John McCain disappoints me (and a bit on Sarah Palin)

I still need to look into Biden, I know. And there is probably more research that needs to be done on Palin, but I was looking back and it's been almost a month since I was asked what I think of her. I really do not think that much about her. It is more about McCain that I think. I think - why did he put her in this position. In her situation, I can understand why she would accept the offer, but it is obvious that she is unprepared for the national political climate. She is naiive, and knows very little about national issues, let alone to have much of an opinion or direction on them. But I don't think it's her fault, really. I have no idea what kind of governor or mayor she was. She could have been a great one, but I think she is ill-prepared to be the vice president of this country, and I think it shows a sign of desperation by McCain. 

I have also been disappointed with McCain in other areas of his campaign. He used to host a straight talk express. The press could come onto his plane and ask him any question they wanted, and he would answer. In July, he stopped it altogether. He will now only answer the press's questions where the answer will fit nicely on a 30-second clip, and go along with the campaign platform, instead of giving any sort of actual explanation. 

My husband wonders if "the real John McCain" (as we refer to his old self) ever really existed. I still think he did, but I wonder how much of that he is willing to give up to get elected. And after all, I think it is what you are willing to do to get elected that changes you more as a politician than the power that you have. And so while I hope, that if McCain were elected, we would see the return of "the real McCain", I am not sure there is much basis for that hope.

What to do in the face of the politics of today

I found myself in a situation today where I wanted to react, to respond in kind to something that someone said about Obama. I know despite my attempts to be unbiased, I am sure my leanings toward Obama are evident. And today I read something someone I know wrote that called him a moron, and in the same breath she talked about how Sarah Palin was amazing. Immediately I wanted to write a scathing post here about Palin, but then was forced to remember my whole purpose in having this blog, which is to stop the politics of today, and encourage the politics of tomorrow. 

So what do we do in the face of such opposition? I love Obama, I believe in his vision. I also believe in McCain and the good he has done and would like to do for our country. I would probably react the same way to someone calling McCain a moron. When a response isn't demanded, I suppose the best response is to ignore it. But sometimes it is hard to believe that we can fight the forces that want to bring conflict into politics. 

But I think also it is important to understand why such things happen. Perhaps her calling Obama a moron is some residual feeling such as the one that prompted me to want to respond. Because when you attack a candidate that people believe in, you don't just attack the candidate, you attack those people. 

But I think we can rise. I don't have to drop down and become petty and angry, because I believe in an American politics where we can be civil and respectful. I believe in an America where politics can be ruled by friends who disagree, without making enemies out of them. I believe in an America where I can be involved in politics and not have to hate anyone the more for it. Today I felt slapped in the face with the politics of today, but I am trying to turn my cheek with the politics of tomorrow.

Michelle Obama Inspires Me

You know what I love about the Obamas - they inspire me. From the first time I heard Barack at the Convention 4 years ago, to hearing Michelle speak at the convention on Monday. They are inspiring people, and they have a vision of America - a vision that includes me, includes you. It is a vision where we are all working together to make it a better place.

Michelle Obama expressed something that documents the change exactly that has taken place for me. She talks about seeing America not just as it is, but as it should be. I used to only see it as it is - and I was cynical, and didn't want to think about politics. And now I see it as it should be, and I cannot help but feel responsible for making a change. I can't think of how I think America should be and not try to make that happen. And as I have come to view America as it should be, I have also come to realize the process whereby cynicism about politics comes. And it is mainly because there is no money to be made for the media in reporting the great things that politicians are doing. And also that mudslinging works, but that is for another post.

It is the Obamas belief in me that has made me believe in me. And I think it is amazing. Because they are giving the country back to us - the everyday citizens.

I feel like they are doing for politics what Gore is doing for the environment. Getting people to take personal responsibility, to actually think about it, and make a change. The world is better having them in it.

Joe Biden - VP Nominee

I'm sure you've all heard it anounced, but came across this article, and gave a brief overview of Biden, and there's wikipedia. I want to do more research and do a more in-depth post, but though I'd share that for now.

The Link as Promised

Here is a transcript of the forum that pastor Rick Warren had. I am posting it here, because this is the sort of thing I would like to see more of in politics, and the kind of thing that I think can combat sound-byte politics and the aggression with debates.

I'll put a few highlights below, so if you don't want to read the whole thing, you can get a taste for it, and maybe entice you to read more anyway.

