On a lighter note

Immediately after the first Presidential debates, I donated to Obama's campaign and received a magnet for my car. It finally arrived yesterday. I suspect that they ordered them as soon as Obama selected his running mate and that they are finally getting them out.

So my friend and I are playing this game. Daily we are telling each other whenever we site an Obama/Biden magnet because right now, I've seen only 2: mine and one other on a car exiting the Katy Freeway. My friend hasn't seen any so far.

Ok, peeps, get your magnets on!

I choose Excellence

I caught Giuliani's speech this evening. I absolutely love Giuliani. I get that he's not Presidential material but he has a very special place in my heart. This evening, though, I didn't like him that much. He came across sort of trite, maybe? I can't find the word, but he fell short. He hasn't lost that special place, though; I still love him.

Sarah delivered her speech and I listened. During her speech, I could not stop thinking about Obama. I hold in very high esteem his success at Harvard and how he carries himself as a father. I know they want to drill down that he's not a leader but I beg to differ. He's leading America to voting for a black man. He makes people want to go to the polls and vote and I believe that Washington is ready to embrace his charisma. I've never donated to a campaign before but I donated to his. I'm excited about switching parties. I don't feel like I'm voting against something but that I'm voting for something.

Sarah doesn't inspire me. I think she let her daughter down by not empowering her so she could better decisions for her future. I'm also aware that Sarah was plucked from the bottom of the hill and put onto the top. Hillary climbed it. She faced Kenneth Starr and Carl Rove and overcame lots of baggage to get as far as she did. Hillary planned every step of her campaign and she did it on her terms.

I think that Sarah is an excellent choice to help the ticket but she is not the right choice for the position she is supposed to fill. And if McCain believes that she is the right choice, then it leaves me wondering if maybe National Security really isn't the threat the Republicans are leading us to believe it is. I'm giving McCain the benefit of the doubt that he analyzed the severity and decided that she could handle the job.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Dick Cheney. I don't agree with his politics but that man is smart, cool headed, solid and he carries a lot of self respect. He's someone I would want to listent to. If he will get up in front of America and put his reputation on the line and tell us that he genuinely believes that Sarah Palin is the right choice for the role of VP, one heart beat away from President, then I'll reconsider my opinion. But you know what? Mr. Cheney isn't a bullshit kinda guy; he values his reputation. That's why we don't see a lot of him. He's not....a politician. His silence on this issue is noted.

I am sick of cynicism and that was what the RNC oozed this evening. I believe that Obama is setting the pace of this campaign. Sarah's presence in this campaign is a direct response to Obama's success; I genuinely don't believe she represents change. I don't think that Obama is going to lose ground but I do believe that gaining ground might be a bit more difficult. He beat Hillary, so I'm fairly certain he'll beat McCain.

Obama is my choice. He's intelligent, he's ambitious, he cares about people and he doesn't try to piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. I feel inspired and I believe in a better future when I hear him speak. I believe he's the one.

More campaign observations - Sarah Palin

I've had a chance to cool down and determine what was really bothering me about this nomination. It's that nothing has changed. I don't just mean in the here and now but that McCain and the Republican party really do not get why they are in so much trouble.

I remember in '92 when Bush Sr. was at a debate with Perot and Clinton. Someone from the audience asked how each of them were effected personally by the economy. Bush couldn't even understand the question. I don't think he ever answered it. I recall how incredibly disconnected he was and how his elitist persona oozed out of him.

I remember that debate and I remember how frustrated I was. I was a loyal Republican and as frustrated as I was, I could not vote for a Democrat. That election, I voted for Perot. My hope at that point was that the Republicans would learn what they had done wrong. I hoped that the party would scratch it head, regroup and revisit it's policies and approach.

So, we've watched Bush for 8 years operate as "the decider". He decides what's best for me and my neighbors and if we don't like it, we're unpatriotic. Karl Rove gets into action and begins destroying lives. We don't have values or we're outside of the "circle". Basically we become invisible. I have lost count of the different groups this party has managed to alienate over the last 8 years.

