(Fans of the original 'Star Wars' films may remember Princess Leah's quote: "Help me Obi Wan Kenobe- You're My Only Hope." This was her plea to the jedi night to help fight the dark forces who were taking over the universe. Sound familiar?)
I try to avoid politics on this blog. This blog should be about music, books, film, food and observations on life.
But with the election fast approaching and the fate of the United States hanging in the balance, the subject of politics is one that is too important to avoid.
If you've ever trusted me about anything, trust me about what I have to say here:
Barack Obama for president makes sense on many different levels. It is urgent that we get him into office and change the course we've been on, that of George W. Bush. This course has brought shame upon this great country and John McCain has been a big part of that.
I've listened to Obama. I've watched him under pressure. I've seen him unscripted and off the cuff and seen how he handles himself. It's impressive.
It's not all talk, it's plans. I've heard him describe his economic stimulus package plan as well well as his plans for health care and education. It all makes sense to me when I hear it. If you haven't done so, I encourage you to listen.
Although he appears to be winning, I'm still baffled by the occasional person I run into that is against Obama.
Why are there some people that still don't like him? Is it because they can't handle the idea of a 'black guy' being president?
As idiotic as that is, it is true in some cases. But more often, the people I've talked to aren't comfortable for other reasons. Sometmes, it's that they just don't understand him.
Perhaps it is because he speaks about things in great detail. For example, his economic plan involves the following: an independent board, federal deposit insurance, boosts to small businesses, Taxpayer protections. Not exactly simple stuff.
Are these details above people's heads? Maybe so.
Fact: the issues facing our country are complex and there are many details. It's understandable that not everyone has the time or energy to understand them fully. But that doesn't mean we're better off with a president you feel you can have a beer and shoot the shit with.
Republicans have seized upon this opportunity to label Obama 'elitist,' in order to excuse their own boneheaded soundbites which sound good to simple minded folks but in actuality, have no relevance.
Paying attention to real issues is like listening to jazz, classical or other forms of music which require heightened level of focus in order to get it.
If people would just put a little more effort into reading, listening and doing their own research I think they'd understand the issues better and realize how their is no comparison between the candidacies of Barack Obama and John McCain.
We need someone with the intellectual and capability to tackle these issues and the linguistic ability to explain them. For the past eight years, we have had neither.
Barack Obama and Joe Biden have that capability. John McCain and Sarah Palin do not.
Barack has been labeled 'Professorial' or Professor like. That's just fine with me. I don't mind having a professor like person in office. Sure a hockey mom is more simple to hang out with. But that doesn't mean she should be running the damn country!!
C'mon people. Let's get someone in there who is well spoken. Someone that is educated and can handle the complex issues without dumbing them down.
Honestly I don't understand how anyone can say they don't like the idea of Obama for president. Whatever it is, you need to get over it. And fast.
Obama will CUT taxes for 95% of workers in the country. When McCain says Obama will raise YOUR taxes, he is speaking to the wealthiest Americans and corporations, both of whom can afford to pay slightly higher taxes.
If you want to protect insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and other lobbyist driven industries, then McCain is your guy. Enjoy him. You see where eight years of Bush have got you. Congratulations.
Most of us agree that Clinton was a far superior President than Bush and the country was in much better shape. Sure Bush can't have helped 9-11 and Katrina (unless you believe the conspiracists) but his response to these challenges made things much, much worse, not better. And Clinton and his entire administration are all supportive of Obama and against McCain.
The economy is in crisis. Jobs are being lost. The dollar is losing value. All because of people like Bush and McCain.
We're spending ten billion dollars a month on a war that doesn't make sense. This continues even as the Iraqi government sits on an 80 Billion dollar surplus. Republicans have no issue with this, yet they slam Democrats and Obama for wanting to spend money on education, health care and other social programs- pennies on the dollar compared with what is being spent on their false war.
We've been ripped off by team Bush and the country is falling apart as a result.
