Barack Your Vote

Exactly two weeks until election day.  If I could hold my breath that long to see who wins, I would.  Part of me is nervous McCain might win and part of me is nervous to see how others will react if Obama wins.  Another part of me is anxious to know the results after this long, seemingly never-ending campaign and I just want to get it over with.  You know, go back to my simple existence pre-Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber.

I got to do something this weekend though instead of just stewing about the 2008 election — I took action.  That’s right.  I marched my way down to the Obama Headquarters and helped with much needed data entry.  Not the most glorious of jobs I know, but I found it easy to catch on to the system and actually, for lack of a better word, I found it quite relaxing.  All the volunteers were so helpful, so nice, and you could sense all the excitement in the air.  I left the office feeling euphoric and thinking even in such a small gesture, maybe somewhere, for someone, I have made a difference in their voting decision.

I am happy to say that I might be making follow up calls for the Obama Camp on November 1,2 and 3rd to see who will be voting for Barack.  Who knows…I may even be calling YOU.

Here are some websites I’ve found helpful in the last few days:

http://TX.barackobama.com

http://www.voteforchange.com

As I found out this weekend, it is never too late to make a difference.  Also, if you can vote early, please do.  As a wonderfully wise woman told me this weekend, it may help make the lines just a little bit shorter come November 4th for someone else and allow them to get their vote in too.

Reason #101 Why I Hate Sarah Palin

I’m sure there are more than 101 reasons I could find to hate Sarah Palin, but in truth, the title sounded catchy. I asked someone today at work why she supports Sarah Palin and the reversed was asked of me. Why do I hate her so? I am a firm believer in seeing is believing:

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund fully endorse Obama and Biden. Can you blame them?  And, although I am not one to say “I told you so,” here is a quote from the front page of the website.  Tell me when any of this sounds familiar:

“John McCain’s record on the environment has been extremely mediocre at best, often erratic, and clearly inferior to that of either Obama or Biden. Now, his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate provides a very clear warning that – as difficult as it may have been to contemplate earlier – a McCain-Palin administration would likely be just as bad as the Bush-Cheney one on many major environmental issues. So when it comes to sound environmental policy, to conserving wilderness areas and wildlife, to standing up to the special interests, there really is now no contest between the two tickets. While the McCain-Palin campaign studiously avoids most environmental issues and offers energy proposals based largely on Big Oil’s wish list, the Obama-Biden campaign is offering solid positions in nearly every environmental area, including forward-looking energy solutions.

And, with all the unfortunate media frenzy Sarah is receiving these days, it is refreshing to know I am not the only woman who fell off the Palin-bandwagon before it ever started moving.  Here is a post from a website called Mudflats, written by a woman in Alaska who attended a “Alaska Women Reject Palin” ralley today.  Apparently, it was the largest rally Anchorage has ever seen.  Please feel free to browse through all the great photos and footage taken on her website.  Who better to know the true Sarah Palin than those that have to live with her terrible decision-making?  Here is my favorite sign of the day:

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I Don’t Like Ike

Across the state tonight, people are getting ready for Hurricane Ike.  Expected to hit the coast sometime on Friday night or Saturday, over 1 million people are already trying to evacuate the Houston and Galveston areas.  Some people are staying despite government warnings there will be no assistance, no way to get medicine or groceries, and possibly no power.  Unfortunately, those left behind are mostly the elderly, the sick and the poor who have nowhere to go. 

Where we are in North Texas, we will be pretty lucky–by the time Ike reaches us it will be downgraded to a tropical storm.  The most we’ll have to deal with is terrential rain and possible flooding in some areas.  At least that is, until the next hurricane.  Thank you global warming.  Just because I can, I decided to look at both McCain’s and Obama’s view on climate change.  Let’s see what they say:

McCain:

1.  Climate Policy Should Be Built On Scientifically-Sound, Mandatory Emission Reduction Targets And Timetables
2. Climate Policy Should Utilize A Market-Based Cap And Trade System.
3. Climate Policy Must Include Mechanisms To Minimize Costs And Work Effectively With Other Markets.
4. Climate Policy Must Spur The Development And Deployment Of Advanced Technology.
5. Climate Policy Must Facilitate International Efforts To Solve The Problem.

Obama:

1. Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump.
2. Help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
3. Within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
4. Put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars — cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon — on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
5. Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
6. Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

 
I will be the first to admit, I do not understand a f*ckin’ word McCain is talking about.  Do you?  And could he be any more vague? Hmm…perhaps this is intentional.  After all, Bush has not supported any major climate change policies in his eight years in office.  Maybe McCain doesn’t want to ruin his 90% agreement rating with Bush.

In all seriousness, if we do not start taking major action and vote for real change, there will be many more Ikes in our future.
 

 


 

Lost in Translation or Just Lost

For anyone that has been following my blog lately, you may have noticed I’ve strayed away from talking about anything too controversial or too personal.  With all the chaos in my personal life these last few months, it’s been rather refreshing to sit down and write about something simple like entertainment news or my bunny.

But this, my friends, I cannot let pass without saying my peace.  Living where I live, ground zero for Republican fanatics it seems, I should be used to this by now.  And until recently, I have not let politics get under my skin.  But each passing day, as it gets closer to the election, I get more and more perturbed with Republican extremists - those who think their views and beliefs are only the correct ones and are so egocentric they assume anyone else’s views must surely match their own.  They go above and beyond to share their obnoxious opinions (and yes, they are just your opinions) to anyone within earshot.

Instead of diverging the pain-staking details, let me just say this:  #1.  If you don’t know my political affiliation or my religious beliefs, don’t send me Obama hate mail with the words “I can’t believe he’s made it this far” in the title.  You will not get a response. If you do, it may not be a pleasant one.  #2.  If you are in a room full of complete strangers and want to get to know them better, don’t start political conversation about your views on abortion and how wrong it is.  How do you know I haven’t had one and I was offended?  (For the record, I have not had an abortion but I was offended).  #3.  If you can’t pronounce Sarah Palin’s last name correctly, don’t sit there and tell me how you know she’ll make a great VP.  Like almost everyone else, two weeks ago, you probably never even heard of her.

Sigh.  Perhaps in your view these are just my obnoxious opinions but it’s my blog.  Deal with it.

It’s All About Issues

Politics.  I have to say I’ve never been a fan.  It is only in the last several years I’ve made more of an effort to pay attention.  As of recently, I have been making efforts to closely follow the democratic primaries to see who will become the nominee.  Of all the poorly made decisions made by Bush and his minions over the last eight years, I am angry enough to fight for a change.  Maybe I should thank Bush and his pals for opening my eyes to see what is really going on all around me.  Election results of 2000.  September 11th.  Fighting a war and lied to about weapons of mass destruction.  Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina.  The failed economy.  I could go on and on.  And on. 

Since the democratic primaries are still in full swing, I wanted people to take a moment to link to Obama’s and Hillary’s sites and really look at the issues they are fighting for.  The last few months have reminded me of teaching fifth grade when two of my students were in a heated argument of “he said – she said”.   All the pettiness aside, it is their issues people need to be thinking about when casting their votes.   Granted most issues may be similar but there are differences as well.   Darfur being on my radar as well these days, I did notice on Barack’s site he has secured $20 million in aid for the cause while Hillary’s site gives you an error message when you click on Action In Darfur.  I’m just saying…  

Oh- and, just in case you were under a rock and didn’t hear the results of yesterday’s primary, Obama won by a landslide in North Carolina and lost Indiana by several thousand votes.  Current delegate count is Obama: 1,842 and Hillary 1,686.