So here we are with this choice that McCain makes for VP. How did this decision come about, really? Did he call women and get their input on this choice and how it might be perceived? Did he do his due diligence and make sure it was the right decision. Somehow, I don't think so. I think, being the typical "deciding" Republican who is above reproach, he just decided. And then, true to form, when he wakes up and wonders if he made a mistake, he'll just go into denial. Just like Bush. I think this is so typical of someone who doesn't connect with or even want to understand the very people whose votes he wants.

I'm bothered because it's just a reminder to me of what the last 8 years has been.

I absolutely cannot relate to Palin. If I had a 14 year old that was raped, I couldn't in good conscience force her to carry a baby to term if the outcome of this heinous crime was pregnancy. This woman is as "righteous" as Bush. And I believe she would plow over anyone who stood in the way of her moral platform. I also believe that neither she nor McCain is interested in the bigger picture. I would expect that she would have some sort of Masters Degree. If not a degree in Law, an MBA. Something to show that there is more to America than drilling for oil, protecting gun rights and reversing Roe v. Wade.

So, maybe what McCain means by her being a Maverick is that she'll ramrod her fundamental Right Wing agenda through the party and sniff out any existing Republicans that aren't completely towing the party line.

Then, there's the second description. She's also tagged as a "Game Changer". Is that a Republican term or a term derived from the Press. If it comes from the Republicans, then it highlights again that this is just a game that needs to be won. No matter how....another Rove-ism. The end justifies the means.

So, basically, this whole thing leaves me really depressed. And it underscores how imperative it is that Obama win this election.

I donated money to the Obama campaign immediately after his speech. I wonder how often are we allowed to donate?

I love Barack Obama

I wish I could vote today! :)

Con te Partiro

Ok, so that's the wrong title. It's a song by Andrea Bocelli. The song is also known as Time To Say Good Bye. Not the literal translation; actually the opposite.

Ok, so depending on your position, you may decide that the Italian version applies. For this post, in my opinion, it's "Time To Say Goodbye".

As my many loyal fans and lurkers know I was 100% behind Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nomination. She has earned a lot of my respect. That being said, I have accepted the fact that she lost to Obama; and now I'm 100% behind Obama. As a matter of fact, I'm very ready for a brand new approach. I love listening to him talk and I find I'm constantly looking for stuff over the net about him.

As you also know, I've been listening to the pundits on T.V. My favorite passtime these days. (I really do love listening to these guys.) I don't know if they are interpreting Ms. Clinton accurately, or not, but I have to agree with one point: It's over. She needs to tell her followers that it's over and that we need to back Obama. I think the Obama would make a huge mistake if he puts her on his ticket. I don't think it would be a dream ticket.

I know that the McCain camp is hinting at putting Carly Fiorina on his ticket but I think that is to push Obama into putting Hillary on his. It is quite possible that by putting Hillary on his ticket he could actually lose conservative swing voters.

Obama and Experience

So, now the big question is, does he have the experience to handle the role of President? I believe that we are being asked this question because Obama is young, if I'm not mistaken, he's 46. Wow, he's only 2 years older than I am.

How old was Kennedy when he won the Presidency? 43.

I really don't believe that Obama is too young to be President. So, now let's look at experience.

Let's start with Ronald Reagan. He was an actor then a governor. Where was his experience to be an effective leader and President?

Then after that, Jimmy Carter, Peanut farmer then governor. Not a very good leader at all. American recognized her mistake and fixed it.

Bill Clinton. Professional politician and Governor. I think he did ok. But I think he could have done better. I don't think his short comings had anything to do with a lack of experience.

G. W. Bush. Rancher, oil guy, owner of baseball team, governor. He didn't have a lot of experience to be President.

Geeorge H.W. Bush, LOTS of experience, seasoned senator, V.P.; not a good leader at all. A lot of people wanted him out but not as badly we want his son out.

I'm not so convinced that Senator McCain has anything over Obama in terms of experience. If anything, McCain gives me the impression he doesn't plan to deviate very far from his predecessor's path. I don't think that McCain plans on carving out anything new or different. And I think that point is made evident by the fact that he can only run negative ads against Obama. He has nothing to offer America that we can get excited about so he wants to poo poo our optimism and enthusiasm for Obama.

I have no problem voting for Obama. I believe he is smart enough to surround himself with people who can advise him. And, I also believe that unlike Bush, he will listen to their advice.

