Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Biggest Blame Game Ever Played

Well, I would not exactly call the election successful. On the whole, everything single position or candidate I supported lost, except for the Michigan 8th District Congressional race, where incumbent Mike Rogers took home the W (the win). To summarize, our new president and his cohorts took home almost every contest. As I watched the FOX News coverage last night, I studied the Congressional and Presidential vote counters, and the number of times that word “gain” appeared next to a Democrats name was astonishing. I must say, I am impressed by the ability to deceive on the Democrats part. To portray such harmful positions in such positive light does take dedication and hard work on their parts, and I commend their devotion to the cause. Clearly the Republicans were slacking, though. I mean really, the best we could come up with was a POW and War veteran, and an innovative reformer from Alaska? Not our best efforts. I don’t blame anyone for choosing the Messiah, oops I mean Obama, over gramps. But then again, I really don’t deserve any of the blame, or credit depending on who you are. I didn’t choose this outcome, or have any say in what did happen. But really I should have. I watched the election so closely, with attention to detail and analyzed comments and positions. I went to an Obama rally. I repeat: I went to the Obama rally, there was kool-aid, and hope, and whole lot of change in the air. That, my friends, was sacrifice. I know who would have done what is best for the country, without destroying the freedoms America is built on. Basically, I would not have let an inexperienced Community Organizer take hold of the most important position in the free world, and I would not have allowed the Congress (with the lowest approval ratings ever) to get even more liberal. I did not do this, America. But I should have. If I had voted, maybe, just maybe, we would not be in the questionable circumstances that we are today. Even more frustrating, two years from now I will still not be eligible to vote. It looks like America will not have my expertise and guidance until 2012, and that is just too bad. But you can bet, that in 2012 I am so there, and by there, I mean I am definitely going to be an active proponent for true change. Because I have a feeling we may need it.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Just Ignore the Men and Women Behind the President

I was doing my AP Government homework about polling, which involved looking up different polls and then analyzing them as good and bad, when I found a Gallup poll that caught my eye. It was a poll about how Congress has the lowest approval rating practically ever, dipping below 30%, tying the 2002 and 1992 approval rating of 18%. Hmm… I thought. How peculiar that the blame for the entire economic crisis, war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the lack of affordable living be blamed on President Bush, when the Democratic Congress also has a record low approval rating. The poll was a little outdated, taken in June 2008, but there is no way that the Congressional approval rating is higher now that the American people can’t even afford necessities like gas and food. No, there is no way it is higher. But, oddly enough, I can’t find anything to back up my claim. It would seem that the cough, LIBERAL, cough media does not want to put out what the Congressional approval rating is right now because they fear it could endanger their precious Democratic seats in Congress. Now maybe I am a cynic, maybe even a bit of conspiracy theorist when it come to the media, but it just seems interesting that I can find President Bush’s recent low approval ratings, but not the Congressional. But, I can’t just blame the media, because the American people are at fault as well. It would seem that most people elect a scapegoat, not the leader of the free world in presidential elections, and Congress in simply an afterthought. After all, if we don’t get the eighth district, there’s always one county over, right? Wrong! Just like every vote, every seat counts. Congress has more power to wield an agenda and approve big decisions than the president. I think the ideas of checks and balances may be forgotten, because everyone seems to think the president can do whatever he wants. In fact, I laugh a little everytime I hear Obama or McCain say “I will stop climate change!” Oh really, you’re going to be the person in the world who ends the natural and appropriate heating and cooling cycle of our earth. Because really if Al Gore couldn’t do it (and remember, he invented the internet) how could any mere mortal expect to? I think that this year everyone should get informed on the Congressional race and know the power that Congress has as well, because just changing the man in the Oval office doesn’t change everything. In fact, I would say a vote for change is a vote for Congress. If I could vote, I would look at everyone on my ticket and then decide who I want to represent and lead the country AND who I want to be checking and balancing that man all the way through.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

What Did I Miss?

I am still processing the debate. Why? It was boring. Normally, I am riveted by this kind of thing, but the debate was worse than a lecture on the origins of sand. Maybe it was just me, but I really do not understand how such serious issues were made to seem so dull. Neither candidate spoke with pizazz. In fact, I was imagining the possible Saturday Night Live skits that could result for a solid 8 minutes. The debate was so boring, that while day dreaming, I was able to simultaneously write down all of the major points. That is why I am not posting anything big tonight. I am letting the debate really sink in, while desperately looking for some jumping off point from which I can formulate coherent new ideas. But then again, if the presidential candidates don't have to, why should I?

