This is it - the day we have all been waiting for. The proverbial Fat lady is singing. Go out and vote now or miss the boat all together.
This has been a long race and I suspect emotionally challenging for Obama with his grandmothers illness and final transition.
Now is the day to see if it was all worth it. My prediction is that Obama will win by a landslide. He has brought us hope at a time when everything seems upside down and nothing makes sense. When people are profoundly impacted on many fronts by issues they have no control over.
So do not be complacent, send a solid message to Washington and the world (yes, they are watching). Go out and cast your vote today.
Peace and Prosperity to all.
It has been a long road to election day. Tomorrow is it. If you know any undecideds call them and encourage them to vote. I am now ready for this to be over, it is too painful and stressful to watch the campaigns any longer. the lies, exaggerations... The news media only carries campaign news. It is as if there is nothing else happening in the entire world.
Here is one last thing you can do to help, I have created an event to help drive people to the poles (not herd but transport). If you voted early then help others get to the poles. See the event at:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gsxdrq
You are invited to participate, wherever you are. Pass this on to others to join in. Let's get the people we have been calling to the poles to vote.
I cannot believe there are still people who are undecided. Last night the person sitting next to me in class said he was undecided. He liked Obama and did not like Palin but he was afraid that Obama would just raise taxes.
Ugh - that means the (IMHO) lame ads being run by McShame are working. He is telling everyone that Obama will raise taxes for everyone. I noticed that last night Obama changed the ceiling from $250,000 to $200,000 in his 30 minute Infomercial. The other day Biden said $150,000. Are these a slip of the tongue, is Obama reneging, or is McCain correct?
I tried to convince my classmate that the McShame assertions were not correct but I do not think he is convinced. People really do get scared when politicians play the scare card – after all that is how Bush got elected twice.
Obama at this point needs to address this with clarity or lose these undecided voters who are scared.
It is an old saying but the election is not over and it is not in the bag. Apparently Fox aired a piece that Obama is ahead in early voting by 1% in Arizona. Guess what, we have encouraged Democrats to vote early so it is logical that Obama would have a slight lead in a Republican state.
We need to encourage all of our friends to vote early. If you have friends in New Jersey especially have them vote early. Apparently their machines are very defective and default to McCain. Vote early in Ohio as the voting machines that will go to the fields may be compromised, etc, etc, etc. This is based on a CNN report yesterday.
If you vote early there is less chance of voter fraud, less chance of problems with machines not working, less chance of getting a machine that has been tampered with...
We cannot afford to let the Republicans steal yet another election. The swing states have poor controls in place for preventing voter fraud. They expect the lines in some states to be longer than they were in the last election - this according to a report on CNN by an election analyst in Ohio.
When you do vote - double check that the person you voted for actually shows as your choice - this is especially true if you have a touch screen voting machine. They are especially prone to recording the wrong vote and they are the ones most easily tampered with. As seen on CNN yesterday.
Bottom line - vote Early! And double check your vote.
Is it important to vote early? Yes, for many reasons.
What if there is something wrong with your registration? You will find out early by voting now.
What if your id is not in order? You will find out early by voting now.
What if you need to get to work and cannot afford to be late? You can vote when the time is convenient for you and avoid the lines on Election Day. That said there are not lines in some areas to vote early.
I voted early and was the only person there so there was no line.
By voting early you have ensured that your vote has been entered. That if you get sick on Election Day or have some other household emergency that you vote will still be entered.
If you live abroad then mail your absentee ballot in as soon as you receive it to ensure that it gets counted. Some states have not been counting ballots that are not received on time due to a lack of postage stamp so make sure they receive it by Election Day. Use express mail if you have it available.
We cannot afford to take this election for granted. Anyone who remembers their history knows that Dewey was a shoe in for president and that he lost to Truman. The poles cannot be believed, voter/election tampering aside.
Not everyone is unemployed. There are some people out there working very hard and are not paying much attention to the news. Help them by informing them that they can vote early and avoid the long lines.
None of us should be complacent just because the “poles” say that Barack Obama is ahead by 10 points. They are poles and they can be wrong. So make sure your vote and that of your friends are heard by voting early.
Sign up for the vote early event at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gprjzr
I would like to encourage any and all, especially avid Democrats, to not play dirty. Do not tell lies. Do not exaggerate the truth. Do not help publish documents that say Palin abused her power but at the same time did not break the law. I am not a Palin fan but all this did was just make the Democrats look bad.
