Even if you don't agree with Dennis Miller, you gotta admit that he's pretty darn funny. Here he is on the O'Reilly Factor talking about the Election, Sarah Palin, President-elect Obama, AIG, and more. The one part that is rather admirable is his hope that Obama has a successful Presidency. A sampling of what Jackson and I listen to on 870 AM nearly every night as we drive home from UCLA.
Clarice
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
At Peace
I'm back already. I went to bed last night with a heavy heart. Not so much about Obama being President, but more about what his election might say about the country. There are plenty of people out there who did their homework and voted for him out of convictions. I can respect that. But I also think there were plenty who had no clue and just voted based on the emotional appeal of "hope and change" or based solely on the color of his skin. And I wondered what that said about the values of the people of this country and its future direction.
But then I started visiting my usual bloggers and my usual talk radio shows and was reminded of how I felt two years ago when I had first heard of the historic election of a young black man from Illinois to the Senate. I had the hope that America was ready to get beyond issues of race and start to act in a color-blind fashion. This IS a historic election.
I am also starting to see the benefit of an Obama win. Now the other side of the political spectrum can taste victory. Perhaps the country can be relieved of some of the bitter vitriol from the far left and we can get beyond the resentment of the "stolen elections" of 2000 and 2004. Perhaps we can get to the business of moving America forward.
One of my favorite talk radio hosts, Dennis Miller, (of Saturday Night Live fame) expressed my thoughts in such a classy way today. He basically said that although Obama wasn't his guy, he hoped that Obama would turn out to be a great President after all because he loves this country. And he'd support him. That's exactly what I think is the right choice. So I am at peace.
And I was so happy to see that many of my favorite bloggers felt the same way:
Bill Whittle
Michelle Malkin
Baldilocks, whose father is from the same tribe as Senator Obama's father
The Anchoress
And finally, Betsy Newmark's comments on McCain's concession speech.
NOW I can take a break from political blogging. See you in a while.
Clarice
But then I started visiting my usual bloggers and my usual talk radio shows and was reminded of how I felt two years ago when I had first heard of the historic election of a young black man from Illinois to the Senate. I had the hope that America was ready to get beyond issues of race and start to act in a color-blind fashion. This IS a historic election.
I am also starting to see the benefit of an Obama win. Now the other side of the political spectrum can taste victory. Perhaps the country can be relieved of some of the bitter vitriol from the far left and we can get beyond the resentment of the "stolen elections" of 2000 and 2004. Perhaps we can get to the business of moving America forward.
One of my favorite talk radio hosts, Dennis Miller, (of Saturday Night Live fame) expressed my thoughts in such a classy way today. He basically said that although Obama wasn't his guy, he hoped that Obama would turn out to be a great President after all because he loves this country. And he'd support him. That's exactly what I think is the right choice. So I am at peace.
And I was so happy to see that many of my favorite bloggers felt the same way:
Bill Whittle
It is with the utmost sincerity and genuine goodwill that I wish to congratulate Barack Obama and the millions who supported him on your historic win this evening.
My hope is that this will lift your spirits from the traumatic eight years they have endured, and restore to you the conviction that this is, and was, and always will be your country as well as ours....
When he is inaugurated, President Obama will be my president. He cannot be otherwise. I will disagree with him at just about every turn, likely, and that is my right and duty as an American. However, in an emergency he will have my unqualified support, and I will always wish him wisdom and hope that he may do what is best for this great country of ours. I do not wish – I do not ever wish – to see my country suffer so that I may gain political leverage. If at this same time four years from now, President Obama has acted in such a way to make us more prosperous, more safe and more free, it will be my greatest pleasure to admit I was wrong about the man. I look forward to that day. I hope to see it come to pass.
Regardless of all of that, we have together achieved something noble and magnificent tonight. We have, after a long and hazardous journey, taken the final step in erasing the one real stain on our nations history. That war is not over, but it is won. And we may all take a great deal of pride in that....
So again, to Senator Obama, Senator Biden, and all their families and supporters -- please accept my deepest congratulations on a spectacular victory.
Michelle Malkin
We pay respect to the office of the presidency. We count our blessings and recommit ourselves to our constitutional republic.
Baldilocks, whose father is from the same tribe as Senator Obama's father
Congratulations to President-elect Obama and to the Democrats.
As it became apparent that Barack Obama was going to be elected president, I called up my step-dad to see what was on his mind. We had a long conversation about the way history seemed to be heading and during the conversation, I looked up at the TV and noticed that the Electoral College Vote count was 287 for Obama. Done deal.
When I mentioned this to Dad, a man who is a Bible-believing Methodist pastor and staunch conservative Republican who voted for John McCain as did I, he said this: "Don't you ever go to bed at night without praying for that man."
I will not. He--and we--will need it.
The Anchoress
Good Luck, President-Elect Obama....Our President at this moment is still George W. Bush, and he deserves a good deal more respect than he’s been given. When you’re sworn in, you’ll have my respect, too. It won’t be uncritical - not that you’ll care what this little blogger thinks, for as long as bloggers continue to run free - but I will manage to be respectful and fair, which is more than most lefty bloggers managed for President Bush, so you’re already ahead of the game.
And finally, Betsy Newmark's comments on McCain's concession speech.
