Throwing my weight around
With the Iowa Caucuses tonight, the New Hampshire Primary next Tuesday, the Nevada and South Carolina Primaries fast approaching on the 19th and 26th respectively, and with Super Tuesday looming just about a month away the "Get King George the Heck Out of The White House" countdown has officially begun.
Since that's the case, it's time for this blog, "So Let it Be Written, So Let it Be Done" to officially endorse its 2008 candidate for the office of President of the United States of America:
Your humble correspondent actually went to a town meeting style session in Derry, New Hampshire for John Edwards on December 8, 2007 and actually got to meet and shake the hand of this Presidential candidate. As a bonus, the fabulous V got to meet and shake hands with Edwards, too. Quite a deal for a 10 year old future voter.
I had never been to one of these speak, meet and greet sessions before but thought that I'd take advantage of New Hampshire's importance in the Presidential Election process this time. The gathering was small, with less than 200 seats set up in semi-circle formation. All told I'd say there were, including media and standing room only attendees, probably 400-500 people crammed into that tiny Middle School cafeteria. V and I were there early and scored front row seats, just to the right of where Mr. Edwards spoke. Don't I look good in the pictures?
We were given handy little booklets with Edwards' positions on the various issues facing our country as well as some free buttons, stickers and a sign. So far, I like what I've heard and read from this candidate more so than all the others. Though I'd have to say that Barack Obama ranks a close 2nd so far, though I think he'd make for a better VP this time around.
I'm not thrilled with Hillary, even though I voted for her husband both times he ran. America, for all her bragging about equal rights, etc., etc., is not ready for a female President. Sorry, ladies but it ain't happening.
None of the Republican candidates have done or said anything to warrant my attention, either. Romney won't get elected because a) he's from Massachusetts [damn Ohioans always messing things up!] and b) he's a Mormon. Sorry Mitt, by and large this is a Christian country. If you were a Christian, you might have had a chance.
McCain has run too many times and failed to even get the Republican nod once, so why let him have it this time? John, you're too old and out of touch with the majority of voters. Plus, we've had an over 70 Republican President once upon a time...
Giuliani had his 15 minutes of fame in the aftermath of 9/11 and in his 15 second cameo in the film "Anger Management." Thanks for playing, Rudy. Good of you to come.
Huckabee? Don't really know much about him aside from his being a former Baptist minister and Governor of Arkansas. Isn't there a statute of limitations on former Arkansas Governors running for President or something?) Still, if he wins Iowa and has a decent showing in New Hampshire, then this will be the elephant to take seriously.
Finally, I really don't think the elephants have a chance in November anyway, no matter who runs. Not after the country stupidly electing Dubya twice, as if the first time weren't bad enough. Eight years of Republicans screwing things up is enough. Let's let a Democrat have a whirl at messing things up. At least if a donkey gets elected, he'll have the benefit of a donkey controlled House, for a while at least. What a plus.
Certainly can't get any worse, can it?
Labels: election, John Edwards, president, support
posted by Tim @ 21:32
9 Comments:
You lucky dog!! I saw Edwards in Ohio when he was running for veep with Kerry back in 04-but I didn't get as close to him as you did!! I might end up supporting him also...but we'll see what happens with Ron Paul.
If Hilary gets elected, this country is in DEEP trouble. Vote Edwards or Obama.
Yeah, Green, you DO look good in the pics :)
pris: yeah, hearing and meeting Edwards was pretty cool. My daughter even had a good time with it.
d: I agree. And IF Hillary does eventually get the Democratic nod I might (for the first time ever) have to vote for a Republican.
And thanks, btw for the compliment!!
Let's see. . . Where do I start?
So many thoughts on this post.
1. Pictures are great. You know I think you look uber-serious in them. Deep thoughts. Tee-Hee.
2. Although I don't understand it, I am still concerned that Edwards has been endorsed by the likes of Socialist/Communist Harry Bellafonte and Dictator Hugo Chavez. That is extremely odd and way too extremist left for my taste.
