Post Election - Can We Truly Be 'United' States?

Image courtesy Senator Obama Press Kit.
The election is over and Senator Barack Hussein Obama has been declared the 44th President of the United States. His term will begin in January of 2009 and run for four years.

There are strong emotions on this day after the election on both sides of the political fence. What happens from here on out is not just up to our leaders, but to 'we, the people', as well.

One friend who was strongly pulling for Senator McCain very graciously posted a statement to the effect that as people who love this country, we should now pray for President-Elect Obama and his family, and show our support to our president. That we should not behave as some have toward President Bush, but we should honor the office of President and treat our leader with the respect he deserves as our leader, regardless of our differences in philosophy or values.

A writer for whom I have tremendous respect wrote a beautiful article calling for unity and expressing some of the same sentiments: "A Call for Unity - Bridging the Political Divide for a Stronger America".

In a day and age of disrespect and ignorance, can we live up to the call for 'Change' that was such a huge part of our new President's campaign?

Compare the Candidates

Image via Wikipedia Informed voters are smart voters. There are ways to get to the truth about the candidates, the issues, and where each stands in this election. Below are factual and non-partisan resources for discovering the truth behind the hype.

In one section, I did add links to an evaluation project a newspaper is working on of senators and their voting track record. The Washington Post is doing the evaluation as part of a “U.S. Congress Votes Database” project. All congressional votes since 1991 are listed. The site updates vote information several times daily.

The project is ongoing, and will continue to expand. The information provided in the project is all matter of public record and may be accessed free through various government websites. The Washington Post is simply compiling it in one place and in a highly user-friendly manner. Listed below are links to the sections for Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama. To look up information regarding other members of congress, please see the home page for the project.

What do the candidates claim are their stands on various issues?
Barack Obama

John McCain

What is their voting track record?

John McCain
Washington Post: “John McCain has voted with the majority of his Republican colleagues 88.3% of the time” in the 110th Congress. John McCain has missed 63.8% of the votes in the 110th session of congress.

Barack Obama
Washington Post: “Barack Obama has voted with his Democratic colleagues 96% of the time” in the 110th Congress. Barack Obama has missed 45.5% of the votes in the 110th session of congress.

NOTE: Because the claim has been made, I felt it appropriate to include a link to further info regarding the matter:
State Legislature – New York Times, Dec 20, 2007 (This is in reference to his voting ‘present’ 130 times rather than ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ on issues)

Side by Side Non-Partisan Comparisons:

ProCon.Org

Beyond the Media and Debate Accusations:
Who Tells the Truth, Who Lies, and Who Flip Flops on Issues?
Non-partisan evaluation of fact vs statements from the candidates and others

Bill and Resolution Sponsorship in 110th session of congress (Info via THOMAS – US Library of Congress)
McCain: 38

Obama: 129

Financial Disclosures – 2007

Barack Obama (PDF file)

John McCain (PDF file)

What I have learned through my own checking of the facts, is that both candidates have lied (or been given inaccurate information to relay in their speeches and interviews), both sides of the campaign have lied and been involved in ‘spinning’ the truth/facts, both candidates have strong points, and both candidates have flaws.

I don’t know how much more there really is for me to write about regarding facts about the office, the election, the parties, etc. If you want me to cover something else, please let me know – and if I think of something else I will add it.

Otherwise, this session of Dani’s Discover with Me: Government 101 session has now concluded.

Who Can Say One Positive True Thing About Senator John McCain?

Image via Wikipedia In a forum of which I am a member, a challenge was issued: Who could say one positive true thing about Senator John McCain? Though several attempts were made, the issuer of the challenge shot them all down until one forum member shared the following:

Senator John McCain Heroically Grants a Dying Mother Her Final Wish

As stated in the article, it is not about politics, but it does say something very powerful about the man behind the office and the campaign.

Want further true insight into the men behind the campaigns? Check out this interesting article by Nancy Benac, By Their Offices Ye Shall Know Them.

There are many things to consider before electing a president. Getting to see the man behind the campaign is one way to ascertain his character. There are other ways to get to the truth behind all the hype.

