Yes We Did!

Words cannot truly express the magnitude of what happened last night at 8:00 PM Pacific time when Barack Obama was declared the victor of the 2008 Presidential race. I was overwhelmed with joy that he had won. We have elected the first African-American president of the United States, and that means so much to so many not only here in the U.S. but around the world.

What surprised me, though, was the sense of relief I felt that we were finally past the Bush years and all the incompetence and corruption and damage to America that they brought. It was that relief that brought me to tears, almost like I could breathe again. What that administration did to this country is unconscionable, but I truly have hope that President-elect Barack Obama can bring back our integrity and position of respect around the world. I have hope that our new President will be able to bring about the change needed to solve the enormous issues we are facing, whether it is global warming or the economic crisis or the wars we are fighting. Hope and change are what Obama represented throughout the campaign, and now he must, with all of our help, realize that change and fulfill that hope. Yes we can!

How I Became an Obama Fan

I realized that most of my posts are about why I am against John McCain or Sarah Palin and not about why I am voting for Barack Obama. So here is my story.

I was a Hillary Clinton supporter during the primary season. When looking at the problems facing the country, I thought she would be able to hit the ground running more quickly. She is obviously extremely intelligent, has a solid grasp on the issues, and I feel truly cares about people. It didn't hurt that Bill Clinton was part of the package. As far as I was concerned, having Bill Clinton, who had overseen one of the most successful periods in recent American history, would be so beneficial in those first weeks and months of the new presidency. There would be no getting up to speed on how to navigate the White House. And it was inspiring to me that she was a woman.

Once Barack Obama became the nominee, I knew that I would support him. I am a Democrat after all, and Hillary and Barack have very similar stands on the issues. In fact, I was more aligned with Barack Obama on Iraq, having been an opponent from the start. But here were some defining moments for me.

• Watching Barack Obama's convention speech. I had never actually sat down and watched one of his speeches before, and it made me understand how he inspired so many. He stands for the right things. He was strong in the case he made for his presidency. He said what I had been thinking for so long - that Republicans can no longer take ownership of patriotism. We are all patriots. I saw the possibilities of electing our first African-American president and what that would mean to so many people in this country - not least of which to my husband, to my children.
• Going to Back to School Night for my first-grader. We each got a packet of work our children had done. One paper was a sentence and drawing of what the kids wanted to be when they grew up. My son had written "I want to be President." I truly believe watching Barack Obama had inspired him.
• The economic crisis. After John McCain announced he had suspended his campaign and was calling for the debate to be postponed, I didn't know how Obama would be able to respond. I thought he was in a no-win position. But Obama came out with such a simple yet such a true statement: a president has to deal with more than one thing at a time. Wow.

Every day since, Obama has shown himself to be presidential, cool under pressure, able to see the big picture and connect the dots. I believe he has the intelligence to surround himself with the right people, to see all sides of the issues, to seek advice when he doesn't know, and to make the right decisions to lead our country out of this mess of the last eight years. He will rebuild our image abroad. He will help those who are struggling. He will engage the disenfranchised who have felt excluded for so long. He will bring this country together - white and black, young and old, red and blue.

And he will inspire a new generation of leaders to reach for their highest potential.

Oh Yeah, There Are Propositions to Vote on Too!

As I went to fill out my California sample ballot to bring with me on Tuesday, I realized there are a lot of other important issues on the ballot besides the Presidential race. Here are my thoughts on two key ones:

• Proposition 4 - Parental Notification: I think this is the 3rd or 4th time this has been on the ballot on California. Basically, it requires parents to approve a teenager's abortion. Exception is provided if the teenager jumps through hoops and navigates the court system to get court approval. Obviously, this is an attempt to chip away at a woman's right to choose. You can't legislate good family communication. If a pregnant, teenage girl is not willing to confide in a parent, there is probably a good reason. One or both parents could be abusive or there could be a genuine fear of reprisal. A girl should be able to make this most fundamental decision themselves. I am voting NO.
• Proposition 8 - Eliminating the rights of gays to marry: Earlier this year, California's mostly conservative Supreme Court found that there was no constitutional justification for not allowing same-sex marriage. That led to the most joyous day of the year for many gay couples who had been waiting so long to be able to enter into marriage with their partners. Some point to the civil rights that come along with marriage - hospital visitation, estate planning, benefits adoption, etc - and ask why we can't create a civil equivalent. It is deeper than that. Separate is not equal. 40 years ago, interracial marriage was banned in many states. We now realize this is totally unfair and discriminatory. Now, let's evolve even further and allow two consenting adults - regardless of gender, race, age, etc. to make that ultimate commitment to each other. Gays have the right to marry right now. Nobody's forcing churches to perform same-sex marriage or forcing teachers to teach same-sex marriage in school. My marriage is not at all effected by same-sex marriage. Let's allow happiness for everyone. I am voting NO along with Barbara Young, wife of Steve Young, famous Mormon former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
  

Why I Don't Like Sarah Palin - Part 2

Well, it has been a while since Why I Don't Like Sarah Palin, and I think it's time for a sequel. Here are more reasons I don't like Sarah Palin:

• Because she has been found to have abused her power and broken ethics law in the Alaska "Troopergate" scandal. And even though this was spelled out in black and white in the bipartisan report, she actually had the audacity to just outright lie and say that the report cleared her.
• Because she has lied about her accomplishments in Alaska, including her signature accomplishment, the building of natural gas pipeline. The Associated Press has found that the bid process was flawed and included favoritism. The terms favored only one viable bidder, a company with ties to Palin's administration. The pipeline may never be actually built.
  
