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Biden / Palin Debate Oct. 2, 2008

So, who won last night???

I know, I know, I'm going to get 2 answers, maybe 3. Those who are already voting for Obama will say that Biden won, and those voting for McCain will say Palin won. Then the handfull of undecideds that will actually decide who our next president will be, they are probably throwing their hands up in the air saying "DRAW!" Even though I already know who I'm going to vote for and why, I think I would have to agree with the draw. I don't think there was a clear winner last night, nor do I think there was a clear winner last friday with the debate between McCain & Obama.

I think Biden handled himself well. He didn't put his foot in his mouth and didn't ramble on like he normally does. Palin showed that she knew what she was talking about, and held her own quite well. I also think that the moderator did well at being objective and unbiased, despite the fact that she should have recused herself for having a conflict of interest. However, I seem to be in the minority on those feelings.

I was on Twitter while watching the debate, and I got to see quite an array of voices. People who thought that Biden won and couldn't stand Palin, and vice versa. Unfortunately there were a lot of name calling and pettiness on both sides of the equation. I can understand frustration and some of the anger towards each other because you're not getting your voice heard. That's legitimate. But when you start complaining about someone's accent or pronunciation of words, it goes beyond common curtousy.

I don't see any point in spreading lies or calling names. I don't like it when either side does it, not just the side that I am not on. However, I do see MORE petty name calling when it comes to Palin. Unfortunately I see it coming mostly from women. This does not surprise me, and probably doesn't surprise most women.

We've always known that women can be extremely back stabbing when it comes to competition. No hold bars, no kit gloves, no holding anything back. When women fight, it's down and dirty. That's what I see out there in the political stream. Those women who don't agree with Palin's political views are pissed! The mad that the republicans put a woman up for VP and Obama snubbed Hillary. They are mad that she's not totally pro-choice. They are also mad that she's not easy to dismiss as a backwards fundamentalist who cowtows to her husband and her bible.

I believe that the Democrat women are so upset because a woman who is NOT a Democrat could make it to the White House. They see her as a threat to their way of thinking. What they don't seem to see, is that they made it where this could happen. It's a good thing, as far as I'm concerned.

They want women to be strong. Sarah Palin is a very strong woman. They want women to be independant. Sarah Palin is extremely independant. They want women to think for themselves and to have the same jobs that men can have. Sarah Palin is all of that! She's the poster child for what the feminist movement is all about. Not the political ideologies, but the foundations of what women's rights were fought for. Just because she doesn't agree with the Democrat party line does not make her less of a feminist, or less of a woman! It shows just how strong of a woman she really is though. I doubt there are many other women out there that could stand up against so many women to and say "I'm a Republican Woman, hear me roar! Like a pitbull with lipstick!"

Well, with that, I give you a link to the twitter feed about the election. It scrolls in realtime all the things that people are throwing out into the universe about the election. Of course right now, it's mostly about Palin, both good and bad. I thought it was interesting and it inspired this post. So have fun with it! http://election.twitter.com/

And thanks for coming by!

Questions of Sarah Palin Answered

All over the internet and through out the news there are questions about Sarah Palin. People are questioning her previous experiences, her decisions, and her beliefs. Her are some of those questions answered with facts and personal feelings on those questions. To be fair and balanced, I will be posting some of the questions and answers about Barrack Obama as well.


In my opinion there are plenty of real issues to be discussed about all the candidates, but the things that are keeping those issues from being discussed are a lot of rumors, innuendoes and lies. Let's get through them quickly and move on to the issues.

Note: These issues were brought up in a debate found on Mom Logic.

1. She only opposed "Bridge to Nowhere" after the plan was publicly blasted.
Yes, she was originally for the bridge. It was only after Congress was already nixing the idea that she became against it. Yes, she accepted the money that was originally FOR the bridge. Congress gave that money to the state to do with as it chose. Sarah Palin chose not to build the bridge. As much as we all hate it when politicians flip flop over some issue, it happens all the time. Personally, I’d rather have a politician who changes their stand on things because the people demand it, than for them to go against what the people want all the time. We’d all be pissed off, and generally are, when our government does not adhere to our wants.


