If I was bitter yesterday, today I am furious.
Not because of anything Obama did (although, going to balls until 3 AM is pretty impressive, I definitely couldn’t have done it. Especially since you know they were probably up at 5 AM).
No, my grief is now with his children.
While their parents were out at parties, they had a scavenger hunt in the White House to learn about their new home. Well, when they got to the last room they opened the door…
AND THE JONAS BROTHERS WERE THERE!
My dad needs to be elected president STAT so I can go on a scavenger hunt and find the JoBros or George Clooney.
I do feel for the new president though. There was a report today that he dropped his Blackberry. I feel for him, I nearly have a heart attack whenever I drop my Blackjack II. Just think about what would happen if we dropped iPhones. GAH
Although, President Obama probably wouldn’t have any problem replacing his. I would just sit in front of mine mourning over its loss.
Anyway…on to more serious matters…like that hideous dress the First Lady was wearing. Anyone who knows me will tell you, I am impartial when it comes to fashion. But seriously, poof balls? One shoulder? An indeterminable color? And the dress was not flattering of her figure at all. President Obama had it easy- black tux and BOOM, out the door. Guys really do not understand the hardships us women face in the fashion world.
And that dancing? I felt awkward just watching Obama get jiggy with it from my room. Imagine the people around him. Maybe his BFF Ellen can give him some dance lessons.
The major issues of today is Obama’s decision to halt trials in Gitmo. He wants to close the base within a year of his unsigned draft of an Executive Order. And his solution for what to do with everyone there…put them in US prisons! A wonderful idea. I really want Kahlid Sheik Mohammad in the US, the country he planned to destroy. I will definitely sleep better at night knowing a terrorist could break out of prison at any time, hit up Osama on his cell, and blow up a building. I’ve watched enough 24 to know how this stuff goes down.
Oh well, only 1,459 days to go. But who’s counting, eh?
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Bitter Republican's Expectations of Mr. Hope 'N Change
This is from the blog "Juxtapinions" which I have started with my friend Michelle. While there will be one post from each of us there every day, I will still very much be using this blog to vent my conservative frustrations. I will also be copying the posts from there over here. Enjoy!
In a few hours I must but farewell to President George W Bush. I have no qualms at all in admitting I am one of the 22% who currently approve of the job he has done as president, and I have always been in that category. I have always felt that President Bush has done what he felt was right and did the best that he could do. Those who judge him or consider him incompetent probably have no idea the pressures that the job entails and really, have no right to judge his character. I have found the disrespect shown toward President Bush over the last eight years to be completely reprehensible. He was your President. If you don’t like it, move to another country and renounce your citizenship.
To that end, I hope to not see the same disrespect shown toward President-Elect Obama. I will support him, even though I do not agree with him policies, as he is my president. The great thing about a democracy is that there are sometimes not results that you like, but you must live with them nonetheless.
And live with them I will. I wish President-Elect Obama the best. I hope with all my being that he can turn this economic crisis around and continue President Bush’s legacy of keeping America free from a terrorist attack. I hope that he can end the centuries-old conflict between Palestine and Israel. I hope he can make Iran a nuclear-free country, and I hope he can make Iraq a stable beacon of democracy in the Middle East.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that this will happen. That’s the funny thing about hope- it often falters when confronted with reality. During his campaign, Obama implied that all of the change he proposed could happen instantly. That the minute he was elected everything would be better. His acceptance speech on election night, however, negated this, and the crowd was left dumbstruck. Thus hope was confronted with reality, and change was derailed.
Like I said, I hope that Obama can change things for the better and that America can become stable once more. It is unlikely, but that’s another funny thing about hope: it laughs in the face of logic.
In a few hours I must but farewell to President George W Bush. I have no qualms at all in admitting I am one of the 22% who currently approve of the job he has done as president, and I have always been in that category. I have always felt that President Bush has done what he felt was right and did the best that he could do. Those who judge him or consider him incompetent probably have no idea the pressures that the job entails and really, have no right to judge his character. I have found the disrespect shown toward President Bush over the last eight years to be completely reprehensible. He was your President. If you don’t like it, move to another country and renounce your citizenship.