• Because she portrays herself as the reformer that eliminates overspending and yet she charged the state of Alaska for many questionable charges that benefited her personally. She charged the state of Alaska a per diem for over 300 nights when she stayed in her own house. The Associated Press did an investigation and found that she also charged the state of Alaska for the travel of her children. She even later revised the submission to make it look like the First Family was on official business. In reality, she sometimes asked event organizers to extend invitations to her family or just brought them unannounced.
  
• Because she plays herself off as a middle class person just like all those hockey moms out there, but in reality, she is the governor of a state, is wearing a wardrobe costing over $150,000, and the McCain campaign staffer who made the most money in October was her makeup artist. I certainly don't begrudge her getting nice clothes to run for Vice-President of this great country, but it is a bit excessive and runs counter to her message. It's the hypocrisy that bothers me.
• Because she continues to say that the Vice-President is in charge of the Senate. This line of bullshit started in the VP debate and has continued. Please read the Constitution. The only role of the VP in the Senate is to vote if there is a tie. That is it! She is that dangerous combination of ignorant and power-hungry.
• Because she has been stirring up racism, negativity and divisiveness at her rallies. It is truly scary to see the kind of people she is inspiring. She has been trying to portray Obama as scary, not one of us, a terrorist, socialist, and now communist! She has stated that the residents of small towns are more patriotic, pro-America, and the best of America. This line of rhetoric has been continued by other members of the Republican party. We now have a "real" Virginia. We now have accusations of anti-American members of Congress. At a time where this country is facing real problems both at home and abroad, Palin is leading the charge to divide this country even further.
  

Bottom line, this is a woman who in no way is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency and is ethically challenged. There is now talk that she is starting to break away from the McCain campaign - going "rogue" - in order to position herself for the 2012 Presidential race. Unbelievable, but since name recognition is half the battle, I am officially not going to write about her anymore. She really doesn't merit the national attention she is receiving, and I, for one, am not going to contribute anymore, no matter how many more disgusting things she says or how many ethical breaches she makes.

Since We Are Discussing Associations, How About John McCain and G. Gordon Liddy?

Coming from someone who is quite familiar with G. Gordon Liddy and his criminal activity - Carl Bernstein:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carl-bernstein/ayers-and-the-mccain-g-go_b_134256.html

A Different Angle on the Same Story

In my post on the racism of the McCain / Palin campaign, I didn't even touch on the Muslim issue: the use of Barack Obama's middle name (Hussein) or the uncertainty they are trying to breed on whether or not he is Muslim (he is not). Khaled Hosseini, author of the The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns does a way better job at this than I ever could in this article. Key quotes:

Regarding how offensive these tactics are to all of the peace-loving Muslims in this country:

Never mind that this evokes -- and brazenly tries to resurrect -- the unsavory, cruel days of our past that we thought we had left behind. Never mind that such jeers are deeply offensive to millions of peaceful, law-abiding Muslim Americans who must bear the unveiled charge, made by some supporters of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, that Obama's middle name makes him someone to distrust -- and, judging by some of the crowd reactions at these rallies, someone to persecute or even kill. As a secular Muslim, I too was offended. Obama's middle name differs from my last name by only two vowels. Does the McCain-Palin campaign view me as a pariah too? Do McCain and Palin think there's something wrong with my name?

Regarding the inaction of McCain and Palin when the crowd gets angry:

What I find most unconscionable is the refusal of the McCain-Palin tandem to publicly condemn the cries of "traitor," "liar," "terrorist" and (worst of all) "kill him!" that could be heard at recent rallies...Is inaction tantamount to consent? The McCain campaign certainly thinks so when it comes to Obama and incendiary remarks from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. By their own inaction, then, are McCain and Palin condoning these slurs? Or worse, are they willfully inciting the angry and venomous response that we have been witnessing at their rallies? If not, then what reaction are they hoping to evoke by their relentless public suggestions that Obama is basically an anti-American liar who won't put "country first" and has an affection for terrorists? Do they not understand the kind of fire they are playing with?

In these turbulent times, their campaign is being so irresponsible. When are they going to be held accountable for their dangerous rhetoric?

A Question for Sarah Palin

Since Sarah Palin is making so much of the slight association between Barack Obama and Willam Ayers years after Ayers had been cleared of charges and become a respected educator in Illinois, I have some questions regarding Sarah Palin's association with someone much closer to her: her husband. Todd Palin was a member of the Alaska Independence Party from 1995-2002. This party advocates for the secession of Alaska from the United States of America with the slogan "Alaska First, Alaska Always". Its founder, Joe Vogler, was murdered while trying to buy plastic explosives on the black market. Click here to hear some chilling quotes from Joe Vogler.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmYqRfp6-x8

And by the way, not only is Sarah Palin married to a former, longtime member of the party, Sarah Palin has attended several conventions of the Alaska Indpendence Party and even addressed their convention as recently as March, telling them to "keep up the good work". So, my question for Sarah Palin is: which is it, Alaska First or Country First?