Unfiltered Opinion

My Opinion On This Past Political Season

I am so glad that this political campaign season is finally over. I can't speak for everyone else nor do I pretend to, but I have been very disappointed the events of the last 2 years.  The candidates (Obama, Clinton, McCain, Biden, Romney, etc.) consistently displayed the ability to lie to the American public.  For once, I would like a politician to say, "You know what - there is nothing the government can do about this problem."  I would vote for that candidate in a minute.  Unfortunately, that person would not have a chance to win because the majority of the citizens in this country are intellectually lazy. They only read snippets of questionable information and listen to 30 second sound bytes that play loose with the truth.  There are very few citizens who challenge the politicians and the mainstream media who print their words and actions.

Now that the presidential elections are over the lies and misleading statements can desist for a while. Maybe Obama will think of a way to be really honest with the American public about the "change" he will be able to implement.  On the other hand, McCain can be well - McCain again.  The man who really is a maverick and not afraid to take on the system.  He can be the man the conservative Republicans have never trusted or liked.  It's too bad that McCain was not allowed by the Republican establishment to run for President.

I only hope that the 2012 campaign is better.  Contrary to popular belief, the politicians do not determine the kind of campaign that is acceptable for that season.  It is the American public who decides.  The people of this country have always had the power to dictate and change the environment of this country.  They just don't do it.

Sports And Politics Will Never Mix

I am what the pundits call an independent voter, swing voter, undecided voter, or whatever the new term is for this election.  It's no secret that I think both of these candidates are guilty of lying to the public just to get elected.  When I think of John McCain, I think of a man who has served his country for a long time.  McCain sees the presidency as the crowning achievement of his political career.

When I think of Barack Obama, I think of an intelligent opportunist who knows when to run for President.  Obama reminds me of a guy I went to junior high school with.  He really wanted to be president of the Student Council, but he knew that there was no way he could garner enough support to win the election.  However, the perfect storm of events happened that allowed him to enter the election and win before any one realized what happened.  The next day when the principal read the election results over the intercom system, everyone was shocked that he won. 

I don't have anything against Obama and I respect his life journey as he tells it. However, I cannot help but to think of "The Omen" and its main character, Damien, when I see him and his supporters.  I'm not saying that he's the Anti-Christ, but the man has shown the ability to convince millions of people that he represents revolutionary "change" and can solve the country's economic and social woes.

Maybe he can. Fox and Major League Baseball have agreed to start Game 6 of the World Series a few minutes later to accommodate Obama's expensive infomercial.  That's good for Obama, but he better hopes the Series does not go to a Game 6 because there will be a lot of people who will take the delay in a negative way.  Trust me when I say that no politician wants to be seen as the one who made the game start at a later time so he could browbeat you one more time with the same tired message.

Can Obama Or McCain Solve This Crisis?

Today, a school district in Dallas, TX fired 375 teachers because the district is facing a $84 million dollar shortfall in their budget. This move has put teachers on the unemployment line in a horrible economy and it has tossed the educational welfare for the students by the wayside.

These are the kinds of financial problems that many cities in this country are facing on a daily basis.  Now I want someone to tell me what - if anything - can Barack Obama or John McCain do about this?  Neither one of them have a proposal in their economic bag of lies that will solve these types of problems.  For once, I would like a candidate tell the public the truth.  I want a candidate to say that there is nothing the federal government can do about this mess.  We did not cause it nor should we be expected to fix it.  However, we will try to help assess the situation and see what really happened. 

I would vote for the candidate that told the Dallas school district that they need to look at themselves in the mirror and figure out what happened.  I guarantee the district wasted money somewhere down the line.  They need to start at the top of the budget and work their way down.  Let's start with the salaries of the administrators and the expenditures for extracurricular activities. 

Laying off teachers should be the last move any district has to make.  I'm sure that's one thing that Obama and McCain can agree on. 

Tired Of It All

I will be so glad when this election is over.  I'm tired of Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Joe Biden.  I'm tired of all of the biased commentary regarding the candidates. It's sad when you know what Fox News, The New York Times, and MSNBC are going to say about certain issues and topics before they even report it. 

I know a lot of people have been inspired this past year by Obama.  Don't get me wrong - I respect Obama.  However, he does not inspire me. Obama and McCain have combined to be the most uninspiring candidates in a long time.  I look at the stage and I say to myself, "Is this all we have to choose from?"  McCain and Obama insult my intelligence when they expect me to believe their worn out rhetoric that has been borrowed from past campaigns.  Don't believe me - go back and look at the past presidential campaigns and tell me that you don't hear the same old stuff.  McCain and Obama are both lying to the American people; unfortunately, there are enough people that have bought into their deceitful song and dance acts. 

McCain is all over the place with his message.  He's just trying to see what sticks and gets him points with the public.  On the other hand, Obama is the teflon candidate.  I don't know what he's for because he refuses to be pinned down on anything.  I just know that he's made it clear that he's not President Bush.  Thank you Obama - like I couldn't see that before.

Who's going to try and lie to me in four years? 

Remind Me Again - Who's Running For President?

