The above video, a montage of Israelis and American Jews showing their support for Barack Obama, is likely to evoke emotion in many supporters of the state of Israel.  My mother said that it brought tears to her eyes.  It made me reflect a bit, and for the first time in a while, I considered a genuine peace between Israelis and Palestinians more likely to be possible in an Obama administration, aka “the American re-engagement with the rest of the world.”

My hopefulness doesn’t reside in a thought that Obama could wave a magic wand or use his charm and soaring rhetoric to bring peace to the region.  It comes from imagining a post-Bush world, where America could establish a presence as an example of not only freedom, but peace as well.  I will gladly relinquish our status as a military and economic superpower (though we seem to have reached that point already) in pursuit of becoming a leader towards more just causes.

According to a fact sheet on Obama’s website, he is a stalwart supporter of Israel.  Among all of the points in this policy outline, the following is what matters the most to me:

Work towards Two States Living Side by Side in Peace and Security: Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe in working towards a two-state solution, with both states living side by side in peace and security. To that end, Senators Obama and Biden are cosponsors of the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006. Introduced in the wake of Hamas’ victory in the Palestinian elections, this act outlaws direct assistance to any entity of the Palestinian Authority controlled by Hamas until it meets the conditions of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations to renounce violence, recognize Israel, and agree to abide by all agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority. Obama signed a letter urging President Bush to make it clear to Palestinian leaders that terrorist groups must either disarm or be barred from the political process. Since the elections, Obama has stated that Israelis must have a true Palestinian partner for peace. He will encourage the strengthening of the Palestinian moderates who seek peace and work to isolate Hamas and other extremists who are committed to Israel’s destruction.

In my humble opinion, the two-state solution is the only way that peace is possible.  There’s no other way around it.

If the United States and our global partners work to isolate Hamas and other extremists as part of this peace process, there should be an equal effort to reign in bad behavior on the Jewish side.  Those Israelis with Manifest Destiny-like ambitions who continue to expand settlements and further marginalize Palestinians will undoubtedly prevent the process from working properly.  Another hindrance to peace is members of the Israeli Defense Forces subjecting Palestinians to humiliation, violence, and any other undue behavior at check-points.

Yes, I understand that suicide bombing attempts have been thwarted at these check-points and lives have been saved because of these actions.  This cannot excuse any human rights violations perpetrated in the name of security.

The point is that both sides have blood on their hands.  Both sides have done horrible things to each other.  Both sides have people committed to lasting peace and others who want total control of the land and destruction of the other guy.

Therefore, my sincere belief is that support for Palestinians who seek conciliation should be equal to that shown towards Israelis with the same vision.  Behavior detrimental to the peace process should not be tolerated on either side.  Full dedication to the peace process trumps the United States’ undying allegiance to a fellow democracy, which has helped fuel anti-Americanism due to a seemingly unconditional support to Israel.

I recognize the need for a Jewish state in the wake of the Holocaust.  I know what Israel means to my fellow Jews.  My father was born and raised there, and I have many family members still living there.

In spite of all this, if the Jews and the Arabs continue to fight, maim, and kill each other over this land, then I don’t think it’s worth having.  How can the holy land be appreciated in all of its holiness if the fighting continues?  How can the beauty of its history and culture be truly enjoyed when rocket attacks are still being launched and homes are being bulldozed?

I can only hope, no matter how much of a long-shot it may be, that a re-enactment of the following photo could happen during an Obama administration, and more importantly, a lasting peace could follow:

]]> http://andystitt.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/obama-and-israel/feed/ 1 Andy President Clinton with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin http://andystitt.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/the-politics-of-hope-putting-things-into-perspective/ http://andystitt.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/the-politics-of-hope-putting-things-into-perspective/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:29:42 +0000 Andy http://andystitt.wordpress.com/?p=137 ]]> As the presidential election season winds down and November 4th is a mere two weeks away, I’ve seen from my fellow Obama supporters much fear of a McCain victory.  I have also seen outrage, disgust, and more fear of the prevalent hatred and racism from many supporters of McCain and the GOP that have erupted from divisive and loathsome tactics from the campaign and the party.

I’ve been feeling that anxiety myself, but thankfully, I’ve become adept at picking good reading material.  Veteran journalist and community organizer Al Giordano’s recent blog entry “Stay Cool” inspired some reflection on my part and made enough sense to me that I’m now more hopeful of an Obama victory than ever.

