If John McCain becomes President, 20 million Americans will have to pay taxes on the health insurance coverage they receive. I cringe at the further financial hardship this will create.
McCain has offered $5,000 for each family’s health care. However, what he does not tell us is that experts have estimated the true cost at $12,000 for families who want to take care of their health care needs themselves, as proposed by McCain. Essentially, he is trying to deregulate our health care system, as he did our economy. We already know the result of that—DISASTER!
These are the numbers under normal circumstances. Enter a serious illness, and these numbers will skyrocket under a McCain health care plan.
McCain recently announced his intention to cut $1.3 trillion from Medicare. That is not good news for our seniors.
Currently, millions of Americans do not have health insurance. Barack Obama will make health care available to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses. His health plan will save each family $2,500. Obama also will create a Small Business Tax Credit, amounting to 50% of premiums paid on behalf of employees.
The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange for those who want to buy a private insurance plan. Insurers will be required to charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend on preexisting conditions.
Once again, McCain seems to be out of touch with the needs of the middle class. He cannot fix our broken health care system. Obama has a plan to fix it and to make it work for the majority.
In her campaign rallies, Sarah Palin has been accusing Barack Obama of being a terrorist. She likes to incite people by saying Obama is different from “us”, and people do react to her incendiary attacks. The crowd at one rally yelled out, “Terrorist!!” and “Kill him!!”
If you aren’t shocked and concerned by the “kill him” response, let me remind you of what hatred can do. We as a nation have a history of assassinating our most brilliant leaders (Lincoln, JFK, RFK, MLK).
Palin's actions are reprehensible and should not be ignored as “just politics.” It is very dangerous for a campaign to slander the opponent to the extent ignorant people are incited to commit violent acts. If something bad happens to Obama, McCain and Palin must be held accountable. This tactic is not just an election smear; it breeds hatred, bigotry, prejudice. After 9/11, even people who were not Muslim (I am not justifying violence against Muslims either) were attacked just because they looked different. We must not forget that.
Both Democrats and Republicans must denounce the dangerous words of Palin and McCain for what they are: words that lead to violence. These tactics hold no benefit to the country or to their campaign. If McCain and Palin have any integrity, they will stop these attacks. If we do not learn from history, we might be doomed to repeat it.
I have been fortunate enough to have my employer pay a large part of my health insurance, but millions of Americans are not so fortunate. We are often just one illness away from a financial disaster.
Our Healthcare system is broken. Barack Obama will fix it, by taking four important steps:
1.Obama's plan will make available to all Americans, including the self employed and small businesses, a new health plan, which could save each family $2500.
2.Obama will require all children to have health care coverage.
3.The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange for those who want to buy a private insurance plan. Insurers will be required to charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend on health status.
4.Obama will create a Small Business Tax Credit, by refunding 50 percent of the premiums paid on behalf of their employees, thus giving the small business owners an incentive to provide quality coverage to their employees.
Obama's plan will help improve our healthcare situation significantly.
For many middle class Americans, wages have been either stagnant or down, while costs have gone up significantly. When Barack Obama spoke about the plight of the middle class, it hit home for me.
Senator Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support American jobs. Obama will invest in education and alternative energy, which will create new jobs for Americans from all age groups. Obama will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards.
Obama believes that companies should not get billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving overseas. Obama will fight to ensure that companies that are committed to American workers will be rewarded. As President, he will make improving our economy one of his top priorities.
Palin looked charming and attractive on TV. She did exactly as I expected her to do—as if she were answering questions in a beauty pageant. Her answers sounded a lot like Cheney's. I did not see an ability to think through an issue, and on issues and policy she was not in the same league as Biden. Palin did not embarrass herself, but she certainly did not convince me she is ready to take on the reins as VP. Joe Biden did.
John McCain was seen gambling at a Casino in Connecticut recently, at $100 a chip. It is his money, and I have no right to question how he spends his money. However, when he gambles with the future of our country, I have to question it.
