Monday, October 20, 2008

OBAMA: This has nothing to do with gardens or landscapes...

I know, I don't do lists, but here's a great one sent to me by MoveOn.org. Comments are welcome, whichever "side of the aisle" you're on...

TOP 5 REASONS OBAMA SUPPORTERS SHOULDN'T REST EASY

1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.

2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.

3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.

4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!

5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.

If you agree that we shouldn't rest easy, please sign up to volunteer at your local Obama office by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/obama/office.html?source=blog&id=14534-657367-ffUhGWx&t=1

We're just two weeks away from turning the page on the Bush era—but we can't afford to take our eye off the prize. We've got to keep pushing until the very end.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

My home state of NC seems to be one of interest lately. We usually elect a Republican president and a Democrat for Governor. My father was Democrat but looking through the measures of today, he would have been Republican. NC still has a strong senior voting population so there is no telling how it will go. They are registered Democrat but vote Republican on many issues.

Understanding a Southern Democrat is like threading a needle. We are more difficult to predict than early pregnancy. Is it positive or negative. For a short time--it could be both. If you've ever read the old pregnancy test then that would make sense to you.

I am tired of hearing the race issue being brought in to the mix. We are so over that. I'm 50 and I got over it in the 3rd grade. But if you watch any of the major news channels, they peg us as racist down here.

The polls opened today at our local library. I saw an equal number of all types and sizes going in to vote and using the same bathroom too. It was civilized with no protestors or anything ugly. I could not tell by the look on their faces who they were voting for.

I never even heard of Acorn and still haven't seen the group. In my lifetime, I've voted both ways. I study the voting record for each candidate and that decides it for me.

My husband works for the local government. They meet every other Tuesday night to decide the fate of the town matters and budget issues. Most of the time there are two people in the audience. That is the extent that people are interested in politics. Most don't know their governor, mayor, or council members.

In the last 5 presidents we have elected, I've seen their hands tied behind their backs as congress moves ahead spending pork. Why? because the average citizen has no clue how to stop it or who to go to for that information. You start with your state rep. Do you know who that is for your state? How many times have you gotten involved when a decision was being made?

The whole system is broke and I blame both sides. My father the great Democrat didn't believe in the redistribution of wealth cause he had 300 employees. When he got taxed, he had to get rid of an employee or raise the price on his goods. He also made moonshine and sold it to all the local police.

Those were the good old days when our problems didn't involve nuclear missles, stock market terrorism, pork spending out of control, and other such things.

My first priority is to elect the candidate who can make America a safe place. I was military and my husband is retired military. We have seen those who want to harm us to get us out of the way of their path to wealth. Peace to them means domination.

There is no good answer for our economy or safety from the unknown. I think those two problems are bigger than either candidate. The presidency doesn't belong to the president, it belongs to congress.

dinzie said...

We hope he gets in over here..So much cover on the news..We've even had 10 year olds telling the leader of our national party (election year here too) that they would vote for Obama.....

D

Garden Wise Guy said...

Anna - thank you so much for your intelligent and insightful comment. I very much appreciate your contribution. You managed to very politely thread the needle without revealing your own likely vote, which is perfectly proper. It's nice to read from thinking people who actually look beyond the knee-jerk, campaign-fueld bumper sticker garbage.

Wish us all well.

kate smudges said...

It seems as if the entire world is watching this election. No surprise considering how Bush's past eight years has affected us all - and not in a good way.

WiseAcre said...

Glad you found your way to my blog. I lost track of yours when the summer began - I've barley managed to visit those that have commented on mine. I need to stop by and say hi to kate too.

Big difference between a Wise Guy and a WiseAcre. You know and I only think I do. And don't forget there about a 3000 mile gap too.

I'll keep politics away from my blog but 'wise' bloggers seem to vote the same way :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Billy. I don't think people are very informed cause they are too lazy to read. Most people who vote have no clue why.

I am furious over the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae fiasco. The crooks need to go to jail. I fear the news media is going to quibble over whose hair was parted incorrectly and other easy things to write about that destroy character but do no good--all the while the crooks get away with millions stuffing the pockets of the congress men and women who went along. Who has the real back bone?

Only time will tell and I think it makes no difference which president is in the Whitehouse. I think we are going to be so preoccupied with defending our borders and homeland and this will tie the hands of the next president. If you are under attack, there is only one answer. Defend.

We are no longer in times where the economy, welfare, and health care will get the attention it has in the past. There isn't any money to do it with and there are other more pressing life threatening issues that will force the agenda for years to come.

We have become a petty nation of spoiled attitudes. War usually fixes that. No one wants it but other nations are not in agreement with us on things remaining the same. So I believe that soon, we will put this election behind us and enter a more serious span of history for these United States.

I think the congressional seats up for this election is more important than the presidency. Integrity should be the no.1 concern. 2nd is their track record and how they voted. 3rd should be how they line up with your beliefs. If you have voted intelligently then you will have no regrets even if world circumstances change the path of those beliefs.

But if you voted out of ignorance and put your feelings out there to make a decision for you...then I pity you for you will regret long and hard questioning the foundation of your beliefs.

Gone are the days when we as voters can vote without an affect on the future of the United States of America. Every person we put in office will lead us to victory and healing as we fight our foe. Or, these leaders will continue to act selfishly and ruin us.

There is enough blame to go around. I would like to see them all investigated and throw out the corrupt. Every congressman should be spotlighted on TV and give an account to us on where every penny that is spent---tell us about every decision you've made on our account---because....they take half my husband's paycheck every month. I'm fed up with their easy access approach. I am fed up I tell you!

LadyLuz said...

I'm an interested observer in all this from the south west corner of Spain. I couldn't agree more about not resting easy. Whatever the outcome of the election, we are all affected.

If it makes no difference who gets in, then Bush and his cronies couldn't have made such a hash of things over the last 8 years, nor seen the loss of the world's respect for the USA.

Anonymous said...

Oh, don't you worry; I'm PLENTY nervous!

lostlandscape said...

Well, I think the election actually has lots to do with gardens and, particularly, landscape. Our little patches of green might be all that's left if we get a "drill, baby, drill" sort of administration that takes even more of our natural spaces!

Wicked Gardener said...

It is kind of interesting that we all have a vote that matters in an election that matters so much to the world. Let's hope it goes into the right direction. "Drill, Baby, Drill?" Wouldn't "Pedal, Baby, Pedal" solve far more problems in this country?