To me politics is becoming much like a multiple choice test. Based on the question you determine your answer, but far too often the questions are misleading, rude or are solely in place for entertainment value and never hit the mark of what really matters in elections.
A perfect example of this is the recent interview between Joe Biden and Barbara West. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out on YouTube - better yet - don't waste your time.
In short, I am fed up with this election. Although I cast a ballot I find myself voting for the person I feel has the fewest negatives instead of the person with the most positives and that aggravates me. I know the issues, I believe I get what needs to happen in this country and I know that none of the candidates from any of the parties have any real answers - only pacification and pandering.
I officially retract my vote and replace it with answer "D". None of the above.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Can I Have Some Wealth Too?
...or do I not qualify? Obama revealed.
Read it in print here, or view it below.
WTF? Ever heard of Wealth Redistribution - that is the actual economic agenda of Obama and the Democratic Party.
Elect him and enjoy. I will be waiting with baited breath for my check too.
Read it in print here, or view it below.
WTF? Ever heard of Wealth Redistribution - that is the actual economic agenda of Obama and the Democratic Party.
Elect him and enjoy. I will be waiting with baited breath for my check too.
ACORN's Fraudulent Voter Registrations
IT JUST GETS WORSE: ACORN Registers Mickey Mouse. That's the headline on Drudge. Again, where's the Department of Justice on this? Have they somehow overlooked these stories?
The Excitement Builds
Shortly I am heading to Japan for a bit of rest and relaxation with my favorite person (she knows who she is) and the excitement we both have towards this trip is palatable.
Here is just a taste of some of the things we are doing while in Japan:
Feeding the Deer in Miyajima
The Great Buddha of Kamakura
Seeing Cirque du Soleil's ZED
Here is just a taste of some of the things we are doing while in Japan:
Feeding the Deer in Miyajima
The Great Buddha of Kamakura
Seeing Cirque du Soleil's ZED
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Take a Bite Out of Atlanta
From BudgetTravel.com
More than 70 restaurants will offer food samplings and wine tastings this weekend at Taste of Atlanta. The event will be held on the streets of Atlantic Station, a lively midtown district refashioned out of a former steel mill.
Your admission price (starting at $25) lets you try dishes from a list of restaurants that includes Rosa Mexicano, Sambuca, and The Capital Grille. The ticket price includes 10 Taste Coupons, which work sort of like tokens; restaurants will be selling tastes for a certain number of tickets. Additional coupons are sold in $5 and $10 increments.
Read the entire article here...
Your admission price (starting at $25) lets you try dishes from a list of restaurants that includes Rosa Mexicano, Sambuca, and The Capital Grille. The ticket price includes 10 Taste Coupons, which work sort of like tokens; restaurants will be selling tastes for a certain number of tickets. Additional coupons are sold in $5 and $10 increments.
Read the entire article here...
Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Twelve Atlantic Station, 361 17th St NW. Tickets are $25 per day in advance or $35 at the door; children under 12 are free. You can buy tickets online.
And I Thought McCain Was the Fiscal Conservative
I like reading about technology, aviation, poker, travel and politics. So a document I recently read front to back caught me a bit off guard since I generally align my values towards fiscal conservatism and social liberalism with fiscal issues taking precedent.
The document, published by the US Budget Watch titled Promises, Promises: A Fiscal Voter Guide to the 2008 Election, projects the deficit of the United States in 2013 based on today's baseline and the spending proposals put forth by John McCain and Barak Obama. Of course one would assume the projections would show McCain to be the fiscal conservative, but that doesn't bear out based upon how the calculations were carried out. Here is a summary.
Now this was a real surprise to me, but it did not take into account spending cuts since neither candidate will name specific programs they would cut - only ones they would increase.
Still this gave me pause and makes me wonder if we are even going down the right track as a nation? Will there ever be a candidate that gives it to us straight and is a true fiscal conservative?
One can only hope - and that when he or she does come forward it is not too late.
The document, published by the US Budget Watch titled Promises, Promises: A Fiscal Voter Guide to the 2008 Election, projects the deficit of the United States in 2013 based on today's baseline and the spending proposals put forth by John McCain and Barak Obama. Of course one would assume the projections would show McCain to be the fiscal conservative, but that doesn't bear out based upon how the calculations were carried out. Here is a summary.
Senator McCain | Senator Obama | |
Projected Baseline Deficit | -$147 billion | -$147 billion |
Tax Policy | -$417 billion to -$485 billion | -$360 billion |
Health Care Policy | -$54 billion to -$65 billion | -$65 billion |
Energy Policy | $0 | $0 |
Other Spending/Savings | +$291 billion to +$304 billion | +$139 billion |
Now this was a real surprise to me, but it did not take into account spending cuts since neither candidate will name specific programs they would cut - only ones they would increase.
Still this gave me pause and makes me wonder if we are even going down the right track as a nation? Will there ever be a candidate that gives it to us straight and is a true fiscal conservative?