The overarching theme of Al’s piece was, as I interpret it, the power of calm in the face of fear and using positivity to combat negativity.  I have been watching Obama very closely since January of this year, and his repetition of “the politics of hope” rhetoric certainly made sense to my liberal side.  However, having seen the campaign progress for all these months, I realize that the politics of hope is the driving force behind why he’s kicking ass right now.

Hope brings out the best qualities in us as human beings. Past movements for change have been based on hope in the face of adversity.  Transformational leaders such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and others like them have used hope and leadership to harness the power of the people to bring about necessary change.

Obama sure knows how to utilize hope in this same manner and is able to combine it with steady-handed, calm and cool presidential-looking leadership skills brought to you by the likes of FDR during the Great Depression.  The fact that his campaign has raised an unbelievable amount of money from over three million donors is no accident.  Nor is the fact that his campaign is comprised of thousands of volunteers across all 50 states (I repeat, volunteers, as in “working for free”) in addition to his paid staff an accident either.  Both are certainly the products of good luck, but this clearly is hope in action.

Many other factors have played a role in Obama’s good fortune thus far.  The meltdown of U.S. financial markets certainly gave Obama a chance to show his leadership skills.  The fact that the Republican party is also in meltdown mode and is reacting out of desperation and inciting hate and division also helps Obama in a time period unfavorable to the GOP and these tactics.  Obama’s good fortune of building an incredible political organization and guiding it through a tumultous election season, especially the primaries, is yet another factor.

However, the hope held by his donors, volunteers, and supporters are what have ultimately sustained his campaign for change.  Hope will see it through the next two weeks as the opposition’s tactics could predictably get nastier.  The hatred that has been displayed at the McCain/Palin rallies; the screams of “terrorist” and “socialist” and “kill him” among other things; and ugly instances of abuse, vandalism, and overt racism all occur out of fear

These folks, whatever their stories and backgrounds may be, have a fear of change.  They are just as fearful and uncertain during this time in our economy as many Obama supporters are.  The Republican party faithful are being goaded into reacting out of fear of “that other guy who isn’t like us;” you know, the black guy with the Arabic middle name and a last name that rhymes with “Osama.”

If I have any future as an activist, then I hope I retain the lessons that I have learned from Obama and his campaign for change.  Hope in the face of fear.  Calm in the face of panic.  Combating negativity with positivity.  Focus on the goal at hand and not getting sidetracked by the less important and irrelevant.

These lessons make perfect sense intellectually and are much harder to execute since they demand that we stray from some of our normal (and easier) reactions and habits.  However, for the next two weeks, see if you can find it within yourself to hope.  Turn that hope into action if you have the money to donate and time to volunteer.

Let hope carry Obama, you, me, and our country across the finish line on November 4th and send a signal to our government and the rest of the world that we want change.  If you wish to help facilitate this proverbial “finish-line crossing,” go to Obama’s website to find out how you can volunteer for Get Out the Vote efforts to bring on the unpredecedented voter turnout necessary to turn a campaign for change into a mandate for change.

Throughout this incredibly bizarre period, more consequential things have been happening as well:

• A genuine grassroots movement for change has been building nationwide thanks to the brilliantly run campaign of Barack Obama
• The rightwing-controlled Republican party has been splintering, and its fascism disguised as patriotism and Christianity is now exposed for all to see in their last desperate attempts of keeping power
• Obama has awakened the sleeping majority, and those who still religiously follow the usual Republican okey-doke appear to be in the minority (at least I hope so)

November 4th could present an opening for a progressive majority of us to become community organizers, even if it’s not what we do for a living, and lift people up in our neighborhoods.  We can also have a much more participatory role in government and have a more consistently large role in affecting legislation.  Hey, if we can flood our representatives with phone calls and e-mails when Hank Paulson tried to push through his initial god-awful bailout plan, then imagine what we can do when it comes to positive, sensible legislation!

The effect that the power of the internet has had on this election cannot be overstated.  From fueling Obama’s record-breaking fundraising to quickly debunking and discrediting lies, the internet has filled in the reporting gap that the mainstream media has been lacking.  The technological tools that facilitate organizing for political and social change have paved the way for a new generation of activists.

All of this has been a beautiful thing to watch.

