Oh and ad, the whole people working so others can stay home is so tired. So very tired. Americans will never work so others can stay home. The one homeless shelter in my town is funded by a church. There is no free lunch in this country, never has been and never will be. And most charities are funded by people making $50,000 a year or less. We seem proud of our desire to privatize and profit from everything including our health and thumb our noses up at the rest of the civilized world as the wealthiest country in the world whose wealth only consists of 1% of our population is the only one without universal health care. You can rest easy, nothing can take our country away from the top 1%’s tight fist. Certainly not 8 years of Obama. And I don’t need Rush to tell me to look it up, I know my history. And it wasn’t republicans or democrats that have given African Americans a raw deal, it was AMERICANS the whole lot of them. So it really doesn’t matter to me if you are affiliated with the party of Lincoln who accepted Jesse Helms, Trent Lott, and Strom Thurman when civil rights was just too much for them to stomach. Or if you are affiliated with the party that finally decided after 10 years of media coverage of kids being attacked by dogs and water cannons that it was time to pass civil right legislation. Both sides have equal blame in slavery and the discrimination that followed.

If Mr. Obama could be truthful and tell everyone that he aligns himself with Marxist-socialism instead of protraying himself as a Centrist; it would make everything more clearly understood when his policies have evolved from far left policies to centrist ones only for political gain.

But I guess people are caught up in the centrist hype – did you all see how Obama answered the self-employed plumber (owns his own business)? The plubmer asked Obama why would he raise his taxes that he knows total earnings are more that $250,000. Obama replied “we have to share the wealth to those who don’t have any.”

This is what makes motivated, hard working people upset. This country was founded by Christians (look it up – historically true) they came up with the Constitution – no where in this document does it say that people have rights to another persons gain.
We are free to work, own property, work for prosperity.

When you give money or things away to people who don’t work; is that going to make them get up and work????

Also, just for grins, earlier this year there was a report that Republicans/Conservatives give more to charity than Liberal/Democrat/Socialists. I wonder why? YOu can show your emotions of dispare and such but action is what makes this country work.

I care about the poor as well, but the Constitution doesn’t grant any authority that I can find to Congress to do anything about it. But the 10th Amendment does grant those powers to the States or the People. It’s the people that made this nation great. Only in the last century did we start most of the social programs that consume the vast majority of our federal tax money. These projects used to be local or on a personal level, which costs less. We are all called to help each other. When the federal government gets involved, we turn acts of charity into careers. This costs money, and most programs add double-digit percentages to their costs for administration costs at the various additional levels of government that ensure funds are spent properly, and to codify under what conditions people are entitled to assistance. We waste fortunes by solving local problems common to most parts of the nation at the federal level. Face it, our nation’s founders had to deal with education, health care, unemployment, retirement, etc. Yet, none of those programs or departments existed until many generations of Americans had come and gone.

I support the concept of the FairTax plan, but recognize the primary argument against it, which is the high percentage. FairTax wipes out all other federal taxes, and shifts all taxation to the point of sale, since all business taxes already appear in some way in the cost of products or our paychecks. It also pays everyone in advance, the amount of the tax paid by someone spending at the level of poverty. Thus, it creates zero tax for those in poverty. But the tax rate it calls for is 23%, which is the percent of the final cost. The amount added is actually 30%, and some people suggest that the rate should actually be between 40-60% to be revenue neutral. The reason I bring this up is that the average person doesn’t realize how much money the federal government consumes. If people oppose a 40-60% tax, they should oppose the taxes they are already paying, because we pay for it one way or another already. Of course a small percentage of people pay the majority of the tax.

Democrats talk a lot about helping people, but their plans cost a fortune compared to the alternatives, and often make problems worse or make new problems that are worse than the original ones. It’s not that Republicans don’t care about people, it’s that they recognize that such problems are solved best by the people that made this nation great, or at more local levels of government. My main complaint is actually the Republicans that make promises that counteract this and thus counter the Constitution.

