palin v. biden: my thoughts

The highly anticipated debate between Palin and Biden is over.  I do take a deep breath as I was worried that somehow Palin would come across the way she did with Katie Couric, naive and misinformed; however, Governor Palin did an excellent job at rebounding.  Thank goodness.  There were many things about the debate that I did not like.

• Overuse of the word maverick.  We get it.  McCain is a maverick.  Palin is a maverick.  Then along comes Biden to use the word more times than Palin in one paragraph.  I suppose Biden noticed it as well and wanted to taunt.
• BIDEN: When we kicked -- along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, "Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't know -- if you don't, Hezbollah will control it." Now what's happened? Hezbollah is a legitimate part of the government in the country immediately to the north of Israel.  I hate to say it.  Hezbollah is STILL in Lebanon and is stronger than they have ever been.  Seriously?  I thought he was the foreign affairs expert?
  
• Biden said that McCain and Obama voted the same on the controversial funding bill for troops.  Not true.  They voted the opposite.
• I do NOT like the health plan Palin mentioned - the 5K check, etc...  
• McCain has never said he wouldn't sit down with Spain.  Why the dems keep using this one is beyond me.
• Biden's comment about clean coal taken out of context was in fact NOT taken out of context.  You can find this through any search engine the exact words spoken.
• Biden said that Obama never said he would meet with Iran; yet just last week in the debate Obama plainly says that he would meet with them.  

Anyway...  they both misspoke and stretched the truth at times.  Typical of most politicians.  I do have a BIG problem with giving rights to same sex couples living together.  Let's throw out the argument of the norm, that it's a sin to be a homosexual.  Let's look at it like this.  Suppose I am living with a boyfriend for a month.  We're not married.  We are not given that same right of benefits, etc... unless we marry.  However, if we were homosexual, we would have the right.  I realize that the boyfriend and girlfriend can marry to have those rights, but isn't this a form of reverse discrimination?  There are no rules on how long a same sex couple have to be together...  

mccain under the microscope

It seems to me that the left wing media is looking for anything they can to sway the typical American voter against John McCain. First, it is his age. Second, his health, and lastly his comparison to George W. Bush. I find them all to be weak attempts to discredit someone who is capable and has the experience to lead our country forward.
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John McCain is 72 years old. Life expectancy is 77.8 years or so. Immediately one would think he is too old to serve our country as the Commander in Chief. Ronald Reagan was the President from ages 69-77. Was he too old? I believe Reagan is still heralded as one of the best presidents in the last 100 years. Many times we equate the President of the US as someone who is experienced and proven in their service to our country. Obama has had two years in the Senate. McCain is so much deeper as a candidate and his service to our country (both now and in the past). I guess Obama notices that age and experience really do matter. He runs to get some gray hair to make him "look" more experienced.

It wouldn't be the first time a Presidential candidate starts greying to look wiser for the candidate. Luckily for us, McCain is solid gray. What does that say? Politics of hair are back! Obama really ought to be working more on speech delivery sans teleprompter rather than his hair! Thank God for the internet where we can find videos and other information like this. Remember Dan Quayle and his "potatoe" mistake? The media talked about that mistake for weeks. I haven't seen a single report about Obama's "breathalizer" or "inhalator." (Should have been INHALER)

McCain's health has been called into question. He has battled stage 2 melanoma with a 50% or so survival after 5 years. What about Joe Biden's aneurysm repairs in 1988? Should I not vote for him as it almost took his life? Is he still at risk? I think I look more at Biden's plagiarism and lack of character (or plain laziness) cost him a presidential run in the past. None of us are promised tomorrow. We could die of anything at this very moment. Word-for-word copying someone else's work could be a character flaw in my eyes, especially at that level.

Quoted:

Biden’s case demonstrates that student plagiarism is nothing new. Only the methods of cheating have changed. Today, cheating has gone digital with the proliferation of Internet based paper filing and distributions systems, but the principles—or lack thereof—are the same. And as the Biden case illustrates, getting caught for such academic dishonesty may have serious ramifications for one’s political career. Joe Biden’s failed bid for the Democratic ticket is a case in point.

Lastly, comparisons with George W. Bush. I find it amazing that just a few years ago, McCain was considered a moderate by most. I definitely found him less conservative than I would have liked. His immigration policy is definitely more liberal, among other things, than I would like. Watch as the the liberal media tries to paint him more and more conservative thinking this will make him lose votes being compared to Bush. (Can I add here, "hello Easter Bunny?")

Remember former President Bill Clinton:

ABC's Z. Byron Wolf Reports: At a stop in rural Pennsylvania, over winding roads and through rolling hills in small Lewistown, PA, where people lined the streets to watch his motorcade approach, former President Bill Clinton had high praise for the man who has clinched the nomination for the other party.

Mr. Clinton said all three major candidates remaining in the race are talented and special people.

He did not go into detail on Sen. Barack Obama, the Illinois Senator still locked in political combat with Sen. Clinton's wife for the Democratic nomination. Their next battle takes place next month in Pennsylvania.

But McCain, who Mr. Clinton said is a "moderate", "has given about all you can give for this country without dyin' for it."

He said McCain was on the right side of issues like being against torture of enemy combatants and global warming, which "just about crosses the bridge for them (Republicans)."

I guess now that Hillary is out, Bill will have to retract those words somehow. I personally like President Bush, and I will state that with no hesitation, but if you think Bush and McCain are the same? Nope. They are not. Adding Palin to the ticket only helped me to feel better about my McCain vote.

stand up

Had to share this video as well.  I especially like how Biden explains that he is new.  New?  Hasn't he been in Washington D.C. forever? (yeah, Chuck is in a wheelchair)

surprised cnn reported this...

(CNN) — John McCain's campaign hit back hard at Joe Biden Tuesday after the Democratic VP candidate appeared to suggest Republicans who do not support stem cell research — like GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin — are lacking in their support of children with disabilities.

“Barack Obama’s running mate sunk to a new low today launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children," McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said. "Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign."

The sharp response, indicative of the increasingly heated rhetoric from both presidential campaigns as the election enters the final stretch, came shortly after Biden said advocates for people with disabilities should support stem cell research.

Biden did not mention Palin — the mother of a baby with Down syndrome, and someone who has said she will be a “friend and advocate in the White House" to parents of children with disabilities — but seemed to direct a question to her.

Election Center: Where the candidates stand on stem cell research

“I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy…and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect,” he said. “Well, guess what folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?”

Biden spokesman David Wade insisted Tuesday the Delaware senator's comments were not directed at Palin.

"This is a clash of policies, not a clash of personalities," Wade said. "We've heard not a dime's worth of difference between the McCain-Palin ticket and the Bush Administration on medical breakthroughs that millions of parents and doctors believe could save lives and transform the quality of life for countless Americans."

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When will either side admit that the argument AGAINST stem-cell research is that some people believe life begins at conception?  It's not about withholding valuable research that is thought to cure cancer, etc... it is that some people believe that it is life and therefore murder to use stem cells just for research.

a woman veep?

What an interesting election it is going to be this year.  CNBC is already reporting that Sarah Palin, the current governor of Alaska, would be the running mate for John McCain.  I can't help but admit that I smiled hugely on this... namely because not only would an Obama/Biden ticket make history, a McCain/Palin would as well.  They could be speculating incorrectly, but I hope not.

obama and biden... experience is THE word...

Breaking news just came not long ago. Democratic Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama just selected Senator Joe Biden of Delaware to be his vice presidential running mate in an apparent move to balance his ticket with someone with actual political experience. Who knew that “real change” included a 30+ year Washington insider for VP. Well, so much for the sweeping change, anti-Washington-insider movement. Hard to find a guy more inside than Biden.

Biden's statements on "Hardball" on March 16, 2004:

"I think that this is time for unity in this country, and maybe it is time to have a guy like John McCain — a Republican — on the ticket with a guy he {Kerry} does like. They do get along. And they don't have fundamental disagreements on major policies."

I bet it's easy for the Republican party to start putting together the first ad against the announcement. "Biden endorsed McCain for VP just 4 years ago."

I DO believe this was a bad choice for Obama. I do believe this is the beginning of the end of Obama. Not only will Biden showcase how inexperienced that Obama really is, the American public will start to realize that Biden would be the better President and Obama the VP.