Labor Day

As we enjoy a beautiful Labor Day weekend up here in Iowa, let's be sure to keep the Gulf Coast in our thoughts and prayers.

This hurricane is devastating, and let's be sure to do all we can to help out those who need it the most. We came together earlier this summer to give ridiculous amounts of help to those in need in Iowa. Let's try and do the same for those who are in the path of Gustav.

Saturday Morning Musings

We'll talk some more about the Supreme Court in upcoming posts, but the big news today is:

Sarah Palin:


What should we think about such a unique choice? Here are a few of my thoughts

1. She has more executive experience than Obama and Biden combined. Period. Don't let anyone tell you differently. I'll be blunt, it's not a great deal of national experience, but keep in mind that Reagan, Carter, Clinton, and W. Bush were all PRESIDENT, with little national experience, but quality state governing experience.

The Democrats are going to make the argument that Barack Obama has lots of executive experience. After all, he's run a campaign for the past 18 months, making decisions, leading a staff of thousands, etc. So running a campaign means executive government experience?

No it does not, and don't let anyone tell you any differently. Gov. Palin has more executive experience than Barack Obama, and even if she didn't, Palin's not the one running for the chief executive of the United States of America. Senator Obama is.

2. I like that Gov. Palin is an outsider. Senator Obama likes to tell people that he's an outsider too, coming to Washington to change it. When it comes to being a Washington outsider, Senator, you're no Sarah Palin. In fact, with the exception of Hawaii, no one could be geographically MORE of an outsider than Gov. Palin.

3. She's a solid conservative. This is the kind of pick that helps shore up conservatives, but does not alienate moderate women.

4. She's just so likable.

5. I think that Democrats are secretly very concerned about this pick.

Overall, I give McCain's pick a B+.

The Supreme Court

Our nation’s highest court is ever important when discussing the Presidential race. The role of the President in selecting judges for these appointments on the court is crucial, especially in the coming years. Although the Supreme Court hasn’t really been mentioned by the media too much, people deep inside Republican and Democratic circles are thinking about it. A lot.

Going back to 1960, we can see the importance of nominations.

• JFK nominated 2 justices
• Lyndon Johnson nominated 2 justices
• Nixon, 4
• Ford, 1
• Reagan, 3
• HW Bush, 2
• Clinton, 2
• W Bush, 2

Only Jimmy Carter never nominated a justice to the Supreme Court.

Now, nothing is certain, especially when it comes to the Supreme Court. However, on average, a President has the opportunity to nominate two justices during his term in office. Lifetime justices. No campaigns. No elections. A Lifetime on our nation's highest court. Wow.

So, who do we want nominating these justices? These next few posts will revolve around the Supreme Court, as John McCain envisions it, and the Supreme Court, as Barack Obama envisions it. Let’s just say their visions are fundamentally different.

A Quick Note

This statistic means different things to different people, but Barack Obama keeps saying that John McCain votes with President Bush 90% of the time. It’s true (in 2007). If you’re a Democrat, that generally makes you dislike John McCain.

However, in his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention tonight, I would really like Senator Obama to tell his supporters that he has voted with President Bush more than 40% of the time. Many have probably been thinking that Obama has opposed the President on every one of his “wretched” policies and I really just want to see how the truth would go over at a stadium full of the President's opponents.

Saturday Morning Musings

After a small hiatus from 1007 Grand, we're back for the homestretch. This weekend was pretty big, with Senator Obama choosing longtime Delaware Senator Joe Biden.

And in perhaps one of the most clever advertisements in recent memory, here is the McCain campaign's response.



Should be an interesting couple of months.

Saturday Morning Musings

Cash on Hand. These three words are very sweet if you’re a presidential candidate. Cash on hand is exactly what is sounds like. It’s how much money you actually have RIGHT NOW.

Here’s the official COH stats for today, August 9^th, 2008.

$71.6 million – Barack Obama

$35.6 million – John McCain

While $35 million certainly isn’t bad, Senator Obama has more than twice the amount that Senator McCain.

And I know what much of the money is going to be used for. It’s going to be used to try to convince Americans that Barack Obama is

• Centrist
• Experienced
• Moderate
• Mainstream
• Prepared

During this coming week, we’ll be looking at ways that Senator Obama is none of the above, and why a President McCain would be more ideal than a President Obama.

