Looking Back: Election 2008

I've waited a while to write my election recap/reaction piece in order to let the hype and steam settle down. I don't know how things are in other parts of the country, but at my campus things were very hostile for about 48 hours after the results came in- from Obama supporters, not McCain. There were lots of shouts of "Black Power" and other things, and several acts of unkindness, disrespect, and violence towards McCain supporters. Luckily, things are back to normal here, and I find it is time to look back on the first presidential election I have had the privilege of voting in.

This has been the longest election cycle ever. Started all the way back in February of 2006, I believe. Indiana Senator Evan Bayh (D) tossed his hat in the exploratory ring in late 2005, but saw that Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were frontrunners, even though the former had yet to announce, and quickly got out of the pool. Both party's nominees seemed to double by the day until each had nearly 10 people running for president. What followed was an endless series of debates, none of which many people watched, and many a failed campaign strategy (For the record, never stake your ENTIRE campaign on Florida...it ends badly and causes Ashley great strife and sadness).

Who would have thought that the Republican nomination would come down to Senator John McCain and former Governor Mike Huckabee...a guy who had lost like, 200 pounds and no one had ever heard of? He certainly was funny, but in the end never gained enough support. McCain seemed all but gone, then somehow magically came back from the dead (no pun intended) to secure the Republican nomination, a feat he failed to do in 2000.

After countless denials of his running, Barack Obama entered the ring on what he recounted many times, a "cold February morning in Springfield." He was immediately a frontrunner, along with former Senator John Edwards and Clinton. None of the other candidates every seemed to get in the game, and after a few months Edwards just seemed to be sticking around for the face time. Clinton seemed untouchable...until Super Tuesday when she only won a few states. Her campaign clearly hadn't planned for a strategy past that point, as she lost primary after primary, until Reverand Wright and William Ayers appeared. Afterwhich, Clinton won every remaining primary, but never reached the magic number of delegates needed to win. After a very long, tiring, and stressful campaign, Obama emerged the victor and the field was set: McCain v Obama.

Do I think the parties picked the best or most qualified candidates? No, I do not. I feel that former mayor Rudy Guiliani was the most qualified person on the Republican side, with former governor Mitt Romney a close second. Former governor Bill Richardson has a resume a mile long, and was the most qualified individual from either party for the job. Hell, I'd vote for him! I don't feel that Senator Clinton was or is qualified for the job, but I believe she could do the task without too many horrible things happening.

Not surprisingly, I did not, and still do not feel that now-President Elect Obama is qualified for the job. He has no executive experience and has never run so much as a bake sale to the best of my knowledge. McCain, I believe, had and has the leadership necessary to be Comander in Chief and his experience leading others into battle is i think more of a qualification than being a mayor or governor.

However, America has made its choice. I am not at all ashamed to say that I voted for Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin. I believe I voted for change, just not President Elect Obama's change. I will, however, support the President Elect, as he is my president even if I did not vote for him. I will, however, be what Newt Gingrich called 'the loyal opposition." I will let it be known when I agree with the President Elect, and I will let it be known even more when I disagree. I hope the media treats him with as much scrutiny as they have President Bush, but I doubt it will happen.

I do admire the President Elect for one thing. In his first news conference since winning the election, President Elect Obama let it be known that he will not try to enforce his policies on the nation until January 20, 2009. He said that America has only one president and one administration at a time, and that he will wait until he is president before attempting to do anything. He said he would communicate with President Bush, but would not try to enforce his policies or views on the President or try to have him enact them. I did not expect this move from the President Elect, but I admire him for it. He also said that the change he seeks will take time, another admission that I admire. As long as he stays honest with the American people, I think he and I will be able to coexist without much conflict. I will give him at least two years before I start to really criticize him. At that point, if he has not lived up to expectations, I will let it be known that I think that, and even if he has, I will hope that the Republicans will gain ground in Congress in order to put more of a check on the President Elect, and make the balance of powers more balanced than they currently are.

However, if he tries to redistribute my food, there will be some MAJOR problems!

