I endorsed Hillary Clinton for President and endorse her still. I had hoped she could serve her 8 years and a then-seasoned Obama could follow with his 8. (The candidites ages make it impossible to reverse the order.) I fully understand African Americans’ unwillingness to wait.
I will vote for the Democratic candidate in November. My questions have been asked and answered. One of the answers involves the breaking down of a -ism. I’ll be voting for a woman or a black man. None of the answers involve more war. None of the answers involve favoring the rich over the poor (the company over the person).
I’ve read enough nit-picking criticisms of Barack Obama. Many of these are by people who would never have voted for him in the first place: folks who think presidents should be old and white and male. What these people are trying to do is to get others to question a Democratic candidate by asking silly questions.
How about some real questions:
1. Do we want 4 or 8 more years of war?
2. Do we like the way the economy is going? (Not all Bush’s fault, but . . . .)
3. Do we need alternate fuel sources, cars with better gas mileage (not smaller cars)? Do we want to destroy Alsaka?
4. Are we so racist that we won’t vote for a black man because we don’t understand black preaching? Are we so racist we don’t even care?
5. Is it possible to be pro-Israel and pro-Arab? Is it possible to love Christians and Muslims and Jews and the others?
6. Do we like being a nation that is hated by others?
Hate-mongers need not reply to this post.
EDIT: Is breaking down an -ism an important issue for you? Do you care if a woman and a black man are elected as president? What about a homosexual? Oooooooooooo!!!
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May 22, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Mike Lovell
1. I would hope that noone actually wants war, nevermind the length of time. In our current conflicts, I’d rather see our original commitments towards Afghanistan over Iraq, although the Iraqi situation is rather complicated given the way we went in.
2. The economy- whew thats loaded. I personally blame all sides on this issue as none seem to care about cutting spending (which is required to lower deficits and debts) or taxes (which stimulates the economy-forget this new rebate idea)
3. Yes we need new energy alternatives. Smart ones, versus this whole ethanol issue which takes more energy to make than it produces, while raising food prices. As to Alaska, I’m not against severely limited development up there, but not entirely against the idea altogether given our new technologies to make production cleaner and less invasive.
4. I couldn’t care less about the preacher, even though some things he said are so off the wall and spread ignorance, in relation to the candidate. I prefer to take him on his stated issues. Race nor gender play no part in my decisions.
5. I would say previous relations that have had us friendly toward Saudi Arabia AND Israel for decades prove this to be possible. I believe it is possible to love people of all sects and cultures. I think the anti-Arab sentiment is far too reaching amongst those that are ignorant. For those who choose to blow me up, and/or support it happening…I have difficulty loving them, but the rest…I’ll take them to lunch any day.
6. I think that obviously we need better foreign policy, and at the same time I think the road goes both ways. Something else to think about…with one lone superpower (us), to have a great deal of people loathe us as a country is inevitable. When it was the U.S. vs the U.S.S.R., most loathed the soviets because they were the more evil of the two, and we were the only hope of holding them at bay from spreading their oppression. If we were to fall from power within the world, the next to rise would soon be the loathed one.
May 22, 2008 at 4:56 pm
helenl
Thanks for your thoughts, Mike. We all need to know why we vote for the person we vote for. These are sample questions. Other questions are just as good.
What I really abhor is taking a comment a candidate makes (usually out of context) and spewing ignorance about the candidate based on the snippet.
May 22, 2008 at 5:19 pm
earthpal
Well said Helen.
Did you see this little chat on Hardball? Sheesh!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d1wSZBTAXRs&feature=related
May 22, 2008 at 5:32 pm
helenl
Hi EarthPal, I watched just enough to get the tone.
May 22, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Mike Lovell
Wow, talk about an idiot who can’t answer a question for anything!!! Even I, at all of 29 years of age, knew the answer to the main question Kevin James wouldn’t/couldn’t answer!
May 22, 2008 at 6:46 pm
helenl
“Hate-mongers need not reply to this post” means DON”T CALL PEOPLE IDIOTS!!! I don’t even know who Kevin James is. He doesn’t come to my blog.
May 22, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Mike Lovell
Kevin James is teh guy screaming and yelling about a whole lot of nothing. The reason I called him an idiot is because he only serves to make the rest of us conservatives look like total talking point dolts who can’t think intelligently enough to answer anything other than self serving questions.
May 22, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Mike Lovell
oh, but I do apologize…..sorry!
May 22, 2008 at 9:37 pm
helenl
Okay Mike. You get a pass this time.
May 23, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Jay Burns
Helen, I have heard you say that you would dismantle the military. What do you suppose would happen if we did. Would all other countries sit around the camp fire with us smoking pot while singing the folk tunes of cat stevens.
