I have a big problem when someone tells me how to live my life. The majority of my time on this world I’ve spent creating an environment that allows me the flexibility to make decisions on my future with minimal input from the outside world. While I know I do not live on the proverbial desert island, I will always have outside influences, I want to decide what is best for me – not have someone else do it for me. That is why this story on the election, and Obama, gets me:

All 22 countries covered in the poll would prefer to see Senator Obama elected US president ahead of Republican John McCain. In 17 of the 22 nations, people expect relations between the US and the rest of the world to improve if Senator Obama wins… “Large numbers of people around the world clearly like what Barack Obama represents,” GlobeScan chairman Doug Miller said.

Two things strike me right away:

1. What exactly does Obama Represent?
2. How does the rest of the world know what he represents if the general American voting public is having a hard time understanding what he brings to the table?

From what I’ve read in the press, and from Obama’s website, his positions are rather liberal, borderline socialist, to me. I don’t mean that in a “darn those liberals” sense but helping free services for everyone and raising taxes sense.

If you look at other the political landscape of countries most are extensively more liberal than the United States. A large number of countries believe in large social aide programs, universal / near universal health care, significant gun control and simply giving to their people simply for the sake that they are citizens. My guess that is exactly why other countries like Obama – they see in him what they have in their government. So, when I see an article like this I can almost hear the world saying “Look, he’s like us – you should take him so you are like us.”

For better or worse the United States has made its way on its own terms. Sometimes the world loves what we’ve done, others not so much. The thing is I wouldn’t have it any other way. Simply because one is used to a liberal government doesn’t mean it would work for the U.S.

9/10/08 Update:

Guardian.co.uk – The world’s verdict will be harsh if the US rejects the man it yearns for

FTA:

If Americans choose McCain, they will be turning their back on the rest of the world, choosing to show us four more years of the Bush-Cheney finger. And I predict a deeply unpleasant shift…If Americans reject Obama, they will be sending the clearest possible message to the rest of us – and, make no mistake, we shall hear it.

This statement is akin to saying electing Obama is like having a second Kennedy administration. Two different people standing up for what they believe in.  All Democrats are not the same, all Republicans are not the same.   Yes, McCain is a Republican but not a Bush disciple.  There is a clear history showing how Bush / McCain do not get along.

It sure seems as if the world is trying to tell us what to do… Don’t elect McCain or else (and I picture someone waving a finger at us as if we are a kid who just got caught with their hand in a cookie jar).  I have questions about McCain, but even more about Obama.  My desire to see McCain in office grows more and more every day – seeing articles like this in the press only helps it grow.

Without a doubt, polls can be utter crap – we pointed that out yesterday. Sure they show McCain in the lead but that really doesn’t mean anything at this point. What is hard to dispute is cash.

According to this CBS article, McCain pulled in $5 Million dollars in 5 hours. That is one heck of an accomplishment for a guy who was having problems rising any funding almost three months ago. What is even more interesting is the money was raised in Barack Obama’s backyard – Chicago. I am not suggesting McCain has a chance in Illinois but such successful fundraising effort in the largely Democratic Chicago is very impressive.

If cash is a barometer take a look at Obama. Reports are coming out that he is having a hard time reaching his fund raising goals. The trend appears to have started in June. Is this a sign that his support is starting to wane for the Senator or simply the up and down of a political campaign?

In business it is often suggested that if one wants to understand why and event is happening, if one wants to get a general sense of where things are headed, the prudent thing to do is follow the money. I believe the same is true in politics.

Others say…

Rightvoices wonders if Obama is running out of fund raising options
Hotair does a breakdown of some numbers
Swamppolitics – McCain-backers say fundraising has ‘taken on a life of its own’ with Palin

Have you had a moment to read the New York Times article discussing the birth of Palin’s son, Trig? Personally, I think the title of the article is misleading as the story really isn’t about Politics; it’s about Sarah as a mother.

There are three things that really stand out in this piece:

But as the governor introduced her son that day, according to a friend, Kristan Cole, she said she had come to regard him as a blessing from God. “Who of us in this room has the perfect child?”

And

But her son has given Ms. Palin, 44, a powerful message. Other candidates kiss strangers’ babies; Ms. Palin has one of her own. He is tangible proof of Ms. Palin’s anti-abortion convictions, which have rallied social conservatives, and her belief that women can balance family life with ambitious careers.

And

Inside Ms. Palin’s room, her daughter Willow, 14, immediately noticed her new brother’s condition, according to People magazine. “He looks like he has Down syndrome,” Willow said. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

This article really makes her look… human, not a politician.

