Who's looking out for you?

I am getting sick to my stomach watching this country once again lean towards an unqualified Republican for president. It is as though no one is really paying attention to the issues and is just looking at the headlines and making their decisions. Or they are watching nothing but Fox News and thinking they are getting the whole story.

A poll this week indicated a complete reversal in approval from Obama to Palin among women voters. I am suspecting that these are the Hillary supporters that have decided it is better to have woman in office that does not support any women's rights issues than to have the man who beat Hillary in the primary.

A poll also indicated that Palin's support has come mainly from men. I find it sad to think that there is such a large contingent of men that would shift there approval to another party just because there is a young-looking woman on the ticket. Even on such a superficial level I could not support her. I find her voice to be screechy. I think her tone is reminiscent of Bush. And, I don't her hair.

I can sleep soundly at night though because I do not vote on such a superficial level. I look at the issues and vote based on who I think will solve them the best. In that regard I find Palin and McCain severely lacking.

All of this got me thinking about the election as a whole and trying to interpret who is really looking out for me.

I find it interesting that Obama could have chosen the easy path and picked Hillary to run with him. That would have clearly brought over her contingent and probably sealed the election. He could have brought in someone from a swing state with the hopes that they would bring him those few electoral votes that might make the difference. He could have done these things, but he didn't.

Obama brought in someone from a state that he was already going to win. A state that only has 3 electoral votes to begin with. And, with apologies to Delaware, a state that few look to as a barometer to how the country thinks. Why did he do this?

He did this because it was right. He needed experience on his ticket. He needed someone that would fight for what the middle class needs. He needed someone that shares his beliefs and will make them the most effective once they are in office. Joe Biden was that person. Obama didn't take the easy path or the political path, he took the right path.

What did McCain do?

McCain realized there were a large number of voters that supported Hillary that were stupid enough to actually vote for any woman regardless of what she stood for. He realized that there were men stupid enough to vote for the 'attractive' woman. He realized that he could not win this election based on the issues so he will have to cheat his way in through political maneuvering. So far, it is working.

Just consider this. Would you rather have the candidate that is making decisions based on what he feels is right for his party, or the candidate that is making decisions based on what he feels is right for you?

I know my answer.

I'll take Biden anyday

In my last post I stated my desire for Obama to select Wesley Clark as his running mate. That was not to be. I was at first unsure about Biden. Part of me is still unsure if he will put the ticket over the top, but I am not shedding any tears about Clark being left out. Biden is certainly more charismatic.

One thing that has been in the news over and over is how so many Hillary supporters are ticked off that he did not pick Hillary. Even to the point where many said they would vote for McCain instead of Obama. That is ridiculous. If you would vote for a Republican just because your democrat was not chosen, then you are obviously out of touch with the issues and are participating in the process for the wrong reasons.

In addition, Hillary did absolutely nothing to make it seem as though she wanted the VP job or to convince her supporters to back Obama. It was just like the primaries where she seemed to think it was a given and made no effort to seal the deal. As though Obama would say, 'I can't win without Hillary', and pick her by default.

While I usually cannot stand listening to her, I was very impressed with her speech at the convention. I can see that the role call vote was just an opportunity for her to get some good press during the convention. I am fine with that. I have to wonder if she would have been the VP choice if she had been giving speeches like her convention speech ever since she dropped out. She just dropped off the planet for 2 months without saying a single word of support for Obama and people are surprised she is not the VP choice?

Now on the Republican side all I can say is they continue to give me reasons I am glad I am a Democrat. Pailn? Seriously? Obama's 8 years in the state Senate and 4 years in the US Senate is not enough experience to be President, but a few years as mayor of town of 6700 in Alaska and 2 years as Governor of Alaska is? If there is logic there, then I do not know what it is.

It is painfully obvious that McCain was trying to pull in the female voters that were so infatuated with Hillary. But is this woman the best he could find? And perhaps a background check would have been in order. This has all the makings of a typical Bush Whitehouse personnel decision. Hire some unqualified buddy to fill and important position and then accuse everyone else of being crazy for questioning it. Oh yeah. McCain is all about change.

Obama/Biden 2008