slot and give Palin extra time to do her homework. While this backup plan appears to be backfiring, the main plan is still in effect.
The debates:
The debates are upon us and soon we will learn what kind of men & woman Obama, Biden, Palin & McCain really are. I am satisfied with the moderators and feel we can learn a lot. Jim Lehrer, Tom Brokaw, Bob Schieffer and Gwen Ifill (VP debate) are all excellent and fair moderators. I do not believe this will be an issue this year. The lack of follow-up may still be.
It will be interesting to see how each moderator handles the follow up issue. We all know that the lack of follow up has taken us down a dark road in the past with Iraq and even the Sarah Palin pick itself. Will these moderators make the tough choice of being TOUGH? I doubt it. We will likely see the same old cherry picking of questions and lingering responses that plagued the last 3 election cycle debates. Sure there's a timer...but it won't be used.
I certainly hope that each moderator makes appropriate follow up questions and calls each candidate out if they don't answer the question. Don't let them get away with talking points! This goes for Obama/Biden as well! I want real answers from real people about real issues.
The "I get to meet Obama" Update:
My wife, my mother and myself will be volunteering at the Obama/Biden rally in Greensboro, NC this weekend. I will have the greatest honor of meeting Mr. Obama and shaking his hand. I look forward to this and hope to see any of you NC readers there!
The event is free to the public on a first come/first serve basis so BE THERE EARLY!
236 E. Washington Street - In front of the J. Douglas Gaylon Depot Greensboro, NC Saturday, September 27th Gates Open: 10:00 a.m. Program Begins: 12:15 p.m.
Parking Information: Attendees are recommended to park in City of Greensboro parking garages which are free on Saturdays and are located at:
Greene Street at Washington Street Davie Street at Market Street Bellmeade Street at Greene Street N. Church Street between Friendly and East Lindsay
Street Closures: Event participants should enter through gates off of Elm Street. Streets will be closed surrounding the Depot starting Friday, September 27th, at 6:00 p.m. Additional street closures will begin Saturday morning, September 27th, at 6:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., and will affect the blocks of:
Davie and McGee Davie and Washington Davie Street to Market Washington Street from Davie to Lyndell Street Church Street from Washington to Market Lyndell Street to Market Hughes from Church to Lyndell
Closures should affect traffic patterns from 6:00 am Saturday September 27th, through 3:00 p.m. Traffic may be congested in the area through 6:00 p.m.
Posts