We want Obama to win, but getting dirty does not help him, it only makes him look just as bad as McCain already looks for all his lies, exaggerations, and misleading statements. McCain is clearly desperate. Let him hang himself. Getting dirty in a campaign will only hurt Obama not help.
I encourage you not to "fight fire with fire" to create a dirty campaign to match McCain's dirt. I know this is counter intuitive. People want to hear good news at a time when everything they hold dear is going into the proverbial "toilet". People need hope.
Waging a dirty campaign is what killed Hillary and it is what is now killing McCain. Obama can win by using his stand on the issues, especially his stand on the economy. He is giving people hope, which is what he has done from the beginning. This is how he will win and not with dirty politics.
Found in interesting page on the CNN web site. It meticulously goes through various "facts" noted by both Obama and McCain. They researched the facts and gave a verdict of True, False, or Misleading.
I did not do an exact count but it looks like CNN believes Obama’s statements are mostly true and McCain’s assertions toward Obama are mostly false.
Check it out at:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/fact-check/
Well the second debate is over. Obama is 3 for 3 if you count the VP debate. There was no contest. I got so disgusted with the "my friend(s)" put down and the "that one" to Obama that I could not even listen to McCain’s entire dribble. I had to keep walking away.
What is wrong with the Republicans? Do they really think the rest of us Americans are low life idiots that do not recognize condescension? Do they think we are drawn to people who treat us like we are stupid?
I was so disgusted that I went out and voted. It is done. No lines. If you can vote ahead of time, do it now so you do not have to wait on Election Day. Go Obama.
For more information on the "my friends" issues read this article in the LA Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/10/john-mccain-and.html
Palin's ability to outright lie and to say things that will deliberately distort the truth are her true colors - and they are NOT red, white and blue.
Her latest attacks are yet another shining example of why she is not only a Terrible choice for VP but would make the US the laughing stock of the world if, God Forbid, she ever became president.
The US already has a credibility problem with the world. McCain and Palin would only serve to continue to diminish the US to the rest of the world. As a “pair” they would be an embarrassment to this country even greater than George W Bush.
It is obvious that this ticket combination is incapable of coming up with economic solutions that have even the slightest chance or working. The only trick left in their collective "handbag" is to outright lie.
McCain and Palin have forgotten that they are not innocent themselves. McCain has a long history of admitted bad judgment and inappropriate associations. Palin is under investigation for abuse of power.
It is beyond my comprehension how anyone can support two people with such low character and moral values for the highest office in this country.
The other day I say McCain on TV and thought to myself that he did not look healthy - he looked exhausted and pale (paler than usual). Then I heard he was at his ranch resting. Now I believe he may be completely worn out. I do not believe he has the stamina needed to be president.
So since he is losing and worn out he sends out an unpolished, no morals, "pit bull" named Palin to make up blasphemes and outright lies about Obama. It seems all they have left in their bag of tricks are the most despicable campaign tactics I have ever seen used.
Do we want someone in the White House who would lie to us at an extreme level to get the public to do their bidding? We have had 8 years of that. At least Clinton’s lies were about sex and not anything important, at least not to me.
In my opinion neither Palin nor McCain are fit for the White House. I now question their moral compass that allows them to outright lie and avoid presenting solutions. I think they know they cannot win so they just want to bash Obama and Democrats because they have nothing else to say that anyone with any intelligence would want to listen to.
I have spoken with a number of people who cannot just sit and listen to Palin without walking out of the room. She is so green in politics that she may not realize that everything politicians do & say is remembered forever by the press. My sense is that she thinks she is running for president - she probably knows more about McCain’s bad health than the rest of us have been made aware of.
If you really want an inept, unpolished, unsophisticated, ignorant President then Palin is your choice - if not - vote early and for Obama.
By now everyone has hears about the VP debate even it was just second hand. It is obvious to me that there is no comparison between two. They are not even in the same league. The Palin winking was disgusting to me and so unprofessional. Does she think I am so dumb as to be swayed by such cheap ploys? Some people say this is charisma and some men seem to swoon. Sorry - I am not impressed.
I want my top leaders to be professional. Bill Clinton has charm and charisma but I do not believe I ever saw him wink, especially at a very serious time like during a presidential debate.
