Thanks for ruining my world!

Perhaps you have noticed the lack of participation in this blog on the part of my political counterpart and myself. Chris and I still talk about politics on a regular basis and take a lot of time to study the issues. The issue for us seems to be that we compromise way too easily, because the more we study and discuss the facts the less politically polarized we become. I still value my conservative principals and Chris relentlessly expresses the need for change in the liberal direction. The issue in blogging comes when we see members of our party stand up and say things that are so polarized and containing no fact that we can’t maintain our personal moral standing and take sides with the political extremist.

Our political system gets more extreme day-by-day and our politicians are at fault. I would like to take an unpopular conservative stand, and say that global warming could indeed be a serious problem for the world in coming days. My religion tells me to treat this world with respect and leave it better than I found it, with a prayer that my children will do the same. My political party tells me that preserving our world is an economic gamble that we should not be willing to take. I feel stuck in the middle of these opposing views. I don’t know if I can take a position and still support both God and Country.

Because of this dilemma I think to myself why this is even a political issue. The science of climate change is very challenging and it is difficult to determine what effects human activity has on a system so complex and dynamic as our climate. What we really need now is good science so we can determine what needs to be done. We need great economic forecasting to see what effects flipping America’s economy on its head will have. But what we have instead is scientists afraid of crossing the political line. We have commentators twisting science to make a political point they hope will blow their competition out of the water.

So back to my original question, why is this a political issue in the first place? In my mind it all comes back and rests solely on the shoulders of one despicable source. A rejected politician who introduces himself as the rejected looser of a heavily debated election “I used to be the next president of the United States”. Al Gore is more of a fear monger than he projects Glenn Beck to be. He is willing to go in front of the world and declare that this is a political issue that only a liberal with the control of big government can fix. My stomach almost exploded with a vomit of anger and disgust as I saw him for the second time this month on prime time TV selling his book of which is filled with the equivalent of popular political terrorism. He uses the media to stir up fear in the hearts of the people in a way that makes al-qaeda jealous. He promotes his fame and financial interests more openly than the pop stars of today. This man wants to flip our economy right into the hands of his supporters on second grade science, while the issue is still being discussed in the real scientific community.

Perhaps this aspiring political prophet is correct. And if he is, when we see billions of coastal liberals flooding the heartland of America on their escape from rising sea levels, we will all be able to look to good old Al and thank him for taking this extremely important science and tying it up in never-ending government and political bureaucracy.

Scratching my head:

It seems that this divided nation insists upon its own division. I have had one of those days that most of us have from time to time, where we mentally wrestle with a concept for an extended period of time. I almost always find myself on the conservative side of the political spectrum. What little life experience I have, and all the reasoning I posses teaches me that we need to live in a nation with limited government and a highly moral rule of law. I try not to limit my scope of thought and always consider others perspectives. I have always considered myself a conservative, and will even admit to being a republican, even as the title looses footing in the turbulent political culture. I have made a promise to myself that regardless of popular opinion, I will stay true to my principals, morals, and logic.

It has been a mentally stimulating week as I have struggled to understand the stance the right has taken toward the President of the United States of America speaking to young elementary school students. I have spent time in our elementary schools in a variety of classrooms, and I have found them nearly void of patriotism. I understand that there are thousands of elementary students and I have only worked with a few hundred of them, but regardless, I am disturbed by the presiding culture of disrespect toward all things patriotic. Our elementary school students would rather hide under their desks than stand for the pledge of allegiance. Our middle school students think they will lose stature in the eyes of their friends if they remove their hats for the national anthem. And I have even experienced high school kids who feel their GPA is too high to consider the military, as if serving our country is a job for a second class citizen. I know that there are some who blame the system and some who blame the parents a blame them both.

I hope every time you see someone fail to stand at the sound of the star spangled banner, or fail to utter the words “one nation under God” in the pledge of allegiance that you get the same sick feeling in your stomach. We build our own culture. If we express disrespect toward the office of our nations president we will reap our reward; a generation of young people with no respect toward things patriotic. I think Barack H Obama may be the worst candidate to run in the 2008 primaries. I don’t understand why so many Americans marched to the beat of hope and change into the voting booth. And because I don’t understand, I will continue to let my voice be heard in opposition of every proposed policy I believe will fail. But this I also know, that every child should have the opportunity to hear the voice of our freely elected leader. Our president is a living beacon to the world that freedom can prevail. Democracy is more than the hope of our ancestors, it is the reality of our living government. I believe in the power of the office, and its potential for good. To truly trust democracy means that you accept the elected leader and let him do his job. I may have a strong dislike for Barack Obama but as long as he holds the office of president of the United States, I would not hesitate to take a bullet or sacrifice my life in his defense. If the president wants to talk to the children then let the man speak. I believe he is capable of being the president, not just a politician. If he proves me wrong, judge him by the words he speaks, not what you fear he might say. If you insist on distrust, you insist on a divided nation.