One can only hope - and that when he or she does come forward it is not too late.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Real Bailout Story
Funny that SNL gets so close to the truth. Great satire of Barney Frank too!!
News Stories by Presidential Candidate
Is there really a bias to how Presidential Candidates are covered? Take a look at this widget and decide for yourself.
Americans Don't Undersand Taxation
Given the complexity of our tax code, the failure of our government to simplify the tax code or replace it with a system like the Fair Tax it isn't surprising that most tax payers don't know who pays the bulk of the taxes in the United States - confusion and sound bites are a politicians friend.
Check out this exert from a recent Wall Street Journal article citing research from the Tax Policy Center:
"As it happens, the top fifth of earners currently pay 67% of all federal taxes -- including not just income taxes, but payroll taxes, corporate taxes and death taxes. The top 1% of earners pay 26% of all federal taxes.
Check out this exert from a recent Wall Street Journal article citing research from the Tax Policy Center:
"As it happens, the top fifth of earners currently pay 67% of all federal taxes -- including not just income taxes, but payroll taxes, corporate taxes and death taxes. The top 1% of earners pay 26% of all federal taxes.
If the McCain proposal were passed, the top fifth would actually pay a greater share of total federal taxes and the top 1%'s share would decline by only 0.3%. In other words, high earners carry the vast majority of the federal tax burden and, despite what the media portrays as a shift from Scandinavian egalitarianism to Latin American inequity, would continue to do so under Mr. McCain's plan.
The fact that high earners pay the vast majority of all federal taxes will come as a surprise to most Americans, who believe the middle class bears the tax burden while the rich get off scot free. A 2007 Gallup poll found that 66% of Americans believe upper-income people pay too little federal income taxes. Media reports play into these beliefs by focusing on how the candidates' plans would change the tax code, not on what the tax code would look like after those changes took place."
I knew that the top 5th of earners in the United States paid the vast majority of federal taxes and that the top 1% of all income earners paid a large portion of federal taxes, but I did not know the numbers.
So much for the evil rich who aren't paying their fair share.
Political Debates Bore Me To Death
Last night was yet another presidential debate and it bored me to death. I found the entire thing boring. Here is how I rated it:
Moderator - Tom Brokaw: Boring.
Audience Questions: Boring and unimaginative.
McCain: Boring
Obama: Only slightly more boring than McCain by a narrow margin
Obama was only slightly more boring than McCain because he is leading in the polls and his job last night was to avoid mistakes. McCain, on the other hand, had to push harder to make some headway. I just don't see that he did it.
I came to the realization that politicians are not good debaters. Why you might ask? Because they spend the vast amount of their political lives trying not to tell people what they really think.
I think skipping the 3rd Presidential Debate and using that time to clean out my garage sounds like a great trade off.
Moderator - Tom Brokaw: Boring.
Audience Questions: Boring and unimaginative.
McCain: Boring
Obama: Only slightly more boring than McCain by a narrow margin
Obama was only slightly more boring than McCain because he is leading in the polls and his job last night was to avoid mistakes. McCain, on the other hand, had to push harder to make some headway. I just don't see that he did it.
I came to the realization that politicians are not good debaters. Why you might ask? Because they spend the vast amount of their political lives trying not to tell people what they really think.
I think skipping the 3rd Presidential Debate and using that time to clean out my garage sounds like a great trade off.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Obama Leads, McCain Stumbles, Biden goofs, & Palin Kept Limited
Obama leads in all the major polls nationally. Some large margins, some smaller, but, significant.
McCain still gained ground in key states. But, he hasn't moved much to take over, and can he at this point? If you can't hold Virginia and Colorado from the Democrats, you don't deserve to win Senator McCain.
Just as Al Gore lost not only because of Florida, but, because he did not hold West Virgina, and lost his home state, and Bill's home state - popular incumbents don't do that. He did.
Obama has not had to do much, most of this lead is due to the economic news and hysteria in the last two weeks. He just had to sit back, and enjoy the free ride on that. The 'other' party, whichever one it would be, has a major advantage on the issue. Fact. Totally fair as well. It's just an obvious conclusion, and it's very fair to give that advantage to the other party.
Obama is 75% of the way to the White House as of today. He has only not to mess up in the debates, and it's his.
The media adulation and assistance to his campaign doesn't hurt either. It's been over the top, but, so common now, why bother saying anything much.
McCain however has stumbled, he has let an easy issue get away from him.
He had only to say, hey, I told you this would happen, and play that soundbite of his predicting this from 2006, over & over on TV and radio. He didn't.
He had only to say the Congress should bite the bullet, and take the lead, and lead it himself.....an incentive package, a less gigantic bailout package with lots of paybacks required, and an energy bill tied to it, now.....
He has only to say, this is where bipartisan support matters, and I'm the master of doing that, not Senator Obama.