I've been talking to a lot of people about Obama these last few days. And the interesting thing is that many agree that he lacks a lot of experience. But like me, they don't care. It doesn't seem to be enough to stop them from voting for him.

More campaign observations

I was shocked when McCain criticized Obama for not visiting the troops while doing his global tour. The reason I was shocked was the method he opted for. McCain said:

"The most solemn duty of a commander in chief is to fulfill his responsibility to the men and women who serve this country in uniform."

I had to re-read that statement twice because I thought I missed something. My first question was, 'did the election happen, is Obama President?' Then, I thought 'wait, Obama isn't President YET, why such a strong reprimand?'

I understand what McCain was doing but he made a grave error in doing it. He NEVER should have referred to the title "Commander in Chief" as an implication of what his opponent should be doing. His criticism raised Obama to a whole new level. His criticisms indicated that even he could see Obama as President of the United States. And he's basically saying, "Obama is doing the President thing all wrong."

I agree with Ben Stein's point of view that McCain is running a lack-luster campaign. I think his criticisms of Obama's globe trotting only validated Obama as a real contender for the White House.

Of course, McCain does have a disadvantage. Obama is making history. That makes great news coverage so everyone wants to photo these events. America is very interested in this process; and I think even those who don't support Obama can't help being curious about what he's doing. I'm sure they seek out news about him even if their approach is cynical. And no one can deny that Obama looks really good out there.

Obama was very smart not to have visited the troops. If he had done so, I think McCain's camp could successfully have painted Obama as doing so just for the opportunity to advance his Political motives; I think the fallout would have been more damaging. I am actually enjoying the elegance and class that Obama is demonstrating in his campaign.

And a word to the wise for McCain. If indeed he is distancing himself from Bush in order to generate more support, he will lose that support if he comes across as equally arrogant and self-righteous as Bush. He needs to cool his jets and apply some creativity to his campaign.

Has anyone noticed that Obama has a way of campaigning that really has nothing to do with his opponent. It's almost as though he doesn't acknowledge his opponent exists.

Visualizing

There are many techniques that sales people use to close a sale. One of those techniques is to get the consumer to visualize themselves using the product or service that is being sold to them. For example, if you are purchasing a car, the salesman might ask you to picture yourself driving into work and everyone admiring your car. Or if you are buying a house, the agent might ask you to visualize Christmas morning in the living room. It's a very effective technique; so effective indeed, that Bush used it during his campaign.

It was subtle but being in sales and understanding all the different types of closes, I caught it immediately. I don't know if you recall this or not but after all of his debates and maybe even after his various interviews, he would look at the camera and swear the first few lines of the oath of office. What was he doing? He was getting America to begin visualizing him swearing into office. If they could visualize it in their heads, then they would vote for him. It was extremely ingenious of his campaign director to get him to do this.

Well, Barack Obama is doing something very similar. He is helping America visualize him as a world leader. And if they at least aren't convinced that he would be an excellent leader, he can at least convince them that he won't make an absolute fool of himself out there. He's very good at this. At some point in his campaign against Hillary Clinton, he stopped debating with her about his being the best one to be nominated and just moved on and began behaving as though the sale had already been closed. When you are looking at a car and the salesman asks you what color you want before you've decided you want to buy the car, that's assuming the sale is made. It can be effective, too. And that's what Obama did.

Obama is very very clever. I'm amazed at how smartly he is taking this away from his opponents. And that's what he's doing, he's taking it away. If lack of experience and Obama's ability to be a world figure is the issue, he's taking it by the horns and giving America the impression he can handle the job. He doesn't even have to be effective out there right now. All he has to do is get America to percieve he knows what he's doing. Which leads us to the last commonly stated marketing term, Perception is Reality. If the consumer perceives it to be true, then it doesn't matter if it isn't true because they are going to move forward as though it is true. Especially if there is a possibility that it could be true.

Yep. That Obama certainly knows what he's doing.

Energy

I really can't help but wonder if the oil companies are intentionally bringing up the price of gasoline to get our attention during this election year.

Right now the Democrats are calling for us to dip into our reserves instead of expanding our offshore drilling. This call highlights a weakness in their party. They don't have an energy plan. That was one of Clinton's weaknesses as well. Their approach is similar to that of one who dips into their savings without planning out a budget. I don't think the emergency reserve is meant to be used to bring down the price of gasoline.

