Kick Off

 Well, what better way to kick off this new blog than to make some political observations. It is, after all, the political season. A season that precedes the holiday season.

 I do find it interesting that Halloween comes just days before the ultimate day of reckoning. Fitting that the day of mischief would simply carry over until the ballots are cast and counted. Seems to have worked especially well in 2000.

 Well, this is the year of firsts. For the first time, a sitting US senator is running against a sitting US senator. No one from the current administration is running. No matter who wins, there are firsts; either first African American (and mixed race) president or the first female vice president. Win or lose, the first African-American candidate from either major party, and the first female VP nominee for the Republicans. There are some others, but I can’t remember them all.

 The other (third, fourth, etc.) parties got together recently to complain about being left out of the debates. They have some points. One of the most interesting is that the old “don’t waste your vote on a third party candidate” line is not really so valid. Assuming the Dem or the Rep will win, things won’t be that different either way. At some level, I agree with this assessment. They no longer talk about who they are, what their meaningful, core values are. Instead they give a lot of hype about what they will do (or would like to do) if elected. Unfortunately, even if they really want to do it, they are either unable to due to the need for cooperation from Congress, or the realities of life, government, circumstances, etc. make it unwise to undertake. So, in the end, they get to sign or veto whatever Congress sends their way. Maybe we wouldn’t be in Iraq if Gore had won. But most things would be the same, and there would be something that we didn’t like about Gore that would be just as bad to the other side.

 Well, I’m still voting for the majors. I think that it is more meaningful to argue with your favorite party about changing its ways. I do not see the underlying values of the third parties aligning as much with my own values as does major party “X.” I will leave it at that. I will probably reveal my leanings somewhere along the way, even if unintentionally. I will vote based on the general positions of the party that best fits my perspectives, no matter what the candidate says on the campaign trail.

 This year’s campaign is about:

·      Change you can hope for

·      Hope that gives correct change

·      Pit bulls, pigs, and lipstick

·      Computers and email

·      Bicycles, corn, and wind (or is it wind and beer)

·      Experience v being an outsider

·      Maverick v inexperience

·      Inexperience v insider (at VP level)

·      Getting out of Iraq

·      Doing what is right in the eyes of the world v doing what you want

·      More taxes v less taxes v deficits v US economy v world economy

·      Tax credits to encourage corporate behavior v tax breaks for evil corporations (from the same mouth)

 Enough for now.