Truth and Pants on Fire Detector. Want to know how much truth or fallacy is behind the claims made in email, in speeches, and in ads? Check out the non-partisan truth detector at PolitiFact.com. A new feature is the "Flip O-Meter" that reveals true flip flopping by the candidates.

Want to know the actual voting record of the candidates? Such things are a matter of public record and accessible through the government's U.S. Senate website.

Susan Saradon - Unwitting McCain Supporter

Susan Sarandon's threat to leave the country if Senator John McCain becomes our next president has the potential to sign, seal, and deliver his win. McCain supporters everywhere thank her for her unwitting support to their cause.

Most average citizens are sick to death of the Hollywood elite spouting off about things they nothing about, and whining about not getting their own self-involved way.

Ms Sarandon is not concerned with what the regular folks in this country want - for if the majority elects Senator McCain, then clearly the majority want him in office. Ms Sarandon is only concerned with getting what she wants and if she doesn't get what she wants she will display her childish tantrum by moving to Italy or Canada.

Goodbye. Sayanora. Farewell. Bon Voyage. Adieu. Ciao. Antio sas. Aloha. Selamat jalan. Au revoir. Arrivederci. Itte irasshai. Nwenda kiambote. Tikala malamu.

I support free speech, and I support the rights the citizens of this country have to not only publicly disagree with the government, but to freely leave this country for any reason they choose.

Contrary to what the mouthy Ms. Behar says, Ms Sarandon and Mr Robbins do NOT fit the definition of "Patriot". The official definition of a "Patriot" is one who loves, supports, and defends their country.

I would add, that a patriot is also one, who in their love of country, finds positive and respectful ways to make changes when the leadership shows it is comprised of less than perfect people, or when flaws appear in the system.

So, fare-thee-well to Susan Sarandon and, I am assuming, Tim Robbins. I wonder if we can give their space here to two immigrants who would be thrilled to live here?

For the record, she is not the first celebrity to make such a claim, but she would be among the very very few who have moved elsewhere if she followed through.

Source:

Goodbye in 450 Languages. http://www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/goodbye.htm

Military Service Makes McCain Unfit for the Office of President of the United States?

There are reports that Democratic Senator Harkin has stated that Sen. McCain’s military service makes him unfit to serve as the country’s president.

I vehemently and most adamantly disagree. Since the President of the United States is also the Commander-in-Chief for the military and must make decisions that affect our military, I think it is a benefit to understand how the military truly functions, and what serving your country during a time of war means.

Our country’s defense and foreign aid through military support systems must be run by those who understand it best. Those who have never been in the military do not understand the intricacies involved, or what goes on in war situations. How can they possibly tackle such an important aspect of running our country when they have no background with our military, and perhaps even have protested against it? Common sense dictates that it would be those who would be unfit to run the country due to their skewed perspective.

I personally think it should be a requirement that anyone running for president should have some military experience as well as other life, diplomacy, and business experience in order to make the best decisions possible for our country.

Too often too much power is given over to advisers who may have their own agendas or may put their own spin on things. If our president has a solid background in the areas that truly count, he will be less likely to be steered wrong, and more likely to spot inconsistencies and agendas in the Intel he is given.

I come from a proud family history of military service. In my youth, I did consider joining, but at that time women were not allowed to be fighter pilots (which is what I wanted to do), and a high school injury cast doubts upon my being able to pass the physical with both the Navy and the Air Force. However, I have worked as a civilian on two different military bases, and have dated many military men. I understand there is a difference between military personnel and civilians, as well as how the military operates versus how civilian enterprises operate. In this day and age, we need a leader who understands those things, too. Only such a person can see how to have the best of both worlds in order to produce the best possible outcomes for us, and for the others in the world who need or ask for our help.


Video created by Littlebrat672

Finding Truth on the Campaign Trail: Which Statements are True and Which are False?

With the latest reports coming out about candidates lying about various issues, its difficult to know what is just political bashing with no basis, and what is verifiable fact.

A few examples may be found in this short video clip from FoxNews with a contributing reporter/researcher to Politifact.Com:



For more information about fact and fiction from and about the candidates, check out Politifact.Com from the St. Petersburg Times/CQ.