Because it's too important to not re-post
In the midst of crazy rumours, emails, television ads and all of the drama it's easy to forget what people stand for. It's easy to get caught up with lies that masquerade as the truth. It's easy to get lost in the drama, to let something new and interesting cover up what's really going on.
I can't believe that there are so many people out there covering their ears and eyes like little kids, going "lalalala" and refusing to LISTEN.
After the hoopla over Sarah Palin dies down, what are people going to start saying about her? Will women actually vote for the Republican ticket just because she's part of it? Right now, what I know about her is what the media is reporting, and most of it scares the hell out of me. Of course much of it is probably embellished (at least I hope so) and I couldn't care less about her pregnant teenage daughter either. I did listen to part of her speech at their convention, a nasty reminder of what happens when a woman has to be vicious in order to succeed. It's likely that she's trying to be a strong Clinton-esque woman, but she would do well to remember that Obama won against her...
To my dear neighbours south of here - please wake up and educate yourselves on this election. So many of you are turning to prejudices and rumour instead of looking at facts. Facts that are not necessarily being reported by the media. I've listened to TV ads lately that are so nuts that it's hard to imagine people actually believe them. Visit their websites - for BOTH sides. Read what their speeches say. Watch interviews. Remember that just because something is written down, that doesn't mean it's truth.
As much as I love visiting msnbc.com, I realized this week how much they like to report Shock Facts. On Sept 11th, there was a huge red banner atop their webpage announcing "Authorities report an incident in tunnel between UK and France". On Sept 11th, as people remember the horrific attacks on America. Seems to me that announcing something as an "incident" is automatically going to get people thinking about another terrorist attack. I know I did. Hoping for more details, I went to cnn.com, where there was another headline: "Fire breaks out in train going through tunnel between UK and France". Not a terrorist attack at all. So why would one website report an "incident" when another already knows it was a fire and not something much, much worse? The political articles are just as bad, with so-called news stories trying to shock and surprise people every day.
It's even worse to see politicians actively encouraging the circus to continue.
It's immensely frustrating to sit here and watch John McCain and Sarah Palin and the rest of their party use dirty tactics and attack ads to try and win an election. (Even Karl Rove thinks they are going too far, if you can believe this report from Cnn.com.) I don't know what's worse - that people are listening to them or that others are criticizing Obama for not responding more harshly. Here is a man trying to run a cleaner campaign with different politics. And since the very start of his race, the media has focused on his religion, his colour, his family, and all sorts of things that don't mean anything. And when he doesn't dignify the BS with a response, he is the one who looks bad.
And the biggest complaint about him centers around his lack of experience and what exactly he is planning to do if and when he wins the White House. I can respect people for questioning this, just as people are questioning Palin's readiness, should something happen to McCain.
Want the answers? Instead of reading an article about Sarah Palin being tough on Obama, listening to Fox News babbling about his ex-reverend, or parroting an attack ad to your friends, try actually reading up on what he stands for. And while you're at it, do the same thing for the Republicans. Compare their plans, not just their appearances. Look at their personalities, but focus more on where they stand on the issues that matter to you and your family. Then make your decision.
Educate yourself. Ignorance is no excuse to spout off "facts" that you saw on a TV commercial or heard from your buddy down the street.
Follow this link to hear Obama's latest speech, which outlines some of his priorities for the coming election. It's 10 minutes long and well worth the time.
Follow this link to see what the McCain campaign is saying.
(I have to say that in the spirit of honesty and trying not to be so biased, I went to see some of their videos, but could only find a few brief clips of speeches in the midst of dozens of TV ads and a speech by Sarah Palin. They spent the majority of their time criticizing or attacking Obama. It's to the point that I'm still not sure where they stand on the issues.) If you're interested in more, visit his campaign page for YouTube. Try to sort through the ads to listen to his actual speeches for a clearer idea of what he stands for.
What I find even more interesting then the speeches is watching the crowds behind each candidate. I won't say what I'm seeing - take a look for yourselves and you'll know what I mean.