That was a very graceful and well-done concession speech. John McCain was much more appealing in defeat than he was as a campaigner. It's funny how often that happens. But he's absolutely right that whatever differences we might have with Senator Obama, we are at a difficult moment in our nation's history and if there is a hope of being a more united country, that would be good for all. Our conflicts are based on deep ideological differences that we won't ignore, but we can disagree without being ugly. Maybe Republicans can show the Democrats how to be a loyal opposition party without the total demonization that so many liberals have shown to prominent Republicans.
NOW I can take a break from political blogging. See you in a while.
Clarice
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The American People Have Spoken
Well, the American people have spoken. Some of them more than once. Needless to say, I am quite disappointed. I was hoping for a different kind of change. But the way I look at it...my hope is not in the White House. My hope is placed in Jesus. Ian and I prayed fervently for this election. Many people we know interceded as well. We trust that God knows better than we do what this country needs in a leader for people to have the best opportunity to encounter Him. So beginning this coming Sunday, we will be praying for President-elect Barack Obama every Sunday as we have done for President Bush for the nearly 4 years we have been married.
It's kind of funny. As I was writing our election eve post, Ian looked at me and said, "No more political blogging after tomorrow." I agreed. It's been a crazy season, studying and trying to craft reasonable arguments when new thoughts and information kept coming fast and furious. But I've really enjoyed the dialogue. I've admired the thoughtfulness Fobbiemom has put into this process. So maybe we're not done. I think I'd like to continue the discussion in preparation for the long road to 2012. And this time I'll want to have a more thoughtful discussion on political principles and not just objections to the candidate I opposed in this election.
And on that note...now that Obama has been elected I pledge to make every effort to be fair in my future assessments. I have been very bothered by what the conservative bloggers have called the "Bush derangement syndrome". I intend to be respectful of my President, while reserving the right to analyze the policies of his administration.
I think I'll take a break for a while. But I'll be back. Until then....
Clarice
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ending Election Eve on a Positive Note
From John McCain's campaign:
From our friend Thena Dare, a song simply celebrating America and her political process:
From our friend Thena Dare, a song simply celebrating America and her political process:
Social Justice Myth
Hey, gotta get this thought out there. It's not my own thought but it makes sense. I think I heard it on Hugh Hewitt, but I can't remember and I couldn't find it online.
The argument is Compassion vs. Standards. Democrats claim to be the party that cares about the poor and downtrodden, but their compassion actually ends up hurting those they hope to help. For example, the desire to make house ownership available to the poor even if they had bad credit and couldn't afford the payments seemed like a compassionate thing to do. But in the end, after their houses foreclosed, they were worse off than if they had not been encouraged to buy a house.
Lets take the high road and practice compassion in the long term by keeping our standards high!
Ian
The argument is Compassion vs. Standards. Democrats claim to be the party that cares about the poor and downtrodden, but their compassion actually ends up hurting those they hope to help. For example, the desire to make house ownership available to the poor even if they had bad credit and couldn't afford the payments seemed like a compassionate thing to do. But in the end, after their houses foreclosed, they were worse off than if they had not been encouraged to buy a house.
Lets take the high road and practice compassion in the long term by keeping our standards high!
Ian
A Final Push on Prop 8
From my friend Christina Lee Storm:
From Pastor Rick Warren:
Clarice
Hi Friends,
As promised, this will be my very last e-mail before the elections that you will receive from me regarding a YES Vote on Prop 8. Apologies if you have already received this e-mail.
This is a message from Rick Warren. You can also view it on YouTube
Rick Warren asks Obama and McCain their definition of marriage
This is a very serious vote. Please consider your YES Vote on Prop 8 and feel free to forward this to any friends you wish.
Sincerely,
Christina Storm
P.S. If you'd like to watch more videos on Prop 8, please check out:
Robb and Robin Wirthlin’s Story
David & Tonia Parker
From Pastor Rick Warren:
For 5,000 years, EVERY culture and EVERY religion - not just Christianity - has defined marriage as a contract between men and women. There is no reason to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2% of our population. This is one issue that both Democrats and Republicans can agree on. Both Barack Obama and John McCain have publicly opposed the redefinition of marriage to include so-called "gay marriage." Even some gay leaders, like Al Rantel of KABC oppose watering down the definition of marriage. Of course, my long-time opposition is well known. This is not a political issue, it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about. There is no doubt where we should stand on this issue.
This will be a close contest, maybe even decided by a few thousand votes. I urge you to VOTE YES on Proposition 8 - to preserve the biblical definition of marriage. Don't forget to vote!
Pastor Rick
Rick Warren
Saddleback Church
Purpose Driven Network
Clarice
Hating Bush
Many people love to hate President Bush, but he has done some positive good. Here's one person's perspective.
Clarity on "Spreading the Wealth"
The Governator gives some clarity on "Spreading the Wealth" in this funny endorsement of McCain:
He also shares some gratitude for the opportunities America has given him as an immigrant.
He also shares some gratitude for the opportunities America has given him as an immigrant.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
My Final Push for Decision '08
Obviously, Ian and I have strong feelings about this election. Thankfully, we are pretty much in agreement with each other. There are a few issues where we don't necessarily agree, but they're rather minor. And we believe strongly enough in our political stance to have started this blog with the hope of persuading some people to join us. It's been an interesting ride. We have many very dear friends who stand on the opposite side of the political spectrum who we would love to persuade. And there have been the few readers and commenters who have made us really think through where we stand (thank you, FobbieMom!!).
For my final push I figured I would just tell my story of how I came to my current political convictions.