Election Night 2008

McCain Rally in Indianapolis

Yesterday I had the amazing honor and privilege of seeing Senator John McCain in Indianapolis. It all started Saturday night when I received a frantic text telling me he would be here on Monday. i quickly responded and said I would gladly put in three hours of volunteer work in order to earn my ticket. When I got back to Bloomington, I arrived at the GOP headquarters and called voters for three hours straight.

I then came home and slept, as I was exhausted. I woke up the next morning, took my Spanish exam, then headed home to prepare to leave. I picked up Keith at the Union, and we were off!

We had to venture to Downtown Indianapolis to get our tickets. We are horrible at looking, so Keith got out and I drove around the circle for a while. He got our tickets, and we headed off for the Airport, where the rally was to be held. We parked in a field, and took a bus to the rally point.



Look at the sniper!!

The line wasn't too bad at that point, so we waited, as there was no other choice.


We had VIP tickets to sit in the bleachers, but we decided we wanted autographs and hand shakes, so we sat with the people.


We were so close!!!

A country group played and several people spoke. Then the Straight Talk Express flew over and landed.


Mitch Daniels and Senator Lindsay Graham then came and shook hands with the crowd and signed autographs. Both of which I got!


Then McCain came off of the plane as "Eye of the Tiger" played, along with Senator Joseph Leiberman, Cindy McCain, and Meghan McCain.

The Governor introducing Senator McCain



McCain spoke with a mic in hand, until it died. Then he went to the podium. Such a maverick move, eh? He spoke with such passion and enthusiasm. Even the little boy who was standing next to me was enraptured and everyone was caught up in the moment. McCain then walked around shaking hands along with his wife.


I cannot believe that this year I have had the opportunity to meet Governor Daniels and to see both Governor Sarah Palin and Senator McCain. All events were worth the classes and homework I skipped to be there. I will never have the opportunity to experience this again. No matter what happens tonight, I know I got to be an eyewitness to history and I participated as much as possible in the democratic process. While I hope for the best, and am optimistically worried about tonight, I know that I did all I could to elect John McCain the next President of the United States and had so many once in a lifetime experiences. This was a year I will never forget!

CNN: The Most Trusted Name In News??

Yesterday, CNN conducted an interview with Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin. In the interview, the reporter quoted an article form the national review. The full quote is as follows:

Watching press coverage of the Republican candidate for vice president,
it’s sometimes hard to decide whether Sarah Palin is incompetent, stupid,
unqualified, corrupt, backward, or — or, well, all of the above.

The quote appeared in a CNN interview as follows:
CNN: Yeah. Governor, you've been mocked in the press. The press has been pretty hard on you,
the Democrats have been pretty hard on you, but also some conservatives have been pretty hard
on you as well. The National Review had a story saying that, you know, I can't tell if Sarah Palin
is incompetent, stupid, unqualified, corrupt or all of the above.

Palin: Who wrote that one?

CNN: That was in the National Review, I don't, have the author.

Palin: I'd like to talk to that person.

CNN: But they were talking about the fact that your experience as governor is not getting out.
Do you feel trapped in this campaign, that your message is not getting out, and if so who do you blame?

Yes, the reporter did eventually, in that last line, say what the point of Byron York's article was, but he took the quote of York 100% completely out of context.

Now, I don't know if the interviewer had a malicious intent, just misquoted the article by accident, if CNN misquoted the article by accident and gave it to him, or if CNN was out to get Governor Palin by maliciously misquoting an article and the reporter was left to take the fall.

I do know, however, that CNN has yet to acknowledge the incident, and is far from issuing an apology at the time of writing. Maybe having the interview be the focus of Bill O'Reilly's talking points memo last night will put some pressure on the news organization.