Also if you prefer, it is in 10 parts on youtube. (If you want a high quality version, there is one available, you just have to click the button under the video on youtube.)

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Warren: ...we believe in the separation of church and state, but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics because faith is just a worldview and everybody has some kind of worldview and it's important to know what they are.

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Warren: Now, in America, we've got to learn to disagree without demonizing each other and we need to restore civility. We need to restore civility in our civil discourse and that's the goal of the Saddleback Civil Forum so let's get started.

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Warren: Who are the three wisest people you know in your life and who are you going to rely on heavily in your administration?

Obama: You've mentioned one person I'd -- I'd be listening to and that's Michelle, my wife, who is not only wise, but she's honest. And one of the things you need -- I think any leader needs is somebody who can get up in your face and say, Boy, you really screwed that one up. You really blew that.

Another person in that category is my grandmother who's an extraordinary woman. She was -- never went to college. She worked on a bomber assembly line during World War II when my grandfather was away, came back, got a job as a secretary and worked her way up to become a bank vice president before she retired. And she's just a very grounded, common sense, no fuss, no frills kind of person. And when I've got big decisions, I often check in with her.

Now, in terms of the administrations or how I would approach the presidency, I don't think I'd restrict myself to three people. There are people like Sam Dunn, a Democrat, or Dick Luger, a Republican, who I'd listen to on foreign policy.

On domestic policy, you know, I've got friends ranging from Ted Kennedy to -- to Tom Colbert who don't necessarily agree on a lot of things, but who both, I think, have a sincere desire to see this country improve.

What I found is very helpful to me is to have a table where a lot of different points of view are represented and where I can sit and poke and prod and ask them questions.

McCain: First one I think would be General David Petraeus, one of the great military leaders in American history who took us from defeat to victory in Iraq. One of the great leaders and I'm so proud to know him.

Fourth of July a year ago, Senator Lindsey Graham and I were in Baghdad. 688 brave young Americans whose enlistment had expired swore an oath of reenlistment to stay and fight for freedom. Only someone like General David Petraeus could motivate someone like that.

I think John Lewis. John Lewis was at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Had his skull fractured. Continued to serve. Continues to have the most optimistic outlook about America. He can teach us all a lot about the meaning of courage and commitment to causes greater than our self-interest.

Meg Whitman. Meg Whitman, the CEO of eBay. Meg Whitman. 12 years ago there were five employees. Today, there are one and a half million people that make a living off eBay in America in the world. It is one of these great American success stories. And in these economic challenging times, we need to call on the wisdom and knowledge, background of people like Meg Whitman who have been able to make such a great American success story part of the world's folklore.

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Warren: ...tell me in a minute why you want to be president.

Obama: You know, I remember what my mother used to tell
me. I was talking to somebody a while back and I said, The one time that she'd get really angry with me is if she ever thought that I was being mean to somebody or unfair to somebody. She said, Imagine standing in their shoes, imagine looking through their eyes, that basic idea of empathy. And that I think is what made -- what's made America special is that notion that everybody's got a shot. If we see somebody down and out, if we see a kid who's -- who can't afford college that we care for them too.

And I want to be president because that's the America I believe in and I feel like that American dream is slipping away. I think we are at a critical juncture economically. I think we are at a critical juncture internationally. We've got to make some big decisions not just for us, but for the next generation and we keep on putting it off.

And unfortunately, our politics is so broken and Washington is so broken that we can't seem to bring together people of goodwill to solve these common problems.
I think I have the ability to build bridges across partisan lines, racial, regional lines to get people to work on some common sense solutions to critical issues and I hope that I have the opportunity to do that.

McCain: I want to inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than their self-interest. I believe that America's best days are ahead of us, but I also believe that we face enormous challenges, both national security and domestic, as we have found out in the last few days in the case of Georgia.

And I want to be -- make sure that everybody understands that this is a time for us to come together. Throughout my life from the time I was 17 and raised my hand and was sworn in as a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, I've always put my country first. I put my country first when I had the honor of serving in the military, and I had the honor of putting
my country first as a Member of the House of Representatives and in the United States Senate.

