Satire

I think that this is political humor because they are exaggerating the fact that Sarah Palin might not be the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to debating. I think this cartoon is saying that they want to postpone the debate until after the election so that she doesn't have to give it (i.e. embarrassing John McCain, as well as the whole Republican party).

Who would I vote for based on enviornment?

After hearing both speeches today, I would have to say that I would vote McCain based on his environment and energy policies. I agree with the idea of offshore drilling. If we drill offshore, more jobs will open up because we need people to drill oil, and gas prices will go down because we are depending less on foreign countries for our oil. Also, I am for the idea of McCain's zero emission challenge, which will reward everyone who buys a zero emission car. Encouraging people to help the economy by offering money is probably one of the best things a potential president can do (I don't think anyone will buy a zero emission car for an ice cream cone, do you?).
It is not that I completely disagree with Obama's opinions about how to help the environment. I just think that between McCain and Obama's policies, McCain's policies appeal most to me (as stated above).

Test Results

After taking the political test, and seeing the results, I have to say that I was a little surprised by my results, but not completely taken aback. The test showed that I was a liberal, which I think I tend to lean more towards of the two main parties, anyway. For example, I agree that the government should give back to the people, and that it's the government's job to help the poor get off of their feet, and not help the upper class as much. Also, I am a firm believer that you will have more success in this country if you try your hardest to get ahead. I believe that the harder you work, the more rewards will come. However, I do not believe in supporting illegal immigration, nor am I a fan of low taxes. I think that taxes should be raised so that the government will have money to spend on creating schools, thus giving everyone a better education for the future.
Overall, I can agree with what the poll test gave me, but I would have been surprised if the test gave me a conservative response, either.

What matters to me in the election of 2008

One important aspect about this election that has not been discussed as much as the economy, war in iraq, etc., is the issue surrounding illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration is especially important to me because I will eventually be applying for various jobs in order to support myself within the next decade. Who knows, within the next decade, illegal immigration could spread to jobs such as education and business. If I can't get a job, I will be in some serious economic trouble.
I am curious to hear Obama and McCain's stance on immigration, and what they are going to do about it (if they want to do anything at all). I know that Liberal's tend to favor immigration, and Republicans tend to hate immigration, but I am more concerned about how they are going to deal with the illegal immigration, because immigration will always be an issue. You can't stop immigration alltogether. Instead, you need to figure out how to work with it, and I am curious as to how Obama and McCain will work with it, if they want to work with it at all.

McCain's RNC Speech

After listening to McCain's speech, I was a little on the fence about most of the points he was making. For example, I am not so sure about the whole cutting taxes thing anymore. Obama, in his speech, said he was all for it. McCain, in his speech, also said he was for it, but criticized Obama by saying he wants to raise taxes, which will take away saving money from the people. To put it lightly, I disagree. I think we should raise taxes. By doing this, the government will be able to spend more money on creating jobs, which will eventually lead to more Americans having saving money.

I also disagreed with McCain on his view about the war in Iraq. He wants to continue pouring troops into Iraq, while Obama wants to get everyone out. I think that we should be in the middle of both views. While people are going into Iraq, there are still people coming out of Iraq. It isn't like the first 10,000 troops to go out there are still out there waiting to come home. If we keep (roughly) the same amount of troops overseas, America should be in pretty good shape defense wise.
I did agree with his little rant about Russia, however. I think that McCain is right in saying that we should not keep a blind eye towards potential threats, and that we need to be prepared for war no matter what. I am not saying that we should invade immediately, I am just saying that I would rather have us prepared for war, rather than being caught off guard if another attack occurrs.

McCain's personal stories seemed to get in the way of the bulk of his speech. Sure, some personal stories about his 96 year old mother are amazing, but I don't think that they should be thrown into his political campaign. I think that campaigns should be based solely on how each candidate wants to lead the country; that's it.

Overall, I did like hearing McCain's views on how he wants to run the country.

Barack Obama's DNC Speech

After listening to Obama's speech, I was a little bit surprised that I was agreeing with most of the things that he was saying. Obama's main point was that America is in turmoil because people are losing their jobs, having trouble paying their bills, as well as having difficulty with giving their children a good education. He said he was going to fix these things by cutting middle class taxes, and eliminating programs that do not work effectively anymore, which should help create new jobs. I agree with his reasoning, but I think that it is easier said than done. By cutting middle class taxes (which takes up most of America's population), the government will have less money to create those new jobs.

I also agreed with what Obama had to say about the war in Iraq, but only to a certain extent. Yes, the war has gone on for longer than everyone had expected, but the middle east will never be considered non threat to America anymore. I think that if we pull out ASAP, that they will turn around and attack us again, thus leading us back to 9/11. The other thing to think about is: since 9/11, have we had another terrorist attack? I think I am just a little concerned about what will happen if a different person with a different perspective about the War will lead us to in the future.

One thing that I disagreed with Obama's speech was his statement that "in a few weeks the Republicans will ask you to reward their past eight years with another four." I think that Obama is getting a little caught up in the "category" situation. Everyone has different ideas, and just because Bush hasn't been the most successful president to date, it doesn't mean that McCain will do any worse just because he is a Republican. Now, I realize that this does go both ways, and I am not saying that only the Democratic party does this. I just think that putting everyone into a category is what sways votes.

Overall, I found Obama's speech interesting, and I am intrigued as to McCain has to say in response to Obama's speech.

Slick Willy's DNC Speech

After listening to Bill Clinton's speech about Obama's dedication to making a better America, I was not surprised by what I heard at all. I figured that Bill Clinton would support Obama's campaign because of their mutual desire to change what is wrong with America today. Clinton mentioned that since the Republicans got control of The White House and Congress simultaneously, that health care, as well as availability of jobs have decreased dramatically. He then went on to say that because of Obama's past personal experiences, that he was ready to take on the role of president and change everything (according to Clinton). I can see where Clinton is coming from, but at the same time I think that his argument was a little one sided. All Clinton talked about was what the Republicans have done wrong, but not what the Republicans have done right. Clinton should have mentioned how he thinks the Republicans have succeeded in the past eight years, and if Obama was willing to keep the same policies going. I think that because of this, Clinton is a little wrapped up in categorizing Democrats/Republicans. For example, if he were to agree with some of the Republican views, he might cause Obama to lose votes because he is admitting that Republicans are right in some areas of their campaigns.
I am not saying that Clinton's speech was utter garbage. I did agree with him that the new president does need to do something about the rising poverty, but I think that he should have touched on what was going right in the country, as well.