I’m also glad to see the intelligent, conservative intellectuals coming out of the woodwork and either endorsing Obama or at least jumping ship from the McCain campaign.  Despite the extreme backlash that many of them received (such as columnists Kathleen Parker and Christopher Buckley), I’m glad to see them publicly and courageously taking the path towards sanity.  Those are the true conservatives.  There’s nothing conservative about spending irresponsibly, giving the Executive Branch more sweeping powers, and shooting first and asking questions later.

Though McCain’s campaign has gotten unbelievably ugly with the robo-calls and the hatred and racism displayed at his rallies, it’s still a great time to be alive!  It looks like the real moral majority is winning, and we need to keep pushing until November 4th.  After that date, if Obama wins, then we still need to keep pushing.  The Republican Party will do everything it can to de-legitimize an Obama victory and undermine his presidency.

Just like many of us have helped him during his campaign, he will need that same level of dedication from us in order for him to govern properly.  We can’t just go back to our regularly scheduled lifestyles.  I don’t mean that we all need to be involved in progressive activism 24/7 or on a full-time basis, but we do need to pay closer attention and have a larger level of involvement.

If Obama is elected, then we will get a Rooseveltian New Deal of some sort, and we can help shape what that deal will be and how the next 25 years or so will look.

Again I say, this time period in history is a great time to be alive!

I am deeply disturbed by the fact that the U.S. presidency can potentially be won by preparing for a beauty pageant.  Memorizing lines and spouting them regardless of what questions were asked at the time or whether or not the statements were true is not, in my book, winning a debate.  My definiton of a debate must be wrong.  I always thought it involved actually debating; point and counterpoint; having arguments that are grounded in logic and reason (and truth would be nice, but I know it’s not a requirement).

I had no problem with Biden’s performance at all.  He’s a great speaker and an incredibly smart guy.  Nobody can accuse him of sexism or condescension after tonight (although the McCain camp most likely will).  His experience will be an excellent asset for Obama should they have the good fortune of governing as President and VP.

As far as governing is concerned, I’m not sure who scares me more: McCain or Palin.  In the end, all of this political theater crud really isn’t going to matter if we wind up going to Hell with those two at the helm.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be canvassing and registering voters for the Obama campaign this weekend to make sure that Maverick Man and Captain Mooseburger don’t get to steer our ship!

Oh, and one more thing, Mrs. Palin.  About that “team of mavericks” that you plan to have leading our nation should you win: I wonder how well a team of “lone dissenters who take an independent stand apart from their associates” will govern.  Probably about as well as our current Congress who deservedly have a low-approval rating.  Yet another angle to bring up the whole “more of the same” theme!

Hey folks….or as John McCain says, “my friends”….are there any other plans on the table that may actually work better than buying lots of worthless paper and hoping it makes money at a later date to be determined?  Are there any other means of injecting liquidity into the credit markets…..any other institutions that can be re-capitalized and extend lines of credit…..are there ANY OTHER SOLUTIONS besides the one currently on the table???  Are there any grown-ups amongst our lawmakers who can make something happen sooner than later?

If our destiny is to fall off a proverbial cliff if nothing is done to save our economy, then we will fall off that cliff since our government is incapable of getting anything done.

So, here’s what I propose….let’s rebuild our local economies!  Let’s have a nationwide effort to get mom and pop shops back on their feet so that they can create jobs.  Let’s re-capitalize the local banks and credit unions to give out the home, auto, and student loans that so many people need.  The technology is out there to make this concept go viral and to spread the word across the country quickly and cheaply.  This same technology makes online fundraising for these efforts as easy as two or three clicks of a mouse.

If Obama is elected president, then he’s going to need a nationwide effort to rebuild our economy since he certainly can’t do it by himself.  It will take the whole country to get this done.  Why not get a head-start on it and have him continue to nurture it with his leadership that we so desperately need right now?

I will be running this idea by everybody I know and develop it into an actual program.  If you’re reading this entry and think it’s a good idea, then feel free to take it, run with it, and start a program of your own.  My idea will hopefully be replicable to anyone who wants to start their own program in their community, but all off-shoots are welcome.

We are the only ones who can save our economy since the jokers in charge cannot seem to do it.  I pray every day for Obama’s election since we need his kind of leadership and genuine concern for we the people.  If he wins on November 4th, then I say we move inauguration day up to a week later.  We do need to give him a LITTLE bit of time to move in, after all.