Accident or not, CNN needs to issue some sort of statement. Whether you support Governor Palin or not, this is a case of irresponsible journalism. It is entirely possible that the same thing has happened to Senator Barack Obama, but I am unaware of it. Many, including myself, have felt that the media have been unfair to Governor Palin and Senator John McCain in their coverage of the campaign, and have been too easy on Senator Obama.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a supporter of McCain, but my politics do not blind my journalism. If this incident had happened to Senator Obama, I would be just as outraged. It is the purpose of the media to be unbiased and to provide facts and insight, not to slant reporting to change the minds of their audience. The editorial component of the media, including those like O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Keith Olberman, JoeScarborough, and any opinion pieces in newspapers are allowed to project their opinions and to sway people; that is what editorialist do. But a straight news interview with a Vice Presidential candidate should not be putting forth an editorial agenda.

This election cycle has made me more disappointed in the state of journalism than I could have imagined, but it has also strengthened my resolve to become a major player in the industry, in order to bring it back to what its purpose is intended to be. Let's hope I am not too late.

Palin Rally- Indianapolis

Today, I had the amazing opportunity to attend Sarah Palin's rally in indianapolis. We left at about 1 and arrived in Noblesville around 3-ish. We walked for what seemed like FOREVER to get to the VIP line. The general admission line seemed to stretch for miles. No one seemed to be complaining, though, and everyone looked ecstatic to be there!'


Look at that line!!!
We found Justin and he directed us to the VIP entrance, and we were taken to our seats...on stage! We sat there for an hour and a half doing nothing, listening to random chants and cheers, and doing the wave. Then the chairman of the state Republican party came out and warmed us up, followed by the republican candidate for Attorney General and the Republican candidate for Director of Education.



We then listened to a country group that I cannot remember the name of, and waited half an hour, listening to bad music over speakers.


Waiting is so lame, but these guys made it entertaining!


They handed out these "handmade" signs...blech

Finally,the Lt. Governor came out to introduce Palin. The crowd was so excited, it didn't really matter what the Lt. Governor said. When Palin was announced, it was deafening. She was wearing a purple sweater and black slacks. Unfortunately, I couldn't see her shoes :( I didn't get any great pictures of her face either, because people were always holding signs in the way, and the secret service is not very accommodating when it comes to picture taking.



Mean secret service...

Lt. governor!

And then...PALIN!!!








Her speech was amazing. While some of its content was recycled from her speech in Ohio earlier in the day, it was still amazing! The crowd was with her every step of the way, and her jokes and jabs were delivered flawlessly.

After her speech, she spent nearly half an hour walking around the crowd. She held a baby dressed as an elephant and signed zillions of autographs.



Unfortunately, I didn't get anything signed...and the best pictures I have of her face are these blurred photos..




The experience was amazing! To be around so many people who care about the same things you do just as passionately as you do is surreal. And the idea of having 25,000 people chanting you name is mind boggling, but Palin handled it like a pro, but while keeping something that let you know she was just one of you.

While I spent the entire day trying to get a picture of Palin's face, I neglected to see the most wonderful picture I got. It is not as close as I would have liked, but it is beautiful nonetheless.

Game On!

When I was a teenager, I decided I was a Democrat. President Bartlet was the main reason I decided this, and this clip is a great example of why. While I am a steadfast Republican now, I would vote for President Bartlet anyday!



If only we had that sort of leadership nowadays.

Final Presidential Debate Liveblogg

Presidential Debate Liveblog 2

VP Debate Live Blogging

The Tragedy of Campus Voting

On Tuesday I was doing voter registration in the student union. An elderly man walked up to me and started talking about how he supports McCain. As our conversation progressed, he talked of a policeman who killed an IU football player many years ago. The policeman was later promoted by a democratic official. While the student body was furious that the police officer shot the student, they later willingly elected the official by voting a straight democrat ticket.

His comment made me think. The IU student body is about 40,000. That kind of voting force can create immense difference. Most students don't stick around in the college towns after their four-year servitude. However, those that live in the city are stuck with whatever choices those students make.

Most also don't know that you don't have to vote for every race on a ticket for your ballot to me valid. So they pull a straight ticket, having no knowledge of those races other than the major ones. Minor offices are decided by uninformed college students who just want to vote for president, leaving the citizens of the town with a government they may not have wanted.