Instead, he blamed Chris Cox, what? He blamed greed and Wall Street. Ugh. You sound like a Democrat, people will vote for the Democrat, not the RHINO.
He blew it going on The View. He blew it going on with Letterman, why bother?
Hey, John, call, Rush, Laura, Sean, Larry, Michael Medved, Mike Reagan, and get the activist base ready to battle for you with a quick call into their shows, something he has done only a few times, and in short time frames. He avoids it.
Biden - what is with this guy? I will enjoy 4 years of his gaffes. They will be fun to see and hear. He's making Dan Quayle look like Einstein. Really, that's the Joe Biden I have grown to love and admire.....Keep it up. It's comical relief.
Palin - Fundraising and crowds and enthusiasm, yeah, she's doing it. Give her credit, she's pulling up her VP end on the ticket. But, McCain is holding her on a tight leash....not letting her do many interviews, or TV spots. Fearful she may goof up. So what? Let her talk John. We like her, we want to see & hear her. He's also afraid, I'm sad to say, she is more popular than he is. Crowds come to see her, not him. Fundraisers sell out for her, not him. TV likes to dissect her every word and move, not his (good and bad).
Senator, if you're going to lose, and it looks like you will (good fight though), you should let Pailn get out there on her own more....she can help that way more, than tied to you.
To the George Wills and David Brooks of the conservative side, they hate Palin, they wanted an older guy with experience in there....that would only have led to one thing: McCain down by 25 at this point. Romney or Ridge or Rudy or Thompson or Kyl would not have added much to the ticket. Certainly, no excitement or enthusiasm, and that's what McCain needed.
Not like she is going to say 57 states, ask a guy bound to a wheelchair to stand up or forget who was President in 1929 like Biden did.
From Samsung 101 at Tennis Forum.
McCain still gained ground in key states. But, he hasn't moved much to take over, and can he at this point? If you can't hold Virginia and Colorado from the Democrats, you don't deserve to win Senator McCain.
Just as Al Gore lost not only because of Florida, but, because he did not hold West Virgina, and lost his home state, and Bill's home state - popular incumbents don't do that. He did.
Obama has not had to do much, most of this lead is due to the economic news and hysteria in the last two weeks. He just had to sit back, and enjoy the free ride on that. The 'other' party, whichever one it would be, has a major advantage on the issue. Fact. Totally fair as well. It's just an obvious conclusion, and it's very fair to give that advantage to the other party.
Obama is 75% of the way to the White House as of today. He has only not to mess up in the debates, and it's his.
The media adulation and assistance to his campaign doesn't hurt either. It's been over the top, but, so common now, why bother saying anything much.
McCain however has stumbled, he has let an easy issue get away from him.
He had only to say, hey, I told you this would happen, and play that soundbite of his predicting this from 2006, over & over on TV and radio. He didn't.
He had only to say the Congress should bite the bullet, and take the lead, and lead it himself.....an incentive package, a less gigantic bailout package with lots of paybacks required, and an energy bill tied to it, now.....
He has only to say, this is where bipartisan support matters, and I'm the master of doing that, not Senator Obama.
Instead, he blamed Chris Cox, what? He blamed greed and Wall Street. Ugh. You sound like a Democrat, people will vote for the Democrat, not the RHINO.
He blew it going on The View. He blew it going on with Letterman, why bother?
Hey, John, call, Rush, Laura, Sean, Larry, Michael Medved, Mike Reagan, and get the activist base ready to battle for you with a quick call into their shows, something he has done only a few times, and in short time frames. He avoids it.
Biden - what is with this guy? I will enjoy 4 years of his gaffes. They will be fun to see and hear. He's making Dan Quayle look like Einstein. Really, that's the Joe Biden I have grown to love and admire.....Keep it up. It's comical relief.
Palin - Fundraising and crowds and enthusiasm, yeah, she's doing it. Give her credit, she's pulling up her VP end on the ticket. But, McCain is holding her on a tight leash....not letting her do many interviews, or TV spots. Fearful she may goof up. So what? Let her talk John. We like her, we want to see & hear her. He's also afraid, I'm sad to say, she is more popular than he is. Crowds come to see her, not him. Fundraisers sell out for her, not him. TV likes to dissect her every word and move, not his (good and bad).
Senator, if you're going to lose, and it looks like you will (good fight though), you should let Pailn get out there on her own more....she can help that way more, than tied to you.
To the George Wills and David Brooks of the conservative side, they hate Palin, they wanted an older guy with experience in there....that would only have led to one thing: McCain down by 25 at this point. Romney or Ridge or Rudy or Thompson or Kyl would not have added much to the ticket. Certainly, no excitement or enthusiasm, and that's what McCain needed.
Not like she is going to say 57 states, ask a guy bound to a wheelchair to stand up or forget who was President in 1929 like Biden did.
From Samsung 101 at Tennis Forum.
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