I know I'm not Karl Rove or Paul Begala, but I just don't understand the strategy of Barack Obama's campaign.  First of all, it makes no sense to me for them to continue attacking Sarah Palin.  They are playing right into the hands of the Republicans and their now energized base.  Obama needs to focus on McCain - that is who's running for President.  I did not realize how worried Democrats and their supporters were until I kept seeing and hearing their venom for Palin and what she stands for. 

As an independent voter, I don't agree with all of her positions on the issues. However, I'm not worried about her positions as much as I'm worried with the positions of Obama and John McCain.  Last time, I checked, it is the top of the ticket who sets the agenda in Washington - not the Vice-President. Obama has fallen into the gutter of politics that he swore he would not get into.  I understand what he's doing, but I thought he was a different kind of politician.  Now there is not that much of a difference between the campaigns.  They both have snide supporters and their ads on television are nothing but immature commercials with negative language and imagery that distorts the truth.

By the way, I consider myself one of the undecided voters who are going to actually decide this election.  I am tired of the antics of both campaigns.  I feel like Obama and his campaign are condescending to anyone who is not fully supporting their candidate.  They are walking a fine line with their holier than thou attitude towards others.  On the other hand, McCain is just acting like everyone is basically stupid.  He knows that there are serious problems in this country, but he basically does not have a genuine plan to solve any of these problems. 

Maybe that's the problem - there really are no quick solutions. However, the American public likes to believe that one of the candidates can get this country going again.  In my opinion, the majority of the public is naive to the point it is sickening.  Both party candidates say the same thing every four years and nothing ever changes.  History has shown that it takes real courage and leadership to effect real change. Unfortunately, neither of these candidates have shown that they what it takes to get the job done.

Obama's Stadium Acceptance Speech Is A Mistake

Barack Obama's campaign and the Democratic National Convention have decided that Obama will give his speechaccepting the Democratic nomination for president at Invesco Field instead of the Pepsi Center in Denver. Invesco is a football stadium that can hold over 75,000 whereas the Pepsi Center is an arena that can seat approximately 20,000. 

Even though I am an independent voter and not a die hard supporter of Obama's campaign, I understand and appreciate their efforts to give members of the general public a chance to attend this event.  It will be interesting to see how the DNC and Obama's campaign distribute tickets to the stadium.  Even though 75,000 people can attend events at Invesco, there is no way there will be 75,000 members of the general public in those seats. The tickets for Obama's speech are going to be hot like tickets for the Super Bowl.  Only the chosen few will not have to stand in line to get tickets and I would not want to be a part of that process.

Logistics aside - I think Obama is making a mistake by giving his speech in the stadium instead of the arena. I will admit that I am not one of the so-called network political experts who would like you to believethey are so savvy about the convention process. However, I do have an opinion as to what looks "right", "cheesy" or "over the top". 

Everybody knows that Obama is going to give a great speech that night. I'm worried that the DNC and Obama's campaign are going to put on a huge spectacle that is going to turn off and irritate a lot of people watching on television. If I were handling the conditions for Obama's acceptance speech, I would keep his stage and the surrounding area simple and patriotic. Let Obama's speech do all of the heavy work. Please keep the obligatory camera shots of the VIP's to a minimum. For example, it's almost a given that if the Clinton's are in attendance, the camera will zero in on their facial expressions every 3 minutes. The networks would be better off showing the "real" people in the crowd. 

One more thing, please do not overplay the "JFK - MLK - BHO" connection that is being forced upon the American public by some members of the media and the Democratic establishment. I know we will have to view montages of King and JFK giving speeches. However, I do not want to see any kind of production that would have images of the icons smiling over Obama as he and his family wave to the crowd.  It would kind of remind me of the celebration at the end of the Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedimovie when during the party Luke Skywalker looks over and sees the images of Yoda, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi smiling at him. That would be creepy if anything similar to that was included before or after the speech. 

When the speech is over, I'm sure there will some fireworks and music playing.  That's fine and expected. I just hope they do not go over the top with the celebration. Everyone needs to remember - it's just Obama accepting the Democratic nomination for President. It's not like Obama is announcing that everyone's student loan debt has been retired.  Don't laugh - if he can walk on water then he can erase student loan debt.

One Man's Advice On How Obama Can Get The "White" Vote

Jack White is a black male who is an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also writes columns for the The Root web site. His latest column was entitled, "Barack, Here's How To Get The White People".  White describes this column as a "unsolicited nine-point plan to Obama for winning over white voters and victory in the fall campaign".  White suggests that Obama should do the following nine things:

1. Remind us who you are.

2. Keep it simple and funny.

3. Go to church every Sunday.

4. Re-channel RFK.

5. Be nice to McCain.

6. Show off your team.

7. Avoid Washington insiders.

8. Talk tough to your supporters, including blacks liberals.

9. Go to the front lines.

The author, White, believes that the issue of race is going to play a major part in this campaign.  He also believes it is the reason that Obama is not out distancing McCain in the polls.  White writes, "If Obama were a generic white, male Democrat of similar eloquence, youthful grace and energy, he would be a guaranteed easy landslide victor over the standard bearer for a party as deeply unpopular as the Republicans have become."

