Maverick once again?

Wow.

That is the one word that describes my feelings on our presidential elections today. Wow. After being thoroughly convinced that John McCain had sold his soul to the Republican devil-machine, he comes and shows the world--with one simple move at that--that he still is a renegade party member.
For those of you who haven't read or heard the news, McCain has named his running mate, a 44-year-old governor...from Alaska. She's (yeah, she! from the Repub! side!) a rather unknown, with little experience (ironic, yes, but still exciting) that has quickly moved from mayor of 9.000 to governor of the state.


This is a mighty change in the McCain-eology that we've seen as of late, and reminds us of the old McCain.
I congratulate such a radical move from the senator. I predicted long ago that this election would be the most interesting, monumental, and defining we've had in ages, and it looks like it's going to be more true than ever.
Here's to happy (and real) campaigning!

Friends of friends and politico pride

In recent days, a good friend of mine has started his blog dealing with all sorts of issues that are on his mind. He mostly speaks it, and I can say that I'm very happy to know him and it pleases me how strong he is not only in his convictions, but also in his arguments. Check his new blog out: bellingson.blogspot.com [WARNING: he is a poli sci major, so...]
He also forwarded a good post that I would like to share with you about Obama's Patriotism. Especially in times of late, John McCain has made personally approving personal attacks the central point to his platform. Barack's response is clear and very beautiful:

[Brett's Brain via Brad DeLong via Fox News]
As a personal addition, I would like to direct everyone to two sites:
Know the Facts: Check the REAL facts about Obama
and
Fight the Smears: Fight the outrageous stereotypes and accusations about Obama that have been started by conservatives and McCain's campaign


If it wasn't so blatantly obvious that more than $6 million of McCain's ad campaign have created "smear" ads, I'd give McCain a little more credit. He's lost his vision of changing Washington (and it was a good one). He's left behind his ideals of breaking the partisan lines. He has transformed himself and his campaign into the exact paradigm of Republican leadership. If you support him, at least make your case. Know why you support him--don't do it simply because your whole life you've ticked "All Republican" on the ballots. Don't do it simply because everyone you know expects you to. Don't do it because he's more "patriotic." Do it because you truly agree with his ideas. To do that, you must know what they are!
The same goes for Obama. Do it because you understand his positions, his strengths, his desire and determination to be the best president at this point of history.
In his speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (above), he makes an excellent comment that I would like to echo, because I have felt it very strongly in my life. He says, "One of the things we have to change in this country is the idea that people can't disagree without challenging each others character or their patriotism." Once upon a time, a large group of my peers deemed me "un-American" and "not proud to be an American" just because I didn't have the exact viewpoint they had. I know what it's like, and to a point, it made me bitter (and actually...not proud!) of my fellow Americans. I never gave up on my country, but I prayed, wished and hoped that someday I would be accepted *as* a fellow citizen among my friends, working to make this country take a step forward, not backward.
Anyway...just some thoughts.

Serious Issues

So, the Olympics have started, and I'm super excited. It's a great opportunity, even with all of the serious issues in our world, to set those differences aside--religious differences, political ideological differences, racial differences, all of them--and celebrate the miracle of the human body and mind and what they can achieve. I'm such a fan of the Olympics that I have dragged my computers HD antenna out of my little window and stuck it to my living room's window so I get good reception, even with bad weather. I record in three hour segments and have all of the plug-ins available to watch the most I can out of NBC's 3600 hours of Olympic programming.
Yeah, I guess you can say I like the Olympics.
I was re-watching the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, and I absolutely congratulate that team of Phelps, Weber-Gale, Jones and Lezak on their gold-medal, world-record-setting, come-from-behind performance. For all of the people who think I'm always an anti-U.S. cynic, I must say that I was very proud of that team. Not just for winning, but for showing the French team who claimed they would 'smash' the Americans that they were more mature, and showed them up in the pool. They came from behind, they smashed the world-record, and they worked very, very well together. Sounds American to me.
At least, what America used to stand for.
Now, we have a president who, in his interview with Bob Costas in Beijing, denied that America has problems. Wha-??? Excuse me, George? Let me write a short part of the transcript:
Bob Costas: "But, given China's growing strength, and America's own problems, realistically how much leverage and influence does the U.S. have here?"
Mr. President G.W. Bush: "First of all, I don't see America having problems. I see America as a nation that is a world leader that has got great values."
Now, I'm happy that W. is spending a lot of time in Beijing, and trying to 'constructively engage,' rather than 'leverage' with China. Smart thing to do, we all need to show the world that we respect them. But...no problems? How about a credit crisis? Slow market? Dependence on oil? A president who has not only lied, but admitted to lying to the American people about the threat of a country in which we've spent over a trillion dollars in war? No problems?
Well, let's bring back what America stood for: recognize our weaknesses and show the world that we have brilliance enough to solve these problems. Not only for us, but for them too. Let's be a people that truly lead the world because we are ahead of them, not because we can bully them.
Now, I hate to make this long, but I received an e-mail from a good friend and instead of forwarding it to many, I wanted to post it here (don't worry, the e-mail's short):
Some surprisingly good, solid policy proposals from Obama in a speech given in Michigan with a minimum of pandering to the audience.
Video

Here is a good critique of the unfortunate nonsense that has become the flagship talking points of much of the Republican party.
Article

So...if you have time, watch Barack's speech. It's about a half-hour long, but listen to it in the background if necessary. At least watch the first ten minutes. See if his energy plan, for which Mr. White-haired man (McCain's new nicknamed given in a hillarious counter ad by...Paris Hilton. It's funny.) criticizes Barack consistently. Yet all he wants to do is drill drill drill. Hmm. Right. Great American problem-solving...at its worst.
Share this post with anyone you'd like. If the people realize they have the power, we can win back the government from the current rogue administration and look forward to better years.