At 11:00 am on 10/31/08 Fox News is featuring a story that includes statements from Senator John McCain that we will be up late on Election Night. McCain is predicting a surge at the polls at the last minute and he is dismissing the fact that Democrats have cast more early votes through-out the country than has Republicans.
"We are going to win this election but I understand that it is still an uphill fight, and I have got to be the underdog right up until the polls open," McCain said. "And I am serious about that -- that's when we do best."
In a recent Fox News poll McCain is leading Obama by double digits when it comes to foreign policy issues and has almost a 50 point lead when it comes to who has the experience to be the Commander-in-Chief.
McCain knows that the undecided voters at this point are who is going to decide this election. He is traveling extensively through-out battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and others trying to make that last minute effort to get Republicans to the polls and convince undecided voters that he is not another term of Bush policies but instead a new direction for our country.
I think that if McCain stays on this issue of social the economic pie (wealth) then that will resonate with some voters. Just the fear of someone leading our country towards a Socialist agenda scares people into voting for the other candidate. He needs to keep stating his credentials that he has the experience necessary to lead our Armed Forces. There are several areas where McCain can help his cause but he needs to stick to those areas and back off tactics that aren't effective.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Week #9, Blog #1
As of 12:45pm on 10/28/08 Fox News is covering a statement that Senator John McCain made that Senator Ted Stevens should resign his Senate seat and scuttle his re-election campaign. Senator McCain made the following statement on the campaign trail, "It is clear that Senator Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all."
Senator Stevens has been convicted of seven felony corruption charges by a grand jury in Washington D.C. Stevens now only has a week to go in his campaign which will be his eighth full six year term. He was previosuly appointed in 1966 following the death of Senator Bob Bartlett. Stevens is the longest serving Republican currently in the Senate. He has been in the Senate for forty-two years. He maintains that he is innocent and will appeal the decision. He has no plans to step down or recede his campaign.
I believe that the culture of corruption runs rampant in Washington and in other state legislative bodies through-out our country. Somehow some of these men and women feel that they are above the law which is fact they are not. If anything I believe that they should be held to a higher standard because they are in public office and are an icon through-out our country. Stevens should not step down or cancel his campaign for another term. We should let the judicial process function and then see where it goes from there. Even if he wins another term next week the Senate could expel him from the chamber with a 2/3 vote by the full Senate. I believe that this unlikely to happen but never say never...
Senator Stevens has been convicted of seven felony corruption charges by a grand jury in Washington D.C. Stevens now only has a week to go in his campaign which will be his eighth full six year term. He was previosuly appointed in 1966 following the death of Senator Bob Bartlett. Stevens is the longest serving Republican currently in the Senate. He has been in the Senate for forty-two years. He maintains that he is innocent and will appeal the decision. He has no plans to step down or recede his campaign.
I believe that the culture of corruption runs rampant in Washington and in other state legislative bodies through-out our country. Somehow some of these men and women feel that they are above the law which is fact they are not. If anything I believe that they should be held to a higher standard because they are in public office and are an icon through-out our country. Stevens should not step down or cancel his campaign for another term. We should let the judicial process function and then see where it goes from there. Even if he wins another term next week the Senate could expel him from the chamber with a 2/3 vote by the full Senate. I believe that this unlikely to happen but never say never...
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Week #8, Blog #3
As of 11:20pm on 10/26/08, Fox News has reported the following as the top 5 news stories of the week:
- 111th Congress = More Democrats
It has been widely reported by not only Fox News but other media sources that the next Congress will feature more Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. I think that there is growing concern especially if the Democrats can get a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. If this happens and we have a Democratic controlled Congress and a liberal Democrat in the White House such as Barack Obama then we will see a drastic change in our fiscal, tax, and social policies through-out our nation.
I have heard my parents talk about what life was like the last time that the Democrats were in charge of everything and that was in 1992. During the midterm elections of 1994, the American people decided that it was time for a change and the Democrats lost control of the Congress in a landslide to the Republicans who had not been in the majority for over fifty years in the House. That was remarkable. I think that as we enter the job market we have to be concerned about economic growth during the next four years and how favorable the tax environment is to small businesses that we most likely will work for since they are the economic engine of our national economy.
