I just finished watching John McCain on Meet the Press, and I have a few observations. First off, much like his appearances in the debates, he looked like a very angry and grumpy old man. Considering that he received so much criticism for the exact same thing after the debates, you would think he would present himself in a different way. What this tells me is that this is his true demeanor and personality. I don’t know about you, but I certainly do not want someone in charge of my country who acts like that, especially not now.

Another observation was that he was once again repeating lies and misinformation about Obama’s policies. Let me clarify right now. Obama did not change the threshold for tax increases from $250K to $200K. Here’s the tax plan. I’m not sure where McCain came up with that whopper, but it is not honorable, fair, or respectable to repeat lies and misinformation over and over again on the trail or in interviews. Mr. McCain, are you listening? You have not run an honorable, fair, or respectable campaign. I honestly believe you meant what you said early on in the campaign that you would do just that, but you let the same thugs that ruined your chances for election in 2000 run your campaign, and they have turned you in to something that you historically despised. It really is a shame, sir.

A final observation came from the end of the interview, and I am almost hesitant to mention it. McCain had another “senior moment” when he could not remember the names of the former Secretaries of State that are endorsing him. I’ve had those moments before, and I’ve seen many politicians forget things here and there, but in McCain’s case, it has been something that has happened enough to make me concerned that it may have something to do with his age. Let’s all be honest with ourselves. The Presidency is very likely the most stressful job on the planet. Just looking at President Clinton and President Bush, you can see how quickly relatively young men age due to the job. McCain is already 72 years old. What will this job do to someone that age? None of us know. That has to be a major concern for the electorate especially because Sarah Palin is nowhere near an acceptable choice to replace him if something were to happen.

I’m not sure what McCain intended to do with this interview, but I suspect he did not do himself any favors with the undecided voters out there. I also suspect that the performance solidified support for Obama around the country. We’re in the home stretch, and we have to keep up the pressure on McCain and the rest of the Republicans. This is shaping up to be a great year for Democrats and our country. We all need to see it through.

Obama/Biden 2008

I was on the edge of my seat this morning watching Meet The Press waiting for Colin Powell to make his endorsement. I was struck by the thoughtfulness with which he made his case for voting for Barack Obama. His story about the Muslim United States soldier who gave his life in Iraq was especially inspiring. Powell is right, and this is something I have thought since the Clinton campaign was trying to paint Barack as a Muslim during the primaries. Who cares if someone is Muslim or Christian or Jewish or Atheist? I don’t and won’t hold it against them. This is something that needs to be said over and over again to the politicians and citizens who have made it a bad thing to follow any religion other than their own. Wasn’t our country founded to prevent religious prosecution? It seems some people, both Republicans and Democrats, have forgotten that vital pillar of our way of life as we know it. Let’s all follow Powell’s lead and call out politicians and citizens who preach hate and discrimination.

Obama/Biden 2008

Sarah Palin was on SNL last night, and her skits were pretty funny, and she was a good sport. The great thing about SNL is that the cast and writers are able to say what they really think under the disguise of comedy. I think Alec Baldwin really meant what he said in the intro skit, and the rap during Weekend Update was also a roasting of McCain/Palin with Palin sitting right there at the desk. As Lorne Michaels said in the intro skit, SNL presents “a heightened reality.”

A heightened reality indeed.

Obama/Biden 2008

We’ll, it’s happened again. Once again, the Republicans have stolen something from me. First they steal the election from Gore in 2000 with the help of the judicial branch of our government. Then they manage to steal my hopes and dreams over the next four years by instituting idiotic policies. Next they steal several Kerry/Edwards signs from our front yard in the Chicago suburbs in 2004. Then they again manage to steal my hopes and dreams over the next four years by instituting idiotic policies. I am still disgusted that over half of our population voted for such incompetence after witnessing the previous four years.

Now, it’s 2008, and members of the Grand Old Party are at it again. We had an Obama/Biden sign in our front yard until some time early this morning. The same goes for our neighbors on either side of us. Our three yards were an island of hope smack dab in the middle of hillbilly hell in south Saint Louis County. Needless to say, all three signs are gone. Our property has once again been stolen from us. Guess who’s signs are still standing. You guessed it, McCain/Palin.

Am I surprised? Nope. The same thing happened with Dubya back in 2000 and 2004. Now, because of where I live, it’s hard for me to really pinpoint why someone would steal signs from our yards. Is it because Republicans lack character? For some, yes. Is it because they fear change that much? Probably, most people do. Is it because of his race? Probably. I have no doubt that Missouri will be one of the states where polls show that race played a role in the electorate’s voting preference. And these are the people that claim to be “saved!”

Regardless of their reasons for stealing the property of others, the Republicans have once again shown that they lack the character, thoughtfulness, and intelligence to lead our country. We’re dealing with an enormous lack of mental fortitude here, and apparently, this is an issue all over the country. Obama signs are disappearing everywhere while McCain signs keep on standing. It shows how hard it is to change the status quo.

You know what? Change is hard. It takes work and a little faith that things will work out. Change is not for the lazy or stupid. It is more clear than ever that we, as a country, are in desperate need for change. I believe Obama and Biden bring our best chance to move this country in the right direction by changing the way our country deals with issues here and abroad. It is time for all of us to suck it up, vote for change, and work hard with the solid leadership of Obama and Biden to make our country great again for all Americans and not just the wealthy. It’s time, America! It’s time to elect Obama to lead us in the right direction.

Obama/Biden 2008

As someone who works in finance and technology, I have had a front row view of what is happening now with the financial and credit markets. Just a couple years ago, I was helping a large European bank develop reports for the very financial vehicles that are helping to devastate economies around the world now. In preparation for developing the reports, I did a ton of research to learn exactly how these vehicles worked, and to be honest, I had a very difficult time figuring out how the money flowed through these vehicles, and it seems like a lot of people that needed to know how they worked really had no clue. I don’t mean to scare anyone, but we’re in for a very long and rough ride, and I mean the whole world here. This crisis is something that historians will write about much like the way that they write about the Great Depression.

If you want to understand more about what is happening, please take an hour of your time, and listen to the October 3rd episode of This American Life. You can also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes if you prefer. It will help you understand how we got into this mess.

As I was watching the Vice Presidential debate last Thursday night, it dawned on me that not only does Sarah Palin want to continue Dick Cheney’s practice of stretching the powers of the office of Vice President, she also may be more like Bush than even McCain has been over the last eight years. It was clear in the debate that Palin is a politician that pretty much does whatever she damn well pleases. She refused to answer any of the moderator’s questions and almost acted as if Joe Biden wasn’t even in the room. It was the most bizzare political debate I have watched in my entire life.

We have had a leader in office for the last eight years that has pretty much done whatever he damn well pleased or at least whatever his masters have damn well pleased. Trust has been broken. Laws have most likely been broken. America has lost the respect of the world, and we’re all worse off for it. Do the American people really want another administration that will continue to ignore what is best for the country and only do what is best for the few? I do not believe that. I cannot believe that and still feel good about my Republican friends and neighbors. It is time for a new direction and a brighter future for all.

Obama/Biden 2008