I am fed up with the nonsense about Barack Obama’s character.

The incessant question, “Who is Barack Obama?” The over use of his middle name and inferences to terrorists and the “unknown”, pathetic attempts to manipulate xenophobia and racial fears in the less educated. These are dangerous and irresponsible tactics which are failing to help John McCain, while putting Obama in harm’s way. The accusations brought against Obama by the McCain camp seem to be some strange new form of political projection. Not only are these outrageous accusations ridiculous and offensive, they are more accurately applicable to Senator McCain and Governor Palin.

Is their official campaign strategy to accuse Obama of anything they could LEGITIMATELY be accused of themselves?

“Obama is inexperienced” has Palin written all over it.

“Obama pals around with terrorists” Oh…look, Palin again. See above (Anti-American Alaskan secessionists)

“Obama wants to raise taxes” despite the repeated attempts to explain that 95% of American households and small businesses WILL NOT SEE A TAX RAISE but rather TAX CUTS under Obama’s economic plan!!!

John Sidney McCain is still using this as a talking point because he has NOTHING except lies and racial fear to use in a sad attempt to scare people into voting for him. Nobody really supports McCain. Most of his supporters support the Anti-Women, Anti-intellectual, Anti-reality Palin or are simply anti-Obama voters. An anti-vote may go in his pocket but it is not a vote of confidence in McCain’s ability to run the country or popularity.

The irony is that McCain’s own economic plan would not give relief to the majority of people and even the parts that resemble relief (tax cuts, etc.) for the majority of people are not well-defined or well explained. Funny, the only part that is laid out in a clear and concise manner is his tax-relief plans for the uber-rich, professional stock traders and corporate fat-cats shuffling money off-shore to avoid paying taxes. Furthermore, the minute cuts he proposes for the Joe population all have loopholes which will end up costing “Joe” even more (i.e. education with no funding, promised support for special needs children, veterans, elderly, etc. which are all contradicted by his “spending freeze”, $2500 for each family for health care rebates but then taxing employer provided health care, in essence discouraging employers from providing health care in the first place and despite the average family cost of $1200 for health care a year.)

BOTTOM LINE ON TAXES: McCain’s tax cuts will help the obnoxiously wealthy and I am not referring to Joe Sixpack, Joe the Plumber, Joe Blow, Sloppy Joes or Joe vs. the Volcano or any Joe that has a small business. Obama’s tax cuts will POSITIVELY effect the economy by putting money in American’s pockets… if we have money, we’ll spend it… and 95 (NINETY FIVE) 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 (do you get it yet?) 95% of people in our country will benefit. What part of this is so difficult? Just because McCain says something, doesn’t make it true. It actually, statistically, probably makes it untrue. Read for yourself his plan, read it thoroughly. Read them both.

Under Mr. Obama’s plan, the middle of the middle class, or those earning $37,595 to $66,354, would see taxes cut by $1,042 a year. Under Mr. McCain’s plan, taxes for people in that category would also fall, but by $319; the largest chunk of the benefits would go to those making $2.8 million a year or more.
Larry Rohter, Will the Real Tax-and-Spender Please ‘Fess Up, NY Times, Jun. 13, 2008.

McCain’s strategy has always been see what is working for Barack, steal it… change it only slightly, repeat Barack’s stance on it verbatim and claim it as his own under the mighty (and flimsy) shield of Maverick-ism. This is ridiculous. It is clear to see McCain does not have the best interest of any Joe at heart. And don’t even get me started on his policies for Jane.

BOTTOM LINE ON PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND DANGEROUS PALS: This, too, seems to be more a Palin thing than a Obama thing. He was 8 when this Ayers fellow engaged in horrific acts. I don’t think they were “palling” around. But who exactly is Palin’ around with anti-governmental Alaskan secessionists who believe that violence is acceptable to win the “war” they are waging against the U.S.? Shouldn’t you be more concerned with this woman and her shady ties or at least as equally concerned?