2. Republican Ticket pays more for a hairdresser than a foreign policy advisor.
Current Alaska Governor and Republican Vice-Presidential running-mate Sarah Palin's, hairdresser makes more than $10,000 more than McCain's foreign policy advisor. What priorities does this show the American people? Or what does this show about what Americans value?
I think that this is sad that they must feel that they have to do this in order to attract votes. I would hope that we value something higher than hair when trying to pick who are next President is. Others have said that this is a good reason to vote for Obama since they don't pay more for a hairdresser than a foreign policy advisor.
3. Stevens case not going well...
Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) has been with-standing trial for nearly four weeks now about if he lied on his Senate disclosure forms. I think that this is something that is a tactic of the left because they are taking away his time from campaigning in Alaska while he is engaged in a tough Senate race back home in Alaska, 3000 miles away.
I believe that they should have withheld the trial until after the election because this gave him a huge disadvantage during this Senate race.
Jurors have been dismissed now and they are calling in alternate jurors to decide his fate.
4. Kennedy already starting to stack agenda for 111th Congress
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) is recovering at home from his cancer treatment but he is already planning health-care legislation for the 111th Congress. If Obama wins the White House he will have a friend that will help him move through this legislation for universal health care.
I think that universal health care would undermine our capitalistic system and will turn this country towards Socialism. I have heard this echo through other people as you walk to news or even in the Debate Watch that we had a couple weeks ago.
With this idea you take away the incentive to get ahead in your career. Some people are motivated to get more education and succeed because they will get health care. With this I feel that we are giving people a reason not to better themselves with education or career advancement. Not a good idea.
5. Dodd says Bush should nominate next Treasury Secretary.
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has said that President Bush should nominate the President-Elects Treasury Secretary in order to facilitate a seamless transition between administrations. I think that this is a good idea considering the fact that some economists will tell you that we are in a recession and it might even go deeper to classify as a depression.
When you have a new team come in to power they have to get caught up to speed with what is going on through-out the country. If President Bush already has that person in place before he leaves office then they can learn from Secretary Paulson and the Bush economic team that is already in place.
If McCain wins the White House I can see that this idea would be embraced probably because they are with the same political policy and share a fundamental belief in their economic agendas. If Obama wins I think that he will be less receptive of this idea because Obama and Bush do not share the same ideas on the economy or any other issue for that matter.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Week #8, Blog #2
At 6:30pm on 10/24/08, Fox News is reporting that in October Sarah Palin's hairdresser was paid $22,800 compared to $12,500 which was paid to McCain's foreign policy advisor.
Of course this statistic has been touted several times during the campaign by Barack Obama and Joe Biden. When something like this is reported it will undoubtedly be used to the other party's advantage during the campaign rhetoric.
McCain did accept public financing for his campaign which amounted to $84 billion for the General Election. Obama did not accept public financing and has raised significantly more money than McCain. However it does appear that McCain has more than Obama when you included RNC funds. McCain and Obama both must be selective on how they spend their money since there are only 11 days until Election Day. It has been proven time and time again that when the race is close what you do in the remaining weeks or even days can change the outcome of the election.
As a Republican I feel that the money that is paid to Palin's hairdresser is just a product of the times that we live in. We are materialistic in nature and therefore the campaign feels that they have to make Palin presentable to the American public in order to have a chance of capturing their vote on Election day. I know that money can be better spent elsewhere on recruiting an advisor that has the most experience and the best record out there. If they have that kind of money that they don't know what to do with it, I need a good paying job...
Obama and Biden are smart to cash in on this opportunity. This is something that they can spend as, "Look at what the McCain-Palin ticket has listed their priorities as hair over foreign policy." Give it a day or two and that is the kind of message that we will be seeing out of the Obama-Biden campaign camp.
Of course this statistic has been touted several times during the campaign by Barack Obama and Joe Biden. When something like this is reported it will undoubtedly be used to the other party's advantage during the campaign rhetoric.
McCain did accept public financing for his campaign which amounted to $84 billion for the General Election. Obama did not accept public financing and has raised significantly more money than McCain. However it does appear that McCain has more than Obama when you included RNC funds. McCain and Obama both must be selective on how they spend their money since there are only 11 days until Election Day. It has been proven time and time again that when the race is close what you do in the remaining weeks or even days can change the outcome of the election.
