My voting record

Now that I've officially earned my right to complain for the next four years by voting, let me do a quick rundown of my Presidential election voting record:

1988: George HW Bush vs Michael Dukakis: Growing up in Massachusetts, I voted for the home state guy. The Duke. No apologies. Something about Bush I didn't like from the start. Though I did hear GHWB speak once in person (at Salem State College) after he was out of office and I was impressed.

1992: George HW Bush vs. William Jefferson Clinton: Didn't vote for Bush the first time, certainly wasn't gonna do it the second time around. Clinton had a magnetic personality and like this current election, the country needed a change from a Republican stranglehold on the Presidency.

1996: Bob Dole vs. WJ Clinton: Dare you think I would vote for Mr. No personality over Bill? Oh, no. Despite Clinton's sexual promiscuity, I think he was a better than average President.

2000: Al Gore vs. George W Bush: I voted for Al, who would have done an admirable job in the Oval Office. Too bad Al couldn't even carry his home state of Tennessee... never a good sign. I have four words about GWB: "Deer in the headlights." 'Nuff said. Damn Florida chads. I must say though that I was never more proud to be an American during this election. Amid all of the confusion and dispute over Florida's electoral votes, there was never any violence when the country went from a Democratic administration to a Republican one. How many times have we heard of fighting, murders and crime breaking out in other countries over elections where a different party is coming into power?

2004: John Kerry vs. King George: I am proud to write that I have never voted for a Bush and I never will. John Kerry, another Massachusetts guy, still would make a good President if he decides to run again someday. [Even better for him if he gets tabbed for a Cabinet post in 2008.] Damn Ohioans. Get it right in '08, will ya? One headline I read after the last election asked something like, "how can 50 million Americans be so stupid?" (referring to the re-election of Bush). Well you get what you ask for most of the time and America did with four more years of the current administration. "Deer in the headlights" still applies to W. Always will.

2008: Barack Obama vs. John McCain: At the beginning of the Presidential race I was a supporter of John Edwards and attended a town hall meeting of his last December in Derry, New Hampshire (my first such event, ever - of which I have photographic proof.) But since he dropped out, I've made no secret of the fact that I've thrown my weight, such as it is, behind Barack Obama. Another precedent broken - for the first time I've contributed financially to a Presidential campaign. Heaven help us if McRabid puffy cheeked squirrel guy wins...

I've even gone so far in this space to predict an overwhelming Electoral College victory for Obama, similar to the beating Mondale/Ferraro took in 1984 at the hands of Reagan/Bush I. Now let's see what the final results will be this time. No matter who wins though, I'll be happy to be done with the political ads and mailings that go along with such campaigns.

Thoughts on the third Presidential Debate

Can anyone tell me what Senator McCain had in his cheek? One side of his face looked awfully puffy. Did he have a bit of smokeless tobacco in his mouth? Gum? A breath mint?

I don't think McCain looked directly at Obama more than once during the whole debate.

McCain says he's disappointed in the tone that this campaign has taken. But do you think he'll stop running his negative ads because of what he said tonight? I doubt it. Now I'm not saying that Obama's campaign has been clean and rosy and polite in the ads 100%. That would be naive. I believe McCain said at the outset that he would run a clean, negative ad free campaign, yet the first negative ad I heard was a McCain ad.

The point of difference, and this line is often blurred, is mistaking a negative attack ad for an ad that points out the difference in the candidates views or policy differences. That's legitimate and definitely not negative.

It was interesting to hear each candidate defend their selection of their VP running mate. Obviously I'd feel more comfortable if Biden had to become Predident rather than Palin.

I think its funny (in a very sarcastic way) that McCain keeps harping that Obama wants to raise your taxes when Obama said to his face tonight and in other debates that he's not going to raise taxes for any family making less than $250,000.00. Is someone hearing impaired?

Abortion. Roe v. Wade. Wow! I'm not even going to go there in this post.

It is likely that the next President will have to appoint at least one, maybe two or three new justices for the Supreme Court and as Obama says, Roe v. Wade will hang in the balance (depending on the tenor and qualifications of each judge.) Remember that a Judicial appointment to the Supreme Court is a lifetime post, which will have an effect on this country for years to come.

My support was just not enough

I'm a little shocked that it came now instead of after Super Tuesday's 21 primaries. I am disappointed that John Edwards has decided to end his run for the White House in 2008.

Even I could see the writing on the wall that results in primaries held thusfar have yielded one second place finish and a whole lot of third place finishes. Senators Obama and Clinton have made the Democratic nomination what will be a historic two person race, no matter who wins.

I'm convinced, however, that we have not heard the last from Edwards, who is only 54. He will have other opportunities to run for President, if he wants them. Edwards will still impact this race for the Democratic nomination when he reveals whom he will endorse, giving that candidate a huge boost (assuming the majority of his supporters flow to the candidate he endorses). No matter whom he ends up supporting, he'll still have a voice in what the final Democratic platform will be come convention time. I'm sure he realizes now, that the most important thing is to do whatever he can to unite the Democratic Party in order to present the strongest possible ticket opposite whomever the cannon fodder is that the Republicans eventually nominate.

I do think that Edwards will eventually endorse Barack Obama, and I think he will do it before Super Tuesday. I don't think he'd be offered, nor would he accept another Vice Presidential nomination after 2004, but it's still within the realm of possibility. My hope is that he will be offered an important position in the Cabinet (or possibly Attorney General) for either an Obama or Clinton Administration. Either way, if Edwards really wants the White House in 2012 or 2016, more national exposure in a high profile position will be good for him.

You're probably wondering who I'm going to endorse now that my man is out, right? Some of you could probably guess, but you'll have to wait until Tuesday for the official word.