I think it's amazing that the Obama campaign has mobilized so many people to donate money and volunteer support. Recently I read an article comparing a campaign to a business. If indeed, you do think about the President as the head of a business, bear in mind that he has managed to get tens of millions of dollars from regular people just by asking. Yes, their party is a little self-righteous about not bowing down to lobbyist groups, but the business side of their campaign is a pretty clear indication of how an Obama presidency will unfold, at least financially. In my mind, his lack of experience is over-shadowed by his ability to inspire and mobilize people.
And then there is this:
Say what you want about celebrities, but this message is an important one that should be repeated over and over again. The world they are talking about is one that I definitely want to live in. It's something I wish for both my own country and for our American neighbours as well. An end to wars and ignorance, the chance to people to improve their lives, equal treatment regardless of skin colour or religious belief. Respect for everybody, even people you don't understand. It's a world I want my future children and grandchildren to live in. No, I don't believe Obama is some modern-day Messiah who farts rainbows and butterflies and will wave away all of the world's problems. He won't create a Utopia, and he can't fix everything. But he stands for the belief that if everybody works together, we can change the world. And that message of hope is something we could all use right now. How we get there isn't just up to whoever sits in the Oval Office - it's up to everybody. But you do need a leader who honestly believes and stands for the same things as the people he or she represents.
Who speaks for you? Who represents the world you want to live in?
Choose wisely.
I can't believe that there are so many people out there covering their ears and eyes like little kids, going "lalalala" and refusing to LISTEN.
After the hoopla over Sarah Palin dies down, what are people going to start saying about her? Will women actually vote for the Republican ticket just because she's part of it? Right now, what I know about her is what the media is reporting, and most of it scares the hell out of me. Of course much of it is probably embellished (at least I hope so) and I couldn't care less about her pregnant teenage daughter either. I did listen to part of her speech at their convention, a nasty reminder of what happens when a woman has to be vicious in order to succeed. It's likely that she's trying to be a strong Clinton-esque woman, but she would do well to remember that Obama won against her...
To my dear neighbours south of here - please wake up and educate yourselves on this election. So many of you are turning to prejudices and rumour instead of looking at facts. Facts that are not necessarily being reported by the media. I've listened to TV ads lately that are so nuts that it's hard to imagine people actually believe them. Visit their websites - for BOTH sides. Read what their speeches say. Watch interviews. Remember that just because something is written down, that doesn't mean it's truth.
As much as I love visiting msnbc.com, I realized this week how much they like to report Shock Facts. On Sept 11th, there was a huge red banner atop their webpage announcing "Authorities report an incident in tunnel between UK and France". On Sept 11th, as people remember the horrific attacks on America. Seems to me that announcing something as an "incident" is automatically going to get people thinking about another terrorist attack. I know I did. Hoping for more details, I went to cnn.com, where there was another headline: "Fire breaks out in train going through tunnel between UK and France". Not a terrorist attack at all. So why would one website report an "incident" when another already knows it was a fire and not something much, much worse? The political articles are just as bad, with so-called news stories trying to shock and surprise people every day.
It's even worse to see politicians actively encouraging the circus to continue.
It's immensely frustrating to sit here and watch John McCain and Sarah Palin and the rest of their party use dirty tactics and attack ads to try and win an election. (Even Karl Rove thinks they are going too far, if you can believe this report from Cnn.com.) I don't know what's worse - that people are listening to them or that others are criticizing Obama for not responding more harshly. Here is a man trying to run a cleaner campaign with different politics. And since the very start of his race, the media has focused on his religion, his colour, his family, and all sorts of things that don't mean anything. And when he doesn't dignify the BS with a response, he is the one who looks bad.
And the biggest complaint about him centers around his lack of experience and what exactly he is planning to do if and when he wins the White House. I can respect people for questioning this, just as people are questioning Palin's readiness, should something happen to McCain.
