November 4th

Obama is elected our 44th President!!!  I hope that I am not breaking this news for you.  Anyway, this post is just to note my special experience and complete happiness on election night.  

On November 4th, 2008, I worked at the Associated Press (my little side gig that I have going on).  All freaking night.  And while I understand that I was part of the news, I was still a little sad that I couldn't watch the suspenseful election night coverage with the rest of America.  So I got people to text me updates throughout the night.  I can't even begin to explain how unnerving it is to get a text saying that McCain is in the lead.  I started plotting my move to Canada (I know, threatening to move to Canada is such a cliché thing to say but my aunt currently lives in Toronto so it's not so out of the blue).  I am so glad he didn't maintain that brief lead.

I was done at the AP around 1 AM and left so I could go home, sleep and come back at 10 AM.  When the subway came and the doors opened, passengers cheered and applauded.  It was very unexpected since the only voices that you ever really hear on the subway comes from the homeless people pleading their case on why you should give them money.  It sent chills through my body.  That happened at each stop and you could feel the happiness.  It was amazing.

It's been well over a week and I still can't believe it.

John McCain: The Distorted Moderate

Senator John McCain claims to be a moderate Republican (i.e. conservative on most fiscal policies and slightly more liberal than his Republican counterparts).  This actually made me a little happy inside because I have a huge problem with extremists (of all kinds).  To borrow from the theme of Bridge to Terabithia, "Keep your mind wide open."

But as I read more and more on this witty centrist from Arizona (did you see him nominate Jay Leno for president on The Tonight Show?), I have found that he is not moderate at all, not even in the slightest sense of the word.  He makes traditional conservative votes for the most part (90% of the time according to Obama) and very rarely, he deviates erratically in his "liberal" ways, resulting in an uproar within the Republican populous.  He has been conservative when voting on foreign and military policy, on economic policy, on abortion rights and on gay rights.  So my question is, what else is there for him to vote on that makes him so "moderate?"

Today, he announced that he has chosen Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice President, an obvious strategic attempt to gain the support of diehard Hillary fans,... even though Hillary endorsed  Obama on Tuesday, surely the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits can't be that angry.  As a woman, I am offended that McCain would think that I would ignore that his issues contradict women issues and vote for him anyway solely because he chose a woman as his VP.  It's about the issues, not girls vs. boys.

So who is Sarah Palin?  According to MSNBC, she is currently under investigation for abusing power in Alaska (she tried to have her ex brother-in-law fired from the state).  Haven't we seen enough (more than enough, in my opinion) of exploitation from Bush?  Even if the investigation is still open, any speculation of this behavior is enough reason for me to say "Hell to the No."

Sarah Palin is also three years younger than Barack Obama, the same Democratic nominee labeled as inexperienced by McCain.  Does that mean Palin is even more inexperienced?  What are you trying to tell me John?

In tune with his grandfatherly ways, McCain still thinks it is OK when women don't receive equal pay for equal work.  So does that mean that if and when McCain/Palin sweep the polls in November, Palin will receive less pay than Dick Cheney currently earns now?

John McCain: Moderate?  Debatable and semi-relative (depending on who you ask).  Hypocrite?  Most definitely.