His most recent gambit, trying to postpone the first debate with Obama failed. McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign to work in Washington on the recent economic crisis. Some called this the longest of the Hail Mary’s.
However, his choice of his running mate may have been the biggest gamble of this election. He chose an unknown, inexperienced candidate (Palin) whose qualifications have been questioned by many pundits. Considering McCain's advanced age and his recurring melanoma- a deadly form of cancer, there is a high probability that his VP may have to step in as the President before McCain's first term ends. Can a country afford to have someone as inexperienced Palin (less than two years as governor of a remote state, and no foreign policy or national experience) as President of a country that is facing its toughest challenges on many fronts? The real gamble is that McCain seems to not have vetted his VP candidate adequately.
Some described McCain's VP choice as 'a gutsy move', but how many Hail Mary's actually result in game winning touchdowns? When the stakes are high (the future of our country), we need a steady hand like Obama’s, who can think calmly, and not go for a big gamble, which seems to have become a habit with John McCain. What Pete Rose did or that NBA referee Tim Donaghy did in sports was illegal. They were punished for it, and their stakes were much lower than what McCain is playing with. He could be playing Russian Roulette with our country. We cannot afford to have a gambler in the white house.
After watching the two candidates debate on economy and foreign policy, I became even more convinced that Obama is the right president for our country at this time.
John McCain sounded like George W. Bush on tax cuts, foreign policy, and the Iraq war. Barack Obama gave detailed responses about why we need to end the Iraq war and focus on Afghanistan instead, about how we can make our country safer, and about how his tax plan and health plan will help the middle class.
The contrast in the styles of the two candidates was glaring. Obama appeared relaxed, confident, and courteous toward McCain. By contrast, McCain appeared almost discourteous. He avoided looking at Obama. His frequent use of “Obama does not understand” sounded condescending. McCain appeared tense, although he tried to sound convincing. He made his case by telling stories from the past and using frequent references to Ronald Reagan. Obama looked to the future, and he made a strong case for why he represents real change. Obama represents the kind of judgment and leadership needed to take our country in the right direction. My conclusion is that Obama was the most presidential and clearly won this debate.
Just ask Karl Rove, or George W. Bush, or more recently John McCain, who has perfected the art of fooling people to win (or steal) elections. Of course we will not know until November 4th if he has really perfected it or not. My hope is that he has not.
Here are 10 things a Presidential candidate can do to achieve the coveted goal of winning or (if necessary, stealing) the election:
If your opponent used dirty tricks and lies to defeat you in the past, use those techniques to defeat your NEW opponents.
Watch your opponent who is doing better than you in the polls. See what works for him. Use that as your strategy and your own idea, regardless of what you said in the past. If your opponent has used them, tell the public they are elitist. If you are talking about them, tell them they are maverick ideas. You can even accuse your opponent of plagiarism, under certain circumstances.
This is a proven technique, but rarely used until 2004. You can lie about the heroism of a Vietnam Vet, and any other vet unless he belongs to your party. Make sure that nobody uses that against you, by setting yourself apart from the beginning.
It does not matter if it is old news, if it makes you look like an American hero. Use it to the maximum, in every Question & Answer session, every debate, every speech, lest people may forget what a great sacrifice you made for your country. At the same time, be sure to mention that your opponent has no such record of heroism.
Your opponent obviously won his campaign, but certainly there are demographics he had problems with. Capitalize on those. Make friends with his former opponents- yes, the ones still holding grudge against him. Use their emotions, just like Darth Vader says, against your opponent.
Everything is fair in Politics. There are no morals and no ethics. The public knows it, and accepts it as a part of politics but never admit that in public. The media does not care if it is true or false. Push your agenda, and make your opponent look VERY bad, using soundbites and things he/she did even as a child. Of course the option to lie is always open. Use it freely. In fact the more often you tell the lie, the better chance of the public accepting it as the truth.