It also concerns me though that someone can consider questions about who the nation respects the rights of as being above their pay grade. For someone currently in Congress, running for President, and having studied Law in college, it seems like a candidate with exposure to all branches of government can’t make a decision crucial to a functioning government.

We read your reply. Thank you for that. We feel very honored to be able to have a political conversation that doesn’t involve name calling and ridiculousness caused by people having no logical basis for their opinions.

In terms of the Sarah Palin and rape kits, please share the info that you have that leads you to understand that she was responsible. We have seen otherwise, and while we don’t doubt you, we want to understand. It is difficult, because there are a lot of really awful lies (on both sides, but particularly against Palin) out there right now.

Not that we have it all worked out, but our advice (and this goes for anyone reading this) is to purposefully establish some friendships with people of opposing viewpoints where you can dialogue together. Honestly, when was the last time many of you sat down and had lunch with a Conservative? You (in the plural) might find that you realize that they aren’t horrible Cruella Deville types at all, just people with different views.

It is kind of sad when some people want to sit down and talk nicely with terrorists, but constantly voice the desire to see people of the opposite political party killed.

I’m not going to get into a huge political debate with you on Elizabeth’s blog, suffice to say that I checked out your blog (and maybe you checked out mine) and we could not be further away in our beliefs if we tried. So no reason to get into a policy debate here.

I will say that you comment above about the whole Jesus/Pontius Pilot spin is a perfect example of how differently we see things. What I saw was the Democrats trying to cleverly defend the fact that Rudy Giuliani made fun of Obama for being a community organizer at the RNC. It was a hateful mean snickering speech, and yet I am not surprised that the Dems attempt at a funny (and accurate) explanation is being treated as “SLANDEROUS AND HORRIBLE!” by the Republicans. But I understand that is not at all your perception. It’s just one of the millions of examples of how far apart you and I are. And how you and I represent the fact that this country may not be able to be fixed – I will never be able to convince you of my opinions, and you will never be able to convince me of yours, but the country is pretty well split in half these days and that’s a hard way to survive…and thrive.

For the record, even if I disagreed with Obama’s policies – foreign, economic, military, etc. (which I don’t) I am a liberal and a Democrat largely because of social issues. I am pro-choice and I believe in equal rights for people regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation, those kind of beliefs pretty much kick me out of the republican inner circle even if I wanted in…

1979 semifinalist, I know it is hard – not to give up, throw in the towel – so hard to balance between engagement and keeping our hearts in it, and some level at detachment so that we don’t just despair and lay in bed bemoaning the state of things.

Jim B., I neither have seen “any compelling reasons for McCain/Palin to win the election in November” yet it is just that the polls – both on a national level and at the electoral college level indicate differently. It will all hinge on voter turnout, which is notoriously difficult to predict.

Thanks everyone. Keep on going. Hoping. Praying. Whatever it is you do. Heavens knows our country needs it!

Peace, Elizabeth

Comon folks let’s not get not get caught up in EMOTIONS. Our country deserves better.

[Posted edited by Elizabeth - I like to keep things relatively nice on here, no snappy nasty comments to people, ehh? But glad to have you here - mssc54.]

Thank you for writing this post.

I could never have done it because I come from a wildly liberal obviously left bias, that makes me seem unable to look at both sides (and maybe I am – especially at this point) but I really appreciated reading your considered and thoughtful post.

If I could give you some small hope, it’s the hope that I found in coming across you (and all the comments you’ve received). Just when I’m about to completely despair (today, yesterday, every day seems worse) I come here and read your beautiful post and am reminded that if there are people like you out there, who may not be hardcore obvious Dems (like me), but are intelligent thoughtful, caring people, that are sick of what we have had for eight years, and are not fooled by McCain/Palin, then I think there is still hope for all of us.

Let’s hold on to that in all this madness. It’s ironic that Obama’s original message (prior to change) was HOPE. I think the message is back to HOPE. We’ve all got to hold onto it now more than ever, and be as active as we can, so that it maybe it actually all comes true.

I really can’t take a third broken heart.