It Takes Two to Tango

FROM THE LEFT: David Brooks wrote an op-ed that really caught my attention. Here are some snipits of what he wrote in his column “The Obama Slide”

“The number of Americans who trust President Obama to make the right decisions has fallen by roughly 17 percentage points. Obama’s job approval is down to about 50 percent. All presidents fall from their honeymoon highs, but in the history of polling, no newly elected American president has fallen this far this fast…Fifty-nine percent of Americans now think the country is headed in the wrong direction.”- David Brooks

I believe that the President is trying too hard to make this health care bill bipartisan. He doesn’t seem to understand that the Republicans are not negotiating in good faith. No matter what he puts in this bill Republicans are still going to fight against it. They believe that if they can knock down health care, they can take down the Obama Presidency with it. Senator Jim DeMint said as much with his recent “waterloo” comments. I understand that Obama campaigned on bipartisanship and that he genuinely wants to work with the Republicans, but as my father says “it takes two to tango” and the Republicans simply won’t dance.

As for President Obama and his slipping poll numbers, he needs to speak candidly to the American people next week at the joint session of Congress. If he delivers a performance anything like his last press conference, I am afraid health care is doomed.

-Chris V

The American perspective:

The American people voted for change in a variety of ways. Those who voted for transparency in government and bipartisan politics have already been very let down as the fantasy we hoped for, smashed headfirst into the reality of Barack H. Obama. If a majority of Americans wanted Mr. Obama to lead this country, and now there is a majority of Americans who disapprove of the direction he is going, it doesn’t take a political scientist to figure out that he is not doing what the American people expected him to. We are tired of feeling like the president is trying to pull one over on us before we have had time to study the changes he is trying to make. We want to see the man fulfill his campaign promises, we want to know what businesses are benefiting from his legislation, we want five days to go over every bill that comes across his desk.

The president has already done a great deal to underwrite the political process and smash healthcare through the legislative branch. Now that we have had some time to look at the thing we don’t like it. We are sick of seeing our government trying to move behind our backs, and that is why 57% of us would like to see all of them thrown out of office. We are not going to stand and watch a party with too much power push their agenda onto the American people, because we are sick of this behavior and we want what we have been promised. And we will not dance!

Luke H.

FROM THE LEFT: The truth is that Republicans are against all government all the time. They think that more government is always a bad thing and that more private sector is always a good thing. Well I have news for you, the world isn't that simple. These issues are complicated and nuanced, and we need nuanced solutions. The private sector alone cannot solve are problems and the government alone also cannot solve our problems. What Obama is proposing is not a government take over of health care. It is a plan that would give people choice, and would stop discrimination against sick people. Unfortunately Obama has not been out front with his message and has allowed this debate to turn into a mud fight.

"Stop.... Where Is My Mind??"

Like many young people I naively thought that the United States would "change" when Barrack Obama became President. At the time I believed that someone could "transcend" politics, and unify a very divided country. I am not sure about that anymore. When I read the news I feel overwhelmed, there are just so many things going wrong in this country. Right know we have brave soldiers dying in Afghanistan, a deficit that is growing every second, and not to mention partisan bickering over health care in Washington. Have we finally bitten off more then we could chew?

Then these feelings of melancholy are compounded when I turn on my TV. Have you tried to watch cable news lately? It is complete insanity. I think there must be a running contest between MSNBC and Fox News to see which network can make up the most shit, throw the most mud, and be as downright mean as possible. Both networks have figured out that well "real" journalism is too hard (and by the way it doesn't get high ratings) so we will just put up some angry, loud, and obnoxious person to yell over anyone who disagrees with his or her ideology. And then if anyone tries to point out that these hosts are not journalist, but venomous snakes, you'll be quoted out of context and be called the "worst person in the world" or a "pinhead".

How can we have an honest debate when we don't even listen to the other side, or try to understand where they are coming from? Everything has been turned into a partisan issue, and we've all decided that the opposing side is trying to ruin this country. Even I sometimes find myself looking through a prism of left and right, not what is right and wrong. Both parties have convinced themselves that they are infallible and that whatever the issue is, the other side is wrong. I believe with complete sincerity that we all want this country to succeed, and that the things that unite us are stronger then the things that divide us.