No matter how smartly you campaign, there is always the danger that your opponent will have more votes than you. Be sure to disenfranchise potential voters for your opponent, using all kinds of excuses. You can even use their race against them. Remember, everything is fair in politics, and as the rich person you hold all the keys.
Make sure this unknown person is good looking, or you are finished. Don’t worry about the ‘unknown’ factor. The media will put time and efforts into finding out about this person, and will forget to cover the issues.
An average American knows nothing about issues. The public will believe what you tell them. Keep telling them daily what is wrong with your opponent. I am not talking about his/her views on issues. Again, stay away from the issues. Use their personalities, their past associations, or create some if you cannot find any dirt. Make the voteres afraid – very very afraid. If you must talk about issues, be sure to sell those as your original ideas. Never forget to mention how bad your opponent is.
10.If all else fails, contact the Supreme Court.
They will certainly give the election to you. You can then continue the chain by appointing the 'right' justices to the Supreme Court.
Why I will vote for Obama on November 4th:
After eight years of a president who has repeatedly demonstrated that he can be neither respected nor trusted, it will be a refreshing change to have an intelligent and wise president in Barack Obama. However, I am not voting for Obama just because he will be a “nice change.” I am doing so because he will be the “right change.” He will restore respect for America abroad and at home. He has demonstrated that he has a cool head and dignity in the face of crisis. The latest financial crisis has highlighted the difference between the candidates—the cool-headed Obama versus the volatile McCain. I feel much more comfortable having someone with a cool head making decisions in crisis situations. Obama understands what the average American faces, and he displays empathy. Obama will not solve ALL of our problems; nobody can. However, he will show us the way so that we can do the walking, with our eyes open. With Obama as our leader, we can make this country truly great again. That is why I am going to vote for Obama on November 4th, and I hope you will join me.
Here is a vision:
Obama wins the election on Nov.4th and becomes the first black president of the USA. The key to his win is the youth movement, and hard work by millions of volunteers.
The world rejoices, but more important, we the people rejoice.
Now we have better health care system
We have cut down taxes for the middle and lower classes, while increasing taxes on the wealthy. Washington is no longer held captive by lobbyists, and there is more cohesiveness in the senate.
We have generated millions of new jobs, while shifting our attention to alternative energy, which has reduced our dependence on oil. Fewer companies are shipping jobs overseas because it would cost them too much to do so.
We use diplomacy with our enemies, and use war as only the very last resort. We have many allies now and the USA is once again the leader of the free world.
We have a whole new generation of people interested in politics and making this country better. Obama made it possible by winning the election on Nov.4th 2008- a historical date.
This is our dream, our vision. Let us work to make it a reality.
Go Obama-Biden! Win!!!
McCain's recent ad about Obama supporting sex education in kindergarten hit a new low for me. I am just as furious as many others. Sadly, I don't see any rebukes of this disgusting ad in the media, except by Keith Olberman on Countdown. That's what is even more shocking than the ad itself.
Our media are letting McCain-Palin lie and lie again, without questioning. They are letting McCain campaign claim sexism against Palin even when a statement had nothing to do with her (see 'lipstick on a pig'). Where is the fairness? Where is the honor? Where are ethics?
The lack of those qualities brought us George W.Bush and 8 years of misery. Our country has still not learned to separate truth from lies, decency from disgrace. We should have learned from 2000, and then from 2004. It seems we have still not learned.
I believe it's because people have forgotten that they have brains. I won't assume that they are lacking in that very important organ in our body. This is what the republicans, and particularly Carl Rove have done to our country. He has destroyed us as a civilized society.
I cannot overemphasize how important this election is for us. If Obama wins, we will have a chance to get back to normal in may be five years. Anything of shorter duration is unrealistic. If McCain-Palin win this election (I must pair them like Siamese twins, because there is a very real possibility of Palin becoming the POTUS before McCain's first term is over), we will have missed not only a great opportunity but the last opportunity to put this country back together.
To borrow from Starwars: Barack Obama, you are my only hope.