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Downside Is...

If someone asked you what the most important issue facing America today is, what would you say? I am guessing that the score of the Minnesota/Cubs game would not be the first thing out of your mouth. Unless of course you're from Chicago or Minnesota, in which case I apologize for my sweeping generalization. My guess is that almost everyone, young and old would say the economy. Clearly, it's the issue that is going to make or break the presidential candidates, and determine the way of American life as we know it now. I know that I am no financial expert, but as an issue-conscience kid I am aware of the problems facing our nation. Of course, with all the news coverage, one could be blind, deaf, and illiterate and know about the state of the economy. But after the bailout plan rejection yesterday, I am surprisingly at peace. That is not to say that I am not worried, because I of course am. I mean that I really respect the courage of those against the plan to stand up and say no. While Wall Street may seem to play with Monopoly money, those million, billion, and trillion dollar words do have a dollar amount. I like to see that the legislature is taking the time to look long and hard at 700 billion dollars of borrowed money, and the repercussions of using that money. I also love to hear about all of the electorate participation. There are countless stories coming out his week about how Representative's constituencies calling and either supporting or fighting the bailout plan. The people care, and I find that inspiring. Overall, the crash of the economy is the wakeup call that people needed. Congress is not passing any bill that comes its way, and the American people are showing more interest than ever. I would say that the only negative coming out of the economy crash is the fact that the economy crashed. It is only more proof that in times of crisis, we step up, and I am proud to see it. So if I could vote in Congress I would look long and hard before I signed anything tying up indescribable amounts of money, and I could vote at all, I would look at the person who has listened to the people, the experts, and their conscience and cast a ballot for them.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

What Do You Think?

This is a short note to ask anyone and everyone to comment on the blog! I know that I can be outspoken, but I always welcome others opinions. Liberals, Conservatives, and Independents alike should feel free to comment on any of the postings. I only ask that the comments are kept appropriate and considerate. Thanks!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Why Work When You Could Run for President?

I am going to be watching all three of the Presidential debates, as well as the Vice Presidential debate (I have an interest beyond the fact that is an AP Gov assignment). Now my only question is: is there going to be a debate at all on Friday? In the back of my mind, I know that the answer is yes. Of course the candidates will debate on Friday night, because neither of them have the courage to not debate. This is not to say that they are not brave, strong individuals who have the ability to pull out of the debate if they really wanted to. What I mean is that neither of the men is willing to take the possible hit in the polls that not debating could bring. But, even though I know that it will not happen this way, I am still hoping that John McCain will insist that his presence, despite what some may say, is needed in Washington, at the Senate. Why do I hope for such things? Not because I would like to have my Friday night free from note-taking on the debate, because that would only be an extra benefit. I want for McCain to insist on no debate because he and Senator Obama have a primary responsibility to their jobs. These men are not just our Presidential candidates; they are two members of the most elite group of elected officials in the country. They have a primary responsibility to do their job, not to talk about possible solutions for the problem that they may have to deal with, if they are elected when they have an opportunity to fix it right now. These men get paid from our tax dollars to work in the Senate, not campaign for a new job. This is not to say that I do not respect all of the hard work that the candidates put into their campaigns, but I am saying that these men need their priorities in order. The time spent debating could mean the difference between economic change now or later. I think everyone’s choice would be change now, talk later. So why are willing to suspend the rules for these men? McCain and Obama are equal and important members of the Senate. I think that these two men should be showing me what they can do with the economy, not tell me about it in a nicely lit auditorium. So if I could vote, I would cast a ballot for the man who campaigned hard, but worked harder, knowing that he will all ways put his true job first.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

