Monday, March 03, 2008
Page Two.....
One of these days this fucker needs to just create his own blog. But because I know he is just an amateur complainer as opposed to myself who went pro when he didn't get that pony for...wait, I did get the pony, ok when I didn't get the GI Joe....no that isn't it...Iran Hostage situation? Maybe...I'll have to think on when I became professional bitcher. Anyway without further adieu Page Two;
I would like to avoid a politics all together, but there is far too much to ignore. First I am mad as hell that the race for president began more than 18 months before the election. God have mercy! I would like to express my gratitude to Ralph Nader for waiting till the election was only 8 months away before declaring his candidacy. A raspberry to the rest of you! If John McCain and Russ Feingold want to do something about political campaigns do something about this!
Speaking of John McCain; I generally vote Republican, and am as much moderate as conservative, but either way, I don't care for John McCain. Senator McCain has acquired the label of "maverick." It seems "maverick" is code for "he is unpredictable but he causes more trouble for other people than he does for me." From where I sit, McCain is a loose cannon - unpredictable and potentially dangerous. I don't like his stance on many issues, don't trust his judgment and don't think he would make a good president. Yet many folks feel confident, as a Republican, he will get my vote. I'm not so sure. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.
Let me first comment on Senator McCain's military service, and the military in general. I did not serve in the military. At the time it really wasn't something my peers and I seriously considered. If I had served I might have been called to duty in WW Grenada or the Panama Conflict. Hardly endeavors that inspire. I am humbled by young people who join the military today, knowing full well that they are likely to be put in harms way. (Strong props to Prince Harry.) I respect Senator McCain for his service. I can not imagine what he had to endure at the hands of the Vietnamese. I will stipulate that his time in North Vietnam was the polar opposite of Club Med. Nor do I question Senator McCain's love for his country. However, that by itself in no way guarantees he will be a good president.
I also have to say, that the frequent mentions of his service and time in Vietnam bother me. Sometimes I get the feeling that he is trying to tell us his being a POW is a necessary attribute that no other candidate has. I half expect him to say "if Al Qaeda shoots down Air Force One and captures the President alive, I am the only candidate who has the experience to successfully handle the ordeal." We get it. You were a Navy pilot. You were shot down. You were beaten regularly for five years, and dang it you missed Woodstock. But how does that make you qualified to be president?
Your turn Mrs. Clinton. I do not like Senator Clinton. Nor do I trust her. I think electing her president would be bad news for our country. I recently read an opinion piece in a well known publication, where the author quoted someone else as saying "she is every man's first wife, and first mother in law all in one pant suit." Perfectly sums up her personality.
I am also shocked at how Democrats and the press fawn over her. Late last year Carl Bernstein, formerly of Woodward and Bernstein fame, was in town to promote his biography of Mrs. Clinton. He appeared on a local radio talk show. During the interview he said, and I am not making this up, “she has overcome so much adversity in her life.” I thought about that a minute. She grew up in suburban Chicago in a middle class household. She went to Wellesley College and Yale Law School. My God! You’re right! How could anyone rise above that! The campaign of Senator Obama has stolen much or her glory, but she still gets unusually kind treatment from the press.
On top of that her politics are ALL wrong. I heard a snippet of a speech she gave this week where she was discussing health care. She said "...there are many solutions to the health care problem, we just need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.." This is the first thing she has said that I agree with. There are many solutions. Most of which are better than your plan. (The last time we heard the "roll up our sleeves" line was from Ross Perot. Chuckle.)
Senator Clinton’s plans are all built around the idea that the government knows what is best for you and you need to get out of their way and let them take care of you. On health care, one candidate said "do you want to trust the nation's health care to the same organization that oversaw the invasion of Iraq and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina?" To put it another way, the old joke goes, "you know you're in trouble when someone knocks on your door and says 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Bottom line, do you really think the government stepping in and taking control of health care will FIX the problem? The Democrats have been fighting the War on Poverty for 40 years. How is that going? That’s all I have to say about that.
I do feel compelled to discuss something else Senator Clinton has said. On more than one occasion she has advocated heavily taxing big oil companies. Granted, Exxon Mobil has posted astronomical profits the last couple years. And there may be cause to decrease some government tax breaks to oil companies. But the suggestion that we should heavily tax the profits scares the hell out of me, and it should scare you too. Let’s think this through. When a company makes a profit, where does the money go? Well, after the Board of Directors get their taste, and the accountants work their voodoo, the rest is distributed to stock holders – you – me - my 401K - yours. I checked, at least one of the funds offered in my company's 401K plan holds Exxon Mobil stock. Yours probably does too, heck it would be crazy to ignore a company that made a profit of over 100 billion dollars in one year. Yes, I hate the price of gas, and the oil companies are giving with one hand and taking with the other, but the thought of the government intervening in this cycle is the perfect way to suppress economic growth. Then where will we be?
All I have to say about Barak Obama is he is an unabashed socialist. Don't care to go down that road.