Gridlock in the District of Columbia

Clearly, there is quite a bit of gridlock in Washington D.C. Clearly, someone needs to get things moving…someone needs to work with opposing political parties to work for the American people.

Who is that more likely to be?

Senator Obama? He often speaks of unity and working together, and it sounds nice. However, I look at his actions in the Senate before I look at his friendly speeches. Throughout the past 4 years, he has consistently been one of the most liberal senators. Generally, he is more liberal than Hillary Clinton. As such, it’s hard for me to believe that such a left-wing ideologue would be willing to work together with the opposing party. In fact, it’s more likely he will say, “My way, or the highway.”

Senator McCain? He’s been called a “maverick” by many in Washington, but is it true? Is he really willing to bring Democrats and Republicans together to compromise? Do Democrats even like him? These are all good questions. Recently, John Kerry, Howard Dean, and Hillary Clinton (among other prominent Democrats) have been heavily criticizing Senator McCain. With such criticisms, how could McCain possibly work together with Democrats?

Here’s what the same Democrats think of Senator McCain.

Apparently, the Democratic Party has a love-hate relationship with Senator McCain. When I juxtapose the clip with the past few weeks of McCriticism, I really don’t know how these folks feel about John McCain. After viewing the clip, it sounds as though they respect the Republican nominee…actually, it sounds as if they LIKE the Republican nominee.

So, back to the original question. Who would be more likely to get things moving, working together with all in Washington? Judging by these comments, the answer is John McCain. It seems as though the Senator from Arizona is the most likely to get the ball rolling in Washington D.C. in January of 2009.

One Final Thought:

I am aware that John McCain is not the most conservative member of the Senate. To some in the Republican Party, it’s an unfortunate truth. However, given the choice between McCain and Obama, I’ll choose McCain any day.

McCain is superior on the following issues:

• The Supreme Court
• Taxes
• Energy
• Size of government
• Foreign policy
• Free market economics
• Experience
• And many other issues

Because of these things, I’ll choose McCain any day of the week.

**Extra note. McCain is not perfect. Some of the compromises that he has made have been unfortunate. But, again, he is the best choice for President in 2008.

Gas Prices

They affect most us here in Dallas County. Many of us drive to work in Des Moines from where we live. Many of us need gas for our farm equipment and vehicles. Many of us have social lives that take us to family and friends that reside throughout our state. In any case, gas prices are, no doubt, a concern for those living in Iowa (and the U.S.).

So, the question that many are asking is this: Why hasn’t the government done anything about high gas prices?

First, the concept of gas prices being critically influenced by government is folly. Now, government can do little things here and there to create minor changes in the economy, such as the stimulus checks. However, unless a government is socialist/communist, there are few ways that government can seriously influence the free market and the national/global economy. However, the Democratic Party seems to believe that the government has the ability to effect massive changes in the American and even the global economy.

While that may not be the official party platform, the party certainly believes that there is only one person responsible for the economic downturn we are currently in: President Bush. The Democratic Party believes (and wants us to believe) that high gas prices, higher unemployment, and the weakening dollar are because of the actions or inaction of this one man. You see, they like to tie the President to the economy for two reasons.

• It fits into their narrative that George W. Bush is one of the worst Presidents because the economy was woeful during his Presidency…and therefore, Republicans shouldn’t control the White House in 2008.
• It fits into their narrative that Bill Clinton was one of the best Presidents because the economy was wonderful during his Presidency…and therefore, Democrats should control the White House in 2008.

Democrats love the idea that the government seemingly controls which way the economy goes, because it fits within their delightful political narrative of the past 15 years. Now, most economists would say that the President and the government can’t affect the economy THAT much. The boom of the 1990s was not the doing of Bill Clinton.

However, let’s go ahead and say that the government CAN affect MASSIVE change within our economy. Congress has been controlled by Democrats during the last 18 months. What have they done? Let’s look at gas prices as an example.

We reached a high of $3.15 in mid-May of 2007. The prices went down a shade, and then shot up about a dollar over the next year.