As a Republican I feel that the money that is paid to Palin's hairdresser is just a product of the times that we live in. We are materialistic in nature and therefore the campaign feels that they have to make Palin presentable to the American public in order to have a chance of capturing their vote on Election day. I know that money can be better spent elsewhere on recruiting an advisor that has the most experience and the best record out there. If they have that kind of money that they don't know what to do with it, I need a good paying job...
Obama and Biden are smart to cash in on this opportunity. This is something that they can spend as, "Look at what the McCain-Palin ticket has listed their priorities as hair over foreign policy." Give it a day or two and that is the kind of message that we will be seeing out of the Obama-Biden campaign camp.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Week #8, Blog #1
At 11:25pm on 10/21/08 Fox News has as their top news story a claim that House and Senate Republicans are in big trouble come Election Day. Fox news is predicting that the Republicans in the House of Representatives will lose 18 seats from the 199 that they currently hold. This would be devastating to the Republican agenda because they will not be able to stop anything that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is pushing even with the help of the Blue Dog Democrats because they will not have enough rank-and-file Republicans to defeat the liberal Democratic agenda.
Chris Shays of Connecticut is in big trouble. Shays is the only Republican from the New England states currently serving in Congress. He has battled through 10 election cycles and this will be his 11th. Don Young of Alaska is the 3rd most senior Republican member of the House of Representatives and he is also in trouble this year. He has served in Congress since 1973 and has been the chairman of some powerful committees. He is currently under an ethical cloud that has plagued him in recent months.
In the Senate the odds don't look any better. The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is facing his toughest re-election contest yet. Some analysts say that this is payback for the defeat of then Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in 2004. McConnell was once thought to be safe but the economic turmoil has the Republicans scrambling. Other Republicans once thought to be safe are now at risk for losing their seats including: Susan Collins of Maine, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Gordon Smith of Oregon, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, and Saxby Chamliss in Georgia.
I think that President Bush is part of the problem for Congressional Republicans. His low approval ratings reflect across the entire ballet. Some Americans might not realize that Democrats are now in control of the Do-Nothing Congress. If they did they might be voting against the Democrats in this election because this economic crisis happened while they were in control of the Congress.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Week #7, Blog #3
At 10:40pm on 10/19/08 Fox News has shown that the top five issues for teh week are:
1. Powell endorses Obama
This morning former Secretary of State under President Bush annouced that he was endorsing former Secretary of State Colin Powell to be the next President of the United States. I think that this was a possible blow to the McCain camp who might have been expecting his endorsement to help McCain with the African American community. I have not heard anyone yet who has said that this endorsement is going to change their vote in the November 4th General Election. This endorsement might have an impact on McCain if he wins the Presidency and his international relations abroad because Powell is highly respected through-out the world.
2. 111th Congress = More Democrats.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi this week has announced that she is expecting to increase her Democratic majority in the House by fifty members. This means that the House will hold 285 seats in the 111th Congress when it convenes in January. I agree with Fox News in casting a negative light on this idea. This invariably means more taxes, more government, and more of the same tax and spend policies that we have seen out of Democratic Congresses and administrations in the past.
In the House of Representatives the leadership can virtually ensure passage of legislation because they have the right to call a vote on any matter of their choosing. Typically rank and file members vote however the leadership of your respective party is pushing you to vote.
In the Senate the magic number is sixty. It is very unlikely that the Democrats will get sixty seats in this next Congress but at least 55-58 is possible by even conservative estimates. In the Senate, sixty votes are required to cut off debate and therefore more legislation forward. Without the sixty vote supermajority you are not guaranteed to get anything passed by the upper chamber.
Several comments have been made that a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President will not help our current economic situation at all.
3. Bush already in transition phase.
This week the Bush administration has announced that they are beginning to prepare a transition stage for either a McCain or Obama Presidency.
I believe that this is good idea considering that the race is still fairly close and we can not have a gap in coverage in January 2009. This is a positive move that demonstrates that President Bush is still looking out for our national security even though he is a lame-duck President for three more months.
4. 2nd Economic Stimulus Unlikely this Congress.
Leaders on both sides of the asile in Congress have signled that there will not be enough time to generate and pass a second economic stimulus package this Congress. This includes not only tax breaks, additional unemployment benefits, extension of government sponsored health insurance, and other governmentally funded assistance programs.
This will be hard for many families to do without this assistance espically as they are beginning a new career because they were laid-off from their previous jobns. The Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program is not going to have enough money this year to help pay for home heating oil for low-income Americans this winter. This includes senior citizens and children who will suffer. I believe that this is a sad state of affairs but the government can't do everything for you. You have to help yourself sometimes instead of always expecting help from others.