Such is the case with this police officer. Most college students are indoctrinated with liberal ideals and the need to vote a straight ticket. They put a corrupt official in office and left without a goodbye. The man I talked to said that the person made many bad choices for the city.

After hearing from him, I agreed with his point: college students should not be allowed to vote at their school. They should either go home to vote, or vote absentee. They only live at school for half of the year, and are gone within four years. Why should their huge numbers be able to decide the future of a town?

Although, the low turnout of the youth vote may make this a mute point. So please, if you are a college student and plan to vote, don't pull a straight ticket for either party. Vote just for the races you care about. Let the citizens choose the rest.

Change? I Think Not.

As a member of both the Students for McCain and the College Republicans, I recieve many a dirty look as I walk around campus in my McCain Palin hat and College Republican shirts. And, of course, snide comments when I am forced to share the lit Desk in the student union with teh College Democrats and "Campaign for Change" doing voter registration.

As I have experienced these things, a thought has occured to me: the "Campaign for Change" is a pretty huge misnomer. "Change"? It seems that their campaign is pretty much the same as the campaigns of old: low and dirty methods and a "do whatever it takes" mentality that causes one to abandon all morals and ethics, as long as the assigned goal is met.

Example one: I have been told that the Campaign for Change has campaigned in the residence halls of Indiana University. Partisan groups are not allowed to solicit in the residence halls. Upon being told this, Higher ups in the campaign told their field ops to go back in, despite the reprimand.

Example two: Rules don't seem to apply to them either. While using the lit desk in the union for voter registration, a group is not allowed more than 2 people to be there at any one time. Apparently, 2 people is the same as 5, as that is usually how many people they have there. Also, they apparently NEED almost the entire desk in order to monopolize it and spread out their "Free Obama posters!" while other student organizations are squeezed to the edges of the desk.

Example four: In adition to rule breaking and ignoring warnings, the Campaign for Change will do anything it can to meet its goals. I have also been told that when using the lit desk with others doing voter registration, they have stolen completed forms in order to meet their own quota. They were told yesterday that anything less than 400 new voter/address change forms would be "unacceptable." With such pressure, it makes sense that they would do whatever it took to reach their goals.

Does this sound like "change" to you? Even if these orders are not coming from Obama or those close to him, they are still coming from someone in the campaign, and official order or not, still reflect upon him and his organization. These are the tactics of old-school politics. Of a politics involving party heads and Tammany Hall. A politics lacking ethics and morals. And a politics of dangerous consequences.

Change? I don't think so.

American Stupidity

Excuse me while I temporarily abandon my usually mild-mannered demeanor and civil discourse.

So, the bail-out was voted down. All looked good when mysteriously, 20 yea's became nay's and the bill collapsed. The result? The market went into a free fall, with the Dow closing down around 770 points.

And what does the Congressional leadership have to say about this? Just that it is the Republicans' fault. Really? Seeing as how they are the minority of Congress, it doesn't seem like you really need them to pass it Pelosi. Seems more like it's YOUR fault that this didn't get passed, especially because of your wonderful pre-vote speech. And she ranted against those Republicans who didn't show up to talks, but told McCain he wasn't needed.

And you, the current majority of Americans, want to continue this free-for-all by electing the leader of this party? A party that failed to accomplish any of its "100 hour" plans for their entrance into Congress? A party that cannot put its partisan bickering aside to help you, the regular American?

And a man who is so egotistical, that he wouldn't even stop campaigning to help the country out of this crisis.

Is that a man who is looking out for you? Why should you look out for him, when he won't even do the job he is currently paid to do?

I really hope Americans wise up, because I don't want to have to move to Canada. it's cold, and I don't speak french.

Bail Out?

I seem to be in a minority here...I am one of the few who support a "bail out", as it is called.

That doesn't mean that I support the bill in it's current form. I won't lie, I have no idea what is going on in it. Legislative language is pretty confusing, and even I have trouble walking through it. I don't know who is getting what, when, or how.