Last night I read an eloquent post by Marianne about Karma. I responded positively to it.
I have some more thoughts about it.
Going back to the 2000 and 2004 elections, the republicans did some very unethical things. I am not saying the dems were 100% saints, but they never sank to the level of the republicans who told lies about Kerry's Vietnam service. What was John McCain doing then?
This year there was plenty of mud slinging on Obama, with lies. Should the Democrats take the high road again?
I say no.
If you are not familiar with the epic Mahabharat of India, and/or if you have not heard of the Bhagwad Geeta, let me fill you in.
The hero Arjun of Mahabharat and his brothers (The Pandavs) and supporters were wronged many times by their cousins The Kauravs. They tried diplomacy but it did not work. They had to finally declare war to retake their rightful kingdom. It meant fighting against their own relatives- cousins, uncles, grandfathers and teachers, and friends. Arjun started having doubts, as the war was about to begin.
Lord Krishna, who was the driver for Arjun's chariot, gave him advice on why he must fight. This is the Bhagwad Geeta. It is a discourse on the laws of nature (Dharma), retribution (Karma) and the universal truth. After listening to it, Arjun got up, did what was needed to win, and defeated the Kauravs, at times not being 100 percent honest. It was the only way to beat them, and the Kauravs had created enough bad Karma for themselves to deserve what they got.
At one point a warrior from the Kauravs said to Arjun/Krishna: "This is not fair". The Lord Krishna responded with (I am greatly paraphrasing here)- "What were you doing when the Kauravs were cheating and lying to send the Pandavs to 12 years in exile? ....Arjun, go ahead and shoot the arrow"
It is fair game to even attack John McCain's Navy career and personal life, as long as it does not hurt politically.
I am mentioning it here because we have a Mahabharat going on here. The democrats and republicans are all Americans, or 'cousins' like in that story. Yet they are fighting over who get the 'kingdom'. The republicans have essentially stolen the last two elections, while the democrats tried to stay away from the mud slinging and lies, and tried to win the elections on issues. They failed.
This is our time. We have to do what it takes to win. While I don't advise sinking to the low lowe levels of blatant lies, I do recommend that the democrats not shy away from personal attacks that are in fact TRUE.
The country will heal and flourish, just like ancient India did after the Pandavs took over as kings. The Truth is on our side, and we must continue to support it, but it is not necessary to be soft. This is our Mahabharat, and win we must, for the sake of our country, the world and the human race.
As a toastmaster, I always evaluate (usually informally) speeches I hear- live or on TV. At first I was impressed with Obama because of his communication and leadership skills- things that are emphasized in toastmasters.
I discovered later that the talented Mr.Obama has some room for improvement.
I don't want to post this in the general blogging area because the 'enemies' might read it. I may send a few more suggestions to the campaign at some point.
Here are a few observations- first, the positives:
1.Obama is a phenomenal speaker who is like a rock star. He connects with people, even in a setting like the Invesco field, where 84,000 were in attendance. That is beyond extraordinary.
2.Those who say that he lacks substance are not listening. Obama includes his plans for the country in many of his speeches.
3.His prepared speeches are very well written. They contain facts, and avoid cheap shots at his opponents, which is highly commendable.
4.His speeches have controlled emotion, and they come straight from the heart. I believe that is why the audience is held captive throughout.
Now- the suggestions to improve:
1.Obama needs to improve his impromptu speaking skills. In debates in particular he needs to be more succinct, and to the point, instead of trying to cover all aspects related to the issue being talked about.
2.He absolutely needs to reduce the um..Ah..Er..., particularly while answering questions- whether it's for an interview or a townhall meeting or a debate. The prepared speeches have those infractions, but to a much lesser extent.
3.At times I find his introductions too long. It will benefit him greatly to get to the point quickly. People have a short attention span. Obama needs to capture them in the Q&A before they drift away.
