Category: Politics

So one of my favorite things to think about is politics. I feel kinda guilty admitting that, as it’s given much more attention and importance than I feel it deserves. At the same time, it’s been a long time since I’ve had such mixed feelings about an election.

Two years ago, I believed Obama was a longshot candidate. Today, he seems a near certain victor. Eight years ago McCain was too much of a maverick for republicans. Today, he’s towing the party line (not Bush’s line, but still hat the party leadership wants). I would have happily voted for the 2000 McCain, since a true bipartisan and maverick would be a welcome change. Obama’s claims of post-partisan politics are only true if you define post-partisan as left-leaning.

What I like about Obama:

• He’s an inspiring speaker
• He comes across as presidential
• He’s young
• He’s smart
• He’s inspiring
• He took down the Clinton machine-ended the Bush-Clinton dynasty
• Would probably not deliver on promises and would be a one term president

And what I dislike:

• He’s arrogant like no other. I think he’s running for Jesus, not president
• He uses people for political gain
• His associations are scary
• He says what you want to hear, not what he intends to do

What I like about McCain:

• He’s spent time in Washington
• He’s not a Bush clone – as a matter of fact, he was the bane of his party in 2000
• He’s a centrist
• He actually has meaningful experience

What I dislike about McCain:

• He’s a hothead
• He’s old
• He has a Bush-like tendency for gaffes
• His conservatism is suspect-seems to be for big government, like most current republicans
• He’s inarticulate
• I can’t see him as president
• The chances of him dying in office are too high to have inexperienced Palin as the vice president
• Would most likely be a one term president due to age

All that said, I can’t vote for either major party candidate. I’m investigating my options. Looking into third parties and write ins. Whatever your political persuasion, go vote next Tuesday. It’s critical in shaping who runs next time around.

Since we’ve “foiled” another terrorist plot, what you can bring on an airplane has been cut down again. And who says we’re winning the war on terror? As all our freedoms leave us, it makes me think that we’d be better off if we had some people die in terrorist attacks, but kept our freedoms. I mean, isn’t that what the terrorists are fighting against?

Look at what The Washington Post had to say about it

WASHINGTON — President Bush was the host of the annual congressional picnic Thursday at the White House, but it was his chief of staff’s band that came close to stealing the show. (more)

A little over a week ago, my dad gets a call from Tabetha Mueller, a family friend of ours that I taught Vacation Bible School music with one year and my dad played in a band with for several years. She said that she was playing in a band and they needed a rhythym guitarist to help fill out their sound for an upcoming event at the White House. She explained that she was playing in a band called The Compassionates with Josh Bolten (the president’s current chief of staff, the president’s former economic advisor, and her father (the president’s former chief of staff). The set was three classic rock songs, and she could probably get my family in to the congressional picnic. He accepted.

My mom, sister, and I took the metro downtown and walked to the White House. We enjoyed the beautiful house, appetizers, dinner, The Compassionates in concert, and dessert, interrupted by a photo shoot and autograph signing with the president. It was a beautiful evening for a picnic. It was originally scheduled for yesterday, but pushed back because of a chance of rain. The only downside of the date change was that we missed Laura’s high school baccalaureate service and Tabetha’s dad was unable to join the band. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer evening, and everyone that we interacted with at the White House was extremely nice.

Bush is much better with people than I realized. He may not be my favorite president (or even close), but it was amazing to spend an evening at an official event thrown by the president of the world’s super power nation. It’s also too bad that the rumors of Bill and Hillary attending proved to be untrue. Meeting two presidents in one night would have been ridiculous.

UPDATE: it appears a clip of me holding my camera from this event appeared on MSNBC around noon yesterday.

The Washington Post reports that the UN wants the military prison at Guantanamo Bay closed down and all the prisoners either tried or released. Guantanamo Bay is something that makes me embarassed to say that I’m an American. We’re supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave, but humiliating and possibly even tourturing prisoners is cowardly.

As a citizen of God’s kingdom first and an American second, I believe that we need to take a stand and tell our government that situations like that prison are not acceptable. Holding people for an extended time without trial is not the American thing to do, and it’s certainly not something that is pleasing to God. It’s time for our nation to repent of our mistake at Guantanamo Bay and to make things right with those people who were held there.