Saturday, August 23, 2008
Politics
I received my Illinois voters registration card in the mail on Thursday. I was very excited - I've been very excited about this election, because I can't wait to get Bush out of office. I figure, even McCain might do for a president, despite the fact that he seems to have totally bowed down to right-wing, religious, conservative types. But I at least figured that 1) he's a veteran, which I really respect, even if I don't think it should matter quite as much as it does to some people and 2) he doesn't seem as horrible as Bush. Those are basically my reasons - I don't respect his politics but I respect the man. But I've made no secret of the fact that I'm very much an Obama supporter: from before the primaries even. I AM worried that he's losing his zest to be a "different" president, but I get that it might be somewhat necessary to win. But I am a little disappointed about the VP pick this morning. I don't remember much about Biden, and so now of course, I'll do my research and all. But to be perfectly honest, I was hoping for Governor Richardson or Sebelius. Secretly, though I know rationally that this country isn't ready for it, I was hoping for Sebelius - first woman VP, first black president - the campaign of progressive change for a stronger party. But I will, hopefully get over it. And I'm getting excited again, because now, it's time to get the rally really going. Since Obama's from Illinois, there's tons of stuff going on around here and once I'm settle with school and work, I'm thinking I'll either volunteer for the campaign, or at least stuff envelopes one night a week telling people to get out and vote, even if it's NOT for Obama. So I'll start on my blog: GO OUT and VOTE in November!!!! I honestly don't care who you vote for, just get out and do it. I think it'd be awesome if voting turnout was absolutely, insanely huge this year, just to show people who say that Americans are apathetic to their own government and political process that they're wrong.
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I talked to Nick, who is my go-to for political info, since he has a degree in political science. And he reminded me that the Obama/Biden ticket is similar to Kennedy/Johnson - and both of them accomplished quite a lot. So I feel a little more confident about the reasoning behind the VP choice and even more excited about learning about Biden and what he stands for and all.
I would have a huge problem if McCain were elected, mostly because of his horrible record on Women's rights. And I have continued to lose respect for him as the campaign has gone on---and I used to really like him back when I though of myself as ore of a Republican. Biden is a good choice because he will be someone who says what he thinks. I wasn't so big on the choice either at first, but the more I've read the more I have started liking the pick.
That should be MORE of a Reoublican, not ore.
I knew what you were saying. And part of why I don't like McCain is his stance on women's rights, particularly choice, but I expect that from almost all Republican candidates because they have to get the middle-america, Bible belt votes, but not only that. I didn't really like his votes about torture - I thought he'd be against any kind of torture at all, considering HE was tortured. But basically, he's not Bush, and I kind of just get the feeling that he deserves at least some of my respect. I won't be voting for him though, obviously. And I've read more about Biden, done some research, and I am actually kind of excited about him now.
I like McCain, and if the election were tomorrow, I would vote for him, even though I'm a democrat. I havent really figured out a good reason to vote for Obama, expecially since he's so freaking radical about abortion. I mean, even hard core pro-choicers should realize the partial birth abortion ban and born alive infants acts are good.
I wish there were a candidate that didnt make me go, "well, I like him, but..." Like McCain and his pro-war, anti-gay stances, and Obama and his been lack of experience, pro-taking over the world (e.i. his "we need to help everyone" stance when he needs to concentrate on Americans first), and whatnot. There's just no candidate I feel strongly about. And that makes me sad.
Actually, I hate the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban, because it doesn't actually ban late-term abortions, it just bans one way of doing them that's safer than others. Late term abortion of healthy, "live" babies are already illegal - they didn't need a ban for it, it was politics messing with medicine. And I think that to get this world in any kind of peace, we all need to help others: other countries should also help us, it should be a whole big, helping thing.
Plus, we've all seen what a lot of experience got us in Iraq - I'd rather have an idealist with little experience than Bush with all of his. And Biden has TONS of experience, so that's good.
My problem is that both candidates leave a bad taste in my mouth, I cant really get behind either of them. Blah. I hate not getting excited for an election, because I love voting!
It's because I'm so excited about Obama that I'm excited about voting. Oh, and one of IL senators is up for re-election, so I'm excited about that too. But Sara, in this case, just try to choose the one that's the least evil to you and then get excited about teaching Nora how much fun it is to vote - even if she's not quite old enough to understand, she will eventually. It's her first election!
She's voted with us before. In utero she voted with me for something...midterm senatorial election I think, and she voted in the primaries with Brad. she's very popular with the little old ladies at the polls. :-)
Also, a random question about late term abortions....if the mom has to deliver anyway, why does the baby have to die? Many babies are living earlier and earlier.
