Les elections

Now, I have never considered myself to be politically inclined before, but with the current state of our country, I think it would be a terrible decision not to take an interest in what is going on in the presidential elections.  Heck, I've even started reading The Economist regularly and checking the Washington Post op-ed columns daily to make sure that I, as a first-time voter, can make the most informed decision I can when I turn in my absentee ballot.  I was initially very excited about this election, being that I was coming into it as a relatively objective, independent voter, but the way the election has turned out has soured me to the ways of politicians.  

This morning, I started watching the vice presidential debate that took place last night.  Early on in the election, I realized I was leaning more in the direction of Senator Obama, both because of his captivating rhetoric and promise of change and because of my unwillingness to have another president whose policies are in any way similar to those of our current president.  As my political opinions have evolved throughout this election process, my reasons for supporting Obama have become a little less generic, but, simply put, I truly believe he "gets it," understands how politics work (or how they should work in a perfect world), and realizes the importance of restoring America's image in the international community by changing our actions, not just making empty promises.  

After watching the debate (well, okay, I admit that I couldn't last longer than 25 minutes or so), I was livid at what I had seen.  I do believe that Senator McCain, deep down, has some sort of moral compass and is fundamentally a good guy, but I could NEVER bring myself to vote for a ticket that included Sarah Palin in any capacity.  Granted, she did not make any severe blunders last night, but on the other hand, the bar was set ridiculously low for her, given the fact that her foreign policy experience has been described as, "Well, I can see Russia from my house," and her "energy expertise" is laughable.  But from the second the debate started, I was annoyed.  I was absolutely delighted by the "Can I call you Joe?" comment- or, should I say, delighted that the mics were on to capture it.  What a phony.  And all of her "You betchas" and "Well darns" are a completely transparent effort to relate to the general population.  I know that politicians are not generally known for their honesty, but Ms. Palin has certainly turned lying, or misleading, into an art form.

I was slightly unnerved that neither candidate seemed to respond very directly to Ms. Ifill's questions.  But Miss Palin's stragegy did not even seem to include answering a question or presenting some element of her party's platform.  Rather, it set out to paint she and Senator McCain as a "team of mavericks," and she seemed more interested in defending her image than in actually debating Mr. Biden.  I was reading an op-ed piece just a little while ago by Eugene Robinson, a writer for the Post, and the comments board was especially interesting.  One man said that "I'm not an accomplished journalist with a national TV show.  I'm not Gwen Ifill.   I couldn't be there to ask Biden and Palin my questions.  But Gwen Ifill was there representing me.  If Palin can't be bothered to answer Gwen Ifill's questions, why should I think she would answer mine or even care about me, one of the American people she supposedly wants to speak directly to?" This man's comment is dead-on, and just goes to show how little substance Ms. Palin has.  Another reader pointed out that, if she wants to run for some sort of higher office, she should try running for Senate first, build a base of experience, and then she can actually claim to have enough experience to warrant deflecting these questions.  But she's a nobody, and despite the fact that she thinks she's too good to answer the questions, it just further reinforces for me that she is not ready for a leadership role in our floundering nation.

Plus, I like Mr. Biden, I really do.  Despite his rather notable gift for gab, I thought he held his own last night and even answered a few questions!  What a concept!  I like that he and Senator Obama have certainly been at odds over certain issues in the past, so I would like to believe that he would not just be a yes man and tell Senator Obama what he wants to hear.  Ms. Palin doesn't even have enough experience or legitimacy to be able to disagree with Senator McCain.  Let's see: a one-term governor of Alaska (which, let's face it, not a lot going on there), versus a two-term representative and four-term Senator in McCain.  I just would not trust her opinion.  And I really do think less of Senator McCain for the obvious lack of thought he put into his choice of running mate.  

I thought a post on the elections might be a nice break from my usual rants about traveling and France, and, while I know that some of you who are reading this disagree with me, that's the beauty of America.  I only hope that you will consider voting for Senator Obama on November 4th- I can't wait to get my absentee ballot so I can do the same!  I will be in Nice this weekend, so expect another post soon about my travels to the Côte d'Azur!  And, I just have to say: GO RED SOX!!! Game 2 tonight!

Sending you my love,

Kristen