So we have two conclusions:

1. Either the Democrats in Congress have done a terrible job taking care of the economy for 2 years

OR

2. Government really can’t strongly influence a complex economy.

So which is it? Are the Democrats in Congress poor stewards of the economy, causing gas prices to go higher than ever? Or is the market economy so diverse that the United States government can’t really do that much, and the Democrats have been wrong to criticize the President for his “poor economic leadership.”

For me, I like to think that the former is true, but I know that the latter is the correct answer, but I’d sure like to hear that from a Democrat in Congress.

Pursestrings

In Fiscal Year 2004, the total budget for the government of the state of Iowa was $4.5 billion. In Fiscal Year 2008, that budget had grown to $5.7 billion. That's an increase of more than 26% in four years. Even allowing for inflation of 2% or so a year, the state is clearly on a big spending spree. How long can we afford that?

Saturday Morning Musings

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be hearing a lot from the left about how John McCain is a slave to big oil…how he voted time and time again to give billions in subsidies to oil companies. How very nice of them to point out the votes of John McCain. In fact, the Sierra Club made up a nice little video about it.

$4 billion? Wow! That’s a lot of money! Let’s check the votes of Barack Obama. Certainly he wouldn’t do anything like this. Or would he?

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00213

In 2005, Barack Obama voted yes to HR 6, giving $6 billion, (yes, $6 billion) in subsidies to Oil/Gas companies. In fact, check out what Public Citizen had to say about the bill. They say it’s a MASSIVE gift to oil/energy companies ever.

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_enviro_nuclear/electricity/energybill/2005/articles.cfm?ID=13980

By the way, Public Citizen is the super liberal group founded by perennial Green candidate Ralph Nader.

Whether you agree or not with the subsidies, consistency must be maintained. If the Sierra Club and other liberal conservationist organizations are going to criticize John McCain for his votes, they better criticize Barack Obama too. Let’s not give Senator Obama a(nother) free pass.

Oh, by the way, John McCain voted no on that bill that Senator Obama voted yes on. Perhaps the Sierra Club should create a cute little video criticizing Obama…but we know that won’t happen.

UPDATED -- UPDATED

Wow...that was quick. Sure enough, an Obama ad targeting McCain's vote for $4 billion to help oil companies. All I can think of while watching it is $6 billion...$6 billion...$6 billion. Thank you Senator Obama, for helping me prove my point.

George W. Bush and John McCain

The primary goal of the Democratic Party over the last 4 months has been to tie John McCain to President Bush. It seems like a good strategy, due to Bush’s less than stellar approval rating, and I would do the same if I were in their shoes. Of course, while there are some similarities between the two politicians, there are some big differences as well.

One of the most notable differences is in regards to fiscal responsibility.

When the Republican Revolution of 1994 came along, one of the big hopes of Republicans was to balance the budget and to reduce the federal deficit. In one of the rarer signs of bipartisanship, President Clinton signed the bills that Congressional Republicans created to balance the budget, thereby reducing the amount of debt we accumulated yearly.

However, when President Bush came into office, the fervor in Washington D.C. to keep a balanced budget faded away. With this fervor gone, the federal coffers (in essence) opened up even more, resulting in massive pork barrel projects. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress wanted to bring home the bacon (in the form of federally financed projects in their home states) and billions were spent. Unfortunately, President Bush did not veto these billion dollar pork bills.

This is where a major difference lies. John McCain is not George W. Bush. Senator McCain hates pork barrel spending and he has promised to veto any such bills. While President Bush missed an opportunity, John McCain will seize it. Check out his platform.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Issues/JobsforAmerica/reform.htm

So, in essence, President George W. Bush presided over a deficit that grew too big. President John McCain will preside over a deficit whose growth will be stunted.

There are a few major differences between McCain and Bush! Don’t let the Democratic Party tell you differently, as this campaign continues.

As the mantra of 1994 Republicans went, “Why should we pass along massive debt to our children and grandchildren?” I wish more politicians felt this way today. John McCain does.

Iraq, the Surge, and Obama

John McCain has pinned his entire campaign on the success in Iraq. Fortunately for Senator McCain (politically), there have been many improvements in Iraq in the last year, thanks mainly to the surge in troops authorized by the President. Since the surge began last year, Both Republicans and Democrats agree that there have been many improvements in Iraq.

So, what does Barack Obama think about the surge?