This is going to be a real challenge for Obama. Iraq and oil are tied together. If indeed he is going to pull us out he needs a very strong and solid energy plan. A PLAN. Not rhetoric about the environment and alternative fuel sources, etc. He needs a plan. I believe that what we are experiencing now in terms of oil prices is only just the beginning. Once we pull out of Iraq, there is no telling how consistent the importing of Oil to the U.S. will be. Without a strong western presence in the middle east, how will we protect our oil interests?

If the argument is that we shouldn't be over there protecting our oil interests then in what position does that put us here? If we can't drill here in the U.S. and we are forced to hit our reserves, what happens when we run out of reserves? Alternative fuel sources is a great idea but the transitioning into such is very slow and expensive. Engines have to be developed and the alternative fuel source has to be tested. What happens if we discover that the supply of ethenol can't meet our consumptive demands? Can we really grow enough "fuel" to match what we can pull out of the ground?

If we think that Gasoline is expensive now, an alternative fuel source isn't going to be cheaper.

America has some very difficult decisions to make this election year. Our focus is being shifted from the war in Iraq to our pocket books. Even I have been eating out less because cutting back on driving isn't something I can do right now. As a realtor, I live out of my car. I believe America will decide that we want our tanks filled at a reasonable price more than we want to be out of Iraq. So, in my opinion, Obama needs to be prepared for that and develop a plan for it.

How things might be connected.

I read a report this morning in the Wall Street Journal about Obama. His party line has been that he would be withdrawing troops within a 16 month time frame. Apparently, he's been dropping that part and has been sort of giving himself an "out".

Now his line is "I've always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain security". That could mean any length of time. That would allow a new line such as "36 months" in order to "provide optimimum safety and security while maintaining security".

Then, later in the article, "When asked why he has omitted the phrase [withdrawal in 16 months] recently, Sen. Obama said he has been 'focused on the economy because people are paying $30 to $40 for a gallon of gas.'"

Interesting that our gas prices are climbing so high during an election year. To a certain degree oil companies and the middle men are to blame but mostly, it's the cost originates from the primary source of the petrol. The Middle East, perhaps? I wonder, [uh oh, the conspiracy theorist in me is showing] if the oil companies are giving the U.S. a little taste of what it could potentially be like if our presence is weak in the Middle East.

So, what exactly is Obama discovering that has caused him to cool his 16 month pledge? Is it that he understands that the Middle East holds our economy over a barrel (no pun intended) should they decide to really put the screws to us on the price of oil? If that is true, is he discovering we need a strong military presence in Iraq? If Arab countries were not resolute enough to prevent Al Quaeda operitives from seizing a good chunk of the Oil Supply in the Middle East, how would that affect the U.S.?

Truthfully, as much as I want to see us out of Iraq, I have a sneaking suspicion we can't leave as easily as we could have left Vietnam. Vietnam had no economic connection with the U.S. We didn't import or export much to Vietnam and they really had very little clout among the Asian community. I take that back, we were exporting a lot of weaponry to Vietnam; however, we were shipping to ourselves, for the most part. Real or not, the U.S. worried about China getting involved. It was all part of the Red Scare.

Iraq, however, is a different story. One could say they are Arabs first and Iraqi's second. Unlike Asian cultures where they are very xenophobic towards their neighbors, the Arab culture bands together. China would have come to the aid of Vietnam only if it proved to be an economic benefit to do so. But as far as China is concerned, Vietnam is more towards the bottom of the food chain. Korea is somewhat in the same situation.

There are so many challenges facing alternative fuel sources. I'm not referring just to the distribution and the altering of engines to accept the new fuel. There are many many products we use on a daily basis that come from petrol. When petrol is refined there are bi-products that are used to create more products. Our reliance on petrol goes beyond our automobiles. But that is where we feel it the most.

I'm very very curious. Why is Obama cooling his 16 month pledge? Is there a connection between High Oil Prices and the War in Iraq?

Racial Controversy and Barack Obama

I've been reading about the racial controversy that seems to be surfacing around Barack Obama lately. I would like to point out that though my support is for Hillary, I think very highly of Barack. I see past his race. I have even had my clients who are African American tell me that I'm color blind.