3. Edwards is running on a "Save the Middle Class" platform currently which I do agree with. The Middle Class is in trouble. As a member of the Middle Class, I am extremely frustrated at how I foot a large percentage of the bill for those who simply "show up" at the hospital or doctor's office and pay nothing for health care. Please don't anyone lecture to me on being "racist" or uncaring about this either. I work with poor students and illegal immigrants daily, and I go over and above in my job, my care, my concern, and my giving to and for them, but I DO pay more for my health care because of them. I not only have to pay for my diabetic needs and issues, but the doctor's office, medical labs, and hospitals add more cost to the services I pay for in order to cover the "free" services that are given to the poor and illegal immigrants. I work hard everyday to just make ends meet to pay my bills AND pay for the medicine and medical costs related to this *?#! disease. No one said life is fair, but why do some feel that they are "entitled" and deserve "free" everything, and I have to pay extra to foot that bill for them? Something is wrong when I do have a job, pay taxes, and comply with the law, but I'm looking at barely surviving because I have a disease that requires regular medical care and expenses, but I have to pay for my care and everybody else's. The Middle Class is footing the largest portion of the bill for inadequacies, and it is the Middle Class that cannot afford to do this. All right. . .enough of my soap box on this issue (again!).
3. Do you think you could have trounced President Bush a little more? He is not the devil, Green.
3. I guess based on your response to DB, I will be hoping that Hillary does get the nomination. I want your Republican vote.
Apparently I can't count. LOL.
My comment got so long that I lost count with #3 and then I inserted another comment before the last #3.
Go 3! (I guess.) :)
I *think* that part of the reason medical costs are so high is also the insane insurance rates that doctors and hospitals have to pay because of people suing them all the time? Just a thought. - I'm not saying you're wrong Esther, I'm just saying there is usually more than one reason for high cost and sometimes to gain some further perspective you have to look at the forest and not the tree. I'd also like someone to explain to me how medical care is so much less expensive in many other countries (and I'm not even talking relatively... it is just cheap!)
And my question is, who is a tolerable candidate in the Republican Party? McCain won't win (and in terms of moderateness he'd be the closest one to having my vote... um, if I could vote), Giuliani just threw his hat in for popularity purposes and Huckabee and Romney make me shudder... FOR THE SAME REASON. They are both terrifyingly socially conservative. Even more terrifying than Bush, if that's possible.
I'll be happy if Edwards or Obama win. But even Hillary, who I don't particularly like, is better than the most likely Republican candidate.
lccb81: Thank you for your comment. I am all too aware of the issue of malpractice and lawsuits. I moved three years ago from bordering a state where three of my four "required" Diabetic Specialists quit their practices and moved to another state due to the high cost of malpractice insurance. As to the cost going up on this too, who do you think is responsible for doing the largest percentage of suing? The largest percentage of malpractice and malfeansance cases comes from the poor being spurred on by unscrupulous lawyers. Just because I didn't mention it in my comment doesn't mean that I am not aware of the issue of malpractice insurance, but look at its larger source. It is all tied to the same root. I'm not seeing the Middle Class out there suing in large numbers because we can't even begin to afford the lawyers' fees let alone trying to pay our mortgage payments, medical costs, insurance, higher utility bills and gas costs, as well as increasing food costs.
As a teacher in a high school with a student population of 95% Free Lunches (classification for poverty) and a large and growing percentage of English as a Second Language (almost all Hispanic) students, I watch these "poor" students walk into class with $200 and $300 pairs of sneakers and jeans. Some have significant "bling" on their ears and necks. I love every one of my students, and, like I said, I go over and above in my care, concern, and giving to them, but something is seriously wrong when their outfits cost more than my car but they are living off the government (and, by extension, my taxes).
Health care would do better to go to a business model of flat/standard rate pricing and more competitive capitalism. How much is the standard cost of this or that procedure would be better than the current sliding price rates. Something is wrong when my insurance and then my out-of-pocket percentage pays a doctor $130 for walking into a hospital room, saying hello, and then walking out.
As to the Presidential debate, so many on blogger are liberal and want MORE government. I simply scratch my head. You all hate President Bush with a passion (who you see as the embodiment of corrupt big government), but you want candidates who want BIGGER and MORE INVASIVE government. Hmmm?
As to your hate of President Bush, we haven't had another September 11th which affords you the right to go on hating him, and, which, I might add, was planned and in the works during Clinton's administration too, so if we're going to pass around blame for it, let's realize that Clinton was not "Mr. Perfection" and "Top Saint" as so many would paint him out to be.
