2008 VP Debate

Last night was an intriguing night.  Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden went head to head in the only Vice-Presidential debate of this election.  This morning both parties are claiming a win last night.  This is one of those nights where both parties seem to have needed different things from their candidates - and they both seemed to accomplish what they needed to for their primary candidates.

I liked the spirited chivalry that went on last night.  Both had a canned phrase or two that they found their opportunities to share - "ultimate bridge to nowhere" statement from Biden, and the "say it ain't so, Joe" from Palin.

Here is who I really liked last night...for the most part.  I liked the moderator - Gwen Ifill.  She was minimal in this debate and I really appreciated that.  She let the candidates talk and talk the way they wanted to.  Last week, this was not the case.  Jim Lehrer spent a lot of time trying to get Obama and McCain to talk to each other.  Part of that was because the presidential candidates had a harder time directly answering questions, in my opinion.

All in all, I had a good night.  Rhonda and I sat and watched it together with her and we stopped and discussed some and we heard things differently at times.  In the end, I love the fact that we live in a country where we get to watch debates like this and in the end we get to vote.  We get to vote!  Monday, October 6th is the deadline to register, by the way.  Make sure you are registered here.  Tina Fey is funny and talented, but she cannot be our barometer.  Pros and cons surround both tickets, so learn about the primary issues that separate the candidates and vote based on your own conscience and convictions.  

In the end, we have neighbors on both sides, coworkers on both sides, and friends on both sides.  Discussing the issues does not have to be a negative experience, but I have to admit that it often leads to more tension than I wish it did!

Have a great Friday and Go Chargers - Beat Lake!

It's been a long 7 days...

Well, it's been an eventful seven days, that's for sure.  Last week I really thought I'd comment on what I watched at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, but I wasn't blown away by any of it, and I just kept waiting.  Michelle Obama gave a nice speech for her husband, I liked it.  Hillary gave a pretty good Hillary speech, it was better than I expected.  Bill is good when he speaks, but not sure I believed it.  Joe Biden was Joe Biden.  Barack's finale was grand.  75,000+ people gathered was quite a spectacle.  I was however disappointed that he spent the first 1/3 of his speech doing what he's convinced many of us that he wouldn't do - typical political bashing of the other candidate.  The back 2/3 I thought were good, but in the end, I thought his 2004 speech was better and his speech last spring when his former pastor made the idiotic remarks were both more inspiring speeches.  DNC 08, in the books.

Friday brought another whirlwind with the selection of Alaskan governer Sarah Palin as John McCain's VP candidate.  Wow, that seemed to come out of left field.  I am neither for her nor against her, for I know her not.  It was pretty funny watching all of the media scramble on Friday because it seemed to catch everyone off-guard.  I like some of the things I hear about her, but I am concerned about other things.  I definitely think that it makes the next 60 days much more interesting.  I'm still liking the Meghan McCain blog.

Saturday came and an email from my mom changed the course of the weekend.  She asked us to come visit her and wait there until we determined where Gustav was going to make landfall.  Rhonda and I had already decided we weren't moving until the storm made a shift toward us, but when mom's ask, sons pretty much go, right?  We packed up and went west to Ganado, Texas.  We played a little golf, I got sick, was laid up all day Sunday, then played a little more golf on Monday, then headed back home.  I must say that being at my mom's was the best place to be sick, though.  Not for her and Dad, but for me.  She hooked me up with some meds that kept it all to a minimum.  

We watched Gustav push through Louisiana and heard about Gov. Palin's family situation.  I really wish her kids were grown and out of the house, because I know how valuable she is to her family right now and I think it might be more than the value she is to our country.  That's just me, though and I could be wrong.  I also happen to think that she just might make a great vice president.  I was proud of the political parties for their stances over the weekend with Gustav and I was proud to see Senator McCain request a tone-down of the convention-as-usual affairs for yesterday.  I am however looking forward to tonight and hopefully something will wow me enough to write about it in the morning.

Either way, I'm back and planning to be here every morning this week.  For the record, my blog is not a political blog, but rather a blog about how we are embracing the Christ-life in every place, with everything every day and one of the most exciting presidential elections of my time just happens to be falling in the middle of my "in every place, with everything everyday."  My apologies if my views don't line up with yours and you think they should.  Don't celebrate if they happen to line up anywhere today, because tomorrow might be a whole new story.  I'm not a journalist, so I am not always trying to be unbiased (though they aren't very good at it either).  I just want to spur those of us who follow Jesus to be more willing to listen and discuss with each other.  We may not always like each other's positions but that doesn't mean we can't have meaningful, intelligent conversation does it?  Have fun, don't take yourself or others too seriously.