I don't very often get political here on my blog. In fact, I have stayed away from posting much about my views and beliefs intentionally. I don't want to stir up bad feelings or whatever. But now, I am good and stirred up myself. I want to rant, and as this is my blog, I will post it here. If you are offended, or shocked, I'm sorry. You can add your comment and let me know. Or you can post your opinion on your own forum as well. This is MY opinion only. I am not forcing you to change the way you think. But, I do ask - read what I think with an open mind. That's all.
I am absolutely incensed about the way things have gone this week - the choice of Sarah Palin for VP of the Republican ticket. I think McCain may have hoped that by choosing a woman, he would sway voters who supported Hillary Clinton. But Hillary and Sarah only share one thing in common - their gender.
I am a registered Democrat - always have been. (sorry family!) I have been an Obama supporter from day one. However, I have been trying to be open and listen to the other candidates and know what they are presenting. We watched all of the speeches during last week's Democratic convention, and we have also watched this week's Republican convention. (Although - our electricity went out right as Giulianni was speaking on Wednesday night and we had to listen to Sarah Palin's speech online the next day!)
The difference in the speakers was stark. I found myself cringing this week. It seems that every single person who spoke THIS week at the RNC had something very negative to say. There were slams and lies. I know I am biased simply because my beliefs run to the Democratic - I tried to keep an open mind though. It seemed that the Democrat speakers were not doing the negative - if they had something negative to say it was about the policies NOT the person. There was a lot of slamming the person from the Republicans and belittling accomplishments, etc. Not OK.
What has made me the most upset though is the lies. Honestly, they are easy to disprove, so I'm not sure why the RNC speakers thought it was OK to put them in the speeches and try to sway audiences with lies.
An AP article lays out some of the mistruths that were in Palin's speech alone. Here are a couple - read the article to see them all.
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."
THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."
PALIN: "There is much to like and admire about our opponent. But listening to him speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform _ not even in the state senate."
THE FACTS: Compared to McCain and his two decades in the Senate, Obama does have a more meager record. But he has worked with Republicans to pass legislation that expanded efforts to intercept illegal shipments of weapons of mass destruction and to help destroy conventional weapons stockpiles. The legislation became law last year. To demean that accomplishment would be to also demean the work of Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, a respected foreign policy voice in the Senate. In Illinois, he was the leader on two big, contentious measures in Illinois: studying racial profiling by police and requiring recordings of interrogations in potential death penalty cases. He also successfully co-sponsored major ethics reform legislation.
Mike Huckabee also grossly exaggerated the truth:
FORMER ARKANSAS GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE: Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States."
THE FACTS: A whopper. Palin got 616 votes in the 1996 mayor's election, and got 909 in her 1999 re-election race, for a total of 1,525. Biden dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses, but he still got 76,165 votes in 23 states and the District of Columbia where he was on the ballot during the 2008 presidential primaries.
OK... being nasty about your opponent is one thing. I don't like it, but it is politics and it does happen. But out and out lying is a whole other story! I am afraid what McCain/Palin are hoping is for the voters/American public to take what they are saying at face value and do no homework.
PLEASE - don't just take what these candidates are saying and run with it. I urge you to do some homework. Make sure they are telling you the truth (and this goes for the Obama/Biden camp too!) Research what they say and make sure it fits with your beliefs before making your choice. And make sure what they are saying is the truth.
There are a number of articles/sites that have inspired/made me hopping mad/scared me this week. Yes, they are anti-McCain/Palin. Yes, they are MY beliefs! So, if you don't agree, don't click through. But if you want to read and see what's got me going, take a look! I have never been so involved, inspired, hopeful for change than I am this election year. I truly think Obama/Biden are a great ticket, and I hope that Obama is our next president. I am getting involved, and I am letting my opinions be known!
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/taxes.asp (Snopes.com is a very fact-based, non-partisan site that debunks myths. Any emails that come around to you that are forwarded - check them out on Snopes first before passing them on to others!)
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,0,7541303.story
http://www.sarahpalinisnthillaryclinton.com/
http://jezebel.com/5045887/the-daily-show-palin-is-able-to-make-the-choice-she-doesnt-really-want-other-people-to-have
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/02/palins-church-may-have-sh_n_123205.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/jon-stewart-hits-karl-rov_n_123852.html
http://jezebel.com/5043669/sarah-palin-when-choosing-a-woman-might-not-be-choosing-for-women
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome
We then decided to go today to attend an Obama rally here in our town of Fort Collins!! He added a stop in our town at the last minute. And, I can tell you, it was a smart move for him!! He spoke this morning in Denver (about 60 minutes south of us) and drew a crowd of over 
Now, my feet hurt, and I'm enjoying a martini! :) No job news for Mike yet. We're hoping to hear in the next couple of days!! I may be a bit absent until after our wedding, but I will have loads of photos after to share with you!! It's coming up soon!! Almost ready!