It is not just the candidate, it is the team. Obama has the entire Clinton team supporting him and his administration will reflect that. He has Joe Biden as a running mate, an experienced tried and true .
John McCain has...Sarah Palin. Someone who didn't even have a passport until last year. Someone who couldn't name a single nerwspaper or magazine that she reads.
People, I urge you. Talk to your friends. Let them know that this is an important election on the magnitude of no other.
It's not about one issue , like abortion, immigration. Anyone who votes based on one of these hot-button issues is being socially irresponsible. We can debate those issues. This election is not about that, but about something else: quality.
Barak Obama and Joe Biden have it. McCain and Palin do not.
Barack Obama:
"I want our young people to learn art and music as well as math and science. I want you to be able to afford a college education."
When was the last time any politician acknowledged the importance or art and music? That would be practically reason alone for me to vote for him but the fact is, he's the right guy in every respect.
Sarah Palin on Barak Obama:
"We're not talking about someone who sees America like you and me. He pals around with terrorists."
How disgusting.
Anyone that tries to distract you from real issues and use scare tactics so they can achieve victory at any cost is not fit to be President or Vice President.
Like Dick Cheney, who had the audacity to say four years ago that, if he and Bush don't win the election, we risk having a new terrorist attack.
I had this in mind when I wrote these lyrics for the recent Testament song F.E.A.R. "The politicians and the freedom fight. When all is wrong there is no right"
I hate to resort to scare tactics like they do but I feel that, if you put in McCain and Palin, we risk continued damage to our economy, our standing in the world, our education system and our entire way of life.
Obama's not perfect, like the rest of us. But I've watched him in interviews. I've watched him in debates. I've listened to what he has to say. He handles himself and makes the most sense of anyone since Clinton. Just watching him in tonights debate: he is focused on issues. His explanations make sense.
If you still don't feel comfortable with Obama, I urge you to do research on him, listen to his plans, compare his anwers to those of others, especially our President, whom must of us agree was an enormous mistake.
Those of you who voted for Bush in 04:
Please listen to us this time: this is not about our side versus yours. When it comes down to the survival of our country, we are all on the same side.
The fact that anyone would consider putting McCain/Palin in office represents a sickness that this country is going through. But like an illness that individuals come down with, our country is going through an illness of its own. And I believe Obama/Biden represents the only possible cure right now.
In case anyone has forgotten- please view this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w.
And remember to vote November 4th.
21 comments:
hi Alex.
1st of all, i´m truly sorry if you get mad with my last post about this kind of discustion but as you said, the world and U.S is passing to a very difficult time and we have do the right thing to change it and dont let mistakes like the ones that bush administration did.
About your post....
I understand you and I thinck that your options ( vote) are very well fundamented and wise.
There´s not a question to supot this one or that one, but to give the countrie a posseblity to go in another direction that REALLY focus issus very important as education, job taxes and give less importance to foreign estrategics.
If Us continue to follow this kind of administration and estrategics,in a space of 10 years the world will be so changed that then all secret socialtys can imput us their way to lesd the world...A new world order.
When U.S have a problem with the economie, all the world fill it suner or later and this administration or this kind of strategie have the major interest that things continue and dont solve, becouse they own all the economic power and companies and they will get stronger with all this mess that are hapen in today´s world.
So...Alex, your very right when you say that U.S NEED to turn around, vote in education, jobs, health, infra-structures etc besides wars, wepons,agressive foreign politics.
P.S- what a phrofetic lyrics of Chuck Billy and you guys when rote the "" NEW ORDER "" Album...the lyrics of the ""new order"" song that is your favorite TestAmenT song is just outstanding and so true.
Tell the world the new order is hereeeeeeeeee yhaaaaaaaaa.
Once again, i´m sorry about my error´s.
Nuno Guerreiro
Portugal fãn
Alex Goes Political! I LOVE IT!
You're right. The issues are what's important and Obama seems to have a better grasp on how to handle things. Unfortunately, old sentiments die slowly. Some of the hang ups that people have about Obama, if they aren't rooted in hard and fast policy concerns, may be rooted in the fear of the unknown. Let's face it, American society has never known a Black man like Obama.
