bdotnet.net

So, how’s the debate going so far?

Well, Obama sure knows how to throw up a smokescreen. “If you make this much, then you’ll get this rebate, but people here will pay people there, and if you’re a small business then you’ll get a break here but a big business ‘who can afford it’ will owe some more there.” He’s as smooth as the mob.

McCain ain’t no better. Some tips: Talk about the VALUES. Stay on track. Calm down. Oh, how about you say something conservative once in a while? Ugh, the karma of being a “half-Republican” is kicking the door down.

And shut up about JOE THE F’ING PLUMBER!

I came across this article by Kirsten Powers. She’s a lib, but an honest lib. If all liberals were like this we’d be half-way to having intelligent discussion in this country (the other half being honest conservatives!).

THE FIRST DEBATE: ALL JABS, NO KOS

At the end she references an interesting quote from Clark Clifford during the JFK years: “Take advantage of every opportunity to appear with Nixon. You are better than he is.”

Based on other columns she’s written, people like this make me believe that everyone, in their heart of hearts, is a libertarian. When you break it down policy by policy, and don’t slap the “libertarian” label on it, I find that people generally agree on principle.

When you’re being intellectually honest with somebody, you can have a REAL discussion. You realize that high taxes do NOT correlate with better schools, and that having military bases in every country is overkill. You start discussing “HOW” to do things, rather than what they cost.

Government should be more like a grandparent. Help foster good values, guide, be a companion in exceptionally hard times, but don’t try to be the provider, and stop dipping into the kid’s bank account. Good grandparents aren’t expensive. All the money in the world can’t compare to an ounce of good intention.

So, McCain sure threw us a curve ball when he mentioned ANOTHER $300 billion dollar bailout he has in the works. Where did we go wrong? One of the cable news pundits said it right, we’ve just witnessed the death of “free-market conservatism”.

Instead of standing on principle, McCain is trying to “out-liberal” Obama. That’s never going to work, because Obama’s the real deal (to paraphrase Laura Ingrahm). If you’re really not a political party hack, why not stand by your principles and just see if the people elect you? McCain, you’re stuck in the same struggle for personal and party power that corrupts all of you politicians.

Not only is it principled, it’s RIGHT. He can’t do it now since he voted for that socialist bailout package, but imagine if McCain got up there and stood for something radically different than Obama? What if Obama spewed the popular mantra of deregulation, wallstreet greed, and bailout packages, but McCain talked about slashing corporate tax rates, eliminating capital gains, and repealing Sarbanes Oxley?

People don’t want “change” - they want “FRESH”. They want to feel free and optimistic like they did in the 80’s and 90’s. Freeing up the market and reducing the barriers, focusing on reducing the shadow of government beaurocracy on our lives is exactly what the people want.

Look, it doesn’t sound like it will work, but when people hear the message of freedom and realize how that empowers them every day - not just every 4 years - it resonates. We saw it with Ron Paul. If not for his amplified behavior and voting record, he would be an incredibly strong national candidate.

In the end, McCain needed to get Obama chasing HIM instead of him dragging behind Obama trying to nitpick and poke holes in everything. He needed to set the agenda, and do something radical tonight that would make headlines and get people excited like they were when he selected Palin.

That didn’t happen. He didn’t win any points. He alienated conservatives like myself with talk of ANOTHER bailout package (I will now vote for a third party). And we’re still at square one with Obama leading by 6 points.

A congressmen (?) that recently passed away said something very profound in his book. “Learn the difference between your principles, and your preferences. On your principles, never waver.” We’ve lost sight, Republicans. We had power for the better part of a decade and we let Washington change us. McCain said it himself. But it seems like we still haven’t learned that lesson.

Just look at the messiah Reagan. Did he win people over with this kind of crap? No. He won people over with ideas of freedom, and the example that liberty sets. He made THE PEOPLE feel powerful, and not just as though they were voting power to others. We’ve forgotten that big time, and I could not be more disappointed with the candidates or congress in recent months.

Always do what’s right, in the face of anything, and let Providence handle the rest.

My heroes! Big props to all of the congressmen who voted against the bailout. The bill that was on the table was an unabashed leap toward socialism. The American people spoke up, wrote their congressional representatives, and we defeated it.

Some people are afraid that inaction will cause another depression, but trust me, fear is never a good motivation to do anything, particularly when that involves a suspiciously expedited spending bill of unprecidented proportions.

Free market principles can get us out of this. Reduce ridiculous corporate and capital gains tax rates. Repeal Sarbanes Oxley. Consider a LENDING program, not a BAILOUT program. Recognize that corrupt government regulations caused this, and that we should free the market. Keep the faith.

Man, this has been a fascinating election (primaries and all). Bush escalated the threat of the crisis with a public statement and called out Obama. Now, Obama will be joining McCain in Washington tomorrow, effectively capitulating to McCain’s original plea. Unbelievable. 50/50 who comes out on top of this one.

John McCain decided to suspend his campaign in an effort to redirect his energy toward the economic crisis. He even went so far as to cancel the debate! Are you crazy?!

• Obama is weak when it comes to debates and you cancel??
• The debate *was* supposed to be on Friday night, which requires people to plan ahead to watch. Now if you change your mind, a chunk of your potential audience has already walked out the door.
• What are you going to do, suspend your campaign until the economy rights itself?
• Campaigning for President is your full-time job and supposed patriotic duty now. Want to help this country in the long-term? Become the President.

I think it’s obvious why he’s doing this. He’s perceived to be weak on the economy, or at least in lock step with the current administration, and this gamble is an attempt to right himself. All we can do is watch… the next two days will tell the tale.