2. She got her first passport in 2006.
   Is this really an issue? Or is this an attempt at saying she doesn’t have enough foreign policy experience? I think it’s the latter. First, her state is the largest supplier of American Energy. And despite what some of the press would like to believe, energy is one of the foundations of national security and foreign relationships. If we relied more heavily on our own production of energy, we wouldn’t be in nearly as much danger from foreign nations. So although she may not be the most traveled nominee, her experience in our number one concern is more than enough to qualify her for the VP slot.
   


3. When she was elected mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she asked the city librarian to ban books.
   This is completely untrue. It doesn’t take much time to find the reality of this situation, but just in case people don’t feel “up to” looking it up, here are the facts. When Palin became mayor, she questioned most of the city staff in regards to their loyalty to her, the city or the previous government. Since she won because of the corruption of the previous government, it’s only natural that she would want to know where the staff stood. Part of her questioning of the Librarian was about her willingness to ban books if asked. That’s all it was. She never gave the librarian a list. She never told the librarian she had to ban any books, and no books were banned after Sarah Palin took office. Not that this really matters, because the VP doesn’t force anyone to ban a book in the country and decisions like that are via library district.



4. She supports an abstinence-until-marriage sexual education program.
   As a woman, mother, pro-choicer, & daughter, I do not agree with this type of educational program. However, I also do not feel that my choice should keep others from feeling differently. Sex education doesn’t keep kids from getting pregnant, having sex, or getting sexually transmitted diseases. Parents can only do what they feel is right for their children, and hope that they’ve instilled enough good sense & knowledge, for their child to make good decisions. That being said, once your child goes out the door, their decisions are their own to make. Most will make a lot of bad decisions. Again, this is not something that the VP or the President has much say in. The school districts have control over what is taught in the public schools. Parents choose who’s running the school districts, so ultimately it’s the parent’s choices that matter.
   



5. When her mother-in-law ran for the mayor of Wasilla after Palin was elected governor, she didn't endorse her
   George W. Bush’s mom didn’t vote for him when he ran for governor. That’s just how families are. I don’t know her mother-in-law, so I can’t say if I take her opinion as good or bad. She’s entitled to her opinion and her vote. Besides, how many MIL do you know that like their son’s wife? No matter how nice, good, intelligent the woman is some men’s mothers don’t like their wives. Again, this is not an issue for me.



6. Palin's church has advertisements to help gay people "overcome homosexuality."
   I’m not sure how her church feels about gays ties into her VP selection. It’s not unusual for most churches to think that being gay is something that can be overcome. I don’t agree with that, but I don’t see how that makes any difference to Sarah Palin's nomination. They aren’t going to the funerals of AIDs victims telling them they are going to hell, with picket signs. This controversy sounds more like an attempt at retribution for Obama’s minster’s view on America and the American people in general. Her church isn’t teaching hate of gay people, they think they are trying to help them.



7. She hid her pregnancy until her third trimester and went back to work three days after giving birth to Trig.
   Wait, which side is that on?? I can understand, especially as a governor, why she would want to hide her pregnancy. The mere asking this question proves the point precisely WHY she would want to hide her pregnancy. And your concern for working moms is quite contradictory. You can’t be upset with Palin for hiding her pregnancy AND be upset that she went back to work 3 days later. It proves she has the resiliency to be able to put her responsibilities to her people ahead of her own feelings. Just like any man would in the same position.



8. She has no idea what her job will be if she's elected.
   This is one of the quotes that were taken out of context. It was a flippant answer during an interview, which in hindsight (which is always 20/20) is a bad choice of words. Much like another candidate who chose his words unwisely during an interview or two… and during a speech or two.