Obama represents something most (Black and White) have never seen: an educated Black man who's won the support of enough White people to be considered a threat, politically and socially. He's beyond Cosby in terms of US acceptance. I confess, I never thought I'd see in my lifetime:
(1) a Black man coming close to becoming President and (2) a time when a Black man would be considered TOO intellectual by members of White society (I'm using the terms Black and White generally). As such, some can't and don't want to focus on issues as much as focusing on who this "uppity" Negro is. If Barack were more ghetto, he'd be easier to classify. People would feel they could identify with him, as they know "the type". But because he's as educated, eloquent, and as world traveled as those on the Hill, some won't trust him. It's just TOO much to beleive.
In general, America's Black (and White) society aren't comfortable with Blacks unless they are entertainers, sports figures, or criminals. Many people just don't know what to expect from an educated, talented, confident Black man who's not confrontational. How many times does Obama have to reaffirm that he's not Muslim? Why do you think McCain has been reduced to personal attacks against Obama? He's stirring the pot of fear: if it's not the Iraq war it's fear of the unknown. In this case, Obama represents the unknown.
I'm hoping that in the next few weeks, we're all able to put aside our personal hang ups about race and class and elect a competent man to help run our country, keeping in mind that whomever gets in, it may take more than 4 years to clean up the mess left from the previous administration. Such was the case with David Dinkins, former NYC Mayor. The country is slowly going to hell in a handbasket and Sarah Palin has the basket on her arm. She's probably not a bad lady, but her arrogance in regards to her "qualifications" is laughable. Ovaries and motherhood DO NOT qualify a woman to run the country. And I don't mean that as a swipe against the many Republican women who were probably better qualified. Rather, the mere sound of her voice invokes the Looney Tunes theme. People who live in glass houses... should get dressed with the lights off...
Peace Alex
Undercover Mother
I NEVER discuss Politics or Religion, and honestly I wasn't going to leave a comment...
until I watched the video.
Being the mother of 3 sons( one in the US Coast Guard) a canadate who repeatedly tells the American people there will be many more wars...
SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME.
Woo-hoo! I love this post. If you can see me here I'm waving my hands in the air for your
pro-Obama/America opinion.
I have thought there was something special about Barack Obama from the first time I heard an interview of his on the radio. I then read his book "The Audacity of Hope" and realized that he looks deeply into issues before he forms an opinion about things. He is also a good listener to people....what we need as a president. I feel if I had the opportunity to talk to him, he may not agree with all of my opinions, but he would listen! That's all you can ask from a human being is to listen.
I too have been surprised at some people I've heard from that do not like him. It's amazing how many people are prejudiced that you would never expect to be. My wish is that everyone starts to listen to his words becuase they would find in him what we need for this country!
Hi Alex, I would like to say that I respect you immensely as a musician and I respect your opinions as well, even if I don't agree exactly with them. This is one of those times that I don't exactly agree with what you have to say.
There are many good points in your blog but some of which makes very little sense to me. Such as Barak Obama's pledge to lower the income taxes of up to 95% of workers in the country. This is fine and good but where is he going to replace that revenue? Answer is, either raise taxes for the wealthier individuals or create other taxes. The campaign promise is to raise taxes for the "elite" or those who make over $100,000 a year. The fact of the matter is, he can raise the taxes on these individuals but any good CPA can do a little tax planning to avoid these taxes and make it where the country actually is losing money. That is the reason Congress passed the Alternative Minimum Tax provision that appears on the IRS Form 1040. I will skip the accounting lesson because most people find it quite boring.
I do agree with you however that we need a President that is serious and not one that would rather drink beer and shoot the shit.
I honestly have not heard his plan for stimulating the economy or his plan for health care so I will take you at your word that they are good sensible plans. I promise to research them though and maybe it will make more sense to me.