• I can’t trust the government to come through in a time of crisis.  A deal was almost reached, and then some good old partisan politics took them back to square one by Friday.  I don’t care if it was the fault of the Republicans or the Democrats.  If we need a stop-gap measure to restore confidence in the markets as a lead-in to a long-term plan, then get it done!  We have been a divided electorate for quite some time now, but the division in our government makes productivity damn near impossible!
• I can’t trust the government to work on behalf of the people that it serves.  That’s the influence of money in politics for ya.  We’re taking immediate emergency action to bail out the investment banks and are still letting people sink further into debt, go bankrupt, and lose their homes?  Well, at least I know where the priorities are of our elected officials.
• I can’t trust the government to come up with an effective solution to a crisis.  I CAN trust them to try to transfer more power to the Executive Branch in a time of crisis, especially with “Paulson’s Patriot Act.”  I’m still not assured that this plan is going to work.  I’m glad that oversight was added to the proposal.  I’m glad that there are discussions surrounding taxpayers having an equity stake in the companies that participate in the program so that we have the chance to make money on this thing.  I’m just not convinced that this is the only solution or even the most sensible one.  Are we just going to delay putting this $700 billion on our books and put off the eventual inflation and weakening of the dollar that will arise out of this?  We can restore confidence and inject liquidity into the system temporarily, but I have yet to hear about what’s next.
• I can’t trust the government to tell the truth.  Obviously there’s a problem, but Paulson, Bernanke, and Bush pushing for Congress to pass the resolution tomorrow or else the sky will fall seems like a familiar scenario.  Perhaps they thought the pressure would work this time as it has in the past.  However, it seems that, as Bush once said, “fool me once…..ummmm…..uhhhh……shame on you……fool me….I can’t get fooled again.”  I’m sure our officials know that those fools can’t be trusted.

I don’t know if we are on the brink of economic collapse.  I don’t think those in charge know either.  I don’t trust their ability to be effective if we sink into a depression, much less now while we “still have time to fix it.”  I just hope we can get Obama elected so the Bush tax cuts can be repealed and we can start working towards restoring the middle class and building long-term economic stability under his leadership.

And speaking of Obama….how about that debate?

Obviously, the debates aren’t for me since I’ve been a huge Obama supporter since the primaries.  The debates are for the undecided voters that don’t belong to a political party base.  Obviously I think Obama came out on top, but I think that he won many Independents last night.  He was strong and forceful with his criticisms, knowledgeable with his answers, and gracious enough to admit where they found common ground.  He looked very presidential and statesman-like in contrast to John McCain, who never looked Obama in the eye except when they shook hands.  McCain belittled his opponent by smirking, sneering, and repeating constantly that “Obama doesn’t understand….” this, that, and the other.  He tried to highlight Obama’s inexperience and supposed naivete, but he came off looking like a self-righteous partisan attack-dog.

Listening to the pundits tell it, several of them said that John McCain won on points.  To paraphrase, “he came out forcefully and confidently and switched the conversation over to his turf, such as the surge in Iraq for foreign policy and wasteful government spending as the cause of the economic crisis.”  I think that he knows how to repeat talking points forcefully and confidently.  He knows how to attack forcefully and confidently.  He knows how to lie about his opponent forcefully and confidently.

If McCain can always switch an economic debate to wasteful government spending, then I can forcefully and confidently declare that he has no clue about why our economy is currently in this state.  I would at least feel more comfortable if he would read about it on Wikipedia, which he used to formulate his speech on Georgia during the conflict with Russia last month.

You can watch the full debate here and form your own conclusions.  Then you can do me a favor and vote for Obama in November!

The mainstream media had nonstop coverage of the newest sensation to hit the political scene.  The national polls started shifting towards McCain.  Pro-Obama bloggers everywhere started panicking and begging his campaign to go on the attack and replace Biden with Hillary.  NOOOOOOO, the Palin Effect is taking over the election!  November 4th happened already, and we lost!  NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

But wait a minute….what happened at the beginning of this week?  The issue of our struggling economy reared its ugly head?  The Dow dropped 500 points?  Lehman Brothers went under?  The government bailed out AIG???  Hey, guess what, folks?  The issues haven’t gone away!  Now the issue of the economy is big enough to the point where Treasury Secretary Paulson, Fed Charmain Bernanke, the entire U.S. Congress, the Justice League, and the Super Friends are convening to try to figure out how the hell to get us out of this mess!

