John McCain introduced America to his choice for vice president in Dayton, Ohio on Friday. Laughing spontaneously, as the crowd sang ‘Happy Birthday’, McCain uttered the words no red-blooded republican ever thought they would hear. “My friends and fellow Americans’ I am proud and pleased to introduce to your the next vice president of the Untied States, Governor Sarah Palin of the great state of Alaska,” he said.
McCain continued to describe Palin, a former Ms. Alaska runner-up, as “someone who will shake up Washington and make it work for all Americans; someone with executive experience and who has shown great tenacity and skill; someone who has reached across the isle; someone with a fighting spirit and great compassion; someone whose father was an elementary school teacher and whose mother was a school secretary.”
In an attempt to appeal to conservative working class voters, the republican nominee described Palin as a “a union member, who was married to a union member…..a woman who knows what it’s like to pay for gas and groceries.”
Emphasizing the historic moment, this week marks the time when women received the right to vote, the Senator from Arizona said he was, “especially proud in a week we celebrate women’s suffrage" that he chose "a devoted wife and a mother of five – she is not from these parts and she is not from Washington. She has girt and integrity …that is exactly what we need in Washington today. She stands up for what is right and she does not let anyone tell her to sit down.”
For he part Palin, accompanied by her husband, Todd and her family and wearing a black pant suit, reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s dress code, thanked McCain and said she was honored to be chosen as the Senators running mate.
On her 25th wedding anniversary, Palin described herself as “an average hockey mom, who ran for mayor of her local town.” There she said she stood up to “politics as usual” and the “good old boy network,”
In an attempt to paint herself as a maverick, Palin said sometimes “it is safer to avoid taking risks in politics. People of America expect us to seek public office for the right reason. The right reason is to challenge the status quo and challenge the common good.”
Pumping up McCain’s supporters, the young Governor stressed McCain’s war record and his foreign policy experience. “In a dangerous world it is John McCain who will prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons,” she said.
In the most revealing moment in an otherwise flat speech, the Alaskan Governor thanked Hillary Clinton for “her determination and grace in her presidential campaign. She left 18 million cracks and the women of America aren’t finished yet and we can shatter that ceiling once and for all."
Friday, August 29, 2008
McCain Steps Out of the Box with his Vice Presidential Pick
I don’t know whether is was a blatant attempt to steal some of the democrats thunder but Senator John McCain has stepped out of the box when he chose Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. Making history himself, McCain picked the first republican vice presidential candidate in American history.
At 44-years-old and a mother of five, Palin will balance McCain’s ticket in a number of ways. She is female and this will attract some of Hillary Clinton’s disenfranchised supporters. Palin is young which will counter balance two issues – first, John McCain’s age, he turned 72 today and the relative young age of Obama who is 47-years-old.
Palin is a first time Governor and relative unknown to anybody outside the state of Alaska. It will be interesting to see how McCain can continue to criticize Obama’s lack of experience when he has chosen someone so young and from a minor state in the scheme of American politics. Two years ago, Palin was the mayor of a town of 4,200 people.
At 44-years-old and a mother of five, Palin will balance McCain’s ticket in a number of ways. She is female and this will attract some of Hillary Clinton’s disenfranchised supporters. Palin is young which will counter balance two issues – first, John McCain’s age, he turned 72 today and the relative young age of Obama who is 47-years-old.
Palin is a first time Governor and relative unknown to anybody outside the state of Alaska. It will be interesting to see how McCain can continue to criticize Obama’s lack of experience when he has chosen someone so young and from a minor state in the scheme of American politics. Two years ago, Palin was the mayor of a town of 4,200 people.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Speech That Changed American History
Senator Barack Obama accepted the nomination for president of the United States and changed the course of American political historytonight by saying, “It is with profound gratitude and with great humility that I accept your nomination for president of the United States.”
In a carefully staged event worthy of the Oscar’s, Obama separated himself from John McCain by painting his campaign for president as a campaign of the future - a ‘21st Century’ campaign, while painting McCain’s campaign as a campaign from the past.
Using his uncanny rhetorical skills, the Illinois Senator, challenged McCain’s judgment on Iraq, the economy and his ties to the Bush administration. He accused McCain of voting with George Bush 90 per cent of the time.
“Senator John McCain talks about judgment but what does it say about his judgment when he voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time. I am not ready to take a chance on the 10 per cent when he is right,” Obama said.
While paying tribute to McCain’s military service, Obama went after his record on Iraq.
“If John McCain wants to follow George Bush in his policies, that his choice, but that is not the change America needs….Don’t tell me the Democrats won’t defend this country…. as Commander in Chief I won’t hesitate to defend this nation.”
