Great music video: "So Long" by Sally Anthony

Click the image to play the music video of Sally Anthony's "So Long" (thank you Chris for forwarding!)

"What senator Obama doesn't seem to understand..." Well, tell us. What doesn't he understand? (by guest author Aaron)

With the debates fresh in everyone's minds, it's important that we take a step back and evaluate what was said. Well, go on! Start evaluating! Nah, just kidding.

The first thing I'm addressing is the "winner" of the debates. It seems that both sides have claimed victory.  How does one go about winning a debate in the first place? I wasn't entirely aware that it was a competition, although I'm sure some people see it that way. Open forums for discussion and even disagreement are supposedly part of the democratic process, but this tongue-in-cheek style of constant cut-downs didn't really do anyone any good. It seemed only to widen the quagmire between the two parties.

That said, politics is generally rife with double-speak, so it's little surprise that a lot of if was done. It was also not surprising to see the side from which it came. McCain stated time and time again "What Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand..." but failed to ever drive a point home. It seemed in light of this negative portrayal of his experience, that Senator Obama DID indeed understand a great number of issues of very great complexity. Apparently lack of age and lack of experience DON'T necessarily have to go hand-in-hand.

We also can't really get a firm grasp of the financial crisis. Fire the chairman of the SEC!!! Let alone that the entire structure below AND above him is to blame. I guess we all need a figure-head to whom we can assign blame. And really, isn't that what EVERYTHING has been about for the past eight years?

It seems that he espouses a continuation of failed policies, of negligent behavior, and the blame-game, all the way from Wall Street to War. It's time that someone stepped in and fixed the mess instead of talking about who got us into it and why. We already figured that one out.

(My original intent was to outline some highlights from the debate, but upon obtaining a transcript, I abandoned that in favor of a small, non-inclusive synopsis. I, after all, didn't want to consume Joe's ENTIRE blog with one post, which would be rude and really annoying to read. What I've boiled in down to is simply that Senator Obama DOES understand, and has demonstrated that remarkably well. As for a winner? Neither. We're in this to win an election, not a debate.)

EZ chart of effect of McCain or Obama plan on your taxes

source: Tax Policy Center

Chart comparing Obama and McCain positions

The website ProCon.org offers an easy and quick way to compare candidate positions on many issues. Their 2008 Election ProCon page is specific to the USA 2008 Presidential election. Here is a chart I've assembled giving a very quick look at Obama's and McCain's positions (or lack thereof) on some of the issues as documented by ProCon:

Farmers rate Obama at 100%, McCain at 0%

From today's Wall Street Journal... The article is The GOP Loves the Heartland To Death
Journalist Thomas Frank writes, in part,

A few days ago I talked politics with Donn Teske, the president of the Kansas Farmers Union and a former Republican. Barack Obama may come from a big city, he admits, but the Farmers Union gives him a 100% rating for his votes in Congress. John McCain gets a 0%. "If any farmer in the Plains States looked at McCain's voting record on ag issues," Mr. Teske says, "no one would vote for him."

emphasis added