I find myself frustrated as one of the only ones in this forum that seems to have respect for the Office of President. For all of you personally attack President Bush AS A PERSON, I ask how many of you with the same breath have prayed, meditated, or offered a positive thought for him and that Office on a regular basis and regardless of your religious or non-religious stance? Who said it was easy being President of the United States? Did Bush create Al Queda? No, they hated us before and they will go on hating us. Total destruction of Western freedom and society is their goal. Did Bush create these social issues? No, they were brewing and there during a Democratic tenure as well. I'm not saying that Bush hasn't made mistakes, but which President hasn't? I didn't agree with Clinton or his approach to most things, and I certainly didn't agree with his affair, but, guess what? I still prayed for him.
I'm not saying that we don't have intelligent discussion about the issues, but many of you, including you, Green, insult President Bush and call him names as if he is the dumbest man on Earth and the devil himself. He is not. Criticize the policies, but don't attack the man. Regardless of who is in office, it takes a lot of stamina, strength, and intelligence to do the job and stand in that office. Just because the man is not as gifted of an orator as President Clinton doesn't make him less capable. It just makes him not as gifted of a speaker. I know a lot of intelligent people who have difficulty with public speaking. It doesn't make them incapable of doing their jobs.
If you're a Christian, please just ask the Lord what he would have you do in regard to President Bush. He is leaving office. We know this. How about some prayer for the man instead of insults?
Most of you won't like what I've said here, and I'm sure that I'll receive hateful backlash for my comments, but am I that off-base with just requesting a little respect for the man and the office?
esther: so many comments. Where do I begin to answer them?
1?thanks for the compliments on the pics. I remember your making that comment to me when I emailed them to you weeks ago. I was wondering how I was going to fit them in since the John Edwards thing I went to was in early December and I didn't want to resort to backdating a post to get them on the blog. The Iowa caucuses gave me the perfect opportunity to do just that.
2) Don't base your opinion of Edwards on Chavez or Bellafonte. There are nut jobs that back every candidate just some are more visible than others.
3) I agree with your assessment of the middle class and that's one of the reasons why I'm supporting Edwards. I totally inderstand about the skyrocketing cost of healthcare. When I had my kidney stone surgery in 2005, my health insurance paid 80% of the cost. But that still left me with assorted bills totaling over $5,000 as my 20% share. Who has that kind of change just sitting around? Certainly not I.
4) I certainly didn't trounce Bush with that one opening comment. My other comment toward the end is outlined more in c) below. I DO have respect for the office of President of the US but in Bush's case I have no respect for the man behind the curtain. He has not earned it. AT.ALL.
History will, in my opinion, remember George W. Bush for three things:
a) the failure of the war in Iraq and the lack of wmd's there and the shady reasons why we're fighting over there instead of trying to put all our military resources into finding Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. AND because of the current Administration's stance on Iraq, America has garnered more hatred and disrespect on the world scene than we already had to deal with.
b) The US Economy under the current administration has sunk to new lows thanks to the weakening dollar in world markets and the lack of good jobs here at home. Don't be fooled by the statistics of record job increases that you hear about. They are very misleading. Which jobs are you creating: one thousand minimum wage jobs or one thousand jobs that offer a decent salary. On the same token, have prices in general gone down for goods and services while the dollar is in decline? NO. So your dollar buys less than it did ten years ago. Is it a coincidence that America's economy was strong(er) under Clinton? I don't think so.
c) the shady way in which Bush was elected, twice (hello Florida chads and narrowly winning by the outdated electoral college method while losing the popular vote.
No, I don't think Bush is the devil as AG seems to.
Man it will be scary if *I* have to vote Republican as the lesser of two weevils....
"Weevils Wobble, But They Don't Fall Down!"
I hope you think that's funny.
Your points are well-taken.
I do, however, believe that there were WMDs and that Hussein was not alone in getting rid of them. Could they have been smuggled out of the country prior to our entry? Yes. Could they have been put out to sea on a disguised container ship? Yes. Saddam Hussein did a mass killing of Kurds in one of his own border towns in the 90s. He proved that he had WMDs. Just because we weren't able to find them in Iraq, doesn't mean they weren't there. Which country has them now is my question?
Along the same line, where is Osama Bin Laden? Does he exist? Yes. Have we found him yet? No.
For all you nay-sayers who would reckon that my hypothesis that WMDs really did exist in Iraq is mere conjecture and conspiracy theory, there are far wackier and insane theories being touted by supposed "intelligentsia" and "academic elitists" (and "Flakes" like Rosie O'Donnell) that September 11th was a U.S. government conspiracy. Which is the greater stretch? Please.
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