Upcoming elections - 2006 and 2008

[innersanctum]

Election day is only 12 days away and while I wasn't sure that this elections was going to be that big of a deal, I have since changed my mind. It's time for Blago to go in Illinois. He hasn't been an effective governor in Illinois. I suppose it might have something to do with the fact that he barely spends any time in Springfield (the state capital in case anyone didn't know that already). I voted for him 4 years ago and thought it was the better choice. I can't believe I made that mistake. So I will be voting for Judy Baar Topinka this year!

Illinois has a history...traditionally, it has been a Republican governor that has run this state and it was probably one of the most corrupt for many years (with the exception of Jim Thompson and granted he was the governor for multiple terms). I voted for Blago because he was a democrat and he promised changes. Well, no corruption but poor management! So now I figure since I was wrong with Jim Edgar, George Ryan and most recently with Blago, I am going to vote for a woman and a Republican.

I am sure some of you have heard of Barrak Obama and his potential bid for the President in '08. I like this guy. He has perspective and can be a very influencial speaker. He has the charisma and intelligence to be a great leader and potentially the next President of the US. The burning question??? Is the US ready for a black candidate on the democratic ticket over the carpetbagger from NY state? The bigger question is whether the US is ready for a black man to be the next POTUS?

For anyone, I just hope that we make informed decisions with our votes this year. Our futures count on it. Vote for the best candidate and not the best Democrat or best Republican.

[Trapper]

Good post Inner. I am thinking of voting Lynn Swann as PA Gov, but I need to get a little more info first. As for POTUS, I just don't know. I am not even sure of all the candidates yet. I KNOW for a fact that "she who is not a legal name on this board from New York" will NOT be on my list of potentials. I also do not like Obama for some reason. I mean at the just basic level. I do not even know his issues.

[innersanctum]

You don't like Obama for some reason....what reason? If you don't know, then maybe you should find a little more about this guy. He knows his "shit" when it comes to politics. If don't think he could be president because he is black, say it. This is a political forum and race is a very poignant issue inside all political circles.

The Republicans are touting McCain, Guiliani (I know it's not spelled right), Newt Gingrich, Condi Rice, Jeb Bush and Bill Frist as contenders. I would say that McCain and Guiliani are the front runners but a recent poll I saw had Gingrich pretty close to those two.

[V8403]

Obama kept a low-profile for most of 2005, his freshman year. The senator spoke eloquently at the Lincoln Presidential Library opening in April. He lobbied the UN in July for aid to Darfur, and in early 2006, he extensively toured Iraq.
Obama was a treated as a political rock star during his five-country 2006 tour of Africa, which included a visit to his ancestral sheep farm in Kenya. While there, he and wife Michelle publicly took HIV tests to promote testing in Africa.
Senator Obama focuses on promoting public education, health care, civil rights, economic growth/jobs and support for working families. As an Illinois state senator, he worked passionately for civil rights and liberties, ethics reforms and criminal justice, and will continue to do so as a US Senator
Senate Committees:
Committee on Foreign Relations
- Subcommittee on African Affairs
- Subcommittee on International Economic Policy
- Subcommittees on Asians and Pacific Affairs
- Committee on Veterans' Affairs
- Committee on the Environment and Public Works
Progressive Thinking on the Issues: Barack Obama's voting record and stances as US Senator and Illinois State Senator reflect a progressive thinker who favors affirmative action programs, strong enforcement of civil rights, opposes privatization of Social Security, opposes the death penalty and mandatory three-strike sentencing guidelines and favors humanely loosening immigration laws.
He opposes the expansion of global free trade unless it holds tangible US benefits, and favors linking human rights to trade with China.
Prior Experience: Barack Obama served seven years as an Illinois State Senator, resigning to assume US Senate responsibilities. He also worked as a community organizer and a civil rights attorney. The Senator is a Senior Lecturer in Constitutional Law at University of Chicago Law School.
After law school, he aggressively organized one of the largest voter registration drives in Chicago history to help Bill Clinton's 1992 election.
Personal Data:
Birth - August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Education - BA in political science, 1983, Columbia University. JD from Harvard Law School, where he was Editor of the Harvard Law Review
Family - Married on October 18, 1992 to Michelle, a Chicago native, also a Harvard Law School graduate. Two young daughters.
Faith - Christian, United Church of Christ
The Senator returns to their Chicago home from Washington DC every weekend. Obama is a Chicago White Sox fan.
Growing Up Barack Obama: Born Barrack Hussein Obama, Jr, son of a Nairobi-born Harvard-educated economist and a Caucasian anthropologist, his parents divorced when he was 2 years old. His father (deceased in 1982) returned to Kenya, and only saw his son once more. His mother remarried, and moved Barack to Jakarta, Indonesia. He returned to Hawaii at age 10 to live with his grandparents and attend the respected Punahou School on Oahu. He graduated with honors. (As a teenager, he scooped ice cream at Baskins-Robbins!)
Memorable Quotes : "You can't have No Child Left Behind if you leave the money behind."
"I do agree that the Democrats have been intellectually lazy in failing to take the core ideals of the Democratic Party and adapting them to circumstances.... It's not just a matter of sticking in a quote from the Bible into a stock speech."
"There has yet to be a serious conversation about health care on the floor of the United States Senate."
"...as parents, we need to find the time and the energy to step in and find ways to help our kids love reading. We can read to them, talk to them about what they're reading and make time for this by turning off the TV ourselves. Libraries can help parents with this. Knowing the constraints we face from busy schedules and a TV culture, we need to think outside the box here - to dream big like we always have in America.
Right now, children come home from their first doctor's appointment with an extra bottle of formula. But imagine if they came home with their first library card or their first copy of Goodnight Moon? What if it was as easy to get a book as it is to rent a DVD or pick up McDonalds? What if instead of a toy in every Happy Meal, there was a book? What if there were portable libraries that rolled through parks and playgrounds like ice cream trucks? Or kiosks in stores where you could borrow books?
What if during the summer, when kids often lose much of the reading progress they've made during the year, every child had a list of books they had to read and talk about and an invitation to a summer reading club at the local library? Libraries have a special role to play in our knowledge economy." -- June 27, 2005 Speech to the American Library Association

[Trapper]

You don't like Obama for some reason....what reason? If you don't know, then maybe you should find a little more about this guy. He knows his "shit" when it comes to politics. If don't think he could be president because he is black, say it. This is a political forum and race is a very poignant issue inside all political circles.