Obama attacked the republican’s on their ability to corner the market on ‘patriotism’.
“Patriotism has no party. I love this country just like you. Just like John McCain….
the people who fought and died for America did not fight for a red America, they did not fight for a blue America but a United States of America,” Obama said. “I have news for you John McCain we all love America.”
Dressed in a blue suit, red tie and wearing a pin with the American flag in his lapel, Obama spoke about his humble roots and his working class ethics.
In a speech that will go down in history, the 47-year old Senator from Illinois made some lofty promises in Denver tonight. He promised to cut taxes for 95 per cent of working families and end America’s addiction to oil in 10-years. He promised to invest $150 billion in bio fuels and new technologies over the next 10-years and provide an affordable education for every American.
The skinny little kid for Chicago’s South Side, who grew up to become the first black nominee for president, ended his historic speech by giving due deference to this historic date in history, when Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream speech” on the Washington Mall. In his closing remarks Obama said, “It is that promise 45 years ago today that brought a young preacher to Washington Mall. We cannot turn back….America we cannot turn back…we cannot walk alone. We must pledge to march into the future.”
Earlier in the evening, the democrats challenged the Republican notion that Obama is an elitist by rolling out a litany of snow white working class folks from all over the states, who testified to Obama’s policies on healthcare, jobs and free trade.
John McCain will announce his vice presidential pick on Friday when he turns 72-years old.
In a night that occasionally felt like there was too much pomp and pageantry here are some of the more memorable lines.
“Tonight I say to the people of America, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, this moment this election is our chance to keep the American promise alive.”
“In November, we must say eight years is enough”
“Patriotism has no party. I love this country just like you. Just like John McCain.”
“In an election like this, change does not come from Washington, change comes to Washington.”
In a carefully staged event worthy of the Oscar’s, Obama separated himself from John McCain by painting his campaign for president as a campaign of the future - a ‘21st Century’ campaign, while painting McCain’s campaign as a campaign from the past.
Using his uncanny rhetorical skills, the Illinois Senator, challenged McCain’s judgment on Iraq, the economy and his ties to the Bush administration. He accused McCain of voting with George Bush 90 per cent of the time.
“Senator John McCain talks about judgment but what does it say about his judgment when he voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time. I am not ready to take a chance on the 10 per cent when he is right,” Obama said.
While paying tribute to McCain’s military service, Obama went after his record on Iraq.
“If John McCain wants to follow George Bush in his policies, that his choice, but that is not the change America needs….Don’t tell me the Democrats won’t defend this country…. as Commander in Chief I won’t hesitate to defend this nation.”
Obama attacked the republican’s on their ability to corner the market on ‘patriotism’.
“Patriotism has no party. I love this country just like you. Just like John McCain….
the people who fought and died for America did not fight for a red America, they did not fight for a blue America but a United States of America,” Obama said. “I have news for you John McCain we all love America.”
Dressed in a blue suit, red tie and wearing a pin with the American flag in his lapel, Obama spoke about his humble roots and his working class ethics.
In a speech that will go down in history, the 47-year old Senator from Illinois made some lofty promises in Denver tonight. He promised to cut taxes for 95 per cent of working families and end America’s addiction to oil in 10-years. He promised to invest $150 billion in bio fuels and new technologies over the next 10-years and provide an affordable education for every American.
The skinny little kid for Chicago’s South Side, who grew up to become the first black nominee for president, ended his historic speech by giving due deference to this historic date in history, when Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream speech” on the Washington Mall. In his closing remarks Obama said, “It is that promise 45 years ago today that brought a young preacher to Washington Mall. We cannot turn back….America we cannot turn back…we cannot walk alone. We must pledge to march into the future.”
Earlier in the evening, the democrats challenged the Republican notion that Obama is an elitist by rolling out a litany of snow white working class folks from all over the states, who testified to Obama’s policies on healthcare, jobs and free trade.
John McCain will announce his vice presidential pick on Friday when he turns 72-years old.
In a night that occasionally felt like there was too much pomp and pageantry here are some of the more memorable lines.
“Tonight I say to the people of America, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, this moment this election is our chance to keep the American promise alive.”
“In November, we must say eight years is enough”
“Patriotism has no party. I love this country just like you. Just like John McCain.”
“In an election like this, change does not come from Washington, change comes to Washington.”