At the beginning of the week, I thought about what Obama’s best strategy should be.  I came to the conclusion that he should show leadership in the face of hard times.  The way he showed leadership during his summer overseas trip, looked presidential, and came up with good ideas of how to handle ourselves internationally is what I thought he should do now.  It turns out that he did exactly that.

The speech that he gave with his economic advisors at his side and the press conference that followed showed me someone who was acting like an adult.  He continued to be honest about the difficulty of the challenges ahead but presented himself in an FDR-like manner, letting us know that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Don’t take my word for it; check out the video:

How did McCain respond?  Eh, nevermind, I don’t wish to expend all that energy on outlining what a disastrous week he had.  I can simply sum it up with getting acronyms confused, calling for the Securities and Exchange Commission chief’s head on a stick, and blaming this economic mess on Obama “gaming the system and never doing anything to challenge it.”  Nice job, potential fearless leader!

I read two excellent blog entries this week on the economy.  The first is James Moore’s entry on the Huffington Post, A Nation of Village Idiots.  It explains how the economy got to this point better than I can.  Helena Cobban wrote in her ‘Just World News’ blog an entry titled Re-imagining America.  She reminds us of something crucial that many of us may not have thought of: “The fact that the US’s citizenry will all become co-equal “owners” of a huge chunk of the country’s financial infrastructure means that we are all stakeholders in how it should be rebuilt.”  It certainly is fun to imagine what we can do with the money that we use to buy up all that debt, such as investing in rebuilding our infrastructure and building the green-collar sector.

I think we can safely say that recent events have rendered the final verdict of the effectiveness of trickle-down economics and deregulation of the housing and financial markets.  I’ve spit plenty of venom on how I feel about that, so now my imagination can run wild about how we can transform this country dramatically.  Green jobs and an improved infrastructure is an excellent start.  What other possibilities are there?  Can we start using technology to improve our lives in other ways than having a Blackberry with an MP3 player, a microwave, a V8 engine, and Bluetooth capability that allows you to write e-mails telepathically?

Just think of how we can jump into the 21st century, and think about which one of the two presidential candidates will lead us there.  Vote Obama/Biden ’08.

As I was reminded of these articles, something else occurred to me: the internet is an excellent information source for fact-checking politicians.  While it was once the responsibility of the press to have an objective and critical eye on those who run for public office, today’s mainstream media has mostly negated that responsibility since they are now accountable to their shareholders and not the public that they serve.

Therefore, if you want solid, credible information that is unfiltered by blowhard talking heads posing as reporters, the best place to seek out this information is on the internet.  Obviously, not all of the info will be correct, but if you seek it from credible sources and look at the information with your own critical eye, you will certainly be a more informed voter.

Informed voters are critical to the success of a democracy.  The present-day Republican party would never succeed with an informed electorate.  Watching the convention speeches and hearing lie after lie after lie would be incredibly funny if people weren’t buying it; however, many people did.  They are counting on their uninformed voters to win this election.  Lying and throwing Sarah Palin into the mix as an attractive distraction is their last best hope to keep their power.

I have perused many blogs, and I see a whole slew of intelligent and informed people who can see what’s going on.  Many of them are acting as journalists and doing the job of the press for them.  This is extremely comforting to me on some level.  However, without knowing the exact statistics, I’m sure there are many people who simply don’t have internet access and are more vulnerable to falling for what they see on TV.  Therefore, I get the feeling that the informed voters that share information over the internet are only talking to each other and not getting the message out as far as they could.

The press isn’t doing its job to keep this democracy alive, and it won’t as long as corporate media consolidation is in play.  If by a huge stroke of luck we manage to elect Obama and take our democracy back, I wonder which will take a shorter time to accomplish: the dismantling of corporate media consolidation, or the expansion of broadband internet accessibility.  I have a feeling the latter is true.

I realize that just because people have the internet doesn’t mean that they will seek out information that has an impact beyond nude Britney Spears photos posted on TMZ.  However, I think it’s a good start, and anything that can get us started in the right direction is ok with me.

For an excellent site that keeps an eye on the mainstream media and instances of lacking investigative reporting, go to Media Matters for America.