America wants hope. America wants optimism. America wants us to sit down together. I have a record of reaching across the aisle and working with the other party, and I want to do that, and I believe, as I said, that Americans feel it's time for us to put our country first, and we may disagree on a specific issue, and I won't review them now, but I want every American to know that when I go to Gee's Bend, Alabama and meet the African-American women there who are so wonderful and lovely and an experience I'll never forget, and when I go to places where I know they probably won't vote for me, I know that my job is to tell them that I'll be the President of every American, and I'll always put my country first.

Thoughts on Gore's Campaign

When Gore was running for president, he was advised that he should not make a big deal out of his passion for the environment, but should try to focus on other things to get elected, and then once he was in office, he could let his passion for the environment drive real policy changes. And the source of this advice -- the polls.

His campaign advisers were looking at the polls, and people were telling him that people didn't really care about the environment, that it wasn't an issue that they would vote for him on, and that is why he shouldn't focus on that.

This is an issue I touched on in my post about McCain - how it is the duty of politicians not just to pander to us a voters, and make sure what we care about is being taken care of - but there is also an extended role that they should have of telling us what we should care about. When I watched Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, it made me care about the environment. That along with a book by Jared Diamond I read around the same time called Collapse.

And to me, it is much more important to have a political leader who cares about the environment (or campaign finance, as I mentioned with McCain) than that I personally care about it. My small steps to help the environment are nothing compared to the legislative impact that a president can have.

This is an issue that I feel more at a loss of what to do about, though. This has more to do with how campaigns are run, being so based on polls and such. But I think it does relate to the issue of the difference between electing a political leader who shares your views on issues, and electing a political leader who you think will do a good job creating legislation needed for the nation.

Unless anybody has ideas of what we can do? I suppose we could start a letter-writing campaign to the poll companies to give them ideas for better questions, or something like that. So have at it with the ideas!

Different Directions

My next person to blog about was Mary Landrieu, and I would still like to. I like her. But as I was lying in bed, trying to get to sleep, and thinking about writing, my mind wandered over to this blog, and it made me think about a few issues, and how to deal with them, and I thought, hey, it's a blog, I can ask my readers, and not just decide myself!

So readers...though you may be few in number, you can still make great contributions!

I'll have to ask my husband to find me a link to this pastor discussion that went on last night, because I think anyone interested in my blog would be interested in the kind of discussion that the pastor had, instead of the typical debates where nothing real is actually said.

But the real thing that brought me to writing today was considering John Edwards. I guess I don't get the big deal of the whole sex scandal, and I don't understand how political careers are ruined by sex scandals. Careers being ruined by taking bribes, sexual or monetary, that I understand. Careers being ruined by people stealing or in other ways using their power unethically, that I understand. But I do not understand how we as a nation expect more from our political leaders than we tend to expect from ourselves. It is hard to find statistics on infidelity that are reliable, but it doesn't seem all that uncommon to me.

I suppose to me, honesty in a politician is much more important than fidelity in his/her marriage. I would rather the politician announce to the world that they had an affair, and go through whatever process of penance that they do with their spouse, rather than feeling obligated to try and hide it. But I suppose there are arguments for doing so.

My husband pointed out that we don't get honesty in politics anyway, so the point is moot. I, however, being idealistic as I am, would like to think that we can at least have more honesty in our politics, and I think our nation would be the better for it.

I suppose my new aspiration is to be able to use this blog, at least in part, to discuss the problems that we as citizens see with the world of politics, and what we can do to combat those problems, and what you guys want me to do with this blog.

So I suppose my first issue for discussion - what is the cause of dishonesty currently in our political system? How can it be combated? How can we as voters and constituents show that we value honesty? Is honesty a concept that even matters that much to other people in a politician, or are other values or attributes more important?

Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman is one of the current senators for Minnesota. He is up for re-election this November. He was formerly the may of Minneapolis, before becoming a senator. These are the facts about him, but as I have tried to search, to find out what drives him, who he is and what is important to him, I have found scant evidence.

There are, of course, two possible causes of this. First, that he is not well-known outside of Minnesota, and so people have not made much attempt to reach down and determine who he is. Second, he is trying to keep those things secret. I think the second is a much more likely scenario, because he lacks conviction in the things that he says in his own website.

My attempt with this blog is to put to the forefront the qualities and attributes of the leaders of this country, be they good or bad. It seems to me that Norm Coleman is hiding behind the issues. As I come to do more research, perhaps I will find that many senators not seeking the presidency also have this tendency. Only time will tell.