From the New York Times, after finally visiting Iraq:

Beforehand, Mr. Obama said he was “pleased with the progress taking place” in Iraq and said that it was his impression that among Iraqis there was “more optimism about what is
happening. You see the activity taking place, the people in the shops, the traffic on the streets, clearly there’s been an enormous improvement,” he said.

Wonderful! John McCain has been telling you for months, “Go to Iraq, see the progress, you’ll like what you see.” It’s outstanding that Barack Obama sees the steps forward that have been made in Iraq during the surge.

From ABC News

Question: If you had to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you support the surge?
Obama: "No…because, keep in mind that…” (cut off by host)

WHAT?

Senator Obama will claim that the surge is unsuccessful because political progress has not been made. However, if he had it his way, those nice things that he saw firsthand in Iraq would probably not be happening.

I believe that Barack Obama cannot say the surge is a success because it would score political points for John McCain, while simultaneously underscoring his anti-war rhetoric credentials with the left side of the spectrum. It sure sounds like politics as usual to me.

Come on, Senator Obama. The surge has been a good thing for Iraq. It’s okay to admit it.

Iowa - The Republican Candidates for Congress in 2008.

Since we’re on the subject of Congress, here’s a quick rundown of this years congressional elections in Iowa.

Behold: Iowa Congressional Districts

For the House of Representatives:
4^th district

Tom Latham is our most excellent representative here in Dallas County. He has always been a great friend to both rural and suburban voters in Dallas County.

1^st and 2^nd district

Two Democrats, Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack, came in Congress two years ago as a part of the new Democratic majority. They are among those Democrats who have been very unpopular with the American people for not getting a whole lot done while in the majority.

David Hartsuch and Mariannette Miller-Meeks will be the Republican challengers for these two seats. They both have difficult roads ahead of them because Braley and Loebsack’s incumbency, even in the most unpopular Congress EVER, is a very powerful weapon. Let’s do all we can to support them.

3^rd district

60^th/128^th street is where Dallas County ends and the 3^rd district begins. If you’re not a big street name fan, I’ll put in this way. Methodist West is in the 4^th district, while Mercy West is in the 3^rd district. The 3^rd district is where we have Republican Kim Schmett battling against Leonard Boswell, a member of the “Do Nothing” Democratic majority in the House. Many of us in eastern Dallas County probably have friends living in Polk County, i.e. 3^rd district. We want to be sure that Kim Schmett gets their vote.

5^th district

Steve King has always been a solid conservative voice in the House of Representatives. Let’s make sure it stays that way.

For the Senate

Christopher Reed, a navy veteran will be trying to unseat long time Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin. He has a long road ahead of him and he needs as much help as we can give him.

We should be working hard to ensure that the Democrats in Washington D.C. don’t get another two years to “do nothing.”

What the Democratic Congress does not want you to know

For quite some time, President George W. Bush has had a low approval rating. In recent polls, only 28-35% of Americans approve of the job that the President is doing. Because of this, Democrats throughout the country use the President against the Republican Party, saying that Bush is one of the most unpopular Presidents ever (which is true…the polls prove it).

Some Democrats have even stated that he is the worst President in the history of this nation, which of course is untrue because no one could approach James Buchanan or John Tyler in this category.

Because of the President’s unpopularity, the Democratic mantra of the last two years has been “Blame Bush.”

For example, you'll hear:

• It’s Bush’s fault that nothing is getting done to help the people of the United States.

• Bush does not know how to govern or lead.

• It’s Bush’s fault that Washington D.C. is not taking care of business.

These are things that you are likely to hear from Democrats in Congress, talking about how THEY are the ones that can get things done to help the American people. Put the Democrats in charge, and the higher gas prices and other issues will be history!

However, the Democrats have a dirty little secret. Since the 2006 elections, the Democrats HAVE been in charge of Congress. That’s right. For nearly 19 months, the Democrats have had the majority in the House, and the majority in the Senate. The Democrats came to power after the 2006 elections by promising to do a better job leading that the Republicans. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone very well for them. Just ask the average American.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/rasmussen/20080708/pl_rasmussen/ratecongress20080708

Throughout the left wing, you’ll always hear about Bush’s near record unpopularity. However, the reason that Democrats in Congress are hiding behind Bush’s unpopularity is because they are even MORE unpopular. However, this current Congress blows President Bush out of the water when it comes to unpopularity. Only 9% believe that Congress is doing a good job, which is a record, albeit an abysmal one. Around 30% generally believe the President is doing a good job.