Maybe just maybe we should take a break from only reading or watching news that has the same biased as ourselves. Who knows you might actually gain a new perspective. So I challenge you, if you're a democrat maybe read the Wall Street Journal or the Economist. If your a Republican give NPR and the New York Times a shot. I'm not saying you'll agree with everything they say but if you're not willing to compromise, and listen to opposing people's view points, how can you expect your leaders to.

-Chris V

I am Luke H. and I support this message. Thanks for the great perspective Chris.

From the Right:
Thanks to this powerful visual aide my point is easily made and all can see that there is a liar in the White house. Conservatives like myself have been more than terrified at some of the promises made by President Obama while he was on the campaign trail. We continue to fear the threats he makes to diminish American freedom. But the facts are less scary because Barack is more a man of words than he is a man of action. He has done little to change the direction of this country; he has done much more to continue the failed policies of the past. It is hard to believe that Barack Hussien Obama once spoke out against controversial wire-tapping, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the growing federal deficit, all things which he has officially signed off on as president of the United States of America. This man is much more than your standard political deceiver, he companied on change, and once in office he continued the failing policies of previous administrations and put an end to the ones with the potential to create better jobs and a better America. It is amusing to me that a man who promised the middle and lower class a better way of life wrote a blank check to wall street in his first hundred days.
Some may argue that the bailouts had a limit and are “well designed,” but the truth is that there is fifty seven billion or so that our good fried Tim Geithner is trying to find. And any company who stretches its economic branches into multiple areas of the economy will be considered “too big to fail” and will receive whatever help they may need when struggling. This is not bankruptcy (the more traditional way to restructure failing businesses) this is a new presidential way of dealing with failure, it bypass’s the courts and the people and allows wall street direct access to the legislative and executive branches of government. Yes, this is where the big checks are written. And they are not being written to those making less than a quarter million dollars a year. Speaking of a quarter of a million dollars I believe that is what each American currently owes toward the federal deficit if we were to pay off our debt today.
What hope and what change? That’s the question I had for those of you who struggle to access the God given lie detector built into the human sole. If you don’t trust a telemarketer or televangelist promising you the world, why would you trust a politician who promises the same things. If this is stressing you out go smoke a cigarette and remember that the only tax increase the chosen one has signed into law, was the one you paid when you bought those Cigarettes.
-LH
Ps. I hope I have not offended our smoking audience I simply wish to point out the president’s tax.

FROM THE LEFT: Look I am the first one to admit that I am no expert on the economy so I found someone who is. This economist graduated from MIT with a Ph. D and Yale University. He also received the coveted Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics. Here is what he had to say...

“So it seems that we aren’t going to have a second Great Depression after all. What saved us? The answer, basically, is Big Government….the financial panic of late 2008 was as severe in some ways, as the banking panic of the early 1930s,…even stock prices — were falling as fast as or faster than they did in 1929-30…So what saved us from a full replay of the Great Depression? The answer, almost surely, lies in the very different role played by government…All of this (stimulus) has helped support the economy in its time of need, in a way that didn’t happen back in 1930, when federal spending was a much smaller percentage of G.D.P. And yes, this means that budget deficits — which are a bad thing in normal times — are actually a good thing right now….The point is that this time, unlike in the 1930s, the government didn’t take a hands-off attitude while much of the banking system collapsed. And that’s another reason we’re not living through Great Depression II….All in all, then, the government has played a crucial stabilizing role in this economic crisis. Ronald Reagan was wrong: sometimes the private sector is the problem, and government is the solution.” Paul Krugman

-CV

From the right:

The economic bailout is just one example of the president breaking his word. During the campaign he preached against the growing deficits but as soon as he was elected, he expanded the defect at an unprecedented rate. The bailout is just one example of how the president breaks his word.

LH

Kennedy's Death And The Fate of Healthcare

FROM THE LEFT:

Democrats are already saying that they will name the health care bill after Ted Kennedy. Health care after all was the "number one cause of his life" and he did encourage Obama to make health care a priority. I can already see the right-wingers saying that Ted Kennedy's death is being exploited, and that this is a desperate move on the part of the Obama Administration. I feel that directing the positive sympathy from Kennedy's death to the health care bill is simply good politics. The man did devote his career to the cause, so channeling the sympathy from his death to resurrect the health care bill is what he would of wanted. I think this may have the power to change the mostly negative feelings toward the health care bill to more positive ones.

Soon the coverage of Kennedy's death will fade, Congress will come back from vacation, and the American people will be focused on healthcare again. The question is can the Obama Administration step up and elevate the debate from "death panels", to the important issues like whether or not we need a public option? Why arent we seeing or hearing a clear and coherent strategy from the Obama people? Are they simply going to play defense and let the Republicans control the debate? A piece of advice to the Obama administration: lay your cards on the table! Come out with what you think healthcare reform should look like. Show that the Republicans have no intrest in bipartisanship and simply want to keep the Obama administration from getting a win.

