Quote of the Day

"It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can."

-Yes We Can, by Black Eyed Peas' Will.I.Am

I Wonder...

...what will Sarah Palin do now? Some potential job opps:

• Teach a class in the University of Alaska's justice department entitled: "Proper Politics: The Art of Speech and Linguistics for Dummies".
• Become a regular on SNL, maybe filling in for new Mom Amy Phoeler during the Weekend Update. She's no Jane Curtain, but it would be funny if Seth Myers called Palin an "ignorant slut" on air.
  
• Take a job as a personal shopper for Saks Fifth Avenue.
• Practice caribou hunting from a fighter jet (a helicopter is just boring).
• Talk the First Dude into doing her media and press requests from here on out.

Other thoughts?

Dear President-elect Obama,

Today you won a hard-fought battle and your prize is America. It won't be an easy road - there are a lot of challenges ahead of you and whether you like it or not, you've got a horrible mess to clean-up from the last guy. Not even a Saturday Night Live skit can mask the problems America is suffering from, so it's up to you to turn things around.

I voted for you, and I believe in you. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Don't defy your integrity. It's what got you here; it's what will keep you here.
• Please save my money. I worked hard - very hard - for the little money I have. While I am in a stable job, making a good salary and actually contributing to a real investment plan, I don't feel I'm obligated to give back to the corrupt CEOs or the lazy people who didn't take time to understand policy and procedure before entering into an agreement that would rattle the U.S. economy.
• Please, for the love of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, can you find the man who tried to kill us seven years ago? He's about 6'5", lives in a cave, and reports claim he's on dialysis so it's likely he'll be attached to a couple machines. Be careful, he travels with smart and potentially-dangerous people, but then again, so do you...
• Remember your roots, your community values and the reason you were elected, the change you can bring. This will keep you humble, focused and trusted, unlike the last guy.

Most of all, Mr. President, remember to embrace the opportunity that America has given you. Today marks a significant day in history - the day America cast aside the remnants of our past generations and looked toward the future. We do have a dream, you can help make sure it comes true.

God bless America.
Yours truly,
Frogger

Good News, America: I'm Not Moving

Only in America...

Flashback: Political Quote of the Day

"I don't want to be invited to the family hunting party."

Sen. Barack Obama, on reports that surfaced earlier in the campaign that he and Dick Cheney are somehow related.

Watching the Polls

It's after 12 p.m. EST, which means the West Coast polls have been open for a few hours now. I don't know why now, or why at this moment, but it just hit me that with every minute passing, history is being made today.

Will it be a black man or a conservative woman?

I received an irate IM from a girlfriend about an hour ago. She's truly upset that some people didn't vote today. She says it's her duty, honor and privilege to vote. I say, it's people like her who will ensure that America remains a democratic society. And this guy...

Voting: A Right or a Responsibility?

Question: What if you don't believe in either candidate?

Check out the heated discussion happening over at On Common Ground...

Personally, I believe voting is a responsibility. It's your responsibility as an American to vote for your local, state and federal rules and rights. If you choose not to vote, then you live with what the final decision is, and you forfeit your right to complain about policy-makers. However, you do get the right to bitch about policy, so long as you pay taxes and contribute to state funding.

The Long and Winding Road...

...Leads to the poll booths this morning.

7 a.m. the people were wrapped around four blocks of Boston's North End district. According to some, the line started at 6 a.m.

Hot cup of coffee in hand, residents old and young stood in line this morning to cast their vote for the next president.

I stood in the long and winding road for 45 minutes, then rocked my vote under Precinct 3's roster.

"I can't imagine a person becoming a success who doesn't give this game of life everything he's got."
-Walter Cronkite, Happy 92nd Birthday!

Inside the Voting Booth - Behind the Steel Curtains of America

One day until the most influential election of my generation. Yes, there were influential presidents before tomorrow, but none that I was able to vote for. Tomorrow marks my most powerful vote, and I'm scared as hell.

I've always been an idealist; maybe to a fault or maybe it's what keeps me going. I held on to my idealism when I visited the jail every weekend for three months to interview inmates who claim to be wrongly accused for committing grotesque crimes. I watched in wonderment from the House floor as the President of the United States gave a State of the Union address immediately following the worst attack on U.S. soil, which ignited Americans to unify and fight for their freedom and I wondered, "how can he be so sure we're safe?" I witnessed the American flag rise every morning from the five-starred Pentagon building only to reveal a blown-out section of the very building that defends my freedom, and I still believe. I believe that America is the greatest country in the world - not without its faults, but sacred with strength.

Earlier in the year, I became part of history when I cast a vote for a woman president of the United States. While my vote wasn't able to carry Hilary Clinton into the delegation, I am equally in awe at the option of voting for the first black man as president. This election is a sign of progression, but I shudder to wonder how many Americans are afraid to move ahead.

Can America vote a black man into the highest office, or will the segregated America of years past rear its ugly head behind the steel curtains of the voting booth?

