Sunday, October 5

Politics, part 2 - an interesting article

An article I read about the Republican candidate, Senator John McCain. Back to the race issue from my last post, and knowing that most of you still believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim (or whatever that viral email says), I want to share something that was written about McCain.

Make-Believe Maverick: Rolling Stone article (Oct 16th issue)

It's a long article - printed out it's almost 20 pages long, but well worth the ink used. If you don't want to or can't make/take the time to read it, here are some things you may not know about Senator McCain:

- Karl Rove has said that McCain's 'practice of politics' is deceptive, and that the Senator's campaign ads go 'too far' and fail the 'truth test'.
- one constant in his life? "Doing what's best for himself." One former senator (a Republican senator, at that) said that "John has made a pact with the devil."
- "McCain didn't play well with others.", and seems to have had a misogynistic streak early on.
- he has escaped death twice (both incidents are written in the article).
- he's been called a "womanizing hotshot" among other things, and tended (or, tends) to lean on family connections for advancement.
- McCain admits that he "was not qualified" for a post as the commanding officer, training carrier pilots, in 1974 (after his unfortunate time as a POW).
- although adultery is a court-marital offense, and not okay by God, he did it anyway. Early and often.

Now folks, there is much more to this article. Every point I mentioned - while quite scathing - is in the article, and I honestly tried to include things here that would make you want to read the full text. Remember, I'm trying to educate you about both candidates in order for you to make your own informed decision come November 4. That's only a few weeks away, and I realize that this is a HUGE undertaking for me. When it comes to politics, I'm pretty dense - never paid attention until this year - but my own fog is clearing and I hope to make a dent in yours. We, as a people, are going to choose the next President of the United States. The HMFIC. The Big Man on Campus. Those are big shoes to fill, and we all want the best person doing it.

In fairness, I will try to find and read any similar article(s) about Senator Barack Obama. If you find one, please let me know! I'm more than happy to read it and write a similar blog post for you all to read. Only, it has to be from a reputable source - no emails that have been forwarded ten times. Most of the viral emails you may have received about Obama have already been debunked by great research sites like Snopes and FactCheck . But if you have seen something in NYT or other newspapers, or from CNN's website, pass it along and I'll give y'all my take on it. Good, bad, and ugly - just as I did here with Senator McCain.

Also in the interest of full disclosure, I am a volunteer for the Obama campaign here locally. I'm doing my best to keep these posts unbiased and fair in the interest of educating everyone who reads. There is a Presidential debate Tuesday night at 9 p.m. EST, and another on October 15 at 9 p.m. EST. These are great opportunities to hear each candidate speak - even when they talk to each other like kids fighting over a toy - and help you make your own decision. Make sure you are currently registered to vote! It's easy to register at your DMV among other places. The deadline is Tuesday October 7. I truly hope I've helped some of you in some way already, and you can keep coming back every few days to learn more!

Okay, if you have or are reading the article, you'll notice something I wasn't going to mention until after the election. Sen. McCain's second (current) wife and I do have the same maiden name. I have the genealogy of it, and the familial split that caused me to be raised where I was, and she out west, happened many generations ago. She is biologically a cousin - but like my (possible) connection to George Washington, it's quite distant. In relation to Dad, who is about Mrs. McCain's age, you have to go back 5 generations to find a link. Her GGG-Grandfather is the brother of Dad's GGG-Grandfather, both born around 1800 in NC. They are the first and second sons of Washington & Lucinda. So I guess, 6 generations actually, with Washington being the genetic link.

But anyway, please don't make that a reason to vote for McCain. Use this education and information I'm bringing you about the issues, not the man himself or anyone associated with him. Thanks for your time, and be sure to read the above-linked article for yourself! :-)

~A (this time, P sent me the article and said "it's interesting to read")

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