It is the duty of the Congress to make laws that will make our lives better. I really haven’t seen that over the past two years. Again, the problem is rhetoric vs. reality. They promised, but they didn’t deliver.

So what do we do? Well, we here in Dallas County have an opportunity to make a difference. Vote Republican this November, to wrestle control of the Congress away from Democrats. They’ve had nearly two years to demonstrate to America that they can get things done. Judging by the article above, America has made its decision:

• It’s Bush’s the Democratic Congress’s fault that nothing is getting done to help the people of the United States.

• Bush The Democratic Congress does not know how to govern or lead.

• It’s Bush’s the Democratic Congress’s fault that Washington D.C. is not taking care of business.

The Middle East trip of Barack Obama

So, here’s the quick background on the big Obama trip to the Middle East.

1. John McCain makes several trips to the Middle East.
2. Barack Obama is criticized for not visiting the Middle East for almost three years.
3. John McCain invites Obama to visit the Middle East with him
4. Obama refuses the invite, and then sets up a trip on his own, which McCain praises.
5. Because it is Senator Obama’s first real* trip to the Middle East, the press fawns over him and his trip.

Now, it’s hard to blame the press. Had Obama been to the Middle East many times to scope out what would define his potential presidential foreign policy, it probably would not be news. However, because this was Obama’s first real trip to the made to the Middle East, he had the benefit of CBS, NBC, and ABC’s major anchors traveling with him.

Imagine! Your own personal media entourage!

The left side of political spectrum will constantly pout about the media and its bias. But at this point, I think it’s clear where the bias is. When a Presidential candidate takes an important trip abroad, and it gets the sheer amount of attention that Senator Obama is receiving now, there can be no question about where media bias lies.

A running joke on Saturday Night Live has been the media’s huge crush on Obama. Now we see how far it has come. Now we have the most prominent members of news organizations (Katie Couric, Brian Williams, and Charles Gibson) who actually insist on vacationing** to Europe and Asia with Barack.

Clearly the media’s love for Obama has become a whole lot more than just a crush.

*By real, I mean a trip where he, as a presidential candidate, would get a real look as to what struggles the United States faces, and what successes the United States has achieved.

**Of course it’s not a vacation. Actually, I’m very pleased that Senator Obama has chosen to heed the advice of Senator McCain. Any information he receives while over there can only help him gain much needed experience. I do wish him Godspeed on his trip.

Saturday Morning Musings

Just a quick note: Senator Obama has a new campaign plane, a Boeing 757. Here it is:

Actually, that was the original plane, before it was repainted to look like this.

Now, he didn’t get rid of all American flags on the plane. As you can see, he did keep the one above the window. It’s not quite as big as the one he painted over, but its still effort.

Now let me be clear about this. I don’t believe that you need to wear an American flag pin to show patriotism. If Obama wants to replace Old Glory with his own campaign logo on his plane, it’s fine with me. It’s his aircraft, he can do what he wants.

Mostly, I’m curious WHY he chose to do this. From his Democratic opponents in the primary to his Republican opponents now, Senator Obama has been criticized for not being patriotic enough, not caring about the American flag, etc. I simply find it odd that he would choose to do something that will actually increase the likelihood that he’ll be criticized for being unpatriotic. A unique move for the Senator, but hey…it’s got him this far.

A Short Political History of Barack Obama

Less than five years ago, no one outside of Chicago, Illinois knew who Barack Obama was. Obama was a state senator. However, considering how far he has come, we know that a series of events have occurred which allowed State Senator Obama to rise to U.S. Senator, and eventually the Democratic nominee for President in 2008.

Five short years. Such an amazingly stratospheric rise in politics hasn’t been seen since Teddy Roosevelt. So, the million dollar question is, “How did he do this?”

Let’s go back to the 2004 Illinois Senate race. His major opponent in the Democratic Primary was Blair Hull, a well known Democrat, who had loads of money, and a large lead in the polls just weeks before the primary. For all intents and purposes, Blair Hull was going to be the nominee. What happened to him?

