What Is Up With Politics Today?

Looks like Bill managed to come to an agreement that will allow Hillary to become secretary of state.  I think this is great news for a number of reasons.  One, I think it nice that two people who fought against each other for so long can now work together.  Two, it’s nice to see Bill stepping away from his work to support his wife after all of the years she did the same for him.  I know it can’t be easy for him to step away from his foundation but the fact that he is willing to do so his wife can further her career is just sweet.  All around goodness from Obama picking a former rival to hubby standing behind the little woman. 

PS

I was all worried about finding something good for today and when I logged on this morning this story was on my yahoo page.  Yahoooooo.

Tomorrow is the day we’ve all been waiting for (for what feels like a very long time).  While I usually say I don’t care who anyone votes for as long as they do vote I want to amend that today.  I want you to not vote for McCain.  If you are in a battleground state, please vote for Obama.  If you are in a state that Obama can’t lose or can’t win vote for Barr and make a statement to our Republican leaders that we want them to change (because everyone will see a Barr vote as a vote McCain lost).  If you read my blog on a regular basis you already know I voted for Obama but that my heart (and policy beliefs) are with Barr.  If you can’t bring yourself to vote for Obama please consider voting for Barr instead of McCain.  I really believe that Barr represents many of the things that most McCain voters believe in.  Please, please, please, vote…for Obama …or Barr

PS

I’ll be back live tomorrow as well, for any who have missed me

I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it so watch then read. 

She looked pissed when he asked if it was a joke and he looked like he really thought she was joking.  The look on his face was great but when added with the look on hers…priceless.  I can’t believe he would really think she was joking though simply because so many people are making exactly that ‘ridiculous comparison’.  Now before any of you militant leftist get your knickers in a twist I’m not saying the democrats are pushing socialism…that would be a different post.  I just thought the exchange between Biden and the chick was pretty funny.  What did you think? 

Electoral College

First some background.  An absurd number of people have no idea what the electoral college is or how it works so I’ll start there. 

Now if that was to boring or technical for you here is a more amusing explanation :) 

So why do we still use the electoral college instead of the popular vote?

No, really.  According to CNN a group has counted all of the jokes made about either the dems or the pubs in the last five weeks (since Palin was put on the ticket) on late night television…the results?   286 jokes about McCain and Palin and 42 about Obama and Biden.   You can watch the experts talk about the reasons here.

I suppose that there is the perspective that any media coverage is good media coverage but really….McCain and Palin being a made into a joke on the late night talk shows is going to hurt them on November 4^th.  Why? Because who’s going to vote for someone who is already the punch line?  We shouldn’t have that much material on someone in the executive office till they’ve been there for a few years.  I think is just another nail in the coffin of the republican ticket. 

So for all of you who were thinking about voting for McCain instead of Barr because Barr doesn’t have a chance.  Think about it this way….McCain doesn’t have a chance either so you might as well send a message to the government and vote for Barr

PS

I will be able to find out with the rest of you who Powell endorses because I can’t walk or drive due to an unavoidable collision with the ground earlier today.  Silver lining and all that.

You can read the entire plan here.  There are quite a few lovely things in his package and all of the Obama supporters can post about how wonderful it is.  I’m not a supporter, so I’m going to focus on a few of the things I don’t like.

~The bit I don’t like there is ‘give back’ and ‘restoring fairness’.  I get that everyone wants to be filthy rich and most people don’t like that they aren’t and others are.  But how is it fair to make someone who has busted their butt shoulder the majority of the tax burden?  If we have to have an income tax (and I am more than willing to argue why we don’t) then make it a flat tax across the board.  Everyone gets taxed the same.  The ‘rich’ still pay more because they make more.  That seems like a better way for everyone to ‘give back’ so that we can ‘restore fairness’ 

~Yes, this is nice…but what about mothers who work at home so that they can take care of their own children?  Why shouldn’t a family who is sacrificing one income to raise their child get a tax credit too?  Our household income dropped dramatically when I began working at home and my taxes increased because I’m self employed.  Seems a little prejudiced against work at home mommies.

I’m not saying his plan is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life…but it does have socialist leanings.  Yes, Bill I know socialism isn’t a bad word but it isn’t what I think America is about. 

He is losing, he is getting angry, and he is getting off topic.  He has stopped being the ‘maverick’ and become more of a politician saying things I think he is probably not proud of.  I really don’t think he has a chance of winning and he needs to step down.  It’s the how that would be important.

He should say this race has become nothing but  fodder for SNL and that he wants what is best for the country.  He should go on to say that Obama is not what this country needs and then throw his support behind Barr.  After that one statement he should get out of the way.  Barr could be put in the debate in McCain’s place and everyone could stop focusing on how tired, old, bitter, and angry McCain is and how laughable Palin has a tendency to be and could focus, for a change, on the issues.

I was listening to NPR today and they were interviewing people about who everyone was going to vote for and if the economic bailout had anything to do with their decision.  Surprisingly most of the people they talked to said they didn’t want the bailout and they were disappointed in the government for passing it.  A few folks said something to the effect that everyone who voted for it should be voted out (hell yeah) and the nice reporter pointed out that “both candidates” (b/c  Obama and McCain are the only people in the race apparently) voted for it and did that mean he wouldn’t be voting for either of them.  And he said yeah he thought he was going to sit this one out.

WTF is that about? You can’t be apathetic about our government.  How is that even an option for some people.  Even if you think the main choices suck there are other options out there.  Get behind one of the other candidates and work it.  OR decide which of the two big boys is the lesser of two evils and go that route.  I really don’t care who anyone else votes for but I do care if they don’t vote at all. 

Do people even realize how much hard work it took to make it where everyone in this country can vote?  The fact that more than white male land owners are allowed to vote didn’t just happen.  By turning your back and ‘sitting this one out’ you are saying you don’t care about this country, that you don’t care about the people that fought to make sure you had the right to vote, that you don’t care about your future or the future of your children. 

The way I look at it is even if you make the wrong decision (as in not the decision I make) at least you cared enough to make a decision.  Sitting back and not voting makes you a loser in my book and also means that you NEVER get to bitch about the outcome EVER around me.

On a separate note…I wouldn’t mind restricting voting to people who can pass a basic wee little history and constitution test ():o)

I know I harp on this a lot but I really hate that recovery bill.  I mean what the hell does mental health have to do with an economic recovery bill?  Maybe it is to help the people who are going to be so freaking depressed by what our country is going to become? 

Anywho.  I actually don’t have a problem with what that part of the bill does but I really, really do have a problem with it being included in this bill.  Really though this isn’t even the most ridiculous addition.  I think my project for tomorrow will be seeing which reps and sens from Florida voted for that thing and then putting them on my “don’t ever vote for these people” list.  I had thought about not voting for McCain based on that but Obama voted for it too ::sigh::

Why isn’t everyone pissed off about it?  The arguments I’ve heard go something like *we needed something and this was available* how does that make it ok?  I don’t get it.  They basically bribed people to vote for the thing by passing some pet projects along with the ‘recovery’ aspects of the bill.  Bribed doesn’t that bother anyone?

I only got to hear the last half hour of the debate but it wasn’t the train wreck I was afraid it would be.  I had really prepared myself for both of them to suck.  If you didn’t get to watch it you can read the transcript here.  I’d call it a tie except for the fact that I was really expecting Palin to suck enough for me to decide not to vote for McCain…she didn’t suck that bad so I’m giving the win to her