Bush's twin sister?

Well today I decided to start this blog because I have a lot to talk (rail) about and no one to talk to (offend).

It also just so happens that tonight I watched the second presidential debate (when is Lost starting?), which gave me at least one more thing to opine about. That thing would be the asinine plan McCain announced in which the US Treasury would buy up all the bad mortgages in the country and forgive the home owners the portion of their debt that they have lost as their home value went down. I'll get back to that in a future post.

First, I want to make a couple of general observations about this political season, and the candidates.

Who will I vote for? I may vote for Obama, if McCain appears to have a chance in hell of winning, which I think he will not. Obama is far from my first choice, but I do think he will be competent and reasonable, and probably keep us from getting into even more trouble with the rest of the world.

As a Libertarian, I will vote for my party if the gap in the leading candidates is large enough for me to feel comfortable. I would really like to see some viable third party candidates in major elections because I think our two major parties mostly suck.

I've heard several people claiming to be Libertarians actually say they were voting for McCain. I'm appalled and here's why:

- McCain has publicly stated on the Don Imus show, "I would rather have a clean government than one where 'quote' First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I'd rather have the clean government." To this end, he cosponsored the McCain Feingold Act legislation that, contra-constitution, allows government bureaucrats (FEC) to regulate free speech by third parties during pre-election time.

- McCain said of the decision by the Supreme Court to grant habeas corpus rights to detainees at Guantanamo Bay Cuba, "The United States Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is one of the worst decisions in the history of this country". 'nuff said.

- McCain has stated that he would appoint Supreme Court justices based on their willingness to overturn a previous Supreme Court decision (Roe v Wade). This is the worst possible way to pick a new Supreme Court justice and and subverts the duty the President has to pick someone for this lifetime appointment based on their character and credentials, not based on his partisan agenda.

There is more, but the point is, while his opponent will likely expand government in a Liberal fashion, McCain will subvert the US Constitution and human rights even further than the Bush administration. Any damage done by Obama should be reversible, McCain's damage may not be. I also believe Obama will do a good job with our foreign policy and raising our stature with the rest of the world, while McCain will continue our slide and spend us into oblivion through further preemptive war efforts (for Mrs. Palin- that's the Bush Doctrine).

Another important consideration is the choice of running mate. Obama has chosen an intelligent, experienced colleague. McCain has chosen an lying idiot with no relevant experience. She was Mayor of a town of less than 10,000 people, and Governor of our 47th largest state with 680,000 residents. That's less than half the population of Dallas proper. Despite having a degree in communications and journalism, she can't put together a coherent sentence without reading it from a cue card. If Sarah Palin were to become our President, that would be a travesty.

Palin reminds me of one of those early computer artificial intelligence simulators. In interviews, her answers are almost relevant to the question; but the way she strings together random talking points, uses folksy colloquialisms, winks, nods, and misspeaks several times per sentence tips you off that something's not right. Combine that with her policy viewpoints, and it makes you wonder if she's Bush's long lost twin sister.