For now, though, it seems that there are a few things that he wants people to think he thinks are important. First of all - getting things done. Second - that he wants what is best for Minnesota. If porkbarrel spending that helps a few interests groups in Minnesota is what he means, then he has succeeded, but I think that those sorts of actions come at the cost of hurting America as a whole.

With elections, though, it always gets tricky, because the choice often comes down to - vote for this person, or the other guy. So are the people he is running against better for America? That, I do not have an answer for. I really feel like I have no answers. Who is Norm Coleman? I don't know. So with this guy, I guess the only advice I can give is to vote with the issues, because there ain't a whole lot there besides.

John McCain

It is refreshing to be able to get all the information you need from someone's own website. Reading about John McCain on his site, I saw both good and adequate, though I did not realize the adequate until I read the good.

There are some things he cares a lot about, and some things he cares about, because it is politics. That is evident just from the way he addresses the issues. He believes in government reform, in public finance. It is a problem that a lot of everyday Americans don't see, but I can tell that he sees it, and he thinks it is a problem, and he is working to eradicate it. He is doing that because he believes in America, and believes in change. Campaign finance reform is not the kind of thing that wins elections -- he's doing it because he believes it.

He also believes in the military. That can be both good and bad. He may have more of a tendency to look for military answers rather than diplomatic. He does know the military, though, and knows how to use it.

If my only consideration of McCain was that he is a senator, I would have no qualms with him. He is doing work that needs to be done there, trying to get our country on the right track. I do not question his ability to think through those issues. I am left wondering, though, how he will act as president when push comes to shove on the issues that he is not a sure about.

As a senator, he is a great asset to our nation. He shows us that we can make a difference on issues that other people don't care about, just because we do care about them. I trust him on campaign finance, on pork barrel spending, and those are things I do not care about, but I am glad to know that he does. His actions tell me that I should care, and so I support his positions and decisions there. To have someone who can lead with what they care about, and who does not just cater to lobbyists or even just to voters, that is rare.

Hillary Clinton

I haven't read all of Hillary's book, but I think enough to get the general feel of what she is saying about herself, and today I was doing research on her on the internet. Her book had the very positive side, and the internet had the very negative side. I figure somewhere in the middle is probably the truth.

Hillary is someone who started out wanting to make a difference in the world. She cares about women's rights, and worked her life to effect change. She cares about the problems in the world - children without education, without advocates, about people without healthcare, about countries without democracy. I don't think this is just the view of herself that she sells to the nation - I believe it is the version of herself that she sells to herself. If that were not a part of her, I think it would be easy to see her as evil. She is willing to go to any lengths to be in power.

As a blog about leadership, the main fact that matters is that she is divisive. Some people love her - they see the side of her that wants to do all of that good, and they want to support that. I understand that point of view - there is a lot of good in the world that she desires to do, but that is not the only part of her. Many people dislike here, even go so strong to say that they hate her. It is because she is willing to do anything for power. She has no scruples about how to get power. That she wants to do good things with that power, there is no doubt, but it does not change her willingness to do anything to get the power.

She likes to play on fears, encourage divisiveness, and discount the electoral processes -- all for the sake of her campaign. She is not necessarily a bad person. She to me has this view of herself as the mother of America. She is the parent that will do anything to protect her child, whether it is legal, moral, ethical or not. With that attitude, she can do some good, but what is the cost in the example she will set for the nation?

She is divisive, and what we need is unity.

She has done some good in the world, and I think she will do more good in the world working not as a politician. The power is too much for her.

Barack Obama

His true power comes in words, not in debates, but in speeches and writing. He is inspiring. His story in inspiring too. He made it to the Senate, all without the politics of mudslinging. He is running a campaign on money from everyday American voters, rather than the money from lobbyists. He looks at the face of Washington, and says "We can do better", and tries to do better himself. He believes that we can change the politics of Washington.

He is clear-headed and intelligent. He has certain stances on issues, but he is willing to work together with republicans to help the American people. He will rethink his stance on issues when he hears it from the other side, when he hears another way of thinking about it.

He is in power because he truly believes that he can make a difference in the world, and that is why he seeks to be president. Hope like his is infectious. He has given the American people, has given me, someone to believe again in politics.

He says what he believes. Not many people in politics stand up for what they believe in. They say it if it is politically convenient. He says it because he thinks it is right. He spoke out on the Iraq war from the beginning, even when it was popular to support the war. He spoke, even though it was politically unpopular, because it is what he believed was right.