Republicans for Obama (also, their official site on BarackObama.com): This site is self-explanatory….it’s a group of Republicans supporting Barack Obama.  The group has some heavy hitters such as former U.S. Senator from Rhode Island Lincoln Chaffee and Douglas W. Kmiec, Head of the Office of Legal Counsel to Presidents Reagan and Bush (41).  Most of the site members are ordinary folks.  Many of them are disaffected Republicans who abhor the values (or lack thereof) of the neoconservative movement that has hijacked their party.

While reading member blogs, I noticed that these folks seem to have the same values that I do: the humanist ones that care about ordinary working folks and their prosperity.  Values of honesty and integrity.  Shockingly, values of (get this, Religious Right!) religious beliefs not dominating our politics.

The members of this site wish for the new kind of politics that Obama stands for, and they are voting for him for the same reasons that I am, the ones that cross party lines: honesty, integrity, equal opportunity for all, and rising to meet the immense challenges of the 21st Century.

Perusing this site has reinforced my stubborn refusal to hate Republicans.  It seems that traditional conservatism consists of slightly different ways (and some similar ones as well) of accomplishing the same mission: doing what’s best for the American people.

Now, for my second example of the stirring across America:

Matthew 25 Network: Now this completely blew me away, speaking as a Jew who has only heard the Christian voice of the Religious Right in politics.  Here are just a few quotes from this Political Action Committee:

“We believe that people of faith should actively participate in the political process as an important avenue for social change.”

“We are building hospitals and clinics, feeding the hungry, conserving energy, caring for AIDS orphans, working to free sex slaves, mentoring children, encouraging racial reconciliation, and so much more.

But again and again people on the front lines realize that one bad policy can undo a hundred good initiatives.

That is why it is so important to pay attention to our nation’s policies and priorities, and to get involved in the political process to elect the leaders whose decisions affect our nation and our world.”

Again, I am terribly impressed. The second quote not only constitutes rational thinking about the relationship between social service activities and government, but it also answers the age old question: what would Jesus do? Well, according to the Jesus I know, even though my knowledge is limited, I think he would feed the hungry, care for AIDS orphans, and free sex slaves.

Oh, and get this: the Matthew 25 Network is endorsing Barack Obama for President of the United States.  They also have a smear-fighting website called Put Away Falsehood.

I think Matthew 25 can tell that Obama not only represents what’s best in America, but also the best in Christian values. Not only is he a man of faith, but he also displays the kindness, fairness, and justice for all, including those that have the least, that espouse Christian values.

Those Christian values are identical to the Jewish values that I grew up with. After all, Jesus was Jewish, and because of the values that he represents, I respect his character and thank him for his contributions to a solid moral compass.

So, there you have it….two products of the stirring that’s going on in America.  I can only hope that the Republicans for Obama and Matthew 25 members, both of whom I proudly stand next to in the good fight, outnumber those who will vote this November to keep things the way they are and send our country even further downward.

My initial reaction was that this is a gift that keeps on giving to Obama. With possibly the nuttiest pick that he could’ve come up with, McCain has effectively taken himself out of the running for the presidency. She will win him Alaska (a state which he probably already had either way) and some hardliner evangelical votes. Otherwise, she will not attract Hillary-supporters because they’re not stupid enough to fall for this idiotic pandering stunt. After this move of desperation that was most likely done without much thought, I predict an increased likelihood for an electoral vote landslide for Obama.

Palin is also dangerously unqualified to take control of the presidency in case something happens to old man McCain. Which brings me to my father’s take on this VP pick: he called it criminal. If something does happen to McCain, whether his skin cancer comes roaring back or he becomes incompetent due to the early onset of dementia that I suspect he has, then she will assume the presidency. She has zero national experience, less than two years as governor of Alaska, and some mayoral experience of an Alaskan city of a few thousand people.

With all the issues we face here at home and abroad, what on earth makes this woman qualified for the job? It would be as much of a danger to our country’s well-being as it would to let McCain into the White House.

John McCain has officially lost his mind. In all seriousness, I think he has an early onset of dementia or something like it. At this point, his presidential candidacy is downright dangerous. After Obama wins this election, I can see some sort of law coming to pass either setting an age maximum to run for the presidency or at least ordering vigorous physical and mental health screenings of older candidates.

This has to be the single greatest pick since Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court.  I know this brings comparisons to Bush Sr. picking Dan Quayle, but the level of incompetence is more comparable to Miers, I think.  Such a comparison would be an insult to Mr. Potatoe-Head.

On that note, I wish you all a great Labor Day weekend, and I am off to celebrate my 28th birthday with family and friends.