The Curveball

Well, the Republicans are definitely the masters of the curveball. If you haven't already heard the news, McCain selected Governer Sarah Palin from Alaska as his running mate (see NY Times Article here). Palin is only a first time governor but if you're worried about her level of experience, fear not! She used to be a beauty queen AND the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population: approx. 8,500). And if that's not enough of an endorsement, John McCain can surely testify on her behalf as he has met her exactly once prior to this week.

To her credit, she apparently is known as a "whistleblower" who has focused much of her attention on ethical standards and standing up to corruption inside her own party. Certainly can't fault her there. On the other hand, her husband is an oil production operator on Alaska's North Slope and perhaps that's why she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I'm waiiting to hear more on this one but so far the media seems to have stayed somewhat quiet about this one.

What's to make of all of this? Will the Republicans be able to lure away white women who were Hillary supporters and seemingly on the fence about Obama? Will the hint of youth, gender equality (or just soccer-mom), and ethical standards be enough to reenergize a party that only last night was considered near lifeless in this election? Despite the many attacks from both sides of the aisle on this V.P. pick, the Republicans are certainly doing something right- they have people talking about them and NOT Obama today. Just the mere shock of this pick has helped them gain momentum and media coverage. Admittedly, any V.P. pick would have garnered serious media attention on Day 1 but who knows how this will actually play with voters? Time to get back to the news. Tune in for more tomorrow.

For more on Sarah Palin, check out these links:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/02/palin.johnmccain
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/the_palin_meltdown_in_slomo.php

Notice, she hadn't even left the country before last year . . .

A Sense of Common Purpose: A Future of Hope instead of Fear

He did it! Not only did Obama deliver an amazing speech- if CNN is correct, he wrote it himself. Is that even possible these days? Do politicians ever actually contribute their own thoughts, their own words, their own hopes, dreams and fears? Well, I don't know about most politicians but Obama certainly seems to. For all those wondering- I did NOT start out jumping on the "HOPE" train- maybe hopping on and off at times but definitely not jumping. Even I, who often overflows with unfiltered idealism, was a cynic. Who is this guy and why does he think he can reform Washington? Why hope only to be disappointed by yet another politician who fails to deliver on his promises?

Well, after tonight's speech, I'm not just jumping on the HOPE train, I'm leaping! Leaping for joy that is. Even Amy Holmes, a Republican strategist and CNN contributing reporter, said that Obama "turned the tables on McCain." Amazingly, he did this while still being genuinely respectful. I never understood before tonight how one could disagree with someone so passionately but act compassionately towards them.

But for me, the big selling point was the emphasis on both personal and shared responsibility. We can't do it alone nor can we rely on government to do everything for us. This reflects a genuine understanding of the complexity of the problems we face. Nobody can achieve success on their own, neither can a country. I'm more confident than ever that not only can Obama handle the challenges of being the next U.S. President but also that he can compel all Americans to take a hard look at what they can do to help bring about positive change.

Favorite quotes from Obama's acceptance speech:

• "On November 4, we must stand up and say: 'Eight is enough.'"
• "Now, I don't believe that Sen. McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. " (How could the man with 7 houses possibly know what's going on in the lives of most Americans? I think I'll take a chance on the man who only recently paid off his student loans, thank you very much!)
• "I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change."

To read the full transcript of Barack Obama's acceptance speech, click here.

P.S. Apparently the political pundits don't think Obama was as respectful to John McCain as I did. Well, it was high time for the Democrats to finally bring on the fight so I'm not exactly complaining!