He is the Smith who went to Washington, but in our day. When I think of Barack Obama, I cannot think but that we are blessed to have again in our day another Lincoln, another King, another JFK. People say that inspiring speeches are just all fluff, that they just make you feel good, but they do more than that -- they change people's lives. It is not policy and laws alone that will make the politics of Washington be better -- it is something to strive for. Obama is that example. It is someone who inspires people to be better, and inspires the public to believe in politics again. Obama does that.

This blog exists because of Obama and the type of person he is. I am interested in politics, because I believe it can be more than just a dirty game, and I only believe it because I have seen what Obama can do. The media is driven by ratings and making money -- what sells? Intrigue. Scandals. But politics is more than that. Our political leaders should be more than avoiding scandal. They should be able to show the American people why they got into politics, not what they feel they have to do to stay in politics.

One man giving an inspiring speech can move the masses. He can do more than just what he can do alone. Obama has a lot of people behind him, who care about him and what he is doing, because he inspired them. It is that he can inspire people that makes him so strong. For then, he is not just Obama alone, he is everyone behind him as well. I am working to do my small part in making the change he wants in Washington. He has me behind him, all because of his words.

The daunting task of the First Post

I need to write this post, more for me than for anyone who may eventually read this blog. I need to write this post so that I can actually keep this blog.

These posts aren't going to be perfect. They will be researched, but I do not have the time to go through 100-200 hours of research for each post, which is what I think it would take to really do these justice. So as a disclaimer -- I will not be able to give a full view of this person's role in politics. I will be giving a snapshot, but I hope it can go beyond the soundbyte.

I have been intimidated in trying to figure out how to describe Obama. I know a lot about him. I have followed his campaign for the presidency closely for a long time. I like him, but I don't know what to say about him. That being said, I will probably fumble a lot in the beginning. Things may seem chaotic and not unified. That is because I am figuring out how to do this as it goes along. Hopefully in a year from now, I will be better than I am today.

To those reading this blog who want to see a change, and feel like they want to be a part of it -- I welcome you. I think it will take more than one blog of alternatives to start to change the face of the media and the face of soundbyte politics. I cannot do it alone. I need readers, and it will take a whole lot of other writers who want to change the face of American politics. We can learn and grow together, and make the American political process one we actually feel like participating in.

Not Issues

People look at a man like Barack Obama, and they see people flock to him, worried that people are not paying attention enough to who he is, and just following the media's soundbyte politics. In our country, we have become a nation of issues. What is his stance on abortion, on stem cell research, on the environment? We are driven by issues, and there is a pretty justifiable reason why. All of the soundbyte politics supports the supposition that we care only about the issues.

But there is something more important than just the issues. The reason people love Obama is not because he perfectly coincides with their stances on the issues. People love Obama because he is a leader. We have seen a strong drought of leaders in our times. And perhaps, there have been leaders, but all we get is their soundbytes. Obama has been dedicated to being who he is, and has been somewhat fortunate in succeeding, despite not playing the Washington game.

Why do I want Obama and not Hillary? Why do I want Obama and not McCain? It has little to do with issues. It has to do with leadership, inspiration, and honest intelligence. Obama tells me the truth. He believes that honesty still means something in this country, and that you don't have to be calculating to get to be president.

The irony is that I think Hillary and McCain, and many of the other candidates, contain that potential, but their time in Washington has shown them that straightforward honesty and true leadership is not valued by the nation.

I want to send Washington a different message. My goal in making this blog is to present events in Washington as they really are -- the day in and day out, and not just the soundbyte politics that so many are guided by, because it is the only access we have.

I haven't quite figured out how to meet this goal. I live in Utah and not in D.C., so it may be harder for me to access things. Probably the best way to start is just with the senate. Each week I'll release a post about the senators, as much information as I can find, their voting records, but also their views on their votes, things that I think are good and bad about them. My first week will be Obama, and then the next week Hillary, then McCain. From there, I will move on through, trying to make sure I will hit all of those who are seeking re-election this year before elections, and then on to the rest.

My goal is to present senators in their success at leadership, and not just their views on issues. I think few of us today would say we wouldn't vote for George Washington because he wasn't against or for abortion. We would look and want to see his reasoning, and still perhaps disagree with him, but think his leadership more important than his stance on one certain issue.