My 'View' on Television

The women of "The View" have done it again. And I do not mean create dynamic television that is hard-hitting and incredibly moving, because you can't do something again if it was never accomplished in the first place. I mean that they have once again provided a "view" that is ridiculously lopsided and out of sync with true America. Looking at the all-star set of commentators on the show will give a clear picture of my point. Barbara Walters, Whoppi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Sherri Shepard are all Democrats. Elisabeth Hasselbeck is the lone Republican. I find it ridiculous that the couch is so unbalanced. I understand that fair and impartial reporting is not really Barbie Walters M.O., but it is really out of hand. Which is why I found the John McCain interview so entertaining. I was really on the edge of my seat, waiting, wondering if Whoppi was going to make another ridiculous "Do you want me to be a slave?"-type comment. I mean, really, now she just sounds silly. Upon reflection (because, while not deep, I did find the interview interesting) I was even more disappointed by the women on "The View" than my initial reaction had indicated. For some people, "The View" is the only way they know about anything in current events today. For those people that don't watch the nightly news or read the paper (and those numbers are becoming scarily high), but do consistently watch "The View" Barbie and her cohorts are doing a real disservice. I am not advocating for conservative dominated television, but I am advocating for balance. The women of "The View" should realize that they have clout over a very specific voter demographic, and that at the moment they are hurting, not helping the American people. I haven't looked up the statistics, but simply based on looking at how close the race is, I am not sure that 4 out of 5 women are Democrats. Sadly, the women of "The View" do not agree. In MY view, television celebrities should use their power for knowledge and education, not opinion-ation (that is my new word for education surrounding personal opinion). If I could vote, I would make it clear that more than 20% of American women are conservative. And if necessary, I would proudly sit in for Elisabeth Hasselbeck if she ever needed a replacement, or maybe just an ally.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The Icing on the Pig

So this morning was the AP Government test that I discussed yesterday. While I thought I was very prepared, the test was incredibly difficult. I thought that by reading the chapter and studying the review questions, I would have been properly prepared. But it was so much more than that. The essay had absolutely nothing to do with anything in the book, because the essay was this: Compare and contrast the Democratic and Republican platforms, as discussed at the 2008 National Conventions. Ok, did I miss something? Because the DNC and RNC that I was watching didn't discuss the party platforms in any other way than the vague illusions made to controversial policy. Which is why I found the top article on my internet homepage, "Obama 'lipstick' Remark Gets Republicans in a Huff" so ironic. Today was a lost day for Senator Obama, thanks to his lipstick snafu. If you haven't heard about Obama's reference to the time-old adage about the pig and the lipstick, let me tell you, you are not missing any national crisis. Basically, the Republican party was able to take a misguided comment by Obama and twist it to, essentially, throw off Obama's entire day. Rather than focusing on his main issue, Senator Obama spent his whole day say, "Why am I spending a day on this, when it is such an insignificant comment?" Meanwhile, McCain camp was able to push the issues, stay on course, and gain votes. I find the current situation so ironic, though, because Obama would not be a day behind in "pushing the issues" if he used the four days set aside specifically to do that. I learned that at national conventions, parties formulate the party platform. Why didn't I hear about it? If the convention meets to put out the unified party position, shouldn't that be the number one focus? So now, the media is again covering the lack of issue discussion, not the promotion. Am I seeing a pattern? Perhaps the media prefers to cover the icing and fluff of politics, but refuses to put out serious issue-based journalism. The focus of today was "Did Obama call Sarah a pig?" Obviously not. But, by drawing attention to the comments, the media and Obama made today a character day, not an issue day. It seems that more and more are going that way. So if I were to vote today, I might even cast one for Nader, because at least I know what he's planning to do.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Study Up, Students of America

Tonight, while I would love to sit down and write an extensive review of the day's current events, I do not have the time. Tomorrow is my first Advanced Placement Government test, and I simply must do well on it. After all, I can have as many opinions as I want, but if I am not well informed with factual evidence to back it up, who am I to really say anything? So, to better educate others, I must submit to being educated myself, first and foremost. Interestingly enough, the test is over political parties. Reading and learning about political parties makes me wonder something about my readers...

Are you a committed party member? Or are you going to split your ticket? And most important, do you have the evidence and support of facts and figures to decently defend your decision?

