[Laura Heidy-Halberstein]

Originally posted by Jerry Glenn Hartwig:
But even while I acknowledge Obama's plan is better off for the lower income while not hurting us middle incomers, what about the rest of the plan he's not talking about? Surely, he's not telling us everything. His past comments, even if retracted or explained, ought to give us an idea what he's thinking.

ROFLMAO - What rest of the plan are you talking about, Jerry? The link I provided pretty much covers the whole income tax question - for both parties. Surely McCain is not telling us everything, either. Surely Obama is not the only candidate who's retracted or explained a position, is he?

You're right - the election this year is a carnival crap-shoot - pay your money, throw your ball, win the prize (or not.) (Did I mix my metaphors there?)

You're right, I don't know everything about Obama as he's a relative newcomer - nor do you know everything about Palin who is an even newer newcomer. She may have a year or two more experience (depending on what you consider experience) but she's a newcomer to me - and to this election. There's not been time to vet her, examine her, listen to her or appraise her. The fact that the entire campaign from McCain on down seems hell-bent on keeping it that way sets off way too may alarms for me. Why does she need "handlers?" What person, if considered fully qualified to be 2nd in line as President of the United States, needs to be "handled," to be "treated with deference" to be shielded from press and public alike?

And I'm not picking on her, Jerry, I'm not bad mouthing her or trashing her or being a sexist - I'm just stating fact. Doesn't it make you (a self admitted cynic) the least bit uncomfortable, if not downright suspicious, that no one is being allowed to interview her? That she's not allowed to campaign by herself? That she's given not one speech that consisted of anything other than a rehash of her original acceptance speech (and that speech contained a whole mishmosh of untruths and half-truths such as the "I vetoed the Bridge to Alaska" and the "sold the plane on eBay" misrepresentations?) That on the 10 1/2 hour plane ride to Alaska she did not once speak or joke with the onboard journalists? Does this sound like "Miss Congeniality" behaviour to you? I don't think we know Sarah at all. I think it's been planned that way by her first "handler," John McCain. Do you really think a young, intelligent, vivacious and attractive former beauty queen is silent on a 10 1/2 hour trip by nature? More like by executive order if you ask me. So the next logical question to ask ourselves is this: "Why?" "What does he know that he doesn't want us to know?" Mystique is fine for spies and such - not so fine for a candidate running for the second highest office in our country.

Yes, Obama's had his share of mistruths and scandals - I'm not denying that. Am I happy with it? Nah, actually I'm not. But jeez-louise, he stood there and took it. And he either explained it or he apologized for it, and, either way, he tried to fix it. I can respect that. I've had to do it myself, and I know it's not always easy to do.

But he didn't hide from it. He didn't run away from it. He didn't refuse interviews, he didn't claim racism or sexism or anything else. He doesn't have handlers who run interference for him. He doesn't demand "deference," he doesn't scream racism. He just eats it and kept coming back for more. Same goes for Biden.

I'm not looking for perfection in a candidate, Lord knows they've all got to have something defective in them in the first place to even RUN for the office, but I am looking for someone who's willing to take a question and answer it.

If it sounds like I'm railing at Palin, I'm not. I'm railing at McCain who was arrogant enough and calculating enough to put his own wish to win ahead of the country's best interests by choosing her, using her and for refusing to let her speak for herself.

What does that say about his own opinion of her abilities?

If anyone's being a sexist in this whole thing, it's him.

I can't vote on what I think will happen in the future, I don't know the future, I don't know what the president of the future is going to face. But I can only vote on what I see in the now....and from what I see of the whole McCain/Palin ticket, of the way he manipulates her and the news media and the general public (which includes myself) I can't, in good conscience, even entertain the thought that he'd manipulate any of us any the less were he our president.

What I don't know about Obama scares me a whole lot less that what I do know about McCain.

L

P.S. to Jerry - I'm still waiting for you to prove that Obama asked any of us to read his lips.
(Give them the right mission and even women who don't wear lipstick can be pitbull tenacious.)
(God, it's going to suck to be me if you really CAN back it up.)




[This message has been edited by Laura Heidy-Halberstein (edited September 11, 2008).]