Politics & Such

So I like politics. In the sense that I care about my city, state, and country. I care what happens. This election has become somewhat polarized in my mind, I admit. I suppose I consider myself a Republican, but much of what the Republican party has come to represent is so far from where I'm at. It's a shame, but that's one of the drawbacks of a two-party system--it's either/or. I know, I know, I can vote as an Independent, a Libertarian, Green party, ect. but this is not the answer; they never will be elected, therefore a vote for one of them, is a vote for the other guy. This is just my opinion. Who am I to tell YOU how to vote. Vote your conscience, as for me, I'll stick to the two parties. I'm certainly not a Democrat in any way shape or form. I believe in self-reliance, the power of the individual, the free market system; MORE government programs are not the solution because lasting solutions to many of the problems that plague us do not lie within the government's scope. It comes first through family, church, then government. I believe I'm not the only one who believes this. Although at times it feels this way, especially when reading the Salt Lake Tribune, which, yes, I have a subscription to and they make no qualms about it, they are undeniably left-leaning. It is true, both parties are to blame with so much of the mess that is going on right now. But what about personal responsibility? Yes, it seems, and may be true that the majority of politicians in Washington are so disconnected from the realities of the real world, they have become so ensconced in their power and money that the will of the people no longer have any sway in their decision making. Or so it seems. But we have to shoulder much of the blame for electing the schmucks who are making these crazy decisions (like printing trillions of new dollars for the outlandish bailout plans--hyper-inflation anyone? it doesn't take a degree in economics to figure that one out) and what about our personal decisions--like risky home mortgages, credit card debt, and the list goes on.

I've studied both presidential candidates quite thoroughly, enough to feel comfortable with the basics, enough to feel like I gave Obama a fighting chance. I'll admit, McCain is so far from my first choice it's not even funny, but, there are a few key issues I agree with him on. And I am so opposed to Obama's policies and propositions on education, abortion, foreign policy, not to mention an undeniable lack of experience (I know, I know, community organizer, president of the HARVARD LAW Review, and your point is....??). I've listened to debates (and not just the SNL versions), listened to talk radio, and then NPR to balance it out. Like I said, I read the Salt Lake Tribune for crying out loud, so I have been exposed to plenty of Obamaism.

So what do I like about McCain? Sarah Palin. Yup. She's a breath of fresh air. Say what you want about her, she represents US. You and me. I like so many things about her--not just simply the fact that we share the same chromosomes. She's about those things which mentioned before--she believes in smaller government, principles of self-reliance, pro-life, ect.

What else about McCain? He's older, and contrary to popular opinion, this gives him a definite advantage. He's seen a lot more than Obama simply because he's been around for 25 more years than him, more experience, more wisdom (hopefully). He's patriotic, he'll stand up for our country and has a can-do, can-win attitude. I mentioned he's pro-life, and this really is a big enough issue for me to endorse or not-endorse a candidate on. My sister Colette posted the following videos on her blog. Check it out. A lot of the pro-choice rhetoric can be pretty compelling, but these videos make the issue of pro-life so simple: human life is sacred, and begins at conception. All human life must be protected and treated with dignity, or else, where's the line? Are some lives worth living more than others? I don't really think it's our decision to make. Obama says in the second video that if either of his two daughters had an unwanted pregnancy, he wouldn't want them to be punished with a baby......excuse me??? It's called consequences, of your actions. And a baby is not punishment. What about rape, you say? First of all, how many of the 50 million abortions that have been performed since Roe vs. Wade have been due to rape? Or because the mother was going to die if the doctor didn't kill the baby inside of the mother and then pull it out (how would this save the mother, if anyone knows of any lifesaving mother abortions, please let me know)? Hmm.... Both of these arguments seem pretty thin to me. Here are the videos, see for yourself.

http://www.catholicvote.com/

https://www.thinkbigworksmall.com/mypage/1879/3723/93088

All this muddled rambling does have a point. For the sake of not being too preachy here, I'll simply shout this out to the blogging world:

Find out for yourself and vote your conscience. This is what makes America so great. The power is in the people. Let's keep it that way and VOTE!