SNL's "Palin and Clinton"

And the gimme money email

I admit it - I am on Obama's, Clinton's, and McCain's email lists. It's the easiest way to see what they are saying to those they think are "devoted" followers : - 0

Just got one from Obama - it's a nice email with one link saying donate. It was mostly a chatty letter about what is going on and reminding me to watch his speech tonight - which I will do.

None from Clinton today but yesterday hers had several appeals for money - with suggested amounts.

Here is McSames - hot off my email account with 4 links to remind me that I might want to give him a lot of money - fat chance of that!

Friends,

Tonight, we can say with confidence the primary season is over, and the general election campaign has begun.

Each American faces a decision this election and the choice between my candidacy and Senator Obama's could not be more clear. This is a change election. But the choice is between the right change and the wrong change; between going forward and going backward.

The right change recognizes that many of the policies and institutions of our government have failed. The right kind of change will initiate widespread and innovative reforms in almost every area of government policy from energy to taxes to government spending and the military.

The right change will stop impeding Americans from doing what they have always done, overcome obstacles and turn challenges into opportunities. Today, I humbly ask you to join my campaign for the right change, as we move forward together as a nation. Please follow this link to make your generous campaign contribution right away.

The wrong change looks not to the future, but to the past for solutions that have failed us before and will surely fail us again. Like others before him, my opponent seems to think government is the answer to every problem. That's not change we can believe in.

My friends, we're not a country that would rather go back than forward. We're the world's leader, and leaders don't hide from history. They make history. If we're going to lead, we must reform a government that has lost its ability to help us do so.

You can take direct action today by making a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, or any amount up to the legal limit of $2,300. Your generous support will enable me to take my message of the right change and reform directly to the American people.

I don't seek the presidency on the presumption I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need. I seek the office with the humility of a man who cannot forget my country saved me. I assure you that if I'm elected president, the era of reform and problem solving will begin. From my first day in office, I'll work tirelessly to make America safe, prosperous and proud. And that, my friends, is the kind of change we need.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. We need change in this country, but we need the right change. I am prepared to lead this country in the right direction, but I will need your help to get elected. Follow this link to make a donation of any amount up to the legal limit of $2,300. Your generous support will make all the difference in determining the type of change our next president brings to this nation. Thank you.

Hillary v. Obama

I have a few friends back East who can not understand why I am not an ardent Hillary supporter as I am a female.

Had to remind them that I was not a big Bill C. supporter in his primaries either - and it's solely due to politics. I do not like Clinton politics, policies or bush-like fear mongering.

Yes - I'd love to see a woman in the White House in my lifetime. Just not Hillary....

And yes I know that Obama's policies are largely unknown and I read that he is moving to the center and may appoint some R's to high level positions. If he does that and we do yet more center to right moving in this country - I will start advocating for someone else for the year 2012...

Like many other's these days - I have no loyalty to incumbents. My mantra is that if you do not represent ME and represent the best for ALL of our country - then you can be a one term wonder!

But for now I am even less thrilled with the Clinton campaign style - it's petty, vindictive and typically Clintonesque. It's like throw enough junk out here and see what sticks....I feel she should be above tis type of theater as it what was done to the Clintons when Bill was president.

But then again no one ever said politics was for genteel people!

McCain, Clinton and Words

I am a bit perplexed about Mc Cain and Clinton choices of words lately.

McCain is accused of having had a relationship with a lobbyist – so apparently blatant that his own staff stepped in to halt it.

His reply was that he did not have a romantic relationship with the female telecommunications lobbyist in question and did not favor her clients.

"I'm very disappointed in the article ...it's not true...I've served this nation honorably for more than half a century...at no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust."

Hmmm

Romantic relationship? Funny choice of words – what if it were just a sexual relationship – no romance needed for that and then he is not actually lying.

Served honorably? Maybe McCain is forgetting his role in the Keating scandal and the fact that he ditched wife #1 – the one who waited for him when he was a POW. After the divorce he quickly married money and had his political career bought for him by his wife and father-in-law. And he has admitted to adultery.

But maybe that fits his definition of honorable?

And Clinton. As she sinks further in the polls she has been using language that I find odd. For example this: "One of us is ready to be commander in chief in a dangerous world,"

I have enough experience with questionnaires, marketing and psychology to look at that sentence and ask: Who? And then: Why? The answers are not apparent in her statement so listeners are left to supply their own responses. For example, the answer could be McCain as he was in the military and in Congress longer than she has been.

If Clinton wants the answer to be “Hillary” then she has to tell the listeners that it’s her and why it is her. Just being 1st lady for 8 years does not make one a “ready” commander-in-chief anymore than having been in the military or being an Illinois Senator.

But of course no one asks her or her pollsters/insiders these questions – they are just looking for repeatable lines. And the line is being repeated – by McCain – so maybe they should all be asked about qualifications.

29-year-olds

My son, born in 1978 when Carter was president, reminded me that his entire waking talking life from 1981 on has had a bush or a Clinton in the administration and in power.

I, who have been around a lot longer, do recall other administrations.....and his comment did leave me thinking - he and others around 30 year old have never known a DC without a bush or Clinton. So - I can see why Obama is attracting voters my son's age.

They do not like dynasties and want a real change - and Obama is a real change in many ways - but first of all he is not a bush or a Clinton and that is attracting the more "youthful" voters - and now also many of my "aged" cohorts who with Edwards out - are tired of politics as usual and see Clinton as a predictable politics as usual.....

There is a huge benefit in electing someone who has not been in D.C. forever - politicians staying there develop myopia after a few terms and can no longer see outside the beltway. Someone who has more recent real life experiences elsewhere brings a different and broader view to the country's future..

And I really can't stand the arguement that experience is what is important - what is important is having excellent people around you - who argue with you and are not afraid of telling you something you might not want to hear. We learn from a variety of views and sources - fear based reports are what got us where we are with mad king george. I actually loved that Obama said he loses pieces of paper - so do I - and that does not make us idiots. What is isiotic is that the "media" saw that as a bad bad thing!

Yeesh! Maybe we need a clean sweep of the media as well as the powers-that-be in D.C. ?