I'm nervous at the news headlines that flood my inbox today:

Obama leading in key voting sectors
One day, eight points
Hope, fears as Harlem gets election fever

Nervous not because of the predictions, but because the predictions might be wrong. Is America voting with heart and soul, or with mixed emotions? Is the Bradley Effect nearing the corner? Will voters say one thing to the pollsters, only to vote the opposite inside the poll booth?

Maybe we're not as evolved as we claim to be. Maybe we need the Maverick mentality to lead us to salvation from the war we didn't want and the economy we lost. Maybe a moose-hunting woman is more influential than a small town senator. Maybe an ex-POW is needed more than an optimistic evolutionary. Or maybe not.

I think of what America would be without Roe vs. Wade, healthcare coverage or an ally in Israel and I am frightened. But I'm comforted by the thought that for one brief moment tomorrow, behind the steel curtains of the polling booth, I'll be at peace with my vote.

Bummer-Free Zone

You can travel the world, explore hundreds of locations, meet thousands of people and experience millions of life-changing moments. But at the end of the day, there is only one "bummer-free" zone.

Happy weekend, everyone!

My Thoughts on My Vote

Last night was the final debate before America chooses its next president. As with the other debates, I've listened, intently, to what each candidate has to say. I'm pretty confident in my vote, but I will be the first to admit there are things I don't know and it's nice to hear what the future leader of our country has to say about those things.

Yes, I know it's politics. I covered politics - I know how to play this game. I side with the majority of America when I say this election is different. We need hope - strength - survival. But at some point I have to draw the line. Last night, I drew my line. People are so busy reporting whether or not McCain's delivery was "solid" that they didn't actually stop to listen to what he had to say.

McCain called Obama a guy who "pals around with terrorists." Obama called McCain, "ignorant to the needs of average Americans." But when asked about health care and Roe v. Wade, specifically, McCain firmly said, "I do not agree with Roe v. Wade." And at that moment, I bolded my line.


I would choose not to vote, or vote for a guy who once sat at the same table as another guy who was once involved in some form of violent platform before I turned over my reproductive rights over to the government.

Dear Sarah Palin, What Are You Talking About?

I bring you this little bit of brilliance from the mouth of VP-hopeful Sarah Palin. File this under another reason why Sarah Palin is not qualified to lead this country.

Location: Lacrosse, Wis.

Scene: Town Hall Meeting with voters. One woman asked about hate-crime legislation, specifically The Matthew Shepard Act, which would expand the definition of hate crimes to include gender and sexuality. This act is currently is pending in Congress.

McCain deferred to Palin, and this is what she said (courtesy of the Washington Wire):

"Oh yeah, and the first thought that pops into my head also when you’re talking about rights and you’re talking about freedoms, is we’re talking about Sen. John McCain and what he has done for our country and putting his country first his entire life to fight for freedoms." she said to applause.

She continued: "And Wisconsin, here again, kudos to you, your great Wisconsin guard. About a third of your troops will be over in a war zone in a number of months, in ’09, you guys are going to be over there, helping to defend freedom and defend liberty and the Democratic values that we all cherish so much, again something that Sen. John McCain has dedicated his entire life to. Thank you to Wisconsin for sending your guard over there to protect all the rest of the nation, thank you."

Huh? What? Those are all the words I have in response to this horrific display of stupidity.

The Debate: Inside the Town Hall

For starters, Tom Brokaw gave me -- the viewer at home -- the OK to yell back at the TV, which is not a luxury given to the audience at Belmont University so right there I'm happy with how we're starting.

I'm not sure how McCain thinks energy independence is going to fix the retirement funds for veterans...

I don't know if McCain knows the question that was just asked of him.

Kudos to McCain, however, who keeps addressing "Alan" -- the man who asked the first question -- by his first name. Keeps it personal. 

----------------

Next question from Oliver: Through the bailout package, what is this package going to do to help these people out?

McCain: It's not a bailout, it's a rescue. Stabilize the markets but it's not going to be enough. Will need to enter the housing market and buy out these loans. Fannie and Freddie were the catalyst to this issue...

Obama: The biggest problem was the deregulation of the financial system. It's going to be important to work with homeowners to make sure they can stay in their home...

-----------------

Brokaw asked, "Do you think the economy is going to get worse before it gets better?"

Great question. Both senators said the economy will rebound. What do you think?

Tuesday Debate: The Prequel

Tonight is Debate #2: Senators Obama and McCain will meet face-to-face in a debate about domestic policies. A few immediate thoughts as we wait for the senators to address each other:

• Will McCain look at Obama during this debate?
  
• Will Obama use his "people skills" to debate this time, or will he rely on his note cards like last time?
  
• How many cigarettes do you think Obama smoked before the debate?
  
• How many times do you think McCain asked, "What's the debate about tonight?" 

Based on the polls from this week, McCain has a lot of work to do tonight.

Back in about an hour and a half to report initial thoughts...