Did You Catch This One?

Please forgive me, I'm a bit out of the loop because I don't have TV in my house, so I didn't see this forum when it happened. Have you seen it? If not, it may be worth your time... It's a forum given by a religious leader in CA...he asks the same exact questions to Obama and McCain. It'll take about 2 hours, but watch it when you have the time and let me know what your feelings are...

http://www.youdecide2008.com/2008/08/17/video-clips-from-the-rick-warren-civil-forum/

A "Save The Date" for My Politically Excited Friends...

...the debates are coming! The debates are coming!

Mark them on your calendar...I can't wait!

September 26, 2008:
Presidential debate with domestic policy focus, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
October 2, 2008:
Vice Presidential debate, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
October 7, 2008:
Presidential debate in a town hall format, Belmont University, Nashville, TN
October 15, 2008:
Presidential debate with foreign policy focus, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Here is a break down of what each debate will consist of:
1. First Presidential Debate: – Date: September 26 – Site: University of Mississippi – Topic: Domestic and Economic policy – Moderator: Jim Lehrer – Staging: Podium debate – Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment

2. Vice Presidential Debate – Date: October 2nd – Site: Washington University (St. Louis) – Moderator: Gwen Ifill – Staging/Answer Format: To be resolved after both parties’ Vice Presidential nominees are selected.

3. Second Presidential Debate – Date: October 7 – Site: Belmont University – Moderator: Tom Brokaw – Staging: Town Hall debate – Format: The moderator will call on members of the audience (and draw questions from the internet). Each candidate will have 2 minutes to respond to each question. Following those initial answers, the moderator will invite the candidates to respond to the previous answers, for a total of 1 minute, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment. In the spirit of the Town Hall, all questions will come from the audience (or internet), and not the moderator.

4. Third Presidential Debate – Date: October 15 – Site: Hofstra University – Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security – Moderator: Bob Schieffer – Staging: Candidates will be seated at a table – Answer Format: Same as First Presidential Debate – Closing Statements: At the end of this debate (only) each candidate shall have the opportunity for a 90 second closing statement.

All four debates will begin at 9pm ET, and last for 90 minutes. Both campaigns also agreed to accept the CPD’s participation rules for third-party candidate participation.

Each debate will be broadcast on the major broadcast networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX. They will also be aired on cable news channels such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and C-SPAN.

http://www.youdecide2008.com/2008/08/21/official-2008-obama-mccain-presidential-debate-schedule/

Let Your Voice Be Heard...

"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote."
--George Jean Nathan (1882-1958)

Your vote IS important! Register to vote here...
http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.shtml

Is Your Man Winning?

Where does your favorite president elect stand in the national polls?

http://www.usaelectionpolls.com/2008/national-polls.html

What about the veeps...

What do you think about Palin vs. Biden? Hmmm...

How important is the VP in the 2008 election?
http://jakobsladder.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-important-is-vice-president-in-08.html

Non-partisian Website...

So, this seems to be a fairly good website with non-partisian views, from what I can tell. Check it out at your leisure...

http://www.factcheck.org/

...thanks for the link B.K.!

Views on the War in Iraq...

Ok, so this is a HUGE issue for me personally. I don't have friends stationed in Iraq, I don't have family deployed there, but as a mother...and just generally as a human being...the suffered and lives lost from war simply makes me sick. This war in Iraq, in my opinion, should never have been! I don't care if you say Bush was "duped" by the CIA or other officials around him, or if you say he "tried HARD" to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in order to have a reason to go there...he still did it. It seems to have been terribly mismanaged. I understand that running the country is a messy and terribly difficult job. I feel bad for Bush in a way. But does that give you a right to start a war for reasons you weren't 100% sure of? Killing so many many innocent people, and our soldiers? Am I totally off my rocker here?

This is what our future president thinks about it...

Obama...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhpKmQCCwB8
McCain...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPddbC19LUA

I watched both of these videos. Here's the insane thing...I agree with both of them!!! How am I supposed to know which is the most just, the most crucial, the most correct way? They both make complete sense to me. Please help me...enlighten me! What are your thoughts?

In Case You Missed Them...

Here are links to the Pres and VP elect speakers for both the Democratic and the Republican conventions...
John McCain:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/20080904_MCCAIN_SPEECH.html#
Sarah Palin:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/20080903_PALIN_SPEECH.html?scp=1&sq=sarah%20palin%20speech&st=cse##
Barack Obama:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/20080828_OBAMA_SPEECH.html?scp=1&sq=obama%20speech&st=cse#
Joseph Biden:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/president/conventions/videos/20080827_BIDEN_SPEECH.html?scp=1&sq=biden%20speech&st=cse#

What were your thoughts and feelings as you watched these speeches?

My Inspiration For Insight...

So, people have asked me..."Why the sudden interest in politics? Where did this come from?" Well, it's complicated, as most things in life are. But, to make a long story short, I'm tired of being ignorant. I'm tired of saying, "Man, that decision the pres made really stinks," and then turning right back to my facebook account...my favorite mind-numbing activity...and not doing a THING about it. I was talking to a friend today about all this. She said something to the effect of, "I know I should be involved in this election, but I have a hard time believing my vote could possibly make a difference." I know, it seems worthless, doesn't it? Seriously, you can vote, but how much does it matter in the whole scheme of things? One voice in a sea of millions? Well, think of it this way...If you, and everyone, in the country didn't vote because you/they thought it wouldn't matter, you/they DEFINITELY wouldn't make a difference! My thoughts and actions are very influenced by these words...

Fools will be fools
And wise will be wise
But i will look this world
Straight in the eyes

What good is a man
Who won't take a stand
What good is a cynic
With no better plan

Reality is sharp
It cuts at me like a knife
Everyone i know
Is in the fight of their life

Take your face out of your hands
And clear your eyes
You have a right to your dreams
And don't be denied

I believe in a better way
-Ben Harper

Ok, I know it's totally cheesy to quote the lyrics of a song, but they just make so much sense to me! Think of it, really, what good IS a cynic with no better plan? How can I sit here my cushy blue chair and complain about our government's way of doing things if I don't take a stand? So, that is where my quest begins...now I need to absorb, to learn, to injest information...process it and make it my own. Which is exactly why I am so grateful to all of you. With out your thoughts and advice and opinions, I would be much less inspired, and very much more frustrated in my pursuit. Thanks again to everyone who has responded already!

A Few Thought-Provoking Links...

Ok, I'm not sure how biased CNN is or not, but they have a pretty good page that discribes McCain's and Obama's views on a lot of American issues.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/
And here is a link to another webpage with the issues...
http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm
It also has a link to a quiz you can take to find out who you should vote for based on what you think about the issues.
http://www.speakout.com/VoteMatch/Pres2008.asp?quiz=2008
...thanks to Shannon for the quiz link!