To that end, I hope to not see the same disrespect shown toward President-Elect Obama. I will support him, even though I do not agree with him policies, as he is my president. The great thing about a democracy is that there are sometimes not results that you like, but you must live with them nonetheless.
And live with them I will. I wish President-Elect Obama the best. I hope with all my being that he can turn this economic crisis around and continue President Bush’s legacy of keeping America free from a terrorist attack. I hope that he can end the centuries-old conflict between Palestine and Israel. I hope he can make Iran a nuclear-free country, and I hope he can make Iraq a stable beacon of democracy in the Middle East.
Unfortunately, I do not believe that this will happen. That’s the funny thing about hope- it often falters when confronted with reality. During his campaign, Obama implied that all of the change he proposed could happen instantly. That the minute he was elected everything would be better. His acceptance speech on election night, however, negated this, and the crowd was left dumbstruck. Thus hope was confronted with reality, and change was derailed.
Like I said, I hope that Obama can change things for the better and that America can become stable once more. It is unlikely, but that’s another funny thing about hope: it laughs in the face of logic.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sudden Realizations
Around midday last Monday, a sudden realization came to me.
On Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the next President of the United States.
It seems like such a long time has passed since November. I know that every day on the news there is something about a new cabinet appointment of Obama's, what dog he is going to bring to the White House (like it really matters) and his plans for his first day in office.
None of this seemed to phase me thought. It all seemed like random news bits that didn't matter. All of it showed the progression towards his swearing in, but none of it seemed that way.
That is, until Thursday and President Bush's farewell address to the nation. I will admit with pride that I am one of the 22% of Americans that approve of his job as president, and I have for the last eight years. I have, without hesitation, expressed my disgust with those wearing "Not My President" shirts or those attacking his family or character. It is fine to disagree with his policies and decisions, but he is everyone's president. If you don't like it, become a citizen of another country.
And to this end, I refuse to participate with some who choose to disrespect President-Elect Obama by calling him "Barry" or "B. Hussein Obama," as Ann Coulter does repeatedly in her latest book. I will not wish him ill or hope for misfortune to come his way.
I hope he has a successful presidency. That he brings prosperity to America and manages to turn our economic crisis around. He is my president, whether I like it or not, and whether I voted for him or not. America has spoken and, while I believe that they made a horribly wrong decision, I have to live with it. Because I am an American and believe in democracy, even when the results of it are not those I hoped for.
However, I do not wish too much luck for the President-Elect, for I am fully confident in a Republican victory in 2012! Giuliani/Daniels, anyone?
On Tuesday, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the next President of the United States.
It seems like such a long time has passed since November. I know that every day on the news there is something about a new cabinet appointment of Obama's, what dog he is going to bring to the White House (like it really matters) and his plans for his first day in office.
None of this seemed to phase me thought. It all seemed like random news bits that didn't matter. All of it showed the progression towards his swearing in, but none of it seemed that way.
That is, until Thursday and President Bush's farewell address to the nation. I will admit with pride that I am one of the 22% of Americans that approve of his job as president, and I have for the last eight years. I have, without hesitation, expressed my disgust with those wearing "Not My President" shirts or those attacking his family or character. It is fine to disagree with his policies and decisions, but he is everyone's president. If you don't like it, become a citizen of another country.
And to this end, I refuse to participate with some who choose to disrespect President-Elect Obama by calling him "Barry" or "B. Hussein Obama," as Ann Coulter does repeatedly in her latest book. I will not wish him ill or hope for misfortune to come his way.
I hope he has a successful presidency. That he brings prosperity to America and manages to turn our economic crisis around. He is my president, whether I like it or not, and whether I voted for him or not. America has spoken and, while I believe that they made a horribly wrong decision, I have to live with it. Because I am an American and believe in democracy, even when the results of it are not those I hoped for.
However, I do not wish too much luck for the President-Elect, for I am fully confident in a Republican victory in 2012! Giuliani/Daniels, anyone?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
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!
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!
Tuesday, November 4, 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!
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!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
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.
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.
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