Uh...Um...

I can't speak for everyone here, but I can remember growing up and being told not to use the word 'um.' Not like it was a bad word, just that it made a sound that evokes an absence of thought. By saying 'uh' or 'um' you were decreasing the value of your words. I used to agree with this theory. It sounds silly coming out of my mouth. Mostly because I don't have a simple 'uh' or 'um.' I tend to say, "ummmmmmmmm uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Basically I sound like an idiot.

Never before has someone made the words 'uh' and 'um' sound so smart as when Barack Obama does it. It's actually strangely refreshing to hear those forbidden public speaking words. I have grown so used to the idiotic chuckle of Bush that I forgot what it was like when someone important speaks. W literally turned my brain into a bowl of broccoli and cheese soup. But hearing Obama use the words 'uh' and 'um' brings tears to my eyes. To think that there is actually someone out there who doesn't have every thing planned out is incredible. Someone who actually thinks about the words that are going to come out of his mouth. Listening to him answer questions is real. He takes his time to think about it and answers them with careful insight. As opposed to Bush who would make a joke about something that could possibly be slightly related and then move off topic.

Also, with less than 55 days to go, this election is getting real. I can't wait for the debates and I especially can't wait for the VP debate. Actually any debate. McCain is considerably outmatched when it comes to being able to answer questions and provide a real answer other than quoting some stump speech and Palin is gonna do about as well against Biden as I would. It's going to be interesting.



Is it just me or was he almost Michael Douglas a la The American President here. I feel like Obama has almost covered all of these areas in the last week or so. He's said about McCain recently, "It's not that he doesn't care, it's that he doesn't get it." "Let's talk about the issues." "Say what you want about me..." It's like the Obama camp called in Aaron Sorkin to write a few things down for them but Sorkin just told them to watch his movie...



Anyways, I'm out. Go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

66 Days and Counting...

With the election just 66 days away, the last 24 hours have kind of been ridiculous. First of all if you missed Obama's speech last night, you honestly missed one of the best political speeches I have seen in my lifetime. My cousin, a staunch Republican, was even impressed. It was the highest rated convention in television history. My favorite fact about last night was that more people watched it that the American Idol finale. That might sound like that should be how the world works, but when you look at the numbers, and the number of people who seem apathetic or disinterested in the world, it's huge. It was really something to see, and on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, he grasped the notion of it without making it seem like he was trying to cash in on the inspiration of it.



click on the video and follow links to see all of the parts to the speech

Then today McCain made the out-of-nowhere choice for Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. It was, I suppose, generous of him to not announce it last night, but really, what is he thinking? It's kind of an insane choice if you ask me. I understand he wants to grab those possible Hillary votes, and also the conservative Republican vote, but it's bad for a few reason. First off, if he thinks he can get Hillary votes just because they are women, I hope he's wrong. I hope that people voting for Hillary were doing so for policy reasons and not because she was a woman, and on that Palin and Clinton couldn't be more different. It should hopefully backfire right in his face. Obama picked Biden in what I think was a smart move. He strengthened his 'weaknesses' but still added something to his campaign that it might have been lacking. Palin has as much foreign policy experience as me. Literally. She has as much national policy experience as me. Literally. Aside from being Gov. of Alaska for less than 2 years she has done nothing. She was on some school board or something before she became mayor of Wasilla. I have been to Alaska and I have been to Wasilla. There is nothing there at all. So little that we didn't even get out of the train, the tour guide told us that everything we see is the whole city. The only reason it has any notoriety is because it is the official starting point for the Ididarod. The big dog sled race. It's famous for having nothing there except for this. The city's name is derived from, "All I Saw," in reference to the dog race. All I Saw backwards is Wasilla. Truth.

Anyways, another reason it's awful is because of who she is. A terrible super right wing conservative. I know lots of republicans and some of my best friends are registered GOP lovers. But there's a difference between your average Republican and right wing Evangelical Christian Republicans. They are terrible. They are the people who send their gay children to christian rehab centers to cure them of their gayness. These are people who believe that they are the saviors of the world and their word is gospel. Aside from her anti-abortion, anti-gay rights, anti-renewable energy, she is also pro-guns, pro-drilling in ANWR, pro-oil and pro-Bush. If McCain added her to add some diversity and 'change' to his campaign, he failed. She is essentially an old white Strom Thurmond, only she's young and attractive.

Anyways, go big.

-M, p, z & shredder

Speech

In case you missed Barack's speech last night, it's definitely worth a watch...



-M