On the other hand, look at our federal budget deficit. We have to start somewhere and maybe this is the best place to start.
5. McCain says Election is being bought.
Senator John McCain has indictated that he feels that the $605 million that Senator Barack Obama has raised for this White House run just goes to show that the election is being bought.
Obama is the first post-Watergate President to decline the public financing option of $84 million. He has now raised more than seven times that amount and we still have three months left to go.
"I'm saying it's laying a predicate for the future that can be very dangerous," McCain said on "FOX News Sunday." "History shows us where unlimited amounts of money are in political campaigns, it leads to scandal.
I believe that many people here in West Virginia believe that this statement is true. We are not materialistic people as a whole and therefore the money and the glamour are not important to us. I think that Barack and McCain should have had the same amount of money to finance the General Election and therefore there would have been an equal playing field and the American public can decide who the next President should be instead of who has the most money in the bank account.
1. Powell endorses Obama
This morning former Secretary of State under President Bush annouced that he was endorsing former Secretary of State Colin Powell to be the next President of the United States. I think that this was a possible blow to the McCain camp who might have been expecting his endorsement to help McCain with the African American community. I have not heard anyone yet who has said that this endorsement is going to change their vote in the November 4th General Election. This endorsement might have an impact on McCain if he wins the Presidency and his international relations abroad because Powell is highly respected through-out the world.
2. 111th Congress = More Democrats.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi this week has announced that she is expecting to increase her Democratic majority in the House by fifty members. This means that the House will hold 285 seats in the 111th Congress when it convenes in January. I agree with Fox News in casting a negative light on this idea. This invariably means more taxes, more government, and more of the same tax and spend policies that we have seen out of Democratic Congresses and administrations in the past.
In the House of Representatives the leadership can virtually ensure passage of legislation because they have the right to call a vote on any matter of their choosing. Typically rank and file members vote however the leadership of your respective party is pushing you to vote.
In the Senate the magic number is sixty. It is very unlikely that the Democrats will get sixty seats in this next Congress but at least 55-58 is possible by even conservative estimates. In the Senate, sixty votes are required to cut off debate and therefore more legislation forward. Without the sixty vote supermajority you are not guaranteed to get anything passed by the upper chamber.
Several comments have been made that a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President will not help our current economic situation at all.
3. Bush already in transition phase.
This week the Bush administration has announced that they are beginning to prepare a transition stage for either a McCain or Obama Presidency.
I believe that this is good idea considering that the race is still fairly close and we can not have a gap in coverage in January 2009. This is a positive move that demonstrates that President Bush is still looking out for our national security even though he is a lame-duck President for three more months.
4. 2nd Economic Stimulus Unlikely this Congress.
Leaders on both sides of the asile in Congress have signled that there will not be enough time to generate and pass a second economic stimulus package this Congress. This includes not only tax breaks, additional unemployment benefits, extension of government sponsored health insurance, and other governmentally funded assistance programs.
This will be hard for many families to do without this assistance espically as they are beginning a new career because they were laid-off from their previous jobns. The Low-Income Housing Energy Assistance Program is not going to have enough money this year to help pay for home heating oil for low-income Americans this winter. This includes senior citizens and children who will suffer. I believe that this is a sad state of affairs but the government can't do everything for you. You have to help yourself sometimes instead of always expecting help from others.
On the other hand, look at our federal budget deficit. We have to start somewhere and maybe this is the best place to start.
5. McCain says Election is being bought.
Senator John McCain has indictated that he feels that the $605 million that Senator Barack Obama has raised for this White House run just goes to show that the election is being bought.
Obama is the first post-Watergate President to decline the public financing option of $84 million. He has now raised more than seven times that amount and we still have three months left to go.
"I'm saying it's laying a predicate for the future that can be very dangerous," McCain said on "FOX News Sunday." "History shows us where unlimited amounts of money are in political campaigns, it leads to scandal.
I believe that many people here in West Virginia believe that this statement is true. We are not materialistic people as a whole and therefore the money and the glamour are not important to us. I think that Barack and McCain should have had the same amount of money to finance the General Election and therefore there would have been an equal playing field and the American public can decide who the next President should be instead of who has the most money in the bank account.
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