Actually, that's true, even though I've read that the numbers of preemie babies surviving is actually lower than many people think. But there's like a cut-off to when a premature baby is born and can survive. And I HATE late-term abortions because I've read stories about the women who've had them and almost all of them were wanted babies who had a severe defect and were dying or dead already.So it's really, really sad. But it's not like healthy fetuses are being aborted right before delivery, even though I know that's what some people want to believe. It's that the baby or mother has a really bad condition, usually the baby, cause I think most women would decide to die and have the baby, rather than have an abortion and not die, and it's the best medical decision. That's why I hate the partial-birth abortion ban - first off, medically, there's no such thing as a partial-birth abortion, that's a political term. And secondly, if I were ever in that position (and I hope never ever to be) but that I had to have a late-term abortion cause my baby had no brain or something, than I would want the safest procedure possible. And with the ban, it takes one of the procedures away from doctors and that procedure might be the safest. I just think that politics should stay out of medical decisions - ones that a doctor should be making, I mean. But I do hate late-term abortions. I'm not completely heartless, I get your view about abortion, and especially feel queasy about late-term abortion. But I'm reserving my judgment and letting doctors decide.
Oh, and maybe I should have said this is Nora's first presidential election - not primary or anything else, but the one that will choose our leader for the next 4-8 years. That's so exciting! We even have a shirt at the store that says, Vote for My Future for little girls that are 4 and under.
See and I think a candidate's stance on abortion is one of the least important reasons to vote for them. I can't vote for McCain because he voted against women receiving equal pay, and the GI bill and because he admitted to knowing so little about the economy, and his lead economic advisor drafted the legislation that led to our current economic crisis. And he supports the current tax cuts which don't really help anyone but those with the most money, and supports conytinuing one war (where the country wants us out) and continues to ignore talking about the other. And now he supports torture, when previously he was against it. So even if I weren't excited about Obama, I still couldn't vote for McCain. Though if I were to truly get my way there would be more viable candidates from other parties and our whole election system would be overhauled.
i guess my problem is that neither candidate is saying anything that's getting me excited. So I go for the issues that mean the most to me, education and abortion.
And until I dont hear stories about women getting late term abortions for things like cleft palate issues and club foot issues, I'm going to have a hard time supporting it. If my baby were going to be born without a brain or something, I would still want to have it and hold it for as long as it had. Maybe God didnt intend for that baby to live, but maybe he intended for me to learn something from their very short life. But then, I'm putting God in it, and the pro-choicers want to believe God doesnt exist. But the pro-lifers pull God out too much, so that doesnt help either. :-)
I guess in my view, it's more that each person should be able to make that decision. If it's cleft palate, then it's not really life threatening because there's surgery now to correct it...but maybe that particular family has three other kids and wouldn't be able to afford any further medical care like that. I tend to see all the sides - I mean, I wouldn't do it, but I can see the reasoning behind others. I just don't think politics should be governing medical decisions when they really have no idea what goes into those medical decisions. And I trust women, on the whole, to make the right choice and the moral choice for her and her family. And yeah, to me, god doesn't play a role. Because I am going through a whole, does he even exist thing. And I know it's important - faith and religion - but I don't really want someone else telling me that because I don't believe in their religious view of this issue I'm not a moral person, that I'm a baby-killer or that I like abortion or something. Because there are many religions that think abortion IS a moral choice, even late-term abortions. Even the Catholic church was less against abortion before the 1800s. And I respect, or try to respect, religious questions about abortion - I even have questions about it myself. But in the end, I just don't think someone else's morals should be the deciding factor when it's a particular woman's life and pregnancy. I mean, Sara, I totally respect your views on abortion - I don't think they're blindly made out of religion or cause you're Catholic and that's what the church is against, nor do I think you despise me because of my views or think bad of me. And that's the kind of thing I wish that everyone could have, cause I think it might help. I want LESS abortions: for the sake of women and because I do have respect for potential babies. That's why I'm also a big supporter of contraception and free clinics and free condoms and all that. Even abstinence, as long as it's not taught as like, if you have sex it's a sin so don't. Because abstinence is the best way and the healthiest. I just don't think others should be dictating that kind of thing.
Is this the time I jump in here and get uppity about you saying "women can make the decision" because it takes two people to make a child. And to ignore a father that might, odd as it might sound, WANT the kid is put him to the sideline for a choice that would affect HIS kid?
And then I can tangent into how this is probably a VERY bad message to send to men. Don't worry, if you have a kid, you don't have to assume any responsibility on it, it's the woman's choice. And there I tangent into a nice double standard, if the woman doesn't want it, then it's solely her choice, and the man says bupkiss. She wants the kid, now he's a deadbeat dad.
Back to topic on hand: I'm with Sara here, and not fully behind either candidate. I was so hoping for Hillary, but the Democrats wanted Obama. I don't think he has enough experience to actually run the nation. His pick for VP compensates for that, and Biden does seem to be a decent fellow.