As for people affording a college education, there really is no reason why people can not got a good education from a descent university now. Regardless of your income, the government has grants and loans that people can take advantage of. On top of that, most if not every state has enacted programs for higher education in order to combat the rising cost of tuition and many institutions of higher learning have programs where a person can open an account, not unlike a savings account, and pay for college over a period of time while earning interest on the ammount invested in the account. If the money in the account is used for college then the interest earned will not be taxed so the student will actually be getting paid, more or less, to go to school.
I'm sorry for the lengthy comment but I felt like I needed to explain some of the things that made no sense to me because they have already bean enacted, some by President Clinton but most by President Bush.
I truly hope the best candidate for the job gets elected and that is either going to be Barak Obama or John McCain. Speculation is not my forte.
Alex, this is very well written. I'm getting emotional, UGH!!! we have to get on 'the good foot' with America's new, fresh direction and we'll achieve it in time. Not overnight but it has much PROMISE and we have a hand in making that happen!
If I was american, I'd have voted Obama long ago.
But I'm not, so I can only give support and let people know.....
Alex, as someone that lives in the same neighborhood as you, i am a complete outcast. I am a McCain supporter. Why? Because i disagree with what you say about McCain and his effect on the economy, as well as that McCain had a lot to do with the Bush administration. McCain voted against Bush a lot and was known for going against the Republicans on big issues.
I agree, Obama is a very well spoken person and Palin comes off as basically an idiot, but don't drink the Kool Aid (too late, huh!).
I do believe Barack will win, but I don't believe he's the Messiah that everyone is making him out to be.
First off, Thank you!
I completely agree with you.
"The economy is in crisis. Jobs are being lost. The dollar is losing value. All because of people like Bush and McCain."
Yes, it is... living in Michigan I know too well about this. I'm in college trying to work to make money so I can stay in school and you can't get a job anywhere unless you know somebody because everybody is being laid off.
I find it amazing how many people in Flint are for McCain... considering we have one of the highest poverty levels in the country.
I also found it interesting that the day I put an Obama sticker on my car, it got vandalized.
Which is why I don't really talk about politics around here much less show support for anything because I'm afraid of something happening to me or my property. Not like I have a lot, but what I do have I would like to keep.
Every time I see Palin on t.v. I just start making the motion of a puppet, because that is about what I think of her.
It also pisses me off when McCain goes to speak and can't start off saying what HE will do for the country but instead goes on to bash Obama instead. "Joe the plumber" I couldn't help but to laugh. Wow.
Anyway, I completely agree.
"Fear became the ultimate tool of this government" - V for Vendetta
Thanks so much for your comments everyone. This is really important stuff.
Some of what I'm reading is so good, I think I may be in danger of losing my blogging gig (Undercover Mother, you especially).
I'm even glad we have some dissenters here, it means we have a diverse group. Let me talk to you two guys for a second.
Dumb American: you're really asking for it with that ID, lol. Don't worry, I'm not going to go there.
Seriously, I appreciate you honesty but you're mistaken here:
"The campaign promise is to raise taxes for the "elite" or those who make over $100,000 a year."
Not true. It's individuals who make over a quarter million dollars a year, NOT $100,000. I find that fair and am not sure why anyone wouldn't. I encourage you to do a search on this, it's all over the news. I found something to check out, "Economists For Obama" right here on our very own BlogSpot:
http://econ4obama.blogspot.com
And this is for Anonymous: I can only imagine what an outcast you must feel like in our neighborhood! No one is saying Barack is the Messiah. But when you look at the right wing extremism behind Bush and McCain, the fact that there is someone qualified and decent like Obama is so refreshing to all of us, that maybe some of us our overly enthusiastic. But don't worry, we don't think he's the Messiah, just the right guy for the job.
Alex
hi alex.
From a person that is looking and waiting for what´s coming from this elections, what we see from Europe is that one side (Obama) is trying to reform the countrie give´m infra-strocturs and trying to avoid an agressiv foreign policy and the other side (McCain)is the oposite making an agressive campain preventing more wars with the escuse that IT most be like that.