Barack Obama Picks Up Where King Left Off
It is hard to imagine a more pivotal time in recent political history than tonight, Thursday night, when the first black presidential nominee of a major American political party, will give his acceptance speech in front of 75,000 supporters at Invesco Field in Denver. Not only does he have to satisfy the insatiable dreams of a football stadium full of democrats, but he also has to give a speech that will be forever compared to Martin Luther King’s, ‘I have a dream’ speech, given 45 years ago at the very same time in history. For many Barack Obama is the living embodiment of all that King lived and died for all those years ago.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Hillary Bites the Bullet in Denver, Colorado
The Democratic Convention is certainly playing up to all the hype that this unprecedented Presidential Election has generated.
On Monday night, Michelle Obama played the dutiful wife perfectly suited for any white working class family in Middle America, who still see the Obama’s as “not like them.”
On Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton, former presidential candidate and keynote speaker at the Democratic Convention was still considered an unknown quantity when it came to her support for Barack Obama, but she enthusiastically threw her support behind the Illinois Senator. After a bruising primary, Obama confidants were unsure whether Hillary would make a heart felt effort to convince her reluctant supporters to back Obama in this close election, but she came through in the end.
History was made on Wednesday night when Senator Barack Obama became the first black nominee for President. In a well choreographed piece of theatre, Senator Hillary Clinton, speaking from the convention floor, provided Obama with the delegate count necessary to win the Democratic nomination.
On Monday night, Michelle Obama played the dutiful wife perfectly suited for any white working class family in Middle America, who still see the Obama’s as “not like them.”
On Tuesday night, Hillary Clinton, former presidential candidate and keynote speaker at the Democratic Convention was still considered an unknown quantity when it came to her support for Barack Obama, but she enthusiastically threw her support behind the Illinois Senator. After a bruising primary, Obama confidants were unsure whether Hillary would make a heart felt effort to convince her reluctant supporters to back Obama in this close election, but she came through in the end.
History was made on Wednesday night when Senator Barack Obama became the first black nominee for President. In a well choreographed piece of theatre, Senator Hillary Clinton, speaking from the convention floor, provided Obama with the delegate count necessary to win the Democratic nomination.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Strange Stories
I have to take note of some strange news stories I came across this week. Scientists at University of California at Berkley say they are working on inventing an invisible cloak. That’s right, an invisible cloak. This cloak will make you invisible. In order to make an object invisible you have to bend light backwards according to the scientists. Well these scientists have developed a 3-D material that will bend light. At the moment the UC Berkley scientists can bend light around a speck of dust, but that’s as far as they have gotten. It will take at least 10-years before we make anything of significance disappear.
The second story printed in the NY Times on August 11, concerns the estate of a William Milliken Vanderbilt Kingsland, a Manhattan resident who died two years ago. He was either in his late fifties or early sixties, no one knows for sure. Mr. Kingsland, as he was known, was a part-time art collector who claimed to have attended Harvard and married a French royal. Oh, by the way his real name was Melvyn Kohn. Well Mr. Kohn left no will when he died but he did leave some ‘stolen art’ from 40 years ago including a Picasso and a bust by Giacometti that has since been valued at $900,000 to $1.2 million.
The FBI attempted to track down the original owners by posting the stolen art on a website, but was no takers.
Bigfoot, that half man/half guerilla and his family apparently lives in the woods in Georgia, (not the Georgia that just stood on Russia’s toes) according to Rick Dyer, 31, a former Corrections Officer and his partner Mathew Whitton, who held a news conference in California. Both men showed grainy photographs of a body looking like a guerilla costume stuffed in a refrigerator. According to Dyer and Whitton they came across the body in the woods and saw other creatures nearby. On further DNA examination of the remains, the experts said Bigfoot was made from a human and 96 percent from an opossum.
The second story printed in the NY Times on August 11, concerns the estate of a William Milliken Vanderbilt Kingsland, a Manhattan resident who died two years ago. He was either in his late fifties or early sixties, no one knows for sure. Mr. Kingsland, as he was known, was a part-time art collector who claimed to have attended Harvard and married a French royal. Oh, by the way his real name was Melvyn Kohn. Well Mr. Kohn left no will when he died but he did leave some ‘stolen art’ from 40 years ago including a Picasso and a bust by Giacometti that has since been valued at $900,000 to $1.2 million.
The FBI attempted to track down the original owners by posting the stolen art on a website, but was no takers.
Bigfoot, that half man/half guerilla and his family apparently lives in the woods in Georgia, (not the Georgia that just stood on Russia’s toes) according to Rick Dyer, 31, a former Corrections Officer and his partner Mathew Whitton, who held a news conference in California. Both men showed grainy photographs of a body looking like a guerilla costume stuffed in a refrigerator. According to Dyer and Whitton they came across the body in the woods and saw other creatures nearby. On further DNA examination of the remains, the experts said Bigfoot was made from a human and 96 percent from an opossum.
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