If you answered no to the last question posed, you may want to consider looking into it. Because if the rest of America is anything like me, which I think they might be, your beliefs will be questioned regularly. So maybe I'm not the only one who should be preparing for a test.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Journay Said it Best: Don't Stop Believin'

On Sunday, September 7, I attended a Ralph Nader rally. While the previous statement may seem like a contradiction of itself, (because really, who rallies for Nader anymore?) there really were some honest believers in the Nader cause. Not many, maybe 175 max, but some crazy, socialist, Republican-hating, eco-psycho supporters are better than none, right? Wrong. That statement could not be anymore wrong. If I were in the same position as Ralph, I would rather have no supporters than be backed by the eclectic group that came out to show their love. But then again, I would never be in the same position because I am not an economy-killing socialist supporter. And I never will be. Ever. But, while I do not in anyway support the Nader/Gonzalez ticket, I was willing to be entertained by their fervent supporters on a Sunday afternoon. The beginning of the meeting was town hall style, with an open floor forum for Nader-approved topics, such as the environment, getting Nader in the debates, and corporate crime. And let me tell you, the people did not disappoint. Men and women (even a set of twins!) got up and spoke about how Ralph was going to win this election (by default, of course), and questioned why Americans pick the lesser of two evils (the Democrats) when both options were still evil. Although, my very favorite part of the day was before I even entered the room where the conference was held, because I was interviewed by our local newspaper, the Lansing State Journal. The interviewer asked a number of questions, like why did I come (because, Nader is historic, crazy or not) and did I support him (never). But, my favorite question was: are you prepared to be swayed by Nader? My response: not unless he makes a very good argument, which I doubt would ever happen. Harsh? I prefer to think honest. While many think I maybe just as crazy as Nader himself, because I went and saw him speak even though I don’t support him, I think that the day served its purpose. I am now more informed on the policies of Ralph Nader than many Americans, and because of that I am now, more than ever, set in my conservative views. I heard what Mr. Nader had to say, just as I have listened to Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. After listening, analyzing, and deciding for myself what I think is right, I have chosen to support one candidate over the others. Bet you can’t guess who! So, if I could, I would walk into a voting precinct in November and confidently cast my vote, knowing that my views had been questioned, but that I was able to support them and keep believing in what I thought was truly right.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Grandpa For President

This year, many young people are getting seriously involved in the Democratic campaign. Young Hollywood, college students, and high school supporters alike are showing strong support for the historic Democratic nominee, and I am glad to see the interest from the "future" of this country. BUT: why is it that the support from young America only for the Democratic nom.? The polls misrepresent the opinions of young Americans and don't really seem to give any nod to the conservative opinions of young Americans. I believe that part of the major reason that young people support Barack Obama is his age. Obama's young attitude, Hawaiian background, and over use of the terms "hope" and "change" give false hope to the uninformed Americans that want to see different choices on the ticket, but don't really seem to know what really matters in a candidate. Part of the problem with McCain (for many young voters, that is) is his old age. But honestly, why does his age and experience put off young voters? Shouldn't young Americans want the experience and knowledge of an older, more father-like candidate? I certainly don't want to elect a candidate that I feel is MY contemporary, but then again, I'm only 16. I don' t think anybody wants to see that. So if I could vote, I would say grandpa for President, all the way. Grandpa McCain has my support for several reasons: one, he has served his country in the military and in Congress for almost more than three times my life. I don't know and can't know everything that McCain knows, but I trust that his experience has properly prepared him for the most important job in America. Two, McCain has picked the perfect Vice Presidential choice, Governor Sarah Palin. That woman has inspired myself and others, and given ACTUAL hope to this nation, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike. McCain makes me looks long and hard at the issues presented to the country today, and instills a sense of trust, similar to that of a grandfather. As far as I'm concerned, Grandpa McCain has got it going on. 

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Welcome to my blog!

Hi! My name is Betsy and I am a 16-year-old senior in high school, who is just bursting with comments and opinions on this year's election. This November, my voice will not be heard, and I will not have a say in the leader of the United States for the next four years. So until I am allowed to vote, I have chosen to make my voice heard in another manner. I have a true love of politics, the process, the debates, and the lively discussion that accompany it. Since political forums for students such as myself can be difficult to come by, I have chosen to create my own political outlet, as a blogger. This particular entry is only an introductory sentiment to make my purpose known, but in the future I intend to blog almost everyday on the current event of the hour, while giving my opinionated and skewed commentary.*Caution, you're entering the "Betsy spin zone."