The Republicans are touting McCain, Guiliani (I know it's not spelled right), Newt Gingrich, Condi Rice, Jeb Bush and Bill Frist as contenders. I would say that McCain and Guiliani are the front runners but a recent poll I saw had Gingrich pretty close to those two.

Race is not the issue at all. Believe it or not, I think it is his personality that I don't care for. Like I said, I really do not know much about him. Would I care if we elected a black president? Not at all. IT all depends on who this person is as a leader, not what he is. I don't care if the president was Native American, white, black or even female, as long as they are qualified. As long as they have what it takes. Interesting that race was the first thing asked about as to why I did not like Obama.

[innersanctum]

I bring race up, not as a trait about you personally and I apologize if it was taken personal, but a country as a whole will look at it and judge him for it so that it why I brought it up.

One of my friends think that the b in his name is too interchangable with s and he could never be elected because of that.

I think the other points brought up about Obama make him a very good candidate. I also don't think any President has ever been truly ready to be President when they take office. They can never be prepared for the things that could happen in the world and George Bush is the latest to be tested on this. Iraq or Afghanistan, whichever one you want to pick, has given him challenges that he could have never anticipated. Even Clinton couldn't have expected Monica Lewinsky to do what she did so well!

[Trapper]

I was not offended at all, dude. I know you pretty well. I do think the S vs B thing did stick out in my mind. Not really the best reason to "no" someone, but it might be a factor in people's voting. I want to see the definitive list of candidates and thier major issue takes. We all know the BW won't be there( I know, you are bummed, S) but I like Rudi for GOP.

[innersanctum]

I was not offended at all, dude. I know you pretty well. I do think the S vs B thing did stick out in my mind. Not really the best reason to "no" someone, but it might be a factor in people's voting. I want to see the definitive list of candidates and thier major issue takes. We all know the BW won't be there( I know, you are bummed, S) but I like Rudi for GOP.

So why Rudy? He was the mayor in NY on 9/11 but what makes him better than the next candidate? I don't know and that is why ask. He needs more to have more substance behind him than just being the mayor of NY on 9/11 to get my vote. Any candidate would need more than that to get my vote though.

[Trapper]

I feel his leadership during that time proved he is a pretty good leader in tough times. That says a lot. I know there are other issues, but in this day and age, I think that type leadership is needed. As I said, I do not know all the candidates, or all thier views.

[BeirutBill]

I'm afraid most people do not look at issues or how candidates stand on them, or past records. but party and/or name recognition.
sad ain't it?

[innersanctum]

It's very sad because great candidates will not ever be able to take this country into the right direction. Everyone was on Collin Powell's bandwagon when he was considering running for Prez but he backed down and after his stint as the Sec of State, it was apparently a great decision for him and in turn for the US.

A great general does not necessarily make a great president. There is a precedent that proves this statement wrong in some cases but while it would be nice to have a hard nosed President in the White House, being a leader doesn't coincide with being a warrior. It takes a person with presence and ability to communicate with foreign countries and the ability to understand cultures other than our own. I guess for a better word, charisma is just as important and knowledge and leadership.

[Trapper]

Well said.

[hankhoffman]

Washington is in such a mess at this point! How do you correct all of the problems. When you fix one thing it fouls up three other things.

[innersanctum]

Washington is in such a mess at this point! How do you correct all of the problems. When you fix one thing it fouls up three other things.

Good point. I guess you just do the best you can at our level to fix the problems that plague our government and that starts with knowing what you are doing when you punch you ballot. I think Obama is probably one the better candidates for Prez in 2008. I think this because I understand his platform and see good things coming from them. I consider myself an informed voter and formed my opinion based on how I think someone can make our country a better place to live. I don't have a problem with someone voting for person because they feel that he/she is the best suited for the spot. It just bothers me when people vote party lines because they align themselves with the that political party.

As I get older, i find myself more closely aligned with the Democratic party but that doesn't stop me from voting for a Republican. I started this thread stating that I am hoping that Illinois next governor is a Republican and a woman. However, I did so after she proved it to me and Blago ruined it at the same time.

When next Tuesday comes, make sure you vote and be informed on who you are voting for. If you don't know, you don't have to vote at all. Just because there is a place to vote on the ballot, it doesn't obligate you to vote for it. I have asked in the past if a ballot that has a blank on it is invalid and was told that it is indeed valid.

BE INFORMED WHEN YOU VOTE!

[Trapper]

Where can I get a list of all the candidates and thier platforms? Then I, too, can be an informed voter. I want to be like Steve!

[innersanctum]

Where can I get a list of all the candidates and thier platforms? Then I, too, can be an informed voter. I want to be like Steve!

I would imagine you would do it at their website. Who doesn't have a website these days! Find out who is on your ballot and what the issues are that you are voting on and believe me, there is this thing called the internet that usually houses this information for you consumption.

[BeirutBill]

in addition, i believe both republican and democratic party's have state web sites, most have candidates stances on issues.
but i could be wrong LOL

[Trapper]

What is this internet thingy, you mentioned?

[BeirutBill]

try googling it