Want the answers? Instead of reading an article about Sarah Palin being tough on Obama, listening to Fox News babbling about his ex-reverend, or parroting an attack ad to your friends, try actually reading up on what he stands for. And while you're at it, do the same thing for the Republicans. Compare their plans, not just their appearances. Look at their personalities, but focus more on where they stand on the issues that matter to you and your family. Then make your decision.
Educate yourself. Ignorance is no excuse to spout off "facts" that you saw on a TV commercial or heard from your buddy down the street.
Follow this link to hear Obama's latest speech, which outlines some of his priorities for the coming election. It's 10 minutes long and well worth the time.
Follow this link to see what the McCain campaign is saying.
(I have to say that in the spirit of honesty and trying not to be so biased, I went to see some of their videos, but could only find a few brief clips of speeches in the midst of dozens of TV ads and a speech by Sarah Palin. They spent the majority of their time criticizing or attacking Obama. It's to the point that I'm still not sure where they stand on the issues.) If you're interested in more, visit his campaign page for YouTube. Try to sort through the ads to listen to his actual speeches for a clearer idea of what he stands for.
What I find even more interesting then the speeches is watching the crowds behind each candidate. I won't say what I'm seeing - take a look for yourselves and you'll know what I mean.
I think it's amazing that the Obama campaign has mobilized so many people to donate money and volunteer support. Recently I read an article comparing a campaign to a business. If indeed, you do think about the President as the head of a business, bear in mind that he has managed to get tens of millions of dollars from regular people just by asking. Yes, their party is a little self-righteous about not bowing down to lobbyist groups, but the business side of their campaign is a pretty clear indication of how an Obama presidency will unfold, at least financially. In my mind, his lack of experience is over-shadowed by his ability to inspire and mobilize people.
And then there is this:
Say what you want about celebrities, but this message is an important one that should be repeated over and over again. The world they are talking about is one that I definitely want to live in. It's something I wish for both my own country and for our American neighbours as well. An end to wars and ignorance, the chance to people to improve their lives, equal treatment regardless of skin colour or religious belief. Respect for everybody, even people you don't understand. It's a world I want my future children and grandchildren to live in. No, I don't believe Obama is some modern-day Messiah who farts rainbows and butterflies and will wave away all of the world's problems. He won't create a Utopia, and he can't fix everything. But he stands for the belief that if everybody works together, we can change the world. And that message of hope is something we could all use right now. How we get there isn't just up to whoever sits in the Oval Office - it's up to everybody. But you do need a leader who honestly believes and stands for the same things as the people he or she represents.
Who speaks for you? Who represents the world you want to live in?
Choose wisely.
posted by Melinda @ 2:55 PM
4 Comments:
At 9:11 AM,
Suldog said…
Well, I think you know where I stand, so I won't elaborate on that. I will say that I find it disheartening to know that a woman from Canada cares more about our election than 95% of Americans :-(
At 6:10 PM,
Melinda said…
I can't help it - even my friends and family think I'm crazy for caring so much! This election will dramatically effect Canada and the rest of the world and I truly believe that between McCain and Obama that Obama is the clear choice. But who knows that November will bring...
At 1:02 PM,
David Sullivan said…
You should care because, good or bad, as the US goes, so goes the world. Just look at the financial markets. More importantly, the US's reputation in the world has suffered greatly since Clinton left office and our "soft diplomacy" (peace corps, relief efforts, humanitarian etc..) has been eclipsed by Bush's vendetta against Saddam Hussein. I might be joining you in Canada if I have to endure another 4 years of Republican rule. On the bright side at least I can watch the "Trailer Park Boys" on TV and not on my laptop and there will be hockey and beer 24/7. ;)
At 8:54 AM,
Jaimi said…
Palin is like a more (seemingly) likable version of Cheney.
Her views, like most neoconservatives, are disastrous, dangerous, discredited, and deadly. It's hard to say whether or not people will go beyond the surface when casting their vote in November; it all seems so clear to the rest of the world looking in, what needs to happen. Maybe they'll get it right this time around.
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