Hello Mr. White - please come back to Earth.  Your aforementioned scenario already played out in the Democratic primaries - the candidates name was John Edwards and he lost. Obama beat Hillary Clinton because he picked the right message and her campaign did not know how to handle a biracial male in a primary campaign battle. Obama's campaign handlers sensed the Democratic primary voters wanted change.  Obama gave them change with his soaring rhetoric and his skin color.

I agree with White that race will play a role in the general election.  I just don't think it will play the decisive role that he and Obama's campaign wants the public to think it will play.  If Obama can't beat McCain this fall, it won't be because Obama is black.  It will be because Obama is too liberal for the majority of this country.  The majority of the people in the United States are not liberal or conservative; they are moderates who believe in governing from the middle.  This is why Obama and McCain are tripping over themselves to get back to the middle before the election takes place in November. 

After reading his nine point plan, it's obvious that White is an Obama supporter who has been blinded by Obama's message and refuses to look deeper into the policies being espoused by his campaign.  I am not critical of White for supporting Obama.  However, I do take issue with some of the statements made in his nine points. For example, Point No. 7 said to "avoid Washington insiders".  That's what Obama's campaign is made up of - Washington insiders.  There is nothing wrong with that - it is what it is.  A lot of Obama's advisors use to work in the Clinton administration - if that's not a "Washington insider", I don't know what is.

The rest of White's nine point plan is basically suggesting to Obama to use smoke and mirrors with the white voters in order to get elected.  Well, Obama is already doing that like a typical politician. Obama will say or do whatever it takes to get elected.  He's so bad that even Ralph Nader accused Obama of trying to "talk white". 

Contrary to what White and many Obama supporters believe, this election will not answer if America is ready to elect a minority president. However, I do believe this election will answer if America is ready to elect another liberal president who happens to be white and black.

Goodbye Jesse Helms And Good Riddance

Jesse Helms, the former Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina passed away today. This man was one of the most bigoted people ever elected to national office in my lifetime.  I know people are going to have their prepared statements calling him a fine statesman or a solid representative for North Carolina, but that's a bunch of hogwash. The truth needs to be said about this man - he was a racist.  That's the truth and everybody knows it - they may not want to say it publicly, but they know it's the truth.

I have never shed a tear when a member of the Ku Klux Klan or any other racist group died and I am not going to start crying now.  The world became a better place when he left Congress and the future is still looking bright now that he is going to hell.

Helms would have been happy if blacks had been kept in their place by segregation. If any person, especially a black one, were to say any thing positive about Helms, I would immediately consider that person to be suspect. If you want proof of this man's ignorance, please check out this site. 

The only thing I respected about Helms is that you always knew where he stood, unlike most of the politicians in office.  I knew every time I saw Helms on television, he wanted to use the first racial slur that came to his mind.  I would have paid anything to see Helms serve in the Senate with Barack Obama.  I could see Obama extending his hand in a collegial manner to Helms.  Without hesitation, Helms would look at Obama's hand and tell him that his hands were only good for picking cotton. 

That's the Helms I knew and that's the Helms that I am glad is gone.

Good Idea - But ...........

Barack Obama has promised to give students a $4000 tax credit in exchange for 100 hours of public service. Students will be able to use this credit to pay tuition and other fees. I think this is a great idea if it is implemented in a way that helps all students of all income levels. However, my life experience has shown me that this tax credit will not be available for a lot of students.

Obama and John McCain are making a lot of promises to the American people on what they will do if they are elected president. I just wonder where they are going to get the money to pay for all of these "great" ideas? For example, I know Obama likes to say that a lot of his programs will be paid for with the money that is now being used for the war in Iraq. That may be true - one day. However, people are naive if they think that the war is going to end and the troops are going to come home as soon as Obama becomes president. Obama may want to bring the troops home immediately, but the reality is that he is going to need the help of Congress. Obama also knows that whether he wants to or not, the U.S. is going to maintain a prescence in Iraq until the end of time. There is no way the U.S. is going to give up this strategic staging ground in the Middle East.

For once, I just wish there would be one presidential candidate that would be completely honest with the American public. Obama has come close to being that candidate. For example, he has consistently ridiculed the gas tax holiday idea for what it is - a gimmick. However, I need Obama or someone to tell me the truth all of the time.

Don't Forget The White Fathers

I was glad to see Barack Obama take black men to task who are not taking an active part in the lives of their children. This has been a problem for a long time that many people unfortunately accept as a fact of life. However, there are plenty of black fathers who do it the right way, but the media does not like to focus on those good men. The media would rather focus on the ignorant fools walking around with their pants half way down their ass who are committed to living a reckless life. Nevertheless, I believe Obama focused on black men because he was speaking at a predominantly black church. I would also like to see him repeat this message at some of the predominantly white churches. There are plenty of white men who decline to be fathers to their children.

I wonder if Obama would be comfortable lecturing a white audience about the importance of fatherhood? That's a message I bet his campaign team will not let him deliver in some parts of the country. The Secret Service can only do so much.