If you hate politics, you aren’t alone. In his book The American Lie: Government by the People and Other Political Fables (Paradigm Publishers, July 2007), Johns Hopkins political scientist Benjamin Ginsberg suggests that embracing one’s inner cynic is important for keeping political rhetoric at bay.
Politics is not about truth, justice and principle, Ginsberg asserts. Rather, he says, it’s about money, power and status. Ginsberg argues that politicians pretend to fight for principle in order to conceal their true selfish motives. Ginsberg encourages citizens to become “realistically cynical” in their participation in the 2008 election process, to think outside the ballot box and find new ways to act on behalf of their own individual interests and the greater public good. And if voters do make it to the polls, Ginsberg’s advice is, “When in doubt, vote them out.”
Racial tolerance is still an issue in America as we are discovering this year as Michelle Obama is attacked by the far right. Racial tolerance in America has increased steadily over the years but there are still manifestations of discrimination as evidenced by voters comments in a number of primary states exit polls and by attacking the wife of an African American candidate. I don’t think that the US as a whole is too far away from overcoming it, though, and Obama’s strong and positive showing is unquestionably speeding the process up and is encouraging.
America has blue states, red states and all kinds of divisions, but we need someone to bring them all together. America must return to it’s principles, or it will fail. If you believe this is the last you’ll hear of Ron Paul, you are mistaken. Ron Paul, who recently suspended his campaign, was the only candidate who really understands how far America has slipped away from its principals and has some ideas about how to repair the damage. Unfortunately, Americans are too dumb and set in their brainwashed ways to vote for freedom via a non-major party candidate.
John McCain has been the presumptive presidential nominee of his party for some time now , a position that is accompanied by increased scrutiny and skepticism from the nation’s political press. Or at least that’s what ordinarily happens.
Now that Barack Obama has become the presumptive presidential Democratic party nominee the already sharp contrast between Obama and McClain will intensify. The 2008 American presidential campaign will likely be one of the most interesting but also one of the nastiest in history.
John McCain used to be a respectable politician who often bucked the Washington, D. C. agenda. In his long ago Vietnam service to his country McCain still is a man who deserves respect. More recently McCain has become a prisoner of his own ambition.
While I certainly commend his stands against issues such as torture and farm subsidies, unfortunately, in his ambition to become president he has become just another politician who sells his soul for votes. Look at his views on McCain-Fiengold, Immigration reform and Iraq. On Iraq he’s on the wrong side of too many issues for me to support him, and some of those stands seem to be motivated by political expedience rather than a grounded moral conviction. John McCain isn’t a candidate for conservatives to rally around, he is the candidate that stands in the way of an Obama presidency.
Over the course of the campaign I expect that McCain will become dead in the water. Making speeches and being contrasted with Obama and Obama’s attraction to the youth of the country will eventually do him in. Even McCain’s own supporters admit that McCain is a terrible wooden speech maker. McCain does far better in a cosy town hall presentation setting and has challenged Obama to a series of ten town hall like debates on the issues. Even there McCain risks looking old and worn out against the young and energetic Obama.
The 2008 Presidential election is seen as one of the most important and exciting in US history. It is taking place in a country involved in a controversial war with a troubled economy and a president whose approval rating is in the low 30s. The 2008 election is shaping up to be a barn-burner.
Never before have the candidates started so early campaigning for the presidency as for the 2008 election. The 2008 election is a chance to fix what has gone astray. The Republican presumptive nominee, John McCain, understands that he can’t be tied to the Bush policies as they are widely considered an epic failure. Obama understands very well the American citizen’s call for change and has built his campaign around that theme.
The 2008 Election is coming at a time when the Internet has moved form a passive minimally interactive to a social community. The level of activity by those involved in the candidates now will most likely mean those same people will be out at the polls. The 2008 election is not going to see many, if any, visits from the candidates to Wyoming, Alaska, Rhode Island, Delaware or Idaho. Rather, the Electoral College dictates that Ohio, Florida and Missouri will get all the attention, and they are hardly “small states” by any measure.
The 2008 election is for president, not pastor. We want a president who shares our political and moral values and priorities, can win in 2008, and can govern effectively thereafter by articulating and implementing a values-based governing strategy.
Obama and the rest of the candidates can only talk big. Ron Paul has been studying the US financial system for decades. Unfortunately, Ron Paul just doesn’t have the TV appeal to gain traction even if he is the only candidate that has sound ideas as how to fix the mess that the US is in.
In his race of desperation for the Whitehouse as the sole remaining candidate for the Republican nomination Senator John McCain has often raised his voice in boring speeches (my friend, my friend, my friend ) and made much of his years of experience with foreign affairs and with government in Washington.
As Barack Obama zeroed in on the Democratic nomination for the Presidency McCain stepped up his attacks against the youthful Senator Obama stating that Barack Obama lacks proper experience for the tough demanding job of United States President.
Here are some direct quotes made by McCain over the past few years which should give you some idea as to how well McCain has benefited from his vast level of experience. His comments also expose the power of his reasoning and the quality of his information processing ability to make sound decisions that he would bring to the job on day one should he be elected President.
These are a few of Senator McCain’s responses to some of the key questions posed to him by reporters covering the “straight talk express” about the war in Iraq.
How would American troops be greeted?: “I believe… that the Iraqi people will greet us as liberators.” (March 20, 2003)
Did Saddam Hussein have a nuclear program that posed an imminent threat to the United States?: “Saddam Hussein is on a crash course to construct a nuclear weapon.” (October 10, 2002)
Will a war with Iraq be long or short?: “This conflict is… going to be relatively short.” (March 23, 2003)
How is the war going?: “I would argue that the next three to six months will be critical.” (September 10, 2003)
While Barack Obama is expected to move on and capture the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination Hillary “Never Say Die” Clinton looks set to win big time in West Virginia.
The West Virginia profile of white, poorly educated, blue collar, lower class, dumbed down voters, seems to be made for the type of campaign Hillary has moved towards in recent weeks. I have my own thoughts about what this type of profile says about Hillary Clinton. Who could want as President a politician who has strong appeal to all of the yahoos who are stupid enough to believe Hillary’s empty promises? Except, of course for all of the yahoos who are happy that someone promises them something for nothing.
McCain may face new unwelcome competition in the general election race for the Presidency. Bob Barr, a former congressman from Georgia, has just announced his candidacy as a Libertarian Party candidate. While Barr is not expected to seriously challenge McCain or Obama he may divert from 1% to 2% of votes that would have gone to McCain to his own candidacy.