I grew up in Orange County, CA. This is one of the few hotbeds of Republicanism in left-leaning California. I didn't think much about politics growing up. I just knew that my parents were Republicans and that they thought it was the best representation of the values they wanted me to embrace. I went about my own merry way. My favorite presidents growing up were FDR and JFK (yep, Democrats). In fact, I named all of our hamsters after Roosevelt children and would have moved on to Kennedy children if it wasn't cost-prohibitive to continue breeding them. The idea of the New Deal appealed to me as a way of caring for all of society's members and Kennedy's charisma and call to service captivated me. By the time I hit college, I was drawn to the Democratic Party because of its value for social justice. However, I didn't care enough to actually vote.
Once I graduated from college, I moved to Boston for dental school. I probably don't need to explain what the political environment was like there. The election of Bill Clinton occurred during my time in Boston. I didn't vote. But I had started acting on my concern for the poor. I got involved in church ministries that targeted poor urban youths. I cared about that enough to move into Boston's Chinatown to make social concern a lifestyle instead of a hobby. And again, the value for social justice promoted by the Democratic Party captured my attention.
Then I moved back to Los Angeles - another Democratic hotspot. I think I abstained from voting in the 1996 election as well. However, a couple of events over the next 4 years started to wake me up to the values of the Democratic Party that weren't consistent with mine. The first was the reaction of people around me to the Lewinsky scandal. To me, it was simple. The President lied under oath while being investigated regarding the charge that he had raped someone. I couldn't understand why people I admired, fervent Democrats, kept complaining about how Republicans were trying to get Clinton because he had sex with an intern. I wasn't too impressed with the actions of the Republican party, but I was rather appalled at how easily Clinton's defenders (and Clinton himself) embraced moral relativity. The second was the reaction to the 2000 election. I thought Gore was incredibly disingenuous in the manner in which he contested the election results. I didn't buy the argument that he was trying to protect the voters when only certain voting districts were recounted. And I didn't care for the near civil disobedience that ensued in response to the "stolen election". Both reactions seemed irrational to me.
Then the events of 9/11 occurred. Something in me awoke. I realized that there are people in this world who absolutely hate America. And as I started to wonder why that was, I could not accept the idea promoted by the left that America is hated because of how badly she has behaved toward the rest of the world. As an immigrant's child, I have seen my parents' home country and seen how it operates. I am incredibly thankful for the blessings I have experienced as a result of my parents' adoption of this country as their own. And as I have worked with international students, I have been amazed by the admiration and respect they have for their adopted country. 9/11 woke me up to the idea of "American exceptionalism" promoted by Conservatives. I believe that America, for all her faults, is an amazing country of incredible opportunity.
So when the 2004 elections rolled around, I decided that I needed to be a part of the voting process. But first, I needed to understand what the parties were about. Since I wasn't too impressed with the Democratic Party in the wake of the Lewinsky scandal, the 2000 election, and the manner of protesting the Iraq war, I decided to start by learning about the Republican Party. I had heard Hugh Hewitt speak at a Christian faculty event I had attended and was very impressed with his political knowledge so I picked up his book If It's Not Close They Can't Cheat by Hugh Hewitt. I should have known it would be a polarizing book since the subtitle is "Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It". He summarized the two political parties as being broken down into three sub-parties each.
He summarized the Democratic Party as the party of race, the party of government, and the party of license. The Republican Party was summarized as the party of faith, the party of wealth, and the party of national security. As I read, I began to see that the Republican Party best embodied my values.
I can't remember exactly what Hewitt said about the party of race within the Democratic Party, but it's rather clear that most minorities align with the Democratic Party. And I started to question the motives of Democratic leadership regarding their approach to minority voters. Quite frankly, I don't think race should enter into an individual's allegiance to political party. If we are truly going to post-racial, then voting should be color blind. And relevant to this particular election, I think that if it's racist for a white person to vote for a white candidate just because he's white, it should also be considered racist for a black candidate to vote for a black candidate just because he's black.
The party of government are those who align with the Democratic Party because they are in favor of big government. This includes Big Union. I wasn't too impressed with the negative impact of Unions. I had seen low-performing individuals in my workplace continue on year after year because their union status made it difficult to fire them. And I wasn't too impressed with the outcome of government programs. I had (and still continue) working with programs to serve the poor and I am not convinced that it is truly the poor who get served nor if it's ultimately in their best interest to be served by government programs rather than private organizations (ie church or non-profits who truly care for them). On the flip side, I had been involved in a church leadership style that operated from the bottom up, and had seen the power of releasing people to make decisions in their own sphere of influence.
The desires of the party of license within the Democratic Party were the least consistent with my values. These are the interest groups who want to promote policies that allow "license" in their lifestyles. Thus, the homosexual agenda and pro-choice movement, among others. I have no problem if people want to pursue their fleshly appetites. I mourn that they are missing out on the better life that God has for them, but I don't want those pursuits to be considered "mainstream" if they truly are not mainstream. And I don't believe that federal funding should go to organizations that allow people to pursue their appetites (ie Planned Parenthood).
The party of faith within the Republican Party is consistent with my values. I like the idea of using Biblical principles to guide legislative decisions. I don't want to impose Christianity on people, but I believe that the Creator of people has some insight on what's good for people.
The party of wealth is probably the thorn in my side regarding the Republican Party. These are those who want to limit government or lower taxes to maintain their own wealth. Although I don't agree with the bases for their policy desires, I do agree on fiscal conservatism. And I would rather support the vice of greed than I would the vice of licentious behavior, which is promoted by the Democratic Party. I hope that makes sense.