9. She has a travel crib in her Anchorage office and a baby swing in her Juneau one.
   WOOHOO! I’ll bet that every mom and possibly dad in the capital office is able to do exactly the same thing. I think this is totally acceptable and wonderful. Good for her!



10. Palin attended 6 colleges in 6 years.
    If all of the arguments against Governor Palin are going to be completely non-issues, why bother bringing them up. If everything we did as young adults were used against us in every job we applied for, none of us would be working! Especially when it comes to college! Not everyone can afford to go to an Ivy League. Not everyone qualifies for a full scholarship. Not everyone has a stable life from cradle to grave where they can stay in one place. I say good for her that she graduated college! She obviously was committed to finishing; otherwise she wouldn’t have continued to go to the various colleges until she found one that suited her needs.


Now that we have all of these ridiculous non-issues out of our system, can we move on to what really matters? Lipstick!

You can find most of these facts on Sarah Palin at FactCheck.org

Christine is a single mom, homeschooling her two teenage sons and working from home. You can find more of Christine’s writing at Best HomeSchool Place, Mixed Bag Politics and Wyndsong's Whisperings

Thursday 13 In Memorium of 9/11

4 years ago, ST and I went to New York. I had to go to Ground Zero. It was hard being there, but I knew we had to go. These are the pictures that we took.

May we always remember those who gave their lives!

Who's Got the Most Experience?

Both the Democratic & the Republican presidential candidates have experienced and relative inexperienced nominees on their tickets. Each side is saying that the other doesn't have the experience it takes to do the job. Who does have the most experience, and does it matter to you?

The Democrats

Senator Barrack Obama has 2 years as the Illinois State Senator, and 6 years in the Illinois state senate. He is on three of the four Senate Committees dealing with foreign policy issues including the Foreign Relations; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs committees and is the Chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Relations which is responsible fore U.S. relations with European countries, the European Union, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (i.e., NATO). He also graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science with an emphasis on international relations.

Senator Joe Biden has been U.S. Senator, from 1972-present, serving as chair on the Judiciary (1987-1995) and Foreign Relations (2001-2003) committees. He's got foreign policy experience, and has traveled throughout the world many times. His 30+ years in Senate have given a lot of experience in the Legislative Branch, but none in the Exective branch of any part of the government.

The Republicans

Senator John McCain has been in the Senate since 1982. He has been a leader in being bipartisan, and reaching across the isle to work with others from all parties on issues that he felt were important. From working on imigration laws, to finance & spending reform, John McCain has been a leader in bipartisanship.

Governor Sarah Palin is the only person on either ticket that has Executive Branch experience. She has been governor of the State of Alaska for 2 years. Serving 2 terms on the City Council of her home town of Wasilla, AK from 1992 - 1996. Going on to serve as Mayor of the same city in 1996 until she chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004 while also serving as Ethics Supervisor of the commission. In 2006, Sarah Palin became Alaska's first female Governor, becuase of her stance on corruption in her party and in the state.

My View

Experience has been a key issue during this election, and it's just gotten bigger with Sarah Palin being picked for the Vice President nominee for the Republican party. Both tickets have experienced and inexperienced people running, however they are not equally so. If you look at their backgrounds and look at what each have accomplished, only one person comes out as "inexperienced".

How much does experience matter to your vote? I know how much it matters to my vote. It matters to me, that the presidential nominee should be the one with the most experience. I want the person that I vote for president, to have a life time of personal experiences, along with a lifetime of government experience. In a time when we are still fighting terrorists, when there is an energy crisis going on, we need someone who knows how to fight and take command. Not someone who will learn "on the job"!

When it comes to the Vice President, I want someone who will be able to back up the president. Someone who can and will work with everyone in all parties, to get the job done. That person doesn't need as much experience as the president. They do need strength and conviction.

When I look at the tickets, side by side, I can see clearly which side has the most experience. Not only in running a government, but in staying true to our country and what we stand for. There is clearly a ticket that holds conviction and strength in doing what they feel is right.

That's what is important to me. What is important to you?