Who is Barack Obama? There is so much information out about him. Information-filled biographies; his website where he states clearly his stance on every issue and it has been consistent ALL ALONG. Stop being ridiculous. If you have doubts about who Obama is, um… then you either you are a closet racist or you are simply lazy. The information is a google search away or at your local book store. The same cannot be said about Mrs. Palin who avoids interviews, questions, etc and dodges answering anything directly even when she is cornered (i.e. the VP debate). She is a trained monkey keeping secrets while giving lip service to campaign words like “maverick” “change” “transparency”.

You cannot reasonably question whether you know Barack enough but believe you truly know Sarah Palin. We have had ten times the exposure into Barack’s life as we have into Palin’s. SO when you ask “Who is Barack Obama?” are you really asking because you can’t find out what you want to know? Or are you asking because it is your polite mavericky way of saying, ‘but he’s blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccck’.

For all of you questioning who is Barack Obama but not who are Sarah Palin and John McCain (because I am quite certain you didn’t know much about him before this and maybe the last Presidential campaign and I would even venture to say you still don’t), I encourage you to look up the following:

Troopergate.

The Keating 5 Scandal.

John McCain’s original 2008 Presidential Platform concerns. Note: His now adamant concern with the energy crisis is an extremely recent stance for McCain. It was just a few short months ago that he was making fun of Obama for his focus on energy reform.

All of the candidate’s voting records on a UNBIASED source. Pay particular attention to McCain’s voting record with regards to veterans, oil companies, deregulation, financial institutions and tax cuts.

And please use some common sense, think. Money must go into the pot before going out of the pot. If John McCain allows the multi-billion dollar corporations to skate past the post… well, there will be less money in it to spend, even for his conflicting promises to support veterans (not supported in his record) and special needs children. It is a sneaky way of spending folks and he has it down to an art.

So, ask if you must but then also ask, “Who is John McCain?” and “Who is Sarah Palin?” and why did he pick her anyways?

The only policy change McCain has demonstrated during this election is his willingness to forego his own honesty, transparency and straight talk policies. Change is not John McCain’s strong suit (please see the following footnote for some examples reinforcing this statement)¹. Does anyone, besides me, remember that this was NOT even his campaign slogan before the Republican National Convention? That he basically stole Obama’s campaign slogan?

McCain voted with Bush policies over 90% of the time.² So, why should we believe he will do anything differently if he is elected? We already know he lies.

McCain mocked Obama for wanting change, until the polls indicated Obama was ahead. In response, he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. And together they jumped off the Straight Talk Express and hijacked the change bandwagon. Desperate for a few extra voters, he chose an inexperienced, unknown Palin to get some attention. Did he really think picking a woman would somehow shock or enamor people enough to believe he really wants change despite his own voting record and words indicating otherwise? Did he really think he could sway Hillary supporters simply because Palin was a woman? Did he assume we were vagina voters?

Picking a conservative woman who emphatically supports Bush’s policies (albeit, clearly not understanding them)³ does not make you the best candidate for Presidency. Nor does it demonstrate a preference for real change. Choosing Palin simply demonstrated McCain’s hasty and poor decision-making skills. It is a shining example of the same old political shenanigans, saying and doing anything to get into office. How is that change?

Palin, like McCain, consistently supports Bush’s policies when questioned. They are not promoting real change, not the change we actually need in this country. They are doing nothing more than giving lip service to change. They will say whatever will help them win. And they are counting on all of us to ignore our common sense, while swallowing this cocktail of mis-information and half-truths fed to us by them through the media. Their records speak for themselves in contradicting the change they have so recently begun advocating. Another blogger has done an excellent job laying out specific examples for us, check it out.

1. http://www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/000994.htm
2. http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/is_it_true_john_mccain_voted_with.html
3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/11/palins-abc-interview-stum_n_125818.html

This is such a slap in the face to anyone who wanted Hillary to break through the glass ceiling. Her support did not come from just being born a woman. That was a side note, an added bonus if you will, to people who do wish women had equal rights and equal opportunities. However, I digress, despite my urges to explain in detail how important equality is today (and always), I will get back on topic. Hillary has experience and cares about this country. She has made positive, real change in our country’s policies, especially with regards to health care for children. Now, I am not saying Palin has not done anything positive, I do not know what she has done, yet. What I am saying is as a feminist, I am cringing. And as a political citizen, I am retching.