The last sub-party in the Republican Party is the party of national security. I hate war. But I think that America is far more suited to take up arms than any of the despotic regimes that dominate the rest of the world. If there has to be a world superpower, I would rather it be a democratic nation than a dictatorship any day. Although our country has messed up, we are also called upon by weaker nations. I think our system of government allows us to act more responsibly than most countries to protect our way of life.
The reason I have summarized the book and the two parties is because if Barack Obama is elected, the Democrats will lead Congress, the Senate, and the White House. And before long, the Supreme Court as well. Those aspects of the Democratic platform will move forward unchecked. So I urge you all to consider if the platforms of the Democratic Party are consistent with your values. In some sense, it doesn't matter what Barack Obama wants. If the entire government is Democratic, those are the values that will be promoted. As Hugh Hewitt writes, it's not just the candidate, but also the party he/she represents.
Wow. That was a long tangent away from my story. At any rate, the rest of the story involves my life in heavily Democrat environments and work activities and my study of conservatism through conservative blogs and political books. And the reason I mention all of this is to give a context for my support of John McCain. All of my adult life has set me up for a Democratic Party alliance, but what I have learned from reading and thinking convinces me that conservative principles allow America to be as successful as she is.
Now on to my push regarding the Presidential candidates themselves. I'll be honest here. I'm not all THAT excited about McCain. I wrote before about his optimism. I admire his service to the country and sacrifice. I agree with his desire to eliminate government waste. I do believe he has acted far more bipartisan than Obama. And he has shown wisdom. He was right on the surge and he was right on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac meltdown.
But what gets me really pumped up about this election is my distrust of Obama. My mom summarized most of it quite well. I don't want to go into too much detail.
Sure, he has associated with controversial figures and organizations. Perhaps the associations aren't that important. But look at how Obama responds. Silence. Cover-ups. Sudden denunciations. Denials.
And look at his record on abortion. Supports partial birth abortion. Did not support offering medical assistance to infants born alive after botched abortions. But he tried to cover that up also.
But another reservation my mom didn't hit is his approach to government. Obama has made it quite clear that it is his hope that America be "fundamentally transformed" with his election. Health care, energy, education, retirement accounts, mortgages. Obama wants to take all of these things under government control. If he can't be transparent about his past, how can we trust him to be transparent on all of these areas? And if he has never actually governed, how can we trust that he can handle such a big huge bite of American pie? And are we REALLY that bad off as a nation that our system of government needs to be "fundamentally transformed"? I think we just need some fine tuning and I distrust both his motives and his abilities to carry off what may only work in theory. And on top of it, I feel ill at ease with the way he and his campaign respond to those who disagree with his policy ideas. Joe the Plumber is attacked (not just by the media, but by O himself). People who don't like the idea of higher taxes are called "selfish". Reporters endorsing McCain are asked to leave the Obama campaign plane. I am concerned that our freedoms will be limited.
Well, it's getting very, very late. And this post is very, very long. It's short on eloquence, but heartfelt. I do not think that Barack Obama and the Democrats will lead this country in a positive direction. And I hope you join me and Ian in promoting McCain to the highest post in the land.
For some final summaries, check out these articles. Far wiser and far more eloquent than me.
Ed Morrissey and the "Young Guns" - The Comprehensive Argument Against Barack Obama
Charles Krauthammer's endorsement of John McCain
David Frum's endorsement of John McCain
Clarice
For my final push I figured I would just tell my story of how I came to my current political convictions.
I grew up in Orange County, CA. This is one of the few hotbeds of Republicanism in left-leaning California. I didn't think much about politics growing up. I just knew that my parents were Republicans and that they thought it was the best representation of the values they wanted me to embrace. I went about my own merry way. My favorite presidents growing up were FDR and JFK (yep, Democrats). In fact, I named all of our hamsters after Roosevelt children and would have moved on to Kennedy children if it wasn't cost-prohibitive to continue breeding them. The idea of the New Deal appealed to me as a way of caring for all of society's members and Kennedy's charisma and call to service captivated me. By the time I hit college, I was drawn to the Democratic Party because of its value for social justice. However, I didn't care enough to actually vote.
Once I graduated from college, I moved to Boston for dental school. I probably don't need to explain what the political environment was like there. The election of Bill Clinton occurred during my time in Boston. I didn't vote. But I had started acting on my concern for the poor. I got involved in church ministries that targeted poor urban youths. I cared about that enough to move into Boston's Chinatown to make social concern a lifestyle instead of a hobby. And again, the value for social justice promoted by the Democratic Party captured my attention.
Then I moved back to Los Angeles - another Democratic hotspot. I think I abstained from voting in the 1996 election as well. However, a couple of events over the next 4 years started to wake me up to the values of the Democratic Party that weren't consistent with mine. The first was the reaction of people around me to the Lewinsky scandal. To me, it was simple. The President lied under oath while being investigated regarding the charge that he had raped someone. I couldn't understand why people I admired, fervent Democrats, kept complaining about how Republicans were trying to get Clinton because he had sex with an intern. I wasn't too impressed with the actions of the Republican party, but I was rather appalled at how easily Clinton's defenders (and Clinton himself) embraced moral relativity. The second was the reaction to the 2000 election. I thought Gore was incredibly disingenuous in the manner in which he contested the election results. I didn't buy the argument that he was trying to protect the voters when only certain voting districts were recounted. And I didn't care for the near civil disobedience that ensued in response to the "stolen election". Both reactions seemed irrational to me.