A top government official (like a president or VP) represents our country and sometimes stands to all western governments. Do we want someone addressing the United nations or visiting other countries on diplomatic missions talking about "Joe Six-pack" and winking at the other heads of state. NOT ME!!!
I want some one with some "Class" and sophistication to represent me. Someone who can relate to women as well as men. To me she came across as too "foo foo". She only could talk about energy as it relates to oil and even there she does not understand the importance of Global Warming and the importance of the affects man has had on the environment.
If I were still undecided at this point I would now be convinced that the Obama ticket is the only way to go.
It has taken me a while to consider my take on the debate. Rather than just jump in with a gut reaction, I felt it prudent to let things settle first before commenting.
I want to be objective and am having difficulty with this. There were times during the debate when John McCain spoke that I had to leave the room. As an Arizonan I have supported him in the past but am now profoundly disappointed. He started his camapign with photo ops of himself and Bush and trying to please the Republican party by looking like he was a real conservative in all ways, which he is not.
Now he is selling himself as a change agent, since it is working for Obama, and in his ads he is showing Obama agreeing with him. Does he think we are dumb? Obama says we need change and we do not need the same old Bush that we would get with McBush and so McCain transforms himself into McObama and claims that Obama has agreed with him when it is McCain that changed his stance.
From my perspective the biggest fundimental differences between the two candidates are as follows:
1 -McCain is pro war for solving problems, and wants to spend as much money as possible on defense1 - Obama wants to end wars and solve problems with deplomancy. To spend some money on defense but also support major issues facing Americans today (i.e. education, healthcare, Medicare, etc.)
2 - McCain is a maverick, not afraid to move quickly 2 - Obama is a thinker, prefering to look before he leaps
Since I believe in self defense but prefer diplomancy first I do not agree with McCain to keep on fighting any wars in the Middle East. They have been fighting with each other since before recorded history and it will never end. If we get rid of our dependence on their oil we will no longer pay them to attack us. This should be our strategy and not more war.
Our infrastructure is falling apart. health care needs to be thrown out and a new model created from scratch. Our children are so poorly educated that companies are foced to export jobs as there are not enough qualified young people to fill the jobs, a point that never seems to get mentioned.
We need to spend a billion dollars at home fixing our country and not throwing it away in the Middle East on wars that in the end will not help us.
I do not know who won the debate. I do know who has integrity, vision, and constant energy. I do know who wants change that will help strugling Americans, who will improve education, healthcare, etc. That is the kind of person I want for my president. Not a maverick that might put his finger on an atomic bomb just because someone "P....." him off.
Obama has released ads in Spanish - check it out
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/23/obama_talks_about_the_economia.html
Want to see Michael Moore's new movie "Slacker Uprising"? Go to
http://slackeruprising.com/download/location.php?utm_medium=download&utm_source=30301264
It is basically about his tour across the US prior to the last election. It talks a lot about the lies the Republicans used in the last election to destroy Kerry's credibility. I was disappointed that it did not address the Republican lies that abound in this election of the horrible issues that face us now as a result of having Bush/Republicans in control. It is too dated but it does show the lengths some people will go to suppress the voices of others that they disagree with. Apparently some people have not heard of the 1st amendment.
I currently live in Arizona, a decidedly conservative, Republican state. As a result there are many opportunities to meet people who want to vote for "the other side". Since I am a student in an Acupuncture clinic there are many people coming in all day long. I simply ask "who will you vote for and why" then just listen. My intention is not to create a debate but to understand why people are voting for McCaine/Palin. If the reasons have anything to do with "right to life", party line, or religious doctrine I write it off as these are people like my parents so understanding why is not someplace I want to go with them as it is a black hole.
However, sometimes I find interesting responses and have listed a few below:
- One man said he preferred Obama/Palin because Palin is so feisty (anything else about her was immaterial) so he will vote for McCain.
- Many have said they feel the Democrats will just take money away from them and give it to others
- Many feel the Democrats cannot manage money
- Several feel that Obama has not articulated well enough how he will fix the economy
As I said, I do not argue with people, not the right environment for that as it would just shut people down and potentially damage the business, but I found it curious that most comments revolved around money and who will help them the most.
I guess I am too logical and require as much information about all sides to base my decisions on misinformation and emotions. IMHO it is the issues that count, not how feisty people are. It is obvious that the Republicans cannot manage money, they take money away from the middle class to stuff the pockets of the wealthy through war and inflated gas prices. But they are not giving it to the poor so I guess for some that makes all the difference in the world, humm.
