John Kerry says one thing then allegedly changed his position and he was a flip flopper. John McCain does the something similar but worse and he's a Maverick. Ergo Maverick=Flip flopper.
1. Bush Tax Cuts
2. Religious Intolerance
3. Campaign Finance (a bill which has his name: McCain-Feingold)
4. Immigration (a bill which has his name: McCain-Something else)
5. Torture
I'm sure there are more but those are the only ones that occur to me right now.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Military Vote
After the last 8 years it still seems, surprisingly, that the military vote is swinging Republican. You would think after Iraq, Afghanistan, Walter Reed, and the healthcare scandals the military would be looking for a change in leadership.The main argument seems to be that, "Bill Clinton cut the military in the '90s which is why we are short people today." But when I try to tell them the guy with the brilliant idea of drawing down the military was a SECDEF named Rumsfeld under his 1st tenure in the 80's I get nowhere.
It is engrained in the military mythology that the democrats cut the military in the 90's when we didnt need a large military and they are going to do it again. No mention of 2xSECDEF Rumsfelds smaller leaner force. Or his compadre Cheney's involvement either.The other issue seems to be this meme within the military that Republicans are better for National Security and the military. For instance, arguing with one of my cohorts the other day after John McCain announced his VP pick. He didn't even know that McCain had said he would keep us here (in Iraq) for "100, how about 1,000 years." After I told him that and someone else verified it for him his whole mood changed. Like I had just told him there was, indeed, no such thing as Santa Claus.
You used to find a disparity in the miiltary where the officers tend to be more conservative and the enlisted tend to be more liberal. This paradigm no longer pertains. Now there is no telling who is for what. You will find that the more time a person has spent deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, or the more that deployment has affected their life via injuries physical or mental that they tend to lean more Democrat in this election. I think it has more to do with the change agent than is has to do with party affiliation.
I dont think the false memes will ever be destroyed completely but I do feel that Obama and Biden could make significant headway in the military vote if they just keep forcing the message that they believe in a strong national defense. If they reiterate the plan to continue with increasing the size of the military and doubling the size of Special Operations Forces. I think a good show of faith would be considering keeping SECDEF Gates in place unless he wants to resign.
Obama's plan and regard for the military just hasn't penetrated. The historical memes put in place. It is something that will have to be reiterated over and over again. And visiting a large post like Fort Hood and holding a town hall meeting would go a long way. Especially since half of the post, like me, is deployed right now.
It still surprises me how often people are convinced to vote against their own best interests.
It is engrained in the military mythology that the democrats cut the military in the 90's when we didnt need a large military and they are going to do it again. No mention of 2xSECDEF Rumsfelds smaller leaner force. Or his compadre Cheney's involvement either.The other issue seems to be this meme within the military that Republicans are better for National Security and the military. For instance, arguing with one of my cohorts the other day after John McCain announced his VP pick. He didn't even know that McCain had said he would keep us here (in Iraq) for "100, how about 1,000 years." After I told him that and someone else verified it for him his whole mood changed. Like I had just told him there was, indeed, no such thing as Santa Claus.
You used to find a disparity in the miiltary where the officers tend to be more conservative and the enlisted tend to be more liberal. This paradigm no longer pertains. Now there is no telling who is for what. You will find that the more time a person has spent deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, or the more that deployment has affected their life via injuries physical or mental that they tend to lean more Democrat in this election. I think it has more to do with the change agent than is has to do with party affiliation.
I dont think the false memes will ever be destroyed completely but I do feel that Obama and Biden could make significant headway in the military vote if they just keep forcing the message that they believe in a strong national defense. If they reiterate the plan to continue with increasing the size of the military and doubling the size of Special Operations Forces. I think a good show of faith would be considering keeping SECDEF Gates in place unless he wants to resign.
Obama's plan and regard for the military just hasn't penetrated. The historical memes put in place. It is something that will have to be reiterated over and over again. And visiting a large post like Fort Hood and holding a town hall meeting would go a long way. Especially since half of the post, like me, is deployed right now.
It still surprises me how often people are convinced to vote against their own best interests.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The 4th Amendment Has left the building
Amendment IV
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
You might notice that. It's the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. You know one of those 27 pesky additions to our governing document to ensure the rights of the people against the powers of the government.
Police executed a search warrant on an RNC protest group and now won't tell them why they did it or what probable cause they had to get the warrant to execute the search. All in the name of national security. And national security is important so we can be free right? Right? Oh wait there's the knock of jackboot thugs at my door. I've got to go.
Funny, didn't hear about any illegally execute searches at the DNC in Denver.
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
You might notice that. It's the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. You know one of those 27 pesky additions to our governing document to ensure the rights of the people against the powers of the government.
Police executed a search warrant on an RNC protest group and now won't tell them why they did it or what probable cause they had to get the warrant to execute the search. All in the name of national security. And national security is important so we can be free right? Right? Oh wait there's the knock of jackboot thugs at my door. I've got to go.
Funny, didn't hear about any illegally execute searches at the DNC in Denver.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Holy Hell
Joe Biden is going to eat whomever the Republicans choose as VP for lunch and finish McCain off for dinner.
He embodies the common sense progressive policies and the intelligent anger over the past 8 years.
He embodies the common sense progressive policies and the intelligent anger over the past 8 years.
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