Then the events of 9/11 occurred. Something in me awoke. I realized that there are people in this world who absolutely hate America. And as I started to wonder why that was, I could not accept the idea promoted by the left that America is hated because of how badly she has behaved toward the rest of the world. As an immigrant's child, I have seen my parents' home country and seen how it operates. I am incredibly thankful for the blessings I have experienced as a result of my parents' adoption of this country as their own. And as I have worked with international students, I have been amazed by the admiration and respect they have for their adopted country. 9/11 woke me up to the idea of "American exceptionalism" promoted by Conservatives. I believe that America, for all her faults, is an amazing country of incredible opportunity.
So when the 2004 elections rolled around, I decided that I needed to be a part of the voting process. But first, I needed to understand what the parties were about. Since I wasn't too impressed with the Democratic Party in the wake of the Lewinsky scandal, the 2000 election, and the manner of protesting the Iraq war, I decided to start by learning about the Republican Party. I had heard Hugh Hewitt speak at a Christian faculty event I had attended and was very impressed with his political knowledge so I picked up his book If It's Not Close They Can't Cheat by Hugh Hewitt. I should have known it would be a polarizing book since the subtitle is "Crushing the Democrats in Every Election and Why Your Life Depends on It". He summarized the two political parties as being broken down into three sub-parties each.
He summarized the Democratic Party as the party of race, the party of government, and the party of license. The Republican Party was summarized as the party of faith, the party of wealth, and the party of national security. As I read, I began to see that the Republican Party best embodied my values.
I can't remember exactly what Hewitt said about the party of race within the Democratic Party, but it's rather clear that most minorities align with the Democratic Party. And I started to question the motives of Democratic leadership regarding their approach to minority voters. Quite frankly, I don't think race should enter into an individual's allegiance to political party. If we are truly going to post-racial, then voting should be color blind. And relevant to this particular election, I think that if it's racist for a white person to vote for a white candidate just because he's white, it should also be considered racist for a black candidate to vote for a black candidate just because he's black.
The party of government are those who align with the Democratic Party because they are in favor of big government. This includes Big Union. I wasn't too impressed with the negative impact of Unions. I had seen low-performing individuals in my workplace continue on year after year because their union status made it difficult to fire them. And I wasn't too impressed with the outcome of government programs. I had (and still continue) working with programs to serve the poor and I am not convinced that it is truly the poor who get served nor if it's ultimately in their best interest to be served by government programs rather than private organizations (ie church or non-profits who truly care for them). On the flip side, I had been involved in a church leadership style that operated from the bottom up, and had seen the power of releasing people to make decisions in their own sphere of influence.
The desires of the party of license within the Democratic Party were the least consistent with my values. These are the interest groups who want to promote policies that allow "license" in their lifestyles. Thus, the homosexual agenda and pro-choice movement, among others. I have no problem if people want to pursue their fleshly appetites. I mourn that they are missing out on the better life that God has for them, but I don't want those pursuits to be considered "mainstream" if they truly are not mainstream. And I don't believe that federal funding should go to organizations that allow people to pursue their appetites (ie Planned Parenthood).
The party of faith within the Republican Party is consistent with my values. I like the idea of using Biblical principles to guide legislative decisions. I don't want to impose Christianity on people, but I believe that the Creator of people has some insight on what's good for people.
The party of wealth is probably the thorn in my side regarding the Republican Party. These are those who want to limit government or lower taxes to maintain their own wealth. Although I don't agree with the bases for their policy desires, I do agree on fiscal conservatism. And I would rather support the vice of greed than I would the vice of licentious behavior, which is promoted by the Democratic Party. I hope that makes sense.
The last sub-party in the Republican Party is the party of national security. I hate war. But I think that America is far more suited to take up arms than any of the despotic regimes that dominate the rest of the world. If there has to be a world superpower, I would rather it be a democratic nation than a dictatorship any day. Although our country has messed up, we are also called upon by weaker nations. I think our system of government allows us to act more responsibly than most countries to protect our way of life.
The reason I have summarized the book and the two parties is because if Barack Obama is elected, the Democrats will lead Congress, the Senate, and the White House. And before long, the Supreme Court as well. Those aspects of the Democratic platform will move forward unchecked. So I urge you all to consider if the platforms of the Democratic Party are consistent with your values. In some sense, it doesn't matter what Barack Obama wants. If the entire government is Democratic, those are the values that will be promoted. As Hugh Hewitt writes, it's not just the candidate, but also the party he/she represents.
Wow. That was a long tangent away from my story. At any rate, the rest of the story involves my life in heavily Democrat environments and work activities and my study of conservatism through conservative blogs and political books. And the reason I mention all of this is to give a context for my support of John McCain. All of my adult life has set me up for a Democratic Party alliance, but what I have learned from reading and thinking convinces me that conservative principles allow America to be as successful as she is.
Now on to my push regarding the Presidential candidates themselves. I'll be honest here. I'm not all THAT excited about McCain. I wrote before about his optimism. I admire his service to the country and sacrifice. I agree with his desire to eliminate government waste. I do believe he has acted far more bipartisan than Obama. And he has shown wisdom. He was right on the surge and he was right on the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac meltdown.
But what gets me really pumped up about this election is my distrust of Obama. My mom summarized most of it quite well. I don't want to go into too much detail.