As for the isms. Are you serious? You think a man being black, or a woman, or an Indian, or a red head is enough of a reason to vote a person into the office of president of the United States. I don’t think a president needs to be an old white man. In fact if you even take that into account I don’t think you have any business at the polls.
May 23, 2008 at 1:24 pm
helenl
Why would I think people in other countries would “sit around the camp fire with us smoking pot while singing the folk tunes of cat stevens”?
And, Jay, you don’t get to decide who goes to the polls.
May 23, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Jay Burns
Yeah. I’m aware I don’t get to decide who goes to the polls. Here’s what I’m trying to get across. I can respect your decision to vote for Obama, Hillary, whoever if we disagree on some issue. Voting on the basis of race is ludicris.
As for the camp fire comment, I just don’t understand what you think is going to happen. Will the people trying to kill us stop because we ask them politely?
May 23, 2008 at 1:42 pm
helenl
Jay, I’m not voting solely on the basis of race (or gender): I’m voting for a Democrat. The fact that a vote for a Democrat (this year) will be a vote to break down an -ism is an bonus. I’d have gladly voted for John Edwards (my first choice) or Al Gore (old, white, male, even getting fat), who didn’t actually “invent the internet” but does know something of global warming. I like the Democratic platform; I like the fact that Democrats care about the poor; that’s why I vote Democrat. I’m not a socialist (and neither are most Democrats) but we’re willing to listen, if it means people will eat. Satisfied?
We don’t ask people not to kill us, politely or otherwise; we start practicing non-violence. Non-violence may be physically weak, but it morally strong. People must be trained in non-violence, perhaps more rigorously than for the military (violence) forces. Right will overcome wrong in the long run. Will some die before we establish peace? Sure. But some will die if we keep on preferring war.
May 23, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Jay Burns
I can respect why you vote the way you do. I’m talking about people who vote soley on race. Or have race very high on the priority list. Helen, you and I disagree on many things but I always respect your thoughts.
How many are you willing to sacrafice for your new policy of non-violence. We are hated for our economy and our religion. Unless those things change the hatred will continue. I would venture a guess that far more would die in the first year alone than have in both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan plus on 9-11. Just my estimates though, maybe I’m wrong.
May 23, 2008 at 4:45 pm
helenl
Jay, how many more must die in war (violence)? It’s the same question. Who knows.
We (Americans) are hated because of our arrogance, because we think we can teach the world how to live, because we think we teach but do not need to learn. Same reason racism exists. White people think they know how blacks should live. We think we teach but do not need to learn. We (Americans) think “values” means: Do it my way.
May 23, 2008 at 9:32 pm
renaissanceguy
Answers to the questions:
1. I actually opposed the invasion of Iraq before it happened. Now I can see that some good has come from it. I’m not sure it was the right thing to do, but I’m glad that Saddam Hussein is out of power and I’m glad that we have not been attacked on our soil again. I hope that it can end soon–but only if it can end in a way that is good for both Iraqis and for America.
2. I thought the economy was going very well until the most recent gas hikes and the housing mortgage crisis, both of which I blame on our socialized economy.
3. Do we want alternative fuels. Yes, but only if they are really better than oil in every way. And only if they are developed by private industry, which would happen sooner in a more liberalized economy. Same with fuel-efficient cars. No, I don’t want to destroy Alaska. I want to drill in one small, remote part of Alaska.
4. I’m not a racist. I very much like black men like Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, and Alan Keyes and black women like Kay Coles James, Star Parker, and Condoleeza Rice. Any of them would make a great President. If black preaching includes “God d–n America,” then no, I don’t understand it, and I cannot agree with it. (I suppose that you do. If so, shame on you for cursing this great country where you get to have a blog and express yourself on it freely!!!)
5. Yes, I think people can be pro-Israel and pro-Arab. The way that I feel that can be done is by letting Israel have their tiny piece of land (that they were granted by the U. N. and that they expanded after they were attacked) and letting the Arabs have the vast and petroleum-rich lands they already occupy. I do love Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others. I just want all of them to love me back (or at least refrain from killing me).
6. The question is not how we feel about being hated, but why we are hated. As long as we support a free, democratic homeland for Jewish people in Palestine, we will be hated. As long as we put our ingenuity and muscle into productivity that leads to financial prosperity, we will be hated. As long as we fight for freedom around the world, we will be hated. Remember, Helen, the Nazis hated us. Too bad.
3.
May 24, 2008 at 11:34 am
helenl
Thanks, RG. I’m going to take a break from this one or a bit. Great movie review on your blog.