I wonder if I am alone in being reminded of Ronald Reagan whenever John McCain stutters and says he has to check with "his people" before he can answer a question. Do you have to ask someone whenever you're asked how many houses you own? Do you have to check with someone before you can answer a question regarding your views on abortion? John McCain does.
What we really need right now is someone to lead this country, to really give us a sense of direction, to give us pride in what we stand for. I can't be proud of what we did to Iraq no matter how you frame it. I think Barack Obama is the man who can lead us and at the same time inspire us.
My family is divided politically. My brothers and mother are Republicans. My sister and I are what you might call progressive. We aren't Democrats, but we end up voting that way since we essentially have a two party system. It's a black and white world out there. If you ask my mother, you're either Republican or Democrat. There is no other option. She thinks she failed my sister and I, or that we were brainwashed by someone (our husbands quite possibly.) I find this amusing since my mother is a very strong willed person, who raised two very strong willed daughters. The last thing on earth you could ever do is lead my mother down a path she didn't want to go down. Same goes for my sister and I. To think that we were somehow hoodwinked into changing our political views just baffles me.
I think the answer lies in the sources of our information. My mother watches Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and Christian TV. She also lives in a Red state - Indiana.
My sister and I get our news from the "internets." We pull information from multiple sources and always with an eye to the source. I was taught early on to always question the source. Would you look to an electrician for information about weather, or would you want to hear from a meterologist? It could be that some electricians are trained in meterology, I'll give you that.
I was born in Missouri, the Show Me state. I've always asked for the background on anything I considered important, and I think electing a man to the top office of this country important enough to look beyond the window dressing. I think it's about time we started electing our president based on a job interview - not a popularity contest.