The fact that very little is known about her works in the McCain camp’s favor but against logical reasoning. She is wet behind the ears politically speaking, what if something happens to McCain? Is she really ready to become president? The irony almost goes without saying, almost. McCain has attacked Obama for months now on his “inexperience” while stealing his ideas only a few days later and now he chooses someone with even less experience? This defies logic, unless the logic is to gain political attention and perhaps the attention of some fringe voters completely fixated on getting any woman into the White House at any cost.

This is what I have read about Sarah Heath Palin so far… she is anti-choice (aka Pro-Life)², supports teaching creationism in schools³, a lifetime member of the NRA, a former beauty pageant contestant (see picture) ⁴⁵, pro death-penalty⁶, supports the 2nd Amendment (right to keep and bear arms), opposes privatizing social security (even funded a relief bonus check to senior citizens for extra aid), “strongly opposes” shifting our reliance to alternative fuel sources⁷. I need to do some more research but I find it particularly interesting her husband, Todd Palin, works for BP — the oil company and there is controversy over this and some legislation she tried to push through which would affect BP to the tune of multi-millions⁸. She agreed with Obama’s energy plan in as much as the gas line she wants to lay across her own her state to get cheaper gas to the U.S., she wants to open ANWR⁹, this being a long-term debate between capitalists and environmentalists over the effects. She doesn’t even believe humans have an effect on global warming and wants to remove the endangered species protection on the polar bear.¹⁰

I recommend you research her. I will continue to do so as well and then we can comment further. In so much as I have learned today I know she lacks in experience having only been a State Governor for 2 years and having served previously as a mayor of a small town (population less than 6,000).¹¹ This hardly gives her the experience necessary to be Vice President.

While I do not know enough about Mrs. Palin to know if she is someone I would like personally, I do know enough about her to know I wouldn’t vote for her, especially not simply because she is a woman. And make no mistake about it, I am an ardent feminist. I am also a fan of Hillary Clinton. She was my candidate. She lost. I moved on. I support Barack, he has won me over completely. I agree with the policies he supports. Senator Obama and Senator Biden are the clear choice of any reasonable, rational person. If you have been paying attention at all, you must recognize this, unless of course your annual income is over 5 million.

Sarah “Barracuda” Palin does not have a long list of accomplishments nor the experience Hillary Clinton brought to the table. Nor does she have the national political experience that Biden clearly has. She is not prepared for this job. Sadly, she is the token female being used by the McCain camp to win over the imaginary disgruntled, dejected Hillary cast-aways. I think anyone who would have voted for Hillary, who would now swing towards McCain to spite Obama or because this vain gesture of picking a woman even McCain barely knows, doesn’t really know why Hillary was a good candidate, or for that matter, what is really important politically. I suggest they stop whatever they are doing politically and educate themselves, make an informed decision based on the real issues rather than relying on the news or superficial, irrelevant reasons for picking the people who will run our country.

1. Johnson, Kaylene 2008. “Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down”. Epicenter Press.
2. http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Sarah_Palin_Abortion.htm
3. Kizzia, Tom October 27, 2006. “‘Creation science’ enters the race”, Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
4. http://www.televisioninternet.com/news/pictures/sarah-palin-beauty-queen-1.jpg
5. , against same-sex marriage ((http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Sarah_Palin_Abortion.htm
6. http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Sarah_Palin_Crime.htm
7. http://www.ontheissues.org/Governor/Sarah_Palin_Energy_+_Oil.htm
8. Ross, Mike (August 21, 2007). “Mr. Palin goes back to Prudhoe”, KTUU-TV. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_National_Wildlife_Refuge
10. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/29/124640/036/945/578739
11. http://wasilla.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm