Iowa Wishlist
I'm so excited for tomorrow. Excited and a little worked up. It's that feeling I get when I'm about to go to a midnight showing of a sweet movie, the night before a big meat smoke, or standing in line for a U2 concert. Pretty dorky for a guy who doesn't even live in Iowa, but what the heck? When I get home from the Harlem Globetrotters game tomorrow night, I'll certainly be staying up until the wee hours of the morning flipping between the Orange Bowl and CNN. Unless, that is, the BBC or PBS is pulling wall-to-wall coverage of the Caucasus. That would certainly be fantastic.
So what do I want to see tomorrow?
**A John Edwards victory, coupled with an Obama 3rd place finish. Nothing against BO. I just think he'd make a way better VP at this point in time. Give that cat 8 years, and he'd absolutely tear it up as President. An Edwards/Obama ticket in '08 is that one that gives me chills, though. Clinton/Obama could be an effective administration, though I'm not convinced that America has come far enough to elect a woman and a black man in the same election. We'll see if Edwards can really clean up in rural Iowa like he says he's going to. 7 points is a lot to make up in the polls, though.
**A John McCain victory. Apparently, I have a thing for guys named "John". Who knew? Anyway, I love where he stands on torture, I think he gives us the best chance to rectify the situation in Iraq, and I think he is the strongest of all candidates when it comes to foreign policy. For the life of me, I don't understand what Republicans have against the guy. Karl Rove played dirty and spread lies about him in 2000, which contributed greatly to his fall in South Carolina. And yet, he stood by President Bush throughout the rough days in Iraq, and didn't switch to the Dems when they recruited him hard a few years back in an effort to tip the balance of power in a divided congress. You'd think all of that would make him a red darling, but he isn't getting any love. Granted, if I am a huge fan of a Republican, that candidate probably doesn't play well to the base. I was happy to hear this morning that Brownback is backing McCain. McCain/Brownback '08, anyone? I'd give money to that campaign.
**Mike Huckabee seems like a nice guy. Funny, strong in his faith, capable of governing a state. Certainly a high-quality individual. That being said, he has no business being President.
I am so freaking tired of seeing Christians interviewed on TV talking about how they are going to vote for Huckabee because they are "Values Voters". Whatever. We're all values voters. It just so happens that Christians like myself value candidates who have a clue when it comes to foreign policy. Pakistan is uber-important, but not because you want to scare people with the quasi-racist platform of anti immigration. No, Mike, it's important because the country shares borders with India, China, Afghanistan and Iran. It's important because a stable Pakistan is critical to America's ability to be a player in both Asia and in the Middle East. Give me a freaking break. Immigration.
I can't tell you how big my eyes got when I heard the above quote. My first thought was, "Well, at least he won't win now". But then I kept watching the polls and the interviews, and it seems as though the Evangelical base has rallied around an easy-speaking Southerner who is running on a platform that mostly revolves around his faith. Remember the last time we did that? Yeah. How'd that work out for you?
We'll see what happens. I'm keeping hope alive.
Fair Dinkum
So what do I want to see tomorrow?
**A John Edwards victory, coupled with an Obama 3rd place finish. Nothing against BO. I just think he'd make a way better VP at this point in time. Give that cat 8 years, and he'd absolutely tear it up as President. An Edwards/Obama ticket in '08 is that one that gives me chills, though. Clinton/Obama could be an effective administration, though I'm not convinced that America has come far enough to elect a woman and a black man in the same election. We'll see if Edwards can really clean up in rural Iowa like he says he's going to. 7 points is a lot to make up in the polls, though.
**A John McCain victory. Apparently, I have a thing for guys named "John". Who knew? Anyway, I love where he stands on torture, I think he gives us the best chance to rectify the situation in Iraq, and I think he is the strongest of all candidates when it comes to foreign policy. For the life of me, I don't understand what Republicans have against the guy. Karl Rove played dirty and spread lies about him in 2000, which contributed greatly to his fall in South Carolina. And yet, he stood by President Bush throughout the rough days in Iraq, and didn't switch to the Dems when they recruited him hard a few years back in an effort to tip the balance of power in a divided congress. You'd think all of that would make him a red darling, but he isn't getting any love. Granted, if I am a huge fan of a Republican, that candidate probably doesn't play well to the base. I was happy to hear this morning that Brownback is backing McCain. McCain/Brownback '08, anyone? I'd give money to that campaign.
**Mike Huckabee seems like a nice guy. Funny, strong in his faith, capable of governing a state. Certainly a high-quality individual. That being said, he has no business being President.
"The immigration issue is not so much about people coming to pick lettuce or make beds, it's about people who could come with a shoulder-fired missile and could do serious damage and harm to us...and that's what we need to be worried about."
—Huckabee, after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, citing statistics that 660 Pakistanis entered the country illegally last year, when in fact Border Patrol says they only apprehended a "handful" of illegal immigrants from Pakistan. As quoted on time.com
I am so freaking tired of seeing Christians interviewed on TV talking about how they are going to vote for Huckabee because they are "Values Voters". Whatever. We're all values voters. It just so happens that Christians like myself value candidates who have a clue when it comes to foreign policy. Pakistan is uber-important, but not because you want to scare people with the quasi-racist platform of anti immigration. No, Mike, it's important because the country shares borders with India, China, Afghanistan and Iran. It's important because a stable Pakistan is critical to America's ability to be a player in both Asia and in the Middle East. Give me a freaking break. Immigration.
I can't tell you how big my eyes got when I heard the above quote. My first thought was, "Well, at least he won't win now". But then I kept watching the polls and the interviews, and it seems as though the Evangelical base has rallied around an easy-speaking Southerner who is running on a platform that mostly revolves around his faith. Remember the last time we did that? Yeah. How'd that work out for you?
We'll see what happens. I'm keeping hope alive.
Fair Dinkum
2. Karl Rove had nothing to do with "lies" in 2000. Pat Robertson did the push polling in SC, course you would of known that had you did a little investigating. (more about why informing yourself instead of reading what others say is important)
3. Can you explain what "freaking" means? Then can you explain why a Christian would use that term?
4. No, we are NOT all "values voters". There are PLENTY of non value voters whether they are "christians" or not.
5. If you value foreign policy like you say, have you read the speech that Huckabee gave on the topic? No? Humm, well let me see how can you judge him if you haven't?
6. No Gangly Wonder, Pakistan is important because a. Bin Laden is hiding there, b. they are training more terrorists there, c. they plan to ship those terrorists through our OPEN border. Hello? Where is your logic that when ones says "border" you automatically think we are talking about not allowing Mexicans into our country and not that it is stopping the FLOW of ILLEGAL people in whom we do not know who they are OR what they are going to do inside OUR country.
7. Running on a platform that revolves around his faith? This is where a little bit of research can help you with your foray into the political discussion. The media, his opponents, and you make it seem like he doesn't know anything except how to stand behind a podium and preach to sheeple. The fact that you don't know what he thinks as a whole about foreign policy, about education, (I bet you think he is against charter schools) about taxes (I bet you think he is a liberal tax raiser) about environment and on and on.
8. Yeah I do remember the last time we elected somebody that ran as a "good christian" We got Monica. We got special rights for homosexuals, we got a don't ask don't tell mentality while trying to play politics with our military, we got taxes raised, yeah, how DID that work out for ya? Well at least our school kids can openingly talk about oral sex now, I guess that is important right?
9. If you want to play politcs, then do some research and get all the facts not just the ones that make you feel good about your liberal views.