We spend ~$1 billion a day in Iraq. If we ended that war it would fix the medical system, rebuild our infrastructure, create jobs which in turn would improve the economy all without raising taxes. So I do not get the reasoning behind some people thinking that the republicans will do a better job of fixing the economy - especially since they created the mess in the first place, more hummmms.
McCain wants more regulation yet he was on the committee to oversee regulation in Congress and voted for deregulation that has led us to the current financial system debacle that we are now in.
Somehow the Obama team needs to better reach people who seem to be misinformed about the underlying causes of the current financial crisis that we are in and why he is a much better choice for president. It is too bad that Europe does not have a vote as there would be no contest.
Go Obama - I vote for change!
The following is an email that is being circulated by other groups - please pass it on:
Catholic Democrats is expressing surprise and shock that Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's acceptance speech tonight mocked her opponent's work in the 1980s for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. She belittled Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's experience as a community organizer in Catholic parishes on the South Side of Chicago, work he undertook instead of pursuing a lucrative career on Wall Street. In her acceptance speech, Ms. Palin said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities." Community organizing is at the heart of Catholic Social Teaching to end poverty and promote social justice.
The info in my previous blog came from a MoveOn.org email. The links in the email follow:
http://pol.moveon.org/lte/lte_t.html?zip=85224<e_campaign_id=95
P.S. If you haven't seen it, check out the Daily Show clip on Palin. It's worth a watch http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24753&id=13709-198874-qGiQqNx&t=5
Sources 1. "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'," Associated Press, September 3, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24701&id=13709-198874-qGiQqNx&t=6
2. "Palin wasn't 'really focused much' on the Iraq war," ThinkProgress, August 30, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24702&id=13709-198874-qGiQqNx&t=7
3. "The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/
4. "McCain and Palin differ on issues," Associated Press, September 3, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24703&id=13709-198874-qGiQqNx&t=8
5. Ibid
6. The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/
7. Ibid
8. Ibid.
9. "Mayor Palin: A Rough Record," Time, September 2, 2008 http://www.moveon.org/r?r=24704&id=13709-198874-qGiQqNx&t=9
10. The Sarah Palin Digest," ThinkProgress, September 4, 2008 http://thinkprogress.org/palin-digest/
If I was on the fence between Barack Obama and John McCain for President, I would now be totally for Obama. After McCain named Palin as a running mate I listened to her speech last night and could not stay with it as it was so out of touch. As a woman I always favor women candidates and try to give them the benefit of the doubt. As an Independent I vote for the individual running and not party lines.
In this race there is IMHO only one person to vote for and that is Obama. There is also one candidate to vote against and that is McCain and his poor choice of a side kick, Palin.
MovinOn.org just sent out the following info about Palin in an email:
I try to respect other people's beliefs and values and strongly feel that everyone is intitled to their opinion. There is also the notion of "what a reasonable person would think" that is used by our legal system. While I respect Ms. Palin's right to her views, I do not consider them reasonable. I feel like I am in a time warp back to Victorian England, who were not quite as conservative as Palin, but at least those views might seem less extreme 150 years ago.
Please do whatever you can to help elect Obama or esle the McCain/Palin team will be worse than Global Warming and the Middle East Conflict Combined if elected. McCain says change is comming. He is right - the economy is going "down the toilet", global warming is just getting started but it is already here, and the health care system is now "Code Blue". If we do not have a significant change from the past 8 years this country will soon be on a respirator.
McCain has a running mate, a woman - sounds good? MoveOn.org just sent out this info about Sarah Palin.
Quote from email follows:
Yesterday was John McCain's 72nd birthday. If elected, he'd be the oldest president ever inaugurated. And after months of slamming Barack Obama for "inexperience," here's who John McCain has chosen to be one heartbeat away from the presidency: a right-wing religious conservative with no foreign policy experience, who until recently was mayor of a town of 9,000 people.
Huh?
Who is Sarah Palin? Here's some basic background:
End of Quote.
This just shows how “right wing” the Republicans have become. It reminds me of the ‘50’s when the John Birch Society was popular. This is to much. If you are on the fence about Obama, now is the time to take a stand with Obama and not allow this extremist point of view to continue in Washington by electing McCain. We nee Change Now – so vote Obama.