But lately, because of the issues that are surfacing, his race is being thrown in my face. And interestingly enough, it isn't being thrown in my face by white people.

What most people don't realize is that African Americans make up roughly 13% of this nation's popularity. So it is quite evident that Barack's support goes well beyond that of his own race.

His campaign will be ruined if the racial card is played. I'll be damned if I'm accused of being racist just because I don't support him. And that's where I see this heading. If Obama doesn't win the primaries, will there be rioting in the streets? Will this mean that we have to hear Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton go on and on about how unfair this country is to the black man?

And if he does win, will African Americans suddenly believe that they are entitled to something more?

I heard Michelle Obama's speech where she stated that America was ignorant. I had a roommate in college that was African American. She and I had absolutely nothing in common with one another. I tried on numerous occasions to get to know her but that effort was not reciprocated. She would have her friends come over and I would be completely isolated; most of the time I could not understand what they were saying to one another. Segregation in this case was not forced; it was just natural. She hung out with her friends, I hung out with mine.

I have often discovered, even in my field, that there is oftentimes a racial connection between the real estate agent and his/her client. Is this forced or is it natural?

It is very unfortunate that the Democrats are stuck in this stagnant situation but I don't think that either of them should have to "blink first". Why? Hillary has donated 5 million of her own money in her campaign. What should be her reason to surrender first? And why should Obama surrender first?

I think this stagnation in their running is why this is surfacing in the first place. Had Obama won the primaries outright he would be moving onto the next thing.

I think that that which occurs whenever anything becomes stagnant will occur here. Slime and ick and all that stuff begins to surface and grow. So the question becomes, who's going to become the ickiest first?

The Obama Advantage

I have been giving great consideration to why Obama is doing as well as he is in the primaries and why I believe he will have a very strong chance at winning the Presidency if he successfully wins the Democratic nomination.

Let's start with a commonly known statistic. When a Governor goes up against a Senator, the Governor always wins. Recent examples would be Carter, Reagan, Clinton and G.W. who were all Governors. So why do Governors win against the more seasoned and experienced Senators? In my opinion there are two reasons.

First, the Governor is perceived as not being "corrupted" by D.C. politics. They are untouched and represent a pure break from what the rest of us hate about Washington D.C. We naive voters hope this new "innocent" will be able to resist the corrupt D. C. machine.

Secondly, they don't have a record that sticks to them. Once one becomes a Senator, the deals and negotiations begin and votes are traded for favors, etc. The Senator develops a track record of voting which later becomes public record and then is used by the "enemy" to begin defining who the person is. The objective is to put the person on defense.

Ok, so here we have a gaggle of Senators running for the White House. Both Clinton and Obama are minorities and there is no way that either of them would have had a shot at the White House if they were to try to run as Governors. They had to prove to America that they were Presidential material by first proving themselves as Senators.

So, how does one get the Governor advantage? By doing as little as possible while being Senator so that nothing sticks. And that, my friends, is what Obama has been doing. We can argue until we are blue in the face that Obama has no experience but then neither did all the Governors who became President of the U.S. Even though Clinton hasn't been Senator for long, we know her too well and she has some baggage she may not be able to rid herself of. Notice how Obama doesn't defend his lack of experience and instead promotes himself as a "new page".

Obama has cleverly demonstrated his D.C. "innocence" by not accepting specific types of donations for his campaign. This is his way of giving the image that he is "untouched" by Washington politics.

So, Obama's advantage, in my so ever humble opinion, is that he has studied all the reasons a Governor wins these elections and has effectively found a way to wrap himself to be a Governor in Senator's clothing.

It's Decidedly So

I have given it a lot of thought and I feel very comfortable with my decision to vote for Hillary. Both in the primaries and in the big election.

I think this is our only shot at getting a woman in the White House. That isn't the only reason I'm voting for her. I honestly do not think that either McCain or Huckabee have the charisma to win an election for President. I'm tired of the Republican way of doing things.

I think that Hillary has a lot of experience and she has an extremely intelligent man at her side who understands people. I like Obama but I just don't think he has the experience.

So, I'm really excited about voting in the Primaries becuase I've never done it before. I never would have thought that when I did actually get around to doing it that it would be Democratic Primaries. Interesting how times and people change.

