Sarah's Blog

More thoughts

Sarah — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:15:01 EDT

What we have this election, as with most years, are two good men that have paid their dues and worked extremely hard to get where they are today. Both are commendable, neither would have won their party’s nomination had they not been. To think otherwise is an enormous misjudgment. Of course who is better suited for the job is a matter of one’s opinion. Opinions are relative and therefore, cannot be disproved. If, in my lifetime, I achieve half of what they’ve already achieved, I’d die an extremely happy woman. It takes tremendous dedication to do what these people do daily.

Anything that is constantly talked about for months is irritating, to say the least. People who love politics are often fed up with the attacks by the first Tuesday in November. It’s easy to forget how frustrating the constant back and forth can be. However, it’s part of American politics and always has been. I love having the right to express freely what we choose without worrying about the repercussions. We watch debates to try and pull from them an idea about where candidates stand and how truthful they’re being. Without debating, we’d have television ads dictating who the next president would be. Debates, mundane or not, are vital, never pointless. Elections aren’t about one person’s beliefs; they’re about America’s beliefs as a whole. If a debate can make one citizen more comfortable casting a vote, it has served its purpose. To think otherwise is completely selfish.

The trial for my Uncle Billy’s murderer was in October of 2004. It was the first year I could legally vote. I remember talking to my dad during recess; he was trying to sway me towards G.W. Bush. I decided that moment that I needed to do the research and figure out which candidate would most benefit the nation not just my personal needs. After looking into it I decided that G.W. Bush was not my candidate. The next time my dad brought it up, I told him I respected his opinion but did not agree with him. I needed to form an opinion of my own. This year, I think this country needs a more modern approach to issues. Times are changing and have been for some time. This president will have soldier’s lives in their hands, if that’s not considered important, I’m not sure what can be. These are Americans, human beings, laying it all on the line for what America believes is right. It is important that our withdrawal begins and that is something Obama supports.

The economy is obviously not working well under the current administration. People are worried and it seems unfair to those looking to retire. Just because I’m young, doesn’t mean this won’t affect those I love. It’s simple to look to oil as the only means to end this crisis. Unfortunately, drilling in America will not keep us from depending on other nations; Alaska only has enough oil to sustain 10% of our needs for 30 years. That of course is best case scenario. There is oil in other U.S. regions but once all of that is gone, we have nothing to fall back on when in need. It is the American way to care about our fellow citizens. There is no reason a single mom making 25,000.00 a year working a full time job should be taxed the same as someone making millions. If I had that much money I’d be grateful and would have no problem helping those who are less fortunate. They certainly don’t deserve the breaks they’re getting. The republican philosophy seems to be if we give breaks to big business, they’ll hire more workers and create jobs. Unfortunately, as with AIG, portions of the money given are used for worthless spending, not helping the common man.

Second Presidential Debate

Sarah — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:55:55 EDT

I think this debate was decent, the format was not perfect but it is what it is. I think the two held their own for the most part. McCain did throw the first punch which was expected considering he's down in the polls. I feel Obama was much easier to relate to, he was able to connect a bit better and seemed less nervous.

As I was watching McCain's response to the question about Russia, I really liked his answer. To my surprise, Obama then agreed for the most part as well. I think it's fair to say that fixing social security isn't as easy as McCain stated it was, if it were it would already be done. I would love to give an example of something I didn't agree with Obama on but for the most part, I truly agreed with him. Of course off-shore drilling would relieve our demand for foreign oil. Honestly though, I'd like to keep the small amount of this natural resource in the ground in case we ever really need it. I can deal with gas prices, what I couldn't deal with is if suddenly the U.S. needed oil and for whatever reason we were unable to get it. If that scenario arises, I want to have some left in our country. They say the oil in Alaska could only sustain at best 5-10% of amercans for 30 years. I do think we should start preparing to drill in case we ever need it in a hurry. That would create a bunch of jobs for those building the oil rigs. I believe if Osama Bin Laden is in our cross hairs, we should fire at will.

McCain's campaign laid into Obama for calling him John in the first debate, it's probably not the brightest idea to refer to Obama as "that one" after making such a stink about it. However, I personally don't think McCain intended to do any harm, he was just trying poorly to deliver a blow. I also think someone needs to tell him that the jokes that work with all republicans while you're campaigning do not work when you're debating. The idea is to win over those who aren't already supporting you. So enough with with the Mavericks (which wasn't said once last night), enough with no on-the-job training when your running mate would certainly require some, and certainly enough with Obama as an extremist. A bit of respect is desperately needed because though Obama often criticizes McCain's choices, he never questions his intentions.

VP Debate

Sarah — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:51:44 EDT

The debate proved to be mostly what I expected. Palin was clearly prepared, possibly more than she should have been. She had moments when she seemed to connect with the people but was rarely on topic and her vagueness was blatant. The McCain campaign said it first, "this isn't the time for on the job training" and I think they're right. However, Obama isn't the candidate in which this statement should be directed. He may not have the experience that John McCain possesses but I think his judgment is far better. I think he made an incredible choice when he put Biden on the ticket. There is to much at stake to elect a VP who has relatively no foreign policy experience. I think Palin's political career is just beginning and in time, she'll be hard to beat. Again, she gave no specific examples to speak of in regards to the McCain ticket being drastically different from the current administration. She should tread lightly so in the future she doesn't find herself pedaling backwards in regards to issues she's made a stand on without knowing all of the facts. She appeared almost in awe of Biden at times. The american people aren't in Kindergarten so I'm not sure they'll respond solely to an upbeat personality and an awkward wink. I certainly hope not at least. Biden did what was needed and then some, he was concise, well read, and I think very relatable. He did not appear condescending though in his position, anyone would have been tempted numerous times.

The Economy: I agree more with the Obama campaign, I think, if in the position, I would have voted similarly in many instances. This will not be an immediate turnaround but we have to start somewhere and now is the time. Things are often taken out of context but I'm fed up with tax breaks to the wealthy and little for the rest of us. I'm well aware that the middle class cannot receive much in tax decreases during this economical turmoil but something is better than nothing. I also appreciate the Obama campaign admitting that not everything promised will get done due to the billions we're spending on the rescue plan.

Iraq: I think we need the timetable, at very least it'll serve as a guideline and show those fighting for us that yes, there is an end in sight. We cannot continue to allow the Iraqi government to accrue a surplus while the U.S. is paying for the war. We've helped them tremendously, it's now time for them to take the reigns and help themselves as we did in our revolutionary war. We need to engage Afghanistan and finish the war on terror as promised.

Nuclear Weapons: We do need to meet with the troublesome nations on some level and yes, without preconditions. Whatever it takes to keep america and our allies safe should be done. Diplomacy is much more than a word, it's action. We need to do whatever we can to sway nuclear ambitions within certain countries. When talks cease they don't stop with their aspirations, they likely push harder in an effort to get a reaction. The U.S. will not be bullied, however we need to set an example by making an effort to keep peace.