I do know, though, that something has to be done. We cannot just watch as our economy crumbles around us, sending a butterfly effect across the globe. Just tonight it was announced that a major mortgage lender in the UK is being nationalized and sold. Did that just happen coincidentally? I think not.

I think that John McCain made the right decision on Thursday by suspending his campaign. He is still a US Senator, no matter what other office he is running for. if Senator Obama wanted to shirk his duties while running for higher office, he should have appointed someone to take his post in the Senate and do the work he was elected to do. His argument that the President needs to "multitask" was completely futile. How was Obama multitasking? He was out doing what he has been doing for months. He had just enough time to show up at the White House for a photo op, then jet back out onto the campaign trail.

So, who really wants to fix our nation? The man who potentially sacrifices his presidential campaign to go back to DC to do the job he was elected to do and to get the job done, or the guy who stays on the trail, mocking the decision of his opponent, and offering no viable solutions for the problem at hand?

Liveblogging the Debate

An Annual Necessity

Tomorrow is September 11.

It has been seven years since America was attacked by members of al Queda and over 3,000 Americans innocently lost their lives.

It has been seven years since America had its false blanket of security ripped off of it, and the nation became exposed to the threats it faced all over the world.

And yet, as happens every year, it seems more and more people feel less and less on this day. People go about their lives and only realize what day it is if they are told so by someone.

This is exactly what needs not to happen. It is the reason most people are against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have done something we vowed never to do.

We have forgotten.

We have forgotten the horror we felt after learning of the attacks. We have forgotten the resolve we felt about letting the terrorists know our anger. We have forgotten the unity we felt because we all shared the same pain.

Most of all, we have forgotten that we are ALL americans. No matter what political affiliation, no matter what skin color, no matter what economic class.

All of us are Americans.

This year, please remember. Remember everything you felt on that day. Remember that we are all Americans. And most of all, remember your promise to never forget.

The Tale of the Stolen News Cycle

Last night, Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination. It was a historic moment, as he is the first person of color to be nominated for the presidency. His speech took place in the middle of Mile High Stadium, to a crowd of 85,000. The move, said to have been made to allow people to see Obama, came across as arrogant and lofty. I have said many times that people are blinded by the "rock star appeal" of Obama, and last night showed that. People in the crowd were crying, and I'm sure someone fainted. People are so blinded when it comes to Obama. His speech last night outlines his plans, but gave no "how", only "whats." Obama seems to fail to realize that he cannot just snap his fingers and achieve his policies. He, and his followers, fail to realize that his plans must go through a Congress that has the potential to look different from the one we currently have. What will the faithful think when none of the ideals and "change" Obama hopes to achieve come through?

His speech also came across as angry. In print, it is a good speech, seemingly like a State of the Union. Delivered, however, he seemed angry. At times even yelling, it seemed. Thankfully, he avoided the obvious pratfall of milking the anniversary of the "I Have A Dream" speech.

However, Obama's glory was short lived. Nearly the moment after his speech ended, attention turned towards McCain and who he would pick as his VP. Somehow, the McCain camp managed to keep his pick a secret up until an hour before he planned to reveal it himself.

His pick was from way left field. Sarah Palin is a first term governor from Alaska. At first I was worried. A woman I had never heard was going to be next in line for the presidency. So, I read up on her. She is a very strict conservative. While I'm not a fan of her view on gay rights, she seems solid in her convictions. She is a mom, was on PTA, then was elected to city council, mayor, and beat the incumbent Republican governor in a primary to then win the governorship.

Now, the Obama people are going to try and throw the experience argument back at McCain. However, Palin has eight years executive experience. Unlike anyone else running, she has actual experience running something. I believe that one year of governorship is more preparatory for the presidency than almost 4 years in the Senate.

She is new. She is fresh. And she is CHANGE! This choice was a big gamble, but McCain is gonna hit 21 with this one. I am more revved up for this campaign and more excited about politics than I have ever been, and I believe that is just the effect McCain is going for.