In the weeks leading up to the primary, supporters of Barack Obama discovered that Hull probably had some skeletons in his closet, in the form of private, sealed divorce records. These records had been sealed for some time, but Obama supporters (among others) worked tirelessly to convince the powers that be to unseal them. In the end, the private records became public, against the wishes of Hull. Sure enough, allegations of Hull abusing his wife emerged. Hull dropped in the polls, and he would eventually lose to Barack Obama in the primary.

With the Democratic nomination in his grasp, Barack Obama turned to his general opponent, the popular Jack Ryan. At this time, Jack Ryan had higher favorability ratings that Obama. However, in a fortunate twist for Obama, a private controversy was swirling around Jack Ryan and his divorce records.

Therefore, supporters of Barack Obama felt that Jack Ryan probably had skeletons in his closet, in the form of private, sealed divorce records. These records had been sealed for some time, but Obama supporters worked tirelessly to convince the judge to unseal them. Jack Ryan attempted to intervene, chanting that “these are PRIVATE records.” However, in the end, the private records became public, exposing Ryan’s poor behavior. Once the decision to release the records had been made, Barack Obama naturally made a statement that he opposed the releasing of these private records. The statement made no difference, because his supporters had already worked to have the records released.

Once released, Jack Ryan was forced to drop out of the race, allowing Barack Obama to soar to election, becoming the junior senator from the great state of Illinois. Thus, the rise of Obama to national politics was complete. So what has been learned?

First, Jack Ryan and Blair Hull are despicable. Nothing excuses them for their rotten behavior. However, do they not have the privilege of privacy?

As for Obama, I think it’s important to see how he rose to prominence in America. Now, I believe that these tactics that his supporters used were pretty unfortunate, but I’m not going to heavily criticize the moves themselves, simply because it’s politics. Politics is a nasty business, and things like this are always going to occur.

What REALLY bothers me is the hypocrisy. For years, Barack Obama has been preaching several ideas:

“A new kind of politics.”
“No personal attacks.”
“Post-Partisan politics.”

Barack Obama holds himself to a higher standard, which sounds great. The ideas that he espouses sound great, and when you hear him talk about rising above the political fray, you say to yourself, “Yeah…I like that. Political attacks really need to go away. He’s so hopeful and enthusiastic.”

However, when you hold yourself to a higher standard, as Senator Obama has done, the public must hold you to a higher standard also. As such, his feet should be held to the fire. In fact, the entire reason that he is known nationally is because of shady tactics in the IL-Senate race four years ago. If his supporters had not pushed for the release of not one, but TWO sets of private records, he would not have become a United States Senator, in all likelihood.

I highlight this in particular because is demonstrates that Barack Obama does NOT transcend politics, as he wishes you to believe. He is NOT beyond political nastiness. Simply stated, Barack Obama is a politician, and let us never forget that. He may preach hope, but I personally hope we don’t believe that he is “beyond the pettiness of politics.” In fact, the pettiness of politics is a major reason the entire world knows his name.

Who is Barack Obama?

Undoubtedly, when we think of Barack Obama we think of several things:
1. Change
2. Positive thinking and positive words
3. Youthful enthusiasm and idealism

There is no doubt that Senator Obama has made change the central theme of his entire campaign. And why wouldn’t he? The most recent poll by the Associated Press states that 75% of those polled say that America is headed in the wrong direction. There’s no doubt that a majority of Americans want change. After all, America is fatigued by an economy that isn’t exceptional, an Iraq war which many oppose, and rising gas and food prices.

But the question the most important issue this election season is not just general change. Rather, it is the KIND of change that will occur. Either way, both McCain and Obama will alter the course of the ship of state come January 2009. However, which candidate will lead us into more treacherous waters? To answer that, we ask a very important question: Who exactly is Barack Obama?

First - the common misconceptions. This blog is not about slander, lies, or outrageous statements. As such, Barack Obama is not a Muslim, he is not a terrorist, he is not un-American. Senator Obama is an American citizen just like you and me, and he certainly does not hate this country. However, we will take a hard look at some of his policies, stances, opinions, and speeches to get a better idea as to who this one-term senator from our neighboring state is.

Therefore, let’s get a few facts straight on Barack Obama.