Sure, he has associated with controversial figures and organizations. Perhaps the associations aren't that important. But look at how Obama responds. Silence. Cover-ups. Sudden denunciations. Denials.
And look at his record on abortion. Supports partial birth abortion. Did not support offering medical assistance to infants born alive after botched abortions. But he tried to cover that up also.
But another reservation my mom didn't hit is his approach to government. Obama has made it quite clear that it is his hope that America be "fundamentally transformed" with his election. Health care, energy, education, retirement accounts, mortgages. Obama wants to take all of these things under government control. If he can't be transparent about his past, how can we trust him to be transparent on all of these areas? And if he has never actually governed, how can we trust that he can handle such a big huge bite of American pie? And are we REALLY that bad off as a nation that our system of government needs to be "fundamentally transformed"? I think we just need some fine tuning and I distrust both his motives and his abilities to carry off what may only work in theory. And on top of it, I feel ill at ease with the way he and his campaign respond to those who disagree with his policy ideas. Joe the Plumber is attacked (not just by the media, but by O himself). People who don't like the idea of higher taxes are called "selfish". Reporters endorsing McCain are asked to leave the Obama campaign plane. I am concerned that our freedoms will be limited.
Well, it's getting very, very late. And this post is very, very long. It's short on eloquence, but heartfelt. I do not think that Barack Obama and the Democrats will lead this country in a positive direction. And I hope you join me and Ian in promoting McCain to the highest post in the land.
For some final summaries, check out these articles. Far wiser and far more eloquent than me.
Ed Morrissey and the "Young Guns" - The Comprehensive Argument Against Barack Obama
Charles Krauthammer's endorsement of John McCain
David Frum's endorsement of John McCain
Clarice
Final Thoughts Before Tuesday
I'm kinda tired of this election and look forward to it being over. There have been so many articles in the blogosphere to point to and comment on these last few days that I've been overwhelmed and decided to be silent. The people that care to read what I read can peruse the vaults of my Favorite Blogs to the left.
I'm so glad that my Hope is in Jesus the God-Man and not in Washington or the White House. I am at peace with the outcome on Tuesday and with my little role as a blogger. Perhaps I have made a difference in somebody's life.
I will support the office of President of the United States of America, even if I don't fully support the decisions of whoever wins, and I will pray for that person to draw closer to our LORD, to become more like Jesus and to lead with wisdom and humility, making decisions with self-sacrifice and having a heart to pursue what is truly best for the people (not assuming that I know what that is).
I don't understand my friends who are voting Democrat because their families always vote Democrat. I could be wrong, but many of them don't seem to have really thought about Obama and what his words and voting history mean. I truly believe the statement that "the Democratic Party has left the Democrats," whoever said it.
I just had the thought that I would be okay with Obama winning the election IF I thought that all the people voting for him had really examined the man, his record and his worldview. Then I would accept that I was in the minority and that the majority of people really wanted to elect Obama (and his 3000 appointees alongside Pelosi, Reid, Frank, etc.). Instead, it appears to me that so many are swooning over his presence, delivery and rhetoric or voting out of knee-jerk reaction to their disappointments of Bush or out of some sort of false racial guilt.
I do know that this is a difficult decision for many and that the decision is getting harder and harder as the deadline to vote approaches and the seriousness of our freedom to choose our leaders is at hand. It's sad that we people so often vote against one candidate, instead of for the other candidate, with a lesser-of-two-evils mentality. I do pray that the uninformed voter would stay home and not vote. I do celebrate that voter turnout for this election is expected to break records. The people are passionate, that's for sure!
My Faith and Hope is in Jesus Christ my God. I am foremost a sinner and not worthy of God's love, grace and mercy and I will not judge the hearts of man.
One more day to figure out which presidential candidate to vote for. Don't forget all the propositions and local government offices that need an educated vote. Voting is our right and privilege!
Ian
I'm so glad that my Hope is in Jesus the God-Man and not in Washington or the White House. I am at peace with the outcome on Tuesday and with my little role as a blogger. Perhaps I have made a difference in somebody's life.
I will support the office of President of the United States of America, even if I don't fully support the decisions of whoever wins, and I will pray for that person to draw closer to our LORD, to become more like Jesus and to lead with wisdom and humility, making decisions with self-sacrifice and having a heart to pursue what is truly best for the people (not assuming that I know what that is).
I don't understand my friends who are voting Democrat because their families always vote Democrat. I could be wrong, but many of them don't seem to have really thought about Obama and what his words and voting history mean. I truly believe the statement that "the Democratic Party has left the Democrats," whoever said it.
I just had the thought that I would be okay with Obama winning the election IF I thought that all the people voting for him had really examined the man, his record and his worldview. Then I would accept that I was in the minority and that the majority of people really wanted to elect Obama (and his 3000 appointees alongside Pelosi, Reid, Frank, etc.). Instead, it appears to me that so many are swooning over his presence, delivery and rhetoric or voting out of knee-jerk reaction to their disappointments of Bush or out of some sort of false racial guilt.
I do know that this is a difficult decision for many and that the decision is getting harder and harder as the deadline to vote approaches and the seriousness of our freedom to choose our leaders is at hand. It's sad that we people so often vote against one candidate, instead of for the other candidate, with a lesser-of-two-evils mentality. I do pray that the uninformed voter would stay home and not vote. I do celebrate that voter turnout for this election is expected to break records. The people are passionate, that's for sure!
My Faith and Hope is in Jesus Christ my God. I am foremost a sinner and not worthy of God's love, grace and mercy and I will not judge the hearts of man.
