I'm a woman...

Hello Blogging World,
After reading something by Kathleen Parker, it is becoming increasingly apparent that many women, ranging from unwed, college students to career moms to stay-at-home moms, feel the need to vote for Palin simply because she is a woman. Some women think that because Palin is a woman and a mother that she will have their best interests at heart. Some women feel it would be anti-feminist to vote against her. Some women feel the need to support other women at all costs. I don't like Palin. The more I see of Palin, the less faith I have in the Republican party. Her interviews scare me, just take a look at the one with Katie Couric. By the way, I am a woman too. I from the beginning was weary of Governor Palin. I didn't want to rule her out right from the start, but I felt the need to get to know her as best as possible. I found out that she is not someone I can support. I urge all women out there to do some research she may not be everything you initially thought. Don't feel like you have to be her biggest fan because you are a woman. Trust me.

And the winner is...

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With the first debate done and over with, people have begun dissecting Friday evening's dialogue in an attempt to declare a winner. People have looked at the candidate's answers, body language, eye contact, recent poll results, news correspondents, and even fellow bloggers in an attempt to make sense of how the debate affected the election. I tried to avoid the hubbub listed above in an attempt to form as unbiased an opinion as possible. That being said, the debate resulted in a tie. Each candidate stuck to their platforms while dodging the actual questions and skillfully avoiding saying anything that could be considered political suicide. They did what politicians do best, they talked. Republicans and Democrats alike declare this a solid victory. McCain showed his superiority in foreign experience, and Obama showed that he won't be another Bush. Obama while he may not have as much foreign experience managed to hold his own, and McCain fought back saying he doesn't always support Bush. We already knew these things. We have been told these things before, rather frequently actually. To be honest, I didn't expect more or less from either candidate, and as I spoke with other college students I realized my opinion was greatly shared. I expected the results I got, after all this is only politics. My plead to all: Don't be disenchanted, there is a chance one of the candidates can make a difference once elected, but don't expect to see McCain the Maverick or Obama's "Change we can believe in" at the debates, that just isn't how things are done in American politics.

Debates are on the way...

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One of my favorite parts of the whole campaign is the series of debates. While it may just be politicians gabbing, for some reason I enjoy it. I love speeches, and for me debates are just that much more entertaining. So, when I stumbled upon an article about the debate forum, I read it with a certain level of giddiness awaiting some details. Two things jumped out at me right from the beginning. First is the continuation of Sarah Palin as a phenomenon. People are highly interested in the Vice Presidential debates. This was such a breath of fresh air. With a woman VP candidate and an African American Presidential candidate, the American people are actually being prompted to pay attention to politics. The excitement I see around me is a rare and refreshing sight. However, on a slightly more peculiar note, I took particular notice of the format of the VP debate. It will have shorter Q&A segments. Apparently the McCain campaign requested this because, "they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage" (Patrick Healy, New York Times). Will somebody please tell McCain's advisers "No Duh!". However, Governor Palin's previous speeches have been so energized and crowd-pleasing, I'm not sure why they are so worried. Maybe because, surprise, this won't be scripted, and I'm not sure how many more times Palin can simply call herself the hockey mom from Alaska who said "Thanks, but no thanks" to that bridge to nowhere.

The final leg...

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With the Presidential Election fast approaching, there have been several mud-slinging campaigns from both sides.  As a voter with no extreme party allegiances, I follow both parties addictively.  In my opinion there can never be too much information out there, and courtesy of the internet information availability is at its prime.  The one characteristic that is becoming most important to me in both a presidential and vice-presidential candidate is truthfulness.  With that being said, some Republicans may call Sarah Palin their savior, but she tanked the Republican platform's credibility for me.  As more information comes to light, not only do I find myself questioning Governor Palin's credibility as well as ability, I quickly find myself becoming skeptical of John McCain himself.  I feel John McCain placed Palin in a position of power to gain some targeted voters, and congrats it seems to be working.  However, I don't think I can vote for a candidate who is willing to subject America to Sarah Palin just so he can win.  It isn't a risk I'd be willing to take.

The question isn't why...

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With Hurricane Ike having made landfall, I feel I can now tear myself away from the Weather Channel long enough to do a little blogging. Unfortunately, courtesy of Ike and the whereabouts of my family, I have been focusing on the storm a little more than political current events. So, as a result I am taking this moment to address a political problem rather than a political current event. With the presidential election fast approaching, a common question on everyone's lips is "Who are you voting for?". A handfull of my close friends shocked me when they answered, "nobody, I'm not registered and I never plan on doing so". In my shock, I proceeded to ask several other people, everyone from classmates to people sitting next to me on the bus, "Are you registered to vote, and do you plan on voting?". To my dismay, I got several similar responses. The beauty of the United States is that is your liberty, not voting, and so I resisted the urge to scream at them how it is their civic duty. However, I could not resist the urge to ask them why they felt this way. Every single person I talked to about this all came back with the same retort. They wanted me to give them one reason WHY they should vote. The only thing I have been able to come up with is, "WHY NOT?". If you really look at it, there are no extreme consequences to voting. It is one of those things in life that will not come back to bite you in the butt. You won't be reprimanded for your choice. The only possibility is the person you voted for doesn't get elected, but by not voting that is still a likely concern. So, give yourself a chance at winning. Put your voice out there, and instead of asking "Why?", start asking yourself "Why not?".

Things that happen when you get to the big show...

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Well, Sarah Palin has arrived, and it looks like the media is going to keep her around. American citizens are intrigued by this unknown from Alaska, and the media is rushing to get as much info as possible. So it isn't at all surprising that an e-mail sent by Wasilla, Alaska resident, Anne Kilkenny, to her friends has escaped onto the world-wide web. The letter is intriguing and has definitely started the conversations. However, what I have begun to realize is that criticism rarely changes people's minds. Palin's critics love the letter and cite everything as fact, while her supporters look at is as vindictive slander. The only people who this will truly affect are people like me who just can't quite put our finger on how we feel about Ms. Palin. So, I urge anyone wandering upon Anne Kilkenny's letter who is still left undecided to look at the facts, verify them to the best of your ability, and please make your OWN opinion. Good luck! America needs someone, but who that will be is up to us.

Introducing Sarah Palin...

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John McCain shocked a lot of Americans, Democratic and Republican, when he announced his running mate, 44 year old, self-proclaimed hockey mom Sarah Palin.  The question is, how does this affect the election?  People are pretty much saying everything under the sun.  The thing about politics is often times the facts don't matter.  Sometimes the only thing standing between success and failure is the popular opinion, so how do people feel?  One favorable comment is Palin represents the radical changes McCain is looking for.  She also has the capability of drawing in two groups of people McCain still wants to target, family-oriented women and conservatives.  However, like in any election, there are always critics.  The most used criticism is focusing on her her pregnant seventeen year old daughter.  There is also the ever present question of political experience.  She is in her first term as governor, and before that she served on city council.  Without any political experience on the national level, people are wondering if she has what it takes.  The problem for voters is sorting through all of these opinions in an effort to form their own.

When doing some investigating, I have found people's opinions regarding Sarah Palin are always within the two extremes.  I have yet to meet anyone who can't make up their mind.  Either people think she was a perfect selection or McCain's worst idea yet.  I have found party lines don't matter.  Democrats and Republicans both feel very strongly.  Even amounts of Democrats and Republicans fall into the Sarah Palin: love it and Sarah Palin: hate it categories.   However, despite all the opinions out there, one thing is certain, Sarah Palin is the most exciting thing in the 2008 Presidential Election  since Obama became the Democratic nominee.