4.During his campaign stops he has mentioned the 19 month long campaign numerous times (babies that were born are now walking, etc.). I think this is getting old. It worked during the primaries, but it is time to leave it and get to the point quicker for the general election campaign. Find another story that is more relevant.
I recommend that Senator Obama practice these skills to improve his impromptu speaking skills. They will be scrutinized closely during the debates. He cannot afford to create a perception that he is indecisive. It is important for him to win the debates against McCain.
Even though he is very busy canvassing, he can work on these skills a short time - could be 10-15 minutes each time- while on the aeroplane or the bus. Perhaps Senator Biden can ask him challenging questions and ask him to respond, while a third person rings a bell for every ah, um, er. One other person could be assigned to keep track of the structure of the responses- whether he sticks to the point or not, and whether he gets to the point quickly or not. I would also recommend practising some short answers to questions. Most of his answers are lengthy, and could result in attentions wandering. Varying the lengths of answers will be very helpful.
Overall, Senator Obama is an extraordinary speaker and an inspiring leader. With just a few practice sessions in these skills he will improve considerably and avoid unwanted criticism by the other side. I would like to hear people rave over his ability to communicate during debates and townhalls, just like they do over his prepared speeches.
Michelle Obama was phenomenal on day one at the Democratic convention. I think she may have outdone her husband last night. She was so sincere and was so deep in her emotions, without being overly dramatic, that the audience (TV audience included) was captivated. Many seemed to be wiping tears. I was teary eyed too, just watching it from home.
Some so called experts have criticized Michelle's speech as "did not do anything for Barack's campaign" . They are so wrong. Michelle and Barack are relative unknowns in the country. As a result many lies have been spread about them, and people viewed them as 'different', 'elitist', 'removed from the middle class', etc. Those perceptions were created by our biased media who seem to support the republican party and their vicious attacks on this very caring couple.
Michelle did a great job of introducing Barack and herself to the American people. She accomplished a lot. Anyone with intelligence, heart and the desire to get beyond the superficial, would have found Michelle's speech as very touching. Those who cannot get beyond their prejudices will never see anything positive in people that are not like themselves.
As a toastmaster, I cannot resist the temptation to evaluate Michelle's speech.
First, the positives:
I have already mentioned the sincerity, the right balance of emotions and facts, the audience impact. Her voice was strong, and she spoke to the audience.
A few suggestions to improve (as we always give constructive feedback in toastmasters):
I thought the introduction of Michelle's speech could have been more impactful. It was semi-humorous, but it did not create much laughter. Craig's introduction of his little sister and the montage were great, but she needed to use just one brief sentence to link it and get right into the topic of the speech. Explain to the audience what the purpose of her speech is.
Another suggestion: Michelle is a potential first lady. I would have liked to see her in a more sophisticated outfit- perhaps a suit or a pant suit or a dressier dress would have been better.
Perhaps she could have interjected in her conclusion why she believes Barack would make a great president. She told us, in subtle ways, but she could have done it in a more direct way.
However, considering how impactful her speech was, those small things can be corrected very easily. I would like to see her give this speech (using varying lengths- keeping the main points still in it- to more people. She should campaign among the middle class and tell her story.
Great job Michelle, and congratulations! I hope to see you as the first lady of the United States.
As they say before the basketball games here, "It's Time!......so get on your feet and cheer your team."
That's what the democratic convention is asking for its supporters. It's time for everyone to be on the same team, and cheer on our team, setting aside any differences of opinion.
Democrats of the world, UNITE! You have nothing to lose but the Republican reign.
Go Obama!
Before the VP announcement, I was thinking about all the VP possibilities. My dream ticket would have been Al Gore for VP, but I knew it was highly unlikely. My next choice was Joe Biden (and then Hillary Clinton and Wes Clark). I liked some of the younger guys too, but I felt that Barack needed someone who was older and was a great fighter. Biden fits that description completely.
Once again, it shows that Obama has confidence in himself. He is not afraid of people disagreeing with him.
Congratulations to both Obama and Biden, and of course my very best wishes for the general election!
