Tuesday, July 8, 2008

I just love election years and all of the idiocy that it brings...and the positions and pundits and poop that emerges...and I find myself more and more cynical with each passing election. I wish it wasn't this way--that someone or something would come along that would inspire me and make me feel proud to vote--but that has been a while...I think Roosevelt...Teddy, that is...since I felt inspired...well, maybe Reagan.

Anyway, this leads to a whole series of important questions as to where we are heading as a country...and our place in the world...but since the dollar is now worth about 1/5 of a Euro and is being considered to be linked to the Mexican peso for currency stability... our place in the world is looking to be more and more of a bargain for the Europeans and the oil sheiks to simply buy us up...and then we will go to work for them...as cast members at Disneyland and baristas at Starbucks...well, now that I heard the 'Bucks is closing 600 stores maybe it will be at Mickey D's instead...


But once again I digress and avoid saying anything substantive about the election...but on the face of it this really shouldn't be any contest as to who should be elected...but since Bozo has left the building we need to choose between Messrs. McCain and Obama...and it seems to boil down to experience/age vs. inspiration/change...and a lot can still happen in the coming months but I would predict that Obama is going to become more conservative (which always happens with Democratic nominees since the McGovern thumping of the 70's)...and McCain is going to try to become more contemporary...hip if you will...and that is going to be the more formidable task since there is so little one can do with his white and thinning hair...but I don't know if you had heard this, but it was really rather disturbing...that Obama only had 143 days of US Senatorial experience prior to forming his Presidential exploratory committee...does that bother anyone other than me? Wow! Don't misunderstand me...I understand that a large part of being the President is inspiration and perception...but even JFK had WWII experience and much more time in the Senate...and while Reagan was an actor he had been a fairly effective California governor...but what has Obama done besides attending Harvard (sheesh, like that is any big deal!), a lawyer (ditto) and worked in Chicago politics for a bit. This one is really tough to figure out...but if friends of Obama like Wesley Clark opens his mouth up one more time on Obama's behalf McCain may actually have a shot...

But what about the women in this campaign? No, no, no...not Cindy or Michelle...I mean Hillary! A reader of this blog has asked me about the "bitch" factor for women in business and politics and leadership generally...and Hillary provides perhaps the most recent example of this issue...so, was HIllary penalized unfairly because she portrays character that in men would be construed as leadership or guts or strength but in women we view this as being "bitchy?" A great question...and I would say that in my experience that this is a fair criticism...and I really don't know how to change it...or at least change it within a period of years because it really is a generational tendency...that is only very slowly changing...and I think we must be fair that we recognize that it is not only in a woman's demeanor and style but it involves dress, emotions, crying in public, humor and a myriad of other issues...and it really is unfair to women and likely hampers their ability to lead...and I have commented in the past in Sunday School classes that I have taught that much of what I read in the New Testament shows that women had a formidable if not essential role in the birth and stability of the early Christian church...and since that time I don't know that we men in leadership in the Church have done such a great job (can anyone say Inquisitions, Crusades, Apocalyptic proclamations, polygamy, war, etc.)...

So I think the answer for equality for women lies elsewhere...and I will comment on that in my next post...as I need to get after the day here and earn my keep...blessings to each and every one of you today!

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