The U.S people are more worried about Obama being black or mussulin that with the issus that is trying to measures.
Europe are expecting what´s come from this elections and i predict that if McCain wins, the people of U.S besides going bad served, more wars are coming in horizont especially the one I most fear...IRAN
I completely disagree with you on this issue, but that's the beauty of being an American. I distrust Obama on many issues and that is my right as a voter. I live in a suburban neighborhhood that is mostly liberals and I proudly have on diplay my McCain/Palin sign in my yard.
My opinion about of Obama x McCain (one people that live outside USA) : The USA president have a face of mundial economy, Obama is more favored for us, here outside, the idea of have one black guy (totally different on USA history) on command do a think us that "talk" is more easy, and the several political ways are more easy with Obama, Mc Cain don´t have this for us... he are a continue of Bush ideas, and we disagree with 2 Bush periods... some peoples say that the last election Bush don´t gain suficient votes to be a president again, "compreende" ? ... well... Obama, for us from Latin America, is a guy for job too.
Thanks Alex for not trashing my ID name. I also want to thank you for pointing me to the economists for Obama blog. I found it to be very interesting and informative. Thanks again.
I agree 100% with Skol on this one. There are alot of republicans that would ridicule Skol for writing this blog. They would call him a liberal elitist, just like Obama. In some ways Alex and Barack are alot alike. They are both once in a generation talents at their craft. People need to wake up and realize that america is not about rewarding failure with failure. Mccain voted with Bush 90% of the time, that is not maverick. Alex was there on 9/11 right in the middle of it as it went down, I have heard him say before that he appreciated what Bush said right after, but he has the mental abiltiy to realize that Bush failed us all after that.
I did some research...take a look at this...woonderfull isnt it??
Mc Cain at is best !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-R5Vh5tOWk&feature=related
Alex,
A big kudos for a very well written post about the election. I too, share your views in every way about Obama. It's very hard for me to express my views since I live in Georgia, where most of my neigbors are totally right wing. A lot of them assume that I'm republican since I served seven years in the Army.(Before the Dark Times.)I really wish that more middle class Americans would take time to read more about McCain's policies and realize had much they would suffer under them. I'm not sure if you're a Jam fan, but I think the song, "Going Underground" sums up how I feel.
Alex,
I myself have never been more excited for an election. I can't remember ever looking forward to vote as much as this year. I agree with you 150% and that video seals the deal. I have used your blog as an example and have forwarded it to alot of my family (who prolly still wonder why I haven't "grown" out of Metal yet at age 37)and good friends.
You prove that Heavy music and most of the people who support it are not mindless devil worshipers. Quite the contrary.
I've never been hard lined Dem. or Rep. I've always voted with my gut, or who I can relate to.
I'm 37, white, middle-class, some post high school education, married, three kids, home owner (well mortgage owner) and am currently (but who knows nowdays) employed.
I will be voting for OBAMA
GO VOTE, and.....rattle yer head!!!! (had to throw that in there \m/ \m/)
Alex, there was a good piece in Sunday's New York Times that outlines all of the important issues and tells exactly where each candidate stands. It's like Cliff Notes for the election, and might be a good place for those who are still confused or unsure of where a candidate stands on an issue to see it outlined very easily here:
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/index.html
Excellent post and I love the Star Wars reference. You really should finish watching Lord of the Rings...
alex: i coudn't agree with you more! and i don't mean that in an "john-mccain-talking-to-western-pennsylvanians" kind of way [my favorite grampy mcsame gaffe btw]. your blog sounds exactly like what i've been saying to people for these past months. and now that the vote is 48 hours away, my heart is literally beating fast... i don't think i'll relax until the last vote is in. i can't wait for it to be over, and i'm so hopeful -- and tightly wound -- right now i can barely stand it. thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. i agree that food, art, music are all important, but politics, especially at a time like this, are also extremely important and i thank you for laying yours on the line. let the countdown to change begin....
- daria
Post a Comment