She is willing to accept the flaws in her child, as a mother would. She is balancing life and career, as any FAMILY would. She is protective of her family, as any good parent should be. To me the above shows Ms. Palin as a mother, not as a politician, and this, I believe, is what really helps her connect with both men and women alike.

How does one politically combat this? I mean to say, if this is a driving factor in why someone is voting or connecting to the McCain / Palin ticket, do you attack her for being a mother and Vice President? That would be sexist in every sense. Do you attack her for having a Down Syndrome child? Who are her political opponents to question what is best for her family.

This is the big issue Democrats have to face and it will be interesting to see how they attack it.

ABCNews.com is raising the question: Is Oprah biased with regards to the Republican vice president candidate, Sarah Palin?   Almost immediately Oprah came out with the following statement:

“At the beginning of the presidential campaign, when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates, I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over.”

The big problem people are having with this statement is that Oprah is appearing to conflict her very own position.  She made the decision to not use her show as a platform for any of the candidates but she had no problem having Barack on her show or campaigning for him.  Sure, the argument could be made that Oprah campaigning for Barack isn’t biased, she is doing what she believes nt but it’s hard to support that argument when your name is synonymous with your show and magazine.

I look at this whole situation and ask “so what”.

Oprah isn’t the “news media” she is an entertainer.  Yes, she is a very influential entertainer, with seemingly endless fans who give heavy weight to what she says but she doesn’t need to provide equal coverage to anyone.  It’s her show and she can do what she damn well wants.

This is one issue I wish would simply fade into the background because it’s not really worth the time or effort. Oprah could very well be biased but the American public has a general sense of right and wrong.  If public opinion does convict her, she will feel the short-term pain in loss of viewer ship or distribution of her magazine – that is when her tone will change.

Update: I Perceive wonders if Oprah is racist

Yesterday I posted info that showed roughly 37 million people watched Sarah Palin give her speech.  Today, the AP is showing that she topped 40 million viewers – 2 million more than Obama.

That is impressive.

I have a fear – the Cult of Palin.

In the press, around the blog world, and in the streets people are talking about the performance of Sarah Palin. It seems that the Republican Party has a rock star of its own and now people are basking in the feeling.

Stop.

In less than a week Sarah Palin has been able to refocus and energize the Republican Party. The tone switched from despair to unbridled enthusiasm and, all of a sudden, it seems that anything is possible.

It is.

It is, only if you don’t lose site of the goal. My fear is the Party gets so wrapped up with Sarah that John McCain is lost in the background. Remember, this isn’t about electing her President.

What this really comes down to is translating the emotional, and political, capital gained from her speech Thursday night into votes. John McCain, Sarah Palin and the Party need to continue to show why they are the winning ticket and how they will provide change while doing so better than Obama / Biden would. Now McCain/Palin need to sell:

• Taxes, how the McCain Tax plan will impact the Average American vs. Obama
• Economy, specifically the small business owner
• Healthcare
• Personal Freedom (Second Amendment)
• Ethics

Take the enjoyment and focus it on the cause, winning the election.

Watching Sarah Palin deliver he Republican Nation Convention speech was a thing of beauty. I felt as if I was watching history in the making. After the performance last night, I believe the media will have a difficult time declaring Palin a gimmick. Aside from taking on the attacks of the Democrats and the Media, Palin did something that was lacking, for me, from this election – made a connection to me as a voter.

While I share values that cross party lines, my big complaint of this election, and of the Republican Party, is that I have difficulty connecting to their core belief system these days. The party has turned into a spending power, one that has a hard time describing and clarifying their position, and seems to be growing a bigger government – not smaller. It appears Palin is for smaller government, for giving back to the people, for less frivolous spending and for protecting personal freedom.

Palin doesn’t fit into the current “Republican” definition, the one seen in Washington D.C. today. She is an outsider in today’s political world. I would argue that she is what a Republican truly is, what I want to see in the party, and why I connected with her. But what about others, did they connect?

From the four people I spoke to today, ones who are willing to look beyond their political party, the answer was yes. She inspired and created a sense of community. She connected with these individuals unlike any other Republican candidate this election cycle; however, will that translate to votes? That is yet to be seen. The big problem for John McCain is that he now needs to deliver one hell of a speech tonight.

Other coverage on the net:

• Focus Group: Palin Was (Alarmingly) Strong
• Sarah Palin: Uppity Woman Who Needs To Learn Her Place
• Sarah-Cuda Appears at the RNC (VIDEOS)
• Ace of Spades reactions
• All I Can Say Is…
• THE BIG NIGHT! THE PLACE IS FRICKIN LIT UP LIKE AN CHRISTMAS TREE!

In the past twenty years, of the politicians running for the Office of the President, how many can you honestly call a typical American? How many of these candidates could you honestly say reflected the majority of Americans?