If you had a late-term abortion for that specific reason, or probably any reason, you can still hold it and probably have a burial too, if you wanted. And I'm not going to touch the comment about men, Brad, cause I'm sympathetic to fathers but I have no idea how to address that problem without forcing a woman to stay pregnant. Maybe some women could do it, stay pregnant and then just let their ex-boyfriend or husband or one-night stand or whatever raise the baby, but I don't think I'd want to stay pregnant for that reason.
And I really don't get why experience is the yard stick to measure Obama. We've had TONS of experience in the White House for 8 years - and we're mired in two wars, one which no one even knows we're still fighting apparently and the economy is downhill, and the country seems more polarized than ever. I'll take someone less experienced if it means that people will rally around him and the country gets back on track.
You don't give the keys of your brand new Cadillac to the kid who just got his learner's permit.
He has no record for me to go back on to see if I agree with his stance and politics. I have his speeches, but polticians will promise the moon to get into office.
The Experience in the White House as you put it was bad, no question. But he had a record I could look at and go "no thank you".
Except a lot of people looked at his record and said, yeah, let's do that again. Some of the greatest presidents had no experience at being the president at all: Washington, Lincoln, Madison, Kennedy - they had no executive experience (although Washington was an aristocrat so I suppose you could argue he did) and instead they had experience as generals or senators or representatives, just like Obama. And these were some of our greatest leaders.
You crazy democrats...when will you learn that we republicans control the world! You cannot defeat us! We are strong and we have big goons who will beat you down if you spout off non-republican retoric. McCain winning this campaign is going to be like taking candy from the infant hand of Obama. Sure, he may cry a little but if we lock him in the nursery where we can't hear him anymore, we won't feel guilty. Hmm, that analogy started to go astray and doesn't really apply anymore...Anyway, you catch my drift. (Evil Laugh) Kay
I mean, locking babies in nurseries...that's clearly child abuse.
Yes, people chose Bush for the second term, but that still is not a good argument to pick someone who still has the plastic wrapping. Senator Obama has just started his 1st Term in office. First. Meaning he's brand spanking new. All the others you mentioned had a bit more experience than 2 years in office.
He's been a state senator for 8 years and two for the U.S. Senate, and he has a degree from Columbia in political science emphasis on international relations, and served on 3 out of the 4 U.S. Senate Committees dealing with foreign policy issues. And before all this government experience, he was a community organizer in Chicago, which gives him quite a lot experience in leadership and negotiating. Then he went to Harvard Law school and became editor of the law review - clearly he's not stupid. And instead of getting some high paying job after graduating from the best law school in the country (or maybe second best, it could be Yale that's first this year) he went back to community organizing and registering voters and taught constitutional law, which frankly I love, because I think all presidents should study constitutional law and he taught it. And in 2002, while everyone else with experience was voting for the war in Iraq, he was saying rushing into a war in Iraq is a mistake, and he spoke out against it from the start - he wasn't in the Senate though, so he couldn't vote against it, which is too bad, cause it might help him now.
Of course, he has a downside, just like all candidates: he voted for the Patriot Act, which I hate and he voted to fund the war in Iraq. And I'm not liking some of his other votes. But I do realize that in politics, sometimes the bad stuff happens.
I just don't think that the experience argument really applies, since we've HAD experience and it's gotten us into this situation, and since he's not as inexperienced as people like to think. And because I think for the kind of president I'd like, his experience is pretty impressive.
Why don't you like that Obama voted to fund the war in Iraq? For me it means that the people in the military that were ordered to go over there would have some of the things they needed to come back alive. I know first hand how much we personally had to buy, how much we lucked out of getting because someone outside the government donated money to the company for the company to buy it, and what more was still lacking. I don't disagree just looking at how much was approved to fund is a lot, anything over twenty thousand and I have a hard time comprehending as a lump some. Really funding Iraq, or Afganistan, should come down to not is it right or wrong that we are over there but how much do we care about those over there, do we want them to have a better chance of coming home alive?
I hadn't looked at it from that point of view. I've always looked at it as, why vote for funding a war you don't think we should be in at all. Of course, since the war was already voted on, I suppose I understand why he might do it - to make sure the troops have what they need in the war. So that just means that I now have another reason to vote for Obama, cause you've changed my mind about his vote. Thanks Audrie!
and another random bit about abortion, if the baby is already dead, it's not an abortion at that point, it's delivering a dead baby. If the baby is dying, elect not to have heroic measures, people have DNR's all the time. I'm all for lots and lots of birth control, but still dont believe abortion is safe enough for it to be legal.
http://realchoice.blogspot.com/
also, how awesome is it that McCain's running mate is a member of Feminists for Life! Yay! :-)
I"m happy she's a woman. That's pretty much about it. She might be a good VP candidate, I just don't know much about her. And I'm pretty much sold on Obama/Biden - although I still wish, as much as I like Biden and understand the choice - that Obama had picked Sebelius. Cause then my ticket would have been candidates from states I've lived in and the whole black guy/woman ticket is just very progressive, which I also like. But Biden is very cool
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