1. Senator Obama is relatively new to national politics, but he is very intelligent.
2. Obama was a professor of constitutional law before he became a state senator in Illinois. He has never served in any branch of the United States military.
3. He was an underdog in two major Illinois elections, and came out on top in both, after his two opponents (Blair Hull and Jack Ryan) were forced to drop out due to scandals in their private lives. (More about these two elections will come later)
4. Due to these victories, he joined the United States Senate in 2005.
5. After two years in the Senate, he put into motion plans to run for President in 2008, eventually defeating Hilary Clinton for the Democratic Nomination.
6. Obama has earned praise from many for his good speeches, powerful words, enthusiastic approach to politics, idealistic policies, and his belief that Washington D.C. can and will be changed under his administration. His entire platform’s foundation is “Change.”

These things have defined Barack Obama, and the senator has emerged as the standard torch bearer for the Democratic Party. But when it comes to Barack Obama, what kind of change does he want? What are his beliefs? What does he advocate, and how will his future policies affect the lives of those living in Dallas County, the state of Iowa, the United States, and the entire world?

The goal of this blog is to demonstrate that while Obama is intelligent, enthusiastic, and excellent at public speaking, he simply does not have enough experience or the right policies to serve as President of the United States. Obama claims to be progressive, or forward moving. Unfortunately, America does need to move forward, but in the right direction.

As this blog expands, we will be looking at the policies of Obama that simply do not align with the needs and wishes of the citizens of Dallas County.

Who is John McCain?

Over the course of the campaign, Dallas County residents will be wondering which candidate to choose come November. Certainly both McCain and Obama have advantages and disadvantages in this race. Today, we will be discussing John McCain’s advantages. Over the next few months, the Democratic Party will attempt to define who John McCain is, and who John McCain is not. Let’s get a few facts straight about John McCain.

1. Sen. McCain is a well decorated veteran of the Vietnam War
2. McCain was shot down during his 23rd mission over Vietnam, suffering several broken limbs. He was captured and bayoneted by the North Vietnamese
3. Being the son of a high ranking US military official, he was offered early release, which he refused, because he felt that others should be released before him, and he felt solidarity with his POW companions.
4. For more than five years, he was beaten and tortured in a prison camp in North Vietnam.
5. After his release, he would go on to become a United States Senator for more than 20 years.
6. During his score in the U.S. Senate, he would independently speak his mind and work with many senators from both parties, earning him the respect of most, if not all members of the United States Senate.

Now there will be people, such as Obama supporter Gen. Wesley Clark, who will criticize McCain.

"Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president." (6/29/2008)

Regardless of whether Clark’s statement is true or not, Barack Obama chose not to serve in the military whatsoever. It’s simply unfortunate that an ardent supporter of Barack Obama would imply that Obama’s military experience would equal that of John McCain’s experience in regards to qualifications of Commander-in-Chief.

We here in Dallas County, Iowa appreciate military service. In fact, we honor it. If you’re still not convinced of John McCain’s service, take a few moments to surf www.johnmccain.com/service/intro.htm and find out what his military career was like, particularly his time in the Hanoi Hilton. After this visit, I hope you’ll realize that this man his served the United States with honor throughout his life. At the very least, his experiences in the military give him insight into military affairs that others simply do not have.

The upcoming months

With the election coming up in less than four months, the people of Iowa will be preparing for a media campaign of epic proportions. As Iowa has generally been considered a swing state, we will be subject to an absurd amount of advertisements on the internet, radio, and television. By the time Election Day rolls around in November, most residents of Dallas County will probably be ready for the election to be over. However, despite the anger that many of us will feel towards anything political come November, we must head to the polls nonetheless. The stakes are too high to remain at home.

The purpose of this blog during the upcoming months is to share insights on this election, particularly regarding the strengths of Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain, and the drawbacks of Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama. We have a very important election ahead of us, and while Barack Obama preaches a very happy message, it is John McCain who has the experience, knowledge, and respectability to be the 44th President of the United States.

This blog is not meant to be mean-spirited or denigrating. Unlike many blogs, you will not hear swearing or hateful speech. Rather, it is meant to be pointed criticism of the policies put forth by the Democratic Party and their presidential candidate Barack Obama. It is meant to encourage the voters of Dallas County to vote Republican in November.