As for the election in the fall, I have no idea what will happen. I do have a prediction about the debates. No matter who the Democrat candidate is, John McCain will struggle to impress. If his opponent is Senator Obama, comparisons to the Nixon-Kennedy debate are inevitable. McCain's only chance is if that old dog can learn a few new tricks before fall.
I would like to avoid a politics all together, but there is far too much to ignore. First I am mad as hell that the race for president began more than 18 months before the election. God have mercy! I would like to express my gratitude to Ralph Nader for waiting till the election was only 8 months away before declaring his candidacy. A raspberry to the rest of you! If John McCain and Russ Feingold want to do something about political campaigns do something about this!
Speaking of John McCain; I generally vote Republican, and am as much moderate as conservative, but either way, I don't care for John McCain. Senator McCain has acquired the label of "maverick." It seems "maverick" is code for "he is unpredictable but he causes more trouble for other people than he does for me." From where I sit, McCain is a loose cannon - unpredictable and potentially dangerous. I don't like his stance on many issues, don't trust his judgment and don't think he would make a good president. Yet many folks feel confident, as a Republican, he will get my vote. I'm not so sure. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.
Let me first comment on Senator McCain's military service, and the military in general. I did not serve in the military. At the time it really wasn't something my peers and I seriously considered. If I had served I might have been called to duty in WW Grenada or the Panama Conflict. Hardly endeavors that inspire. I am humbled by young people who join the military today, knowing full well that they are likely to be put in harms way. (Strong props to Prince Harry.) I respect Senator McCain for his service. I can not imagine what he had to endure at the hands of the Vietnamese. I will stipulate that his time in North Vietnam was the polar opposite of Club Med. Nor do I question Senator McCain's love for his country. However, that by itself in no way guarantees he will be a good president.
I also have to say, that the frequent mentions of his service and time in Vietnam bother me. Sometimes I get the feeling that he is trying to tell us his being a POW is a necessary attribute that no other candidate has. I half expect him to say "if Al Qaeda shoots down Air Force One and captures the President alive, I am the only candidate who has the experience to successfully handle the ordeal." We get it. You were a Navy pilot. You were shot down. You were beaten regularly for five years, and dang it you missed Woodstock. But how does that make you qualified to be president?
Your turn Mrs. Clinton. I do not like Senator Clinton. Nor do I trust her. I think electing her president would be bad news for our country. I recently read an opinion piece in a well known publication, where the author quoted someone else as saying "she is every man's first wife, and first mother in law all in one pant suit." Perfectly sums up her personality.
I am also shocked at how Democrats and the press fawn over her. Late last year Carl Bernstein, formerly of Woodward and Bernstein fame, was in town to promote his biography of Mrs. Clinton. He appeared on a local radio talk show. During the interview he said, and I am not making this up, “she has overcome so much adversity in her life.” I thought about that a minute. She grew up in suburban Chicago in a middle class household. She went to Wellesley College and Yale Law School. My God! You’re right! How could anyone rise above that! The campaign of Senator Obama has stolen much or her glory, but she still gets unusually kind treatment from the press.
On top of that her politics are ALL wrong. I heard a snippet of a speech she gave this week where she was discussing health care. She said "...there are many solutions to the health care problem, we just need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.." This is the first thing she has said that I agree with. There are many solutions. Most of which are better than your plan. (The last time we heard the "roll up our sleeves" line was from Ross Perot. Chuckle.)
Senator Clinton’s plans are all built around the idea that the government knows what is best for you and you need to get out of their way and let them take care of you. On health care, one candidate said "do you want to trust the nation's health care to the same organization that oversaw the invasion of Iraq and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina?" To put it another way, the old joke goes, "you know you're in trouble when someone knocks on your door and says 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" Bottom line, do you really think the government stepping in and taking control of health care will FIX the problem? The Democrats have been fighting the War on Poverty for 40 years. How is that going? That’s all I have to say about that.
I do feel compelled to discuss something else Senator Clinton has said. On more than one occasion she has advocated heavily taxing big oil companies. Granted, Exxon Mobil has posted astronomical profits the last couple years. And there may be cause to decrease some government tax breaks to oil companies. But the suggestion that we should heavily tax the profits scares the hell out of me, and it should scare you too. Let’s think this through. When a company makes a profit, where does the money go? Well, after the Board of Directors get their taste, and the accountants work their voodoo, the rest is distributed to stock holders – you – me - my 401K - yours. I checked, at least one of the funds offered in my company's 401K plan holds Exxon Mobil stock. Yours probably does too, heck it would be crazy to ignore a company that made a profit of over 100 billion dollars in one year. Yes, I hate the price of gas, and the oil companies are giving with one hand and taking with the other, but the thought of the government intervening in this cycle is the perfect way to suppress economic growth. Then where will we be?
All I have to say about Barak Obama is he is an unabashed socialist. Don't care to go down that road.
As for the election in the fall, I have no idea what will happen. I do have a prediction about the debates. No matter who the Democrat candidate is, John McCain will struggle to impress. If his opponent is Senator Obama, comparisons to the Nixon-Kennedy debate are inevitable. McCain's only chance is if that old dog can learn a few new tricks before fall.
