[Really Controversial Writing]
... My 3 cents
Joe Biden has been roundly condemned for his “gaffe” about Obama, as a new president, being tested within the first six months of his presidency by a crisis intentionally started by a hostile power or group. The McCain campaign have jumped at this opportunity to say that Obama is too risky, because he will invite such a crisis, whereas if McCain is elected there will be no such temptation, and no such crisis. But all the McCain camp have done is jump into a trap. Their response is unrealistic, foolish and indeed foolhardy—because it should open them up to the accusation, by Democrats, that McCain just does not get it. The fact is EVERY new president is fated to be tested by America’s enemies in the first months of office, and there is nothing at all about McCain that makes him immune to this international trial by ordeal. His rather blustering approach to all policy decisions, and his erratic behavior probably opens him up to a HIGHER likelihood that America’s enemies will see profit in goading McCain, to make him commit a major strategic blunder, such as Bush did with invading Iraq.
So if Obama is president-elect (as I fervently hope he will be), he will, as Biden truthfully stated, be challenged at some point by America’s enemies, to try him out; but the same goes equally if not more so for McCain. The important thing to consider is whether the two candidates have the necessary “steel in the spine” and the necessary thoughtfulness and poise to respond to such a challenge well. (Biden’s whole point was that he thought Obama did indeed have these qualities.) But a very large part of being able to respond well to such testing is BEING PREPARED, and a very large part of being prepared is RECOGNITION that such a test will indeed come along. Obama and Biden have, ti their initial cost, shown that they realize this, but what of John McCain? He has actually responded by saying “I’ve been tested”, implying that such a test by an enemy of America will simply not happen on his watch. But this is rhetorical sleight of hand, indeed rhetorical nonsense, because McCain has NEVER been tested as president, because he has never been president! So what is McCain saying? Is he saying that because he once was a Naval Airman many years ago, and heroically survived the ordeal of being a POW in Vietnam, that this makes him tested and a sure thing for the completely different role of President of the United States? It is like saying that because I have passed a driving test, that makes me qualified to fly a 747 Jumbojet. In other words, McCain is deluding himself in thinking that he has passed the test already and will never be tested by America’s enemies as president, because he has totally mistaken one form of testing for another. And in making this mistake he has shown that he misunderstands entirely the realities that will confront the next president, and in denying that there will be a test he has failed at the vital first step any president must make, of RECOGNITION that he has to be PREPARED for this inevitable test. We cannot afford McCain’s HUBRIS.
What McCain’s reaction to Biden’s “gaffe” has shown is that McCain is unfit to be president.
With due respect to the Governor of the State of Alaska, who presides over a unique state in the remotest corner of the country, watching Sarah Palin come up to speed these past weeks has been nothing short of excruciating.
We've learned from her media vetting that she has a highly questionable governing style that crosses the line into favoritism and nepotism. She's extreme to her faith, and has often carried some of the more questionable tenets of that faith into her work life, where separation of church and state is the law.
We've watched the Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric interviews, and it's clear beyond words she has no basis or understanding of how our economy works, how the world works, and how nations interact. She doesn't even seem to know John McCain's past record or political positions.
It's not a criticism, but a fact.
How can we accept someone who is cramming to be Vice President, as they would cram for a high school exam?
I'm not interested in seeing if Palin can pass Thursday's debate test, as to me she has already failed. The great insult here is to us, the American people. We have enough to worry about, with Wall Street and the economy in tatters, and now we're being asked to suspend disbelief and give this plucky, in-your-face woman a chance to potentially be leader of the free world.
Well, I'm not buying into it. No matter how well, or poorly, Sarah Palin does in Thursday's debate, I still don't want her sitting in the No. 2 spot. She's already shown she's not up to the task, and she needs to recuse now herself for the good of this nation.
John McCain's disgraceful judgment in selecting her is another discussion altogether.
In John McCain's most recent attack ad "The One," he closes with the question: "He may be the one, but is he ready to lead?"
So let's take a moment to answer that question.
Hopefully Obama's team and he will not fall into the trap of micromanaging the campaign, (which Gore and Kerry did) and giving more ammo to the Karl Roves on the Repub side.
Hello all/Hola a todos,
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day - encourage people in your area to get tested, and get tested yourself! El 27 de junio es el dia nacional de hacer preubas de VIH - anime a la gente en su area a hacerles la preuba, y hazle a usted tambien!
English: http://www.hivtest.org/
espanol: http://www.hivtest.org/index_sp.cfm
Thank you all/gracias a todos,
Carrie
Just a test.
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what is quite important for me now, is to test how it works to start a blog within a political campaign. a very good example is the website barackobama.com. what is quite important for me now, is to test how it works to start a blog within a political campaign. a very good example is the website barackobama.com.