This shouldn't be that difficult, Obama should come back from vacation rejuvenated and ready to take on the Republicans and the insurance companies that line their pockets. He should tell the American people that the "public option" is necessary to keeping cost down and that it is a way of keeping the insurance companies honest. It is NOT socialized medicine or a complete government take over and if your still frightened ask granny how she feels about her Medicare.

He needs to make this not about politics but about helping your fellow American. After all isn't America the place of equality and it's people the most generous in the world. The Repunlicans constantly talk about "Liberty" and how how important it is to them. But where is the freedom in being forced to file bankruptcy and sell your home in order to pay for your chemotherapy? Don't we as Americans have a moral responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to basic medical care? We are after all the richest country in the world, do we really want a healthcare system that leaves people out because they don't make enough money?

-Chris Vogt

FROM THE RIGHT:

In the world of faith death comes with mixed emotions. Through your faith you are reassured that those who pass on have gone on to a better place as their spirit separates from their body. I find it distasteful to attack the deceased because they are not around to defend themselves. But with prominent members of the family, and the Democratic Party, pulling the death of Ted Kennedy into the healthcare debate, it is near impossible not to bring his life and aspirations into the spotlight. I suppose that is what happens in times like these when the Democratic Part is running a tabloid type campaign trying to take the political and pop culture headlines and use their momentum to push forward there radical agenda.

I am sure that those who follow the pop culture aspect of politics are drooling all over themselves at the idea of naming the healthcare bill after Ted Kennedy. But from my Christian perspective, I would have to assume that Mr. Kennedy would some day look back at the healthcare bill that carries his name, and react in a similar way as George Donner as he looks back at the wagon company baring his name. Donner was a leader in what, at first, seemed like pioneer effort, and later came to be known as a massive failure as the winter closed in and members of the company turned to cannibalism.

Kennedy would bear no benefit as his name was attached to this massive healthcare bill with the potential to “radically remake America” in a very harmful way. Let me also note that I do not believe a man as intelligent as Kennedy would want this bill passed on emotion.

This bill is about 304,059,724 people not one man. And this bill is far too important to pass as a memorial. Give him a library or a statue, but don’t give him health care. The sad fact is that the American people aren’t that sentimental either and the democrat’s efforts to write this off, in loving memory of Ted Kennedy will fail. No, if the president wants to pull this one over the American people he will be forced to return to his weapon of choice, scare tactics. Open your eyes and watch as a new epidemic is blown out of proportion by our government in an effort to shotgun healthcare through the legislative branch of our government.

-Luke Hale

RESPONSE from the LEFT:

Comparing the health care bill to the unfortunate Donner incident is well, way out of left field. It absolutely makes no sense, and it demeans the nobel cause of universal health care. And I still do not understand what you mean by saying Obama is running a "tabloid type campaign". Should he not honor his mentor and the lion of the senate by naming this bill after him??

There is nothing radical about trying to reform the health care system. What is radical is saying that everything is fine and that we're just gonna leave the system alone. Secondly to say that Obama is the one employing scare tactics is laughable. Scare tactics, you want scare tactics?? How about Sara Palin and Rush Limbaugh (the leader of the Rep. Party) repeatedly lying, saying that Obama has some secret plan to kill off old people. Again we are seeing the all too common scenario where Liberals try to honestly fix the problems that plague this nation, and Conservitives simply throw mud at it.

-Chris Vogt

From The Right:

When the left finds a problem they do all they can to through big government at it. Just because there is a problem does not mean we should respond with a really poor solution. Peoples thoughts on the death panels are varied and I am not one who thinks that it is something that Obama or Polosi are trying to shove in this bill, however it is the responsibility of this people (the freest people on earth) to ensure that the government doesn’t take more power than it needs. I am sure that those who voted for Socialism in the form of the Nazis did not think they were voting for death panels and gas chambers. I am not saying our president is planning on genocide, but he is starting the same war on the rich that Hitler started on the Jews. Keep the power out of the hands of government and then you don’t have to worry about what they are going to do with the power. It is a true slap in the face of freedom for our current elected officials to attack the fears of its people and write them off as extreme.

-Luke Hale

FROM THE LEFT: Look so I understand you're taking a principled stand against government interfering in the private market. You said, "Keep the power out of the hands of government." Well by that logic I guess your against Medicare, welfare, and the public school system. I feel this is out of the main stream and not what the American people want. But thats what Republicans stand for. Instead of analyzing an issue and diving into it's complexities, Republicans just label it socialism. How can you constructively debate a Republican when they believe all government in almost every circumstance is bad??

-CV