More campaign thoughts.

I think that the Republicans made a mistake having their debates so early in the game. A couple of weeks ago, I heard a commentary on NPR where they were saying that Guiliani had incredible support in South Carolina and that it was shocking because he is pro choice and supports gay marriage (unions).

Guiliani watered down his position during the political debates and has lost his footing and he is now neck and neck with McCain. When I saw that Guiliani watered down his position, he lost my support. The way he watered it down insulted me. It was a coward's approach. What I HEARD was, I support the idea of pro choice and gay unions but I support the party line, too. Somewhere in there, Guiliani stopped being Guiliani.

So, now I'm back to the Democrats AND drum roll please...... I am even open to the idea of voting for Hillary Clinton! OMG, what a shock! Here is this born and bred Republican girl entertaining the idea of voting for Hillary Clinton.

Why the change? Because I believe it should be the responsibility of the next administration to exit from Iraq for a lot of reasons. First of all, the administration that makes the exit needs to believe in the exit because it's going to require a lot of thought and work. Secondly, the exit strategy might be complicated so I think that it should be done while there isn't going to be a "change in command". And thirdly, I believe it should be done by someone who has a lot of knowledge and experience of the region. I think Clinton has that and she has Bill and his experience.

I do believe that over the years Hillary has become more conservative than when she became First Lady.

I do wonder if Barack could be a world leader.... I think I have to watch and see.

Thoughts of the campaign trail.

I've been reading about the campaigning that both Clinton and Obama are doing. Hillary has been very pointed and blunt in her criticism of Bush and Obama is not quite as direct, though he is implying some feelings of dissatisfaction with the current administration.

A lot of people are unhappy with Bush, including myself. The problem I have with any politician running to replace the current administration by campaigning against it is that it just gives the signal that nothing is changed. If I criticize how someone is doing a job and I'm trying to take their place, my criticism implies that I would do it without making mistakes.

But the truth is, whoever takes Bush's place is going to make mistakes. One of the things that is good about Bush is that he can stand his ground. Going to the extreme with someone who cannot stand their ground is not good either. Compromise is not always good and it isn't always bad.

It's easy for those who oppose the war to demand withdrawal. I think that the plan to withdraw should be the mission of the incoming administration, though. I would suspect it's a long process and should probably be done by a team of people who are going to be around for more than a year in order to get it done right.

God help the Democratic party if it's them. They are screaming for withdrawal, they may be given the opportunity to show the rest of the world just how difficult it is to withdraw. Then, when they discover how complicated it really is, they can stand there with egg on their face. Or just spend their term blaming the previous administration.

I hope that doesn't happen. I hope that the new person, whoever he may be, picks up the torch and does things intelligently and deliberately. I actually think that Clinton, Obama or Guiliani could handle it. I don't think anyone else has what it takes to do the job. I'm pretty encouraged, though, that we actually have three strong contenders with some leadership skills. Very encouraged.

Dilemma

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I was born and raised a Republican. Initially, I voted Republican because my upbringing was that way. Then, as I got older, I found that my values were more in line with those of the Republican Party. During Bush's second term I found myself seriously questioning my loyalty to the GOP. As "punishment" I voted Democrat during the local elections last year.

I was hoping that Giulianni would run for President because I believed he would breathe confidence in the GOP back into my weary heart. But lo and behold someone else has surfaced and I cannot believe how much I like this person. Barack Obama.

I absolutely adore this man. He's non-invasive, smart, articulate, fair, consistent and doesn't come across as an ambitious politico. I can actually visualize myself voting for a Democrat during this upcoming election. Not only voting for one but actually liking my choice after I've done it. All the other options feel like bulldozers to me.

So, what's my dilemma? Obama is THE ONLY Democrat I could vote for. I cannot bring myself vote for Hillary. And if she is on the ticket with Obama, it could really screw it up for me. But that's not the dilemma.

This is the dilemma. I want to vote in the primaries to help insure Obama wins as the Democrat's nominee for President. But it is my understanding that if I vote in the primaries, I have to vote that party during the Presidential election. I can't decide to vote the Republican candidate if I don't like which Democrat makes the nomination.

What's a girl to do?