The 2008 Presidential Election

OK, I'm going to get political for the first time on this site.

I'm sick of the culture of fear and corporate greed that has cast a shadow over this country. Our standing in the world, our economy, and our future have been destroyed by eight years of selfish, ignorant bullying.

George W. Bush has squandered 225 years of well-earned good faith... for what? A gigantic debt, more enemies than friends, a pointless war, a gutted middle class and a destroyed New Orleans. And ZERO progress on the most important domestic issues: health care, alternative energy and education.

It's time for a president who inspires us to greatness rather than one who scares us into allegiance. It's time for a president who plans for our future rather than one who assumes the rapture is coming. It's time for smart creativity rather than folksy backstabbing.

Here are my favorite rebuttals (with sources) to the McCain talking points.

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McCain the Maverick Reformer? I don't think so.
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For a detailed debunking of John McCain's image as an honorable, selfless reformer, read this:
http://www.rollingstone.com/news

His entire life has been spent pulling strings to get ahead, weasling out of responsibilities and changing his beliefs to suit his ambitions. And he calls Barack Obama untrustworthy? For shame.

His attempts to paint himself as anything other than George W. Bush Part II are pathetic. Watch him try to link 9/11 and Anthrax to Iraq, only one MONTH after 9/11 (of course we now know there were no Iraq connections to either):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlAUj4s6sT0

And he's playing from the same playbook as Bush '00:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa20q2s2BRs

McCain the hypocrite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI

This one nails it, and it's pretty funny:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u0sevdGsog

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Energy Independence
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"Drill, Baby, Drill"? You've got to be kidding. A ridiculous catchphrase for a false solution to a major problem.

The shortsighted oil addicts don't have the guts to kick the habit of foreign oil. Even W admits we're addicted, but admitting it is just the first step to kicking it. They hope they'll get one more fix, from a longshot source that will barely affect the supply and not for a decade anyway.

How hypocritical to milk the topic of 9/11 and pin it on boogeymen while ignoring the source of much international tension: OIL. Or more generally, limited energy resources.

As Thomas L. Friedman put it, imagine someone who "...on the eve of PCs and the Internet — is pounding the table for America to make more I.B.M. typewriters and carbon paper."

Yelling "Typewriters, baby, typewriters!" only reinforces the world's image of the US as anachronistic tenders of a crumbling American Empire.

If Washington wasn't in the pocket of big oil money, we would have invested in alternative energy 8 years ago; today we'd be stronger, richer and wiser. It's late but not too late to retool.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/opinion/14friedman.html?hp
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/25/fact-check-mccains-drilling-plan-to-take-seven-years/#more-20503

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Choice (aka Abortion)
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This wedge issue comes up like clockwork every four years. Why? Because the only time voters have a say in Federal law is when we pick a President, and the prez appoints Supreme Court Judges. "On Jan. 20, 2009, six of the nine Supreme Court justices will be over 70." (Wall Street Journal)

Almost every president picks at least one new Supie (except poor Jimmy C.):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_judicial_appointment_history#Supreme_Court

McCain wants to take away a woman's choice regarding abortion. Directly from his website's platform:
Quote:
"John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat.

However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents only one step in the long path toward ending abortion."

And Sarah Palin believes that rape victims should not be allowed to get an abortion. That's just plain cruel.

You've likely already made up your mind on this issue. So vote accordingly.

Sources:
http://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB120209536777639949?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB120209536777639949.html
http://johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEN-c0zRH1c&fmt=18
http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/2006/governor/story/8372383p-8266781c.html

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Age
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John McCain was born in 1936. He is 72 years old and in sub-par health. Barack Obama is 47.

McCain has had a bunch of cancerous growths removed, including skin melanomas. He suffers from mild vertigo when standing quickly. He was a vietnamese prisoner of war for five and a half grueling years. He smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for twenty years, quitting in 1980.

In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put the average lifespan of US Men at 75.2. A recent Norwegian study showed that 41% of male heavy smokers were dead by 70, vs. 14% of non-smokers.

His 5.5 years as a POW may have been valiant and honorable, but all that torture and abuse couldn't possibly have helped his health.

Any president should have a better than average shot at making it through one term. There's no extended warranty on this purchase. This makes his choice of a VP particularly important.

Did you know that 30.4 percent of vice presidents have become president?

Sources:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/yourhealth/2006-06-11-male-lifespan_x.htm
http://washingtonindependent.com/9752/a-brief-history-of-the-vice-presidency

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Vice President
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Sarah Palin: Where to start?

Let's assume that we both believe that men and women are equally capable of a job in the Oval Office. If you like/dislike Gov. Palin solely because of her gender, then how is that different than saying that you like/dislike someone because of their race? Voting for someone just because they are a woman is as bad as not voting for someone because they are black.

If everyone voted for the candidate that looked most like them, most would have to vote for Ralph Nader.

Sexism and racism cut both ways, so skip those criteria and her personal/family matters and stick to the issues.

Issue 1: In a 2006 governor's race debate, Palin was asked what she would do if her daughter was raped and became pregnant. She said, "I would choose life," and would support abortion only if the mother's life was in danger.

Issue 2: Sarah Palin believes schools should teach both creationism and evolution. In 2006 she said "I am a proponent of teaching both."

Issue 3: Experience. She has been the governor of a state with a smaller population than San Francisco for 20 months, and her decisions there were not tough because Alaska is flush with surplus money.

Alaska has no state income tax or sales tax, and citizens are PAID to live there because the state is primarily funded by Oil, Gas, and Federal money. In 2007 85.76% of Alaska state total tax revenue (TTT) came from the oil industry.

We deserve better.

Sources:
http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEN-c0zRH1c&fmt=18

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In conclusion
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Vote with the facts. Skip the mud. Do your homework and vote with your conscience.

And no matter what happens, let's break the cycle of fear-mongering by giving whichever candidate wins the benefit of the doubt, and time to fix this mess.