One more day to figure out which presidential candidate to vote for. Don't forget all the propositions and local government offices that need an educated vote. Voting is our right and privilege!
Ian
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Why Not Obama?
My mom is probably even more aware and involved in the political process than we are. She listed her reservations with Barack Obama for us to post:
Unfortunately, there isn’t a near perfect candidate, on either side.
No doubt Obama is smart, articulate, cool, charismatic, focused, adored, and riding high in momentum. I don’t doubt his dedication in wanting to make a difference, to elevate the living standard of the poor, to advance the cause for better education. All these are well and good. I am for all that. Who would not be?
Why do I not want to vote for him? I commend him for having chosen a path to serve rather than a financially rewarding career as a corporate lawyer. I believe that his experience and choice of work at the early period in Chicago set the foundation for him to pursue public office. He has since pursued his goal with a passion.
Notice that I did not say anything about his character? That one is for you to decide if it is important for you.
Why I am not voting for him?
I will save my main concern for the last point.
1. His association of many persons who have demonstrated acts or speeches that are anti-American, questionable, even illegal. I will be fair to accept that you do not conclude with an opinion based on guilt by association. But the troubling fact is why he continued his association for the length of time that he did. He is a smart person. There is no way he did not know Rev Wright’s thoughts and philosophy having been his member and under his mentor for 20 years.
Obama claimed innocent saying that Bill Ayers committed illegal acts while he was eight years old. But one does not need to be someone’s contemporary to know what a person had done. He knows about JFK, Hitler. Does he not read history, learn ways to check background and references, make observation from the interactions to form judgment of character? Bill Ayers said in 2001 that he wished he could bomb more. How old does Obama needs to be to be able to judge someone’s philosophy that governs one’s actions?
Just yesterday, it was uncovered that Ayers and wife wrote a book “PRAIRIE FIRE” which they dedicated the book to, of all people, Sirhan Sirhan, the one who assassinated Robert Kennedy, friends of the people. Google the book name by Bill Ayers and you will find a string of sites about it. I don’t see it reported in CNN.com, probably not in the mainstream media either. Whether it has anything to do with Obama or not, this is not news?
It is hard for one not to conjecture that Obama’s ambition to rise to a position of power to effect his ideology gave way to political expediency, the end justifies the means.
He knew. He may have agreed with Ayer’s or Wright’s philosophy or may not. But he stayed. He gained. Until.
2. I am more concerned about the changes an Obama administration will bring by his socialistic leaning policy, and all the programs that will be enhanced, advanced, and prevailed by his supporters and organizations with the same interest.
I will leave out the discussion of economic policy which has been discussed everywhere. I don’t object to helping the poor, giving everyone equal opportunity. It is just that the government leaves so many loopholes for people to abuse the system. And sometimes I don’t think the government cares as long as they are in power and they are keeping the people who put them in that position happy.
I am concerned about the social and spiritual tone of the land.
Democrats are liberals, and Obama ranks number 1 in the senate. Liberal causes will flourish. Pro-choice, gay marriages, liberal interpretation of laws by judges, state or federal, ACLU, union bosses, trial lawyers will find a friend in Obama and his administration.
The liberal use of freedom allows exploitation. The entertainment industry is the number 1 exploiters. Have you seen any movie, TV show, not to talk about porn and porn in the internet, that does not contain sexually explicit scenes, story content? Even bill board advertising is full of such displays. Rap music contains words of hate, contempt, ridicule.
I am not talking about censorship or religiosity. And people do have freedom of choice to see or not to see the movies. But the liberal attitude and approach trumps any appeal for self regulations within the industry for the sake of our teens and young children. True you cannot legislate against greed and exploitation. What transforms attitude is personal and spiritual.
For now, discern for yourself why the majority of Hollywood has always voted democrat.
Personal responsibility. Liberal Court attitude. Do you still remember a woman who spilled her hot coffee, sued McDonald, and won.
Religious antagonism, more correctly anti-Christianity. Christian doctors who referred out a same-sex couple who want artificial insemination to another doctor based on their faith are sued for discrimination and lost.
Christian symbols and holidays are going to be a thing of the past if Christians let it be. Yet there is double standard. The liberals will not touch anything re Moslems traditions and holidays. It is not religious respect, but political correctness. Many examples of liberal hypocracies.
The history of the work of ACLU against Christian belief. They vote democrat. All the bills and laws to promote homosexual agenda in elementary schools. The authors and supporters are democrats.
Liberal press. Liberal colleges. Ridiculous curricula. Bill Ayers is a respected Chicago professor, in spite of his past deeds which he has not renounced. A general acceptance of free thinking without constraints of right or wrong.
In conclusion, conservatives are not morally superior than liberals. Christian conservatives sin as others. The difference is that a professed Christian is convicted in his heart by the commission of sins by the Holy Spirit. He knows that it is wrong. He knows to ask for forgiveness. He knows to ask for strength to not repeat. There is an inner compass to his behavior as well as the Bible.
Those who shy away or antagonize Christianity do not like the constraints. We do have do’s and don’t’s. Liberalism fits their philosophy.
They are the teachers, educators, legislators, professors for our children.
The concern of the liberal impact that shapes our kids’ thinking comes before all the merits of government sponsored benevolence
On this point, I’ll just end with Joe Biden as an illustration. All the big heart to help the needy shows in his personal contributions of $200-900, while relief work were underway for the Katrina tragedy, the cyclones in India and Thailand ,or the Sechuan earthquake. Ordinary people found it compelling to donate for such needs. Joe, a bouvuiac of the democrat leaders relies on the government to help.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a near perfect candidate, on either side.
