Bluelens

I haven’t been feeling 100% this week. Our normal routine was altered. Typically we get home, make dinner, catch up on the previous night’s TDS and Colbert, and then the rest of the night is up for grabs. The past few nights we have just wanted to pop in a movie and I laid on the couch until it was time for bed. Because of the way I was feeling I knew that although I wanted to stay up to watch Obama’s speech I knew that since I wasn’t feeling well AND that I needed to be at work earlier than usual that I should be diligent in getting to bed on time. I figured I could watch the speech in the morning.

So after Obama’s speech we went to bed.

I gotta say, his speech was something that should have been done back in 2004. This is the kind of approach that the Democrats have needed the past 8 years but have not delivered. - Side note, damn, why couldn’t the energy and speech that Kerry delivered a couple nights ago have been the way he approached the ‘04 election. Had THAT Kerry been campaigning I think he might have been victorious. - What made Obama’s speech wasn’t just the delivery though, you know he practiced every word to get just the right emotion, but the actual words are what grabbed me. He was more direct in this speech than he has been in previous ones. He gave details and outlined his goals and how to reach them. You didn’t have to decipher what he was saying and he wasn’t vague. I think this is the kind of speech that wasn’t for those already in his corner - although it only helps cement them in - but was more for the independents and the people who are part of PUMA (Party Unity My Ass).

Speaking of the PUMAs. I don’t understand these people. Because they don’t like who won the Democrat nomination they are jumping ship to vote for McCain? I just can’t compute that response. Because a person in my party didn’t get to the level I wanted them but another person did - who shares many of the same ideas and ideals as the candidate I was supporting - so instead I am going to vote for someone who shares in almost none of my own? WTF dude? The thing I love about this country is that we are free to make these choices - whether they make sense or not - and I can respect that freedom to do so, but that doesn’t mean I have to restrain myself from calling it as I see it - a dumbass move. If your plan works and your actions do elect McCain do you really win? Have you really taught anyone a lesson? I don’t think you have thought this out fully. But hey, this is America and you have the right to choose whomever you want.

Yeah, yeah, I hear you, “Oh look another gushing about Obama the saviour.” To that I say ‘lighten up Francis.’ You should know how silly that line of thought is, me calling someone a saviour, ha! I’m still critical of him but in this election he is the candidate that has more check marks in the ‘agree’ column than McCain. This should come as no surprise, I am a liberal Democrat and proud of it. Let me say that again I am a liberal and I’m not afraid of using the “L” word. Because of this it should be obvious that Obama would be the candidate (between the two) that I would gravitate towards.

So the speech last night was great in my opinion. I couldn’t wait to get to work and turn on my normal morning program “Fox and Friends” to see how they were going to talk about it. Because of McCain’s decision to announce his VP today they divided most of their time between speculation of his decision and updates on Gustav - which is actually very important and I’m happy to see they kept putting the weather info out there honestly. But I did hear some positive remarks from some of the talking heads but the sense I got from them was a lot of ‘meh’ about the speech. I did have to laugh though when they brought in a body language expert to read Obama’s body language during his speech. Would you believe the expert said that when Obama was talking about/to McCain his body language was expressing tension and he looked as if he was ready to debate and challenge McCain? Yeah I was shocked, shocked I tell ya! Yeah the expert was reading all sorts of signs from Obama that honestly could have been figured out by listening to his words. Surprisingly they (body language and words) matched up, who would have guessed?!?

So the morning after the big speech the talking heads are not all over Obama’s speech but are all over who McCain is going to pick for his VP - spoiler alert if you haven’t been paying attention, it will be Sarah Palin. I have to give it to McCain, his campaign did a wonderful move by stealing Obama’s thunder. Instead of everyone talking about Obama they are all talking about McCain.

McCain’s decision of the Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, will make this election even closer and more difficult for everyone involved. This decision can help draw the female voters and the PUMAs. Again I would hope that there wouldn’t be people voting strictly based on gender or racial reasons but on the issues. Sure there is a female on the GOP ticket but is that your only draw gender? Are you willing to look past the possibility that this female probably stands for everything you are against or is against everything you stand for? Sarah Palin is a very popular governor in Alaska. She has not been afraid to rock the boat in Alaska even if that involves upsetting higher level GOP officials in her state. It appears that she has been an effective leader over there and will bring some nice qualities to the McCain ticket. Because of her limited experience (was elected last year to her current position) this might help limit the attacks on Obama about lack of experience - that whole pot/kettle thing - so that that might be a helpful nugget.

All in all these past few days makes the election all the more interesting and exciting. I don’t think there will be any type of landslide but the final outcome will come down to small numbers. We will hear poll numbers everyday from now until the day after the election and I will make the prediction that they will all show McCain and Obama each in the 40s with a slight margin of error - basically a near tie each and every tie. Sure there will be the occasional spike for one or the other after key times - McCain’s announcement of VP (which is currently happening), after debates, etc. - but in general this is another election that will come down to the wire.