Just take a look

• George H. W. Bush was the director of the CIA and Vice President, then President
• Dan Quayle was a lawyer and is now the president of a multi-billion dollar private equity firm
• Michael Dukakis had four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and held the post of governor as well
• Bill Clinton graduated from Yale, elected Arkansas Attorney general in 1976 and Governor in 1978
• Al Gore graduated from Harvard and, eventually, spent 17 years in the congress
• Bob Dole was a senator from 1969 to 1996
• Geroge W. Bush went to Yale and owned a baseball team
• John Kerry is serving his fourth term in the senate and is wealthy beyond belief
• John Edwards, lawyer now making 65K per speaking engagement.

There is no way you can tell me you easily relate to owning a baseball team, being the director of the CIA or serving in the senate for almost 30 years. If you cannot relate to them, how can they relate to you?

Yes, she has only been Governor of Alaska for 2 years but that doesn’t make her any less of a candidate, I would argue it makes her more attractive to the American populous.  She truly wasn’t part of the Washington machine. Since she hasn’t had 40 years in the beltway, she wouldn’t play the games that come with 30 or 40 years experience.

Sarah Palin came from truly humble beginnings. She was born in a town with less than 7,000 people. I’m willing to bet the majority of people in the United States will graduate from college reflective of University of Idaho rather than Harvard or Yale. Her husband is a fisherman, and they are parents to 5 children, the DO understand the working class and the hardships that face “middle” America.  Her husband has two “blue collar” jobs.

This is what, I believe, voters will realize and this is what will really draw people to McCain / Palin.  The Democratic Party needs to keep this in mind when drawing up a response to her on the campaign trail.

Airbare8 @ rochesterturning.com makes a great point to all the democrats out there – never underestimate your opponent.  I believe adversaries end up underestimating their opponents when they are overcome with hubris.  History has plenty of examples from which the Democratic Party keep in the back of their mind…

1. The United States never thought Japan could launch an attack on their territories
2. Hitler thought his army was so strong it could steamroll Russia during the winter
3. The United States didn’t expect organized peasants to hand the military a defeat

And so on, and so on…

Despite some negatives, Sarah Palin is still an unknown for the democratic party – and the U.S. in general.  Airbare8 points out:

The media could drop the ball on her past record and instead beat the “maverick” narrative to death. She could be a great campaigner who connects with people, in particular moderate suburban women, on a gut level. She has a compelling life story that may win over some Hillary-supporters who care more about personality politics than they do about policies. Palin could also drive a lot of evangelicals and disaffected conservatives to the polls. She may give a fantastic speech at the RNC. Biden may turn off some undecided voters if he appears too tough on her in the debate (remember Rick Lazio). Keep in mind as well, she defeated popular former Governor Tony Knowles in 2006 in a close election.

The campaign still has 60 days left, anything can happen.  Many feel it is Obama’s election to lose.  Let’s see if hubris comes into play on his part.

I was a life long Republican up until about 2 years ago.  All of a sudden the political organization I most associated with seemed very foreign to me.  The days of small government were gone, scientific progress was being blocked in the name of faith, and it appeared, universally, civil rights were disappearing quicker than any time in the past.  As if that wasn’t enough, the other party of choice – the Democratic Party – was equally as uncomfortable to me.  So what am I?

Let me be VERY clear about something, just because I was a Republican didn’t mean I had “blind faith” and simply voted as a Republican on every issue.  I did my best to judge each situation and compared the views of the candidates to my personal beliefs.  More times than not I agreed with the Republican but would break from the party line when I did not agree with the view presented.  The problem is that now, more and more, I simply don’t fit into any category.

So where do I stand? I believe…

• in the right to bear arms
• in climate change but not humanity caused global warming
• society should be investing in alternative energy, not because of climate change, but it’s the right thing to do for the environment
• that the government should not tell two people what love is
• stem cell research is a must
• that people need assistance but we should not simply give the needy everything
• the progressive tax system is a failure and those who deserve a tax break are those who pay the most
• that health care is not a right but a commodity
• we should take care of our own before we take care of others
• that the most qualified individual should obtain the position
• tax breaks for U.S. corporations are needed in order to keep growth in the United States
• a woman should have the ability to pick what happens to her body
• that every immigrant should come to the U.S. legally and not be granted amnesty

Does this make me a moderate or the ever-illusive “independent”?  I understand there will never be a candidate or party that will align to every view I hold but there has to be  a candidate, or partly, that doesn’t make me feel like an outsider.

I’ve said it a number of times in the past, I want to vote from someone I believe in and not simply vote for what I believe to be the lesser of two evils.