No doubt Obama is smart, articulate, cool, charismatic, focused, adored, and riding high in momentum. I don’t doubt his dedication in wanting to make a difference, to elevate the living standard of the poor, to advance the cause for better education. All these are well and good. I am for all that. Who would not be?
Why do I not want to vote for him? I commend him for having chosen a path to serve rather than a financially rewarding career as a corporate lawyer. I believe that his experience and choice of work at the early period in Chicago set the foundation for him to pursue public office. He has since pursued his goal with a passion.
Notice that I did not say anything about his character? That one is for you to decide if it is important for you.
Why I am not voting for him?
I will save my main concern for the last point.
1. His association of many persons who have demonstrated acts or speeches that are anti-American, questionable, even illegal. I will be fair to accept that you do not conclude with an opinion based on guilt by association. But the troubling fact is why he continued his association for the length of time that he did. He is a smart person. There is no way he did not know Rev Wright’s thoughts and philosophy having been his member and under his mentor for 20 years.
Obama claimed innocent saying that Bill Ayers committed illegal acts while he was eight years old. But one does not need to be someone’s contemporary to know what a person had done. He knows about JFK, Hitler. Does he not read history, learn ways to check background and references, make observation from the interactions to form judgment of character? Bill Ayers said in 2001 that he wished he could bomb more. How old does Obama needs to be to be able to judge someone’s philosophy that governs one’s actions?
Just yesterday, it was uncovered that Ayers and wife wrote a book “PRAIRIE FIRE” which they dedicated the book to, of all people, Sirhan Sirhan, the one who assassinated Robert Kennedy, friends of the people. Google the book name by Bill Ayers and you will find a string of sites about it. I don’t see it reported in CNN.com, probably not in the mainstream media either. Whether it has anything to do with Obama or not, this is not news?
It is hard for one not to conjecture that Obama’s ambition to rise to a position of power to effect his ideology gave way to political expediency, the end justifies the means.
He knew. He may have agreed with Ayer’s or Wright’s philosophy or may not. But he stayed. He gained. Until.
2. I am more concerned about the changes an Obama administration will bring by his socialistic leaning policy, and all the programs that will be enhanced, advanced, and prevailed by his supporters and organizations with the same interest.
I will leave out the discussion of economic policy which has been discussed everywhere. I don’t object to helping the poor, giving everyone equal opportunity. It is just that the government leaves so many loopholes for people to abuse the system. And sometimes I don’t think the government cares as long as they are in power and they are keeping the people who put them in that position happy.
I am concerned about the social and spiritual tone of the land.
Democrats are liberals, and Obama ranks number 1 in the senate. Liberal causes will flourish. Pro-choice, gay marriages, liberal interpretation of laws by judges, state or federal, ACLU, union bosses, trial lawyers will find a friend in Obama and his administration.
The liberal use of freedom allows exploitation. The entertainment industry is the number 1 exploiters. Have you seen any movie, TV show, not to talk about porn and porn in the internet, that does not contain sexually explicit scenes, story content? Even bill board advertising is full of such displays. Rap music contains words of hate, contempt, ridicule.
I am not talking about censorship or religiosity. And people do have freedom of choice to see or not to see the movies. But the liberal attitude and approach trumps any appeal for self regulations within the industry for the sake of our teens and young children. True you cannot legislate against greed and exploitation. What transforms attitude is personal and spiritual.
For now, discern for yourself why the majority of Hollywood has always voted democrat.
Personal responsibility. Liberal Court attitude. Do you still remember a woman who spilled her hot coffee, sued McDonald, and won.
Religious antagonism, more correctly anti-Christianity. Christian doctors who referred out a same-sex couple who want artificial insemination to another doctor based on their faith are sued for discrimination and lost.
Christian symbols and holidays are going to be a thing of the past if Christians let it be. Yet there is double standard. The liberals will not touch anything re Moslems traditions and holidays. It is not religious respect, but political correctness. Many examples of liberal hypocracies.
The history of the work of ACLU against Christian belief. They vote democrat. All the bills and laws to promote homosexual agenda in elementary schools. The authors and supporters are democrats.
Liberal press. Liberal colleges. Ridiculous curricula. Bill Ayers is a respected Chicago professor, in spite of his past deeds which he has not renounced. A general acceptance of free thinking without constraints of right or wrong.
In conclusion, conservatives are not morally superior than liberals. Christian conservatives sin as others. The difference is that a professed Christian is convicted in his heart by the commission of sins by the Holy Spirit. He knows that it is wrong. He knows to ask for forgiveness. He knows to ask for strength to not repeat. There is an inner compass to his behavior as well as the Bible.
Those who shy away or antagonize Christianity do not like the constraints. We do have do’s and don’t’s. Liberalism fits their philosophy.
They are the teachers, educators, legislators, professors for our children.
The concern of the liberal impact that shapes our kids’ thinking comes before all the merits of government sponsored benevolence
On this point, I’ll just end with Joe Biden as an illustration. All the big heart to help the needy shows in his personal contributions of $200-900, while relief work were underway for the Katrina tragedy, the cyclones in India and Thailand ,or the Sechuan earthquake. Ordinary people found it compelling to donate for such needs. Joe, a bouvuiac of the democrat leaders relies on the government to help.
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