Just came out of the conference room watching the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama.
This will be a historic day in history of this nation and of this world -- The number of people showing on the CNN news camera says that, as well as the constant alert messages from our backbone router to the Internet. It seems that the whole nation is watching the ceremony.
It is a day to be festival, to celebrate the end of 8 looong years and the beginning of a new era. But no one should forget the cost of the festivity. I have been a supporter of the new president. Now I hope that he can get the nation back to work.
Showing posts with label Presidential Election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Presidential Election. Show all posts
2009-01-20
2008-11-10
Proposition 8 in California
Personally, I must admit that I am not completely comfortable with homosexuality. I like the movie «Brokeback Mountain» as a nice piece of art work, but I don't care much about the same sex relationship in there either. Maybe that doesn't make much sense. But it is what it is.
Yet the passing of Proposition 8 which amends the state constitution of California is wrong to me. I agree with Bill Maher that religion has a lot to do with it. Most of the people who voted for the proposition are minorities in the traditional sense. They probably don't associate gay rights with other human rights related to race, gender and so on. I guess religion, like any herd mantality, promotes ignorance, although the same religions did promote equality between races in the past.
On the other hand, I am pleasantly surprised that both Proposition 1 and 2 passed in Michigan, allowing medical use of marijuana and embryonic stem cell research. Especially with so many signs and letters against Proposition 2 prior to election, I was afraid that it would be defeated. Its passing is a good thing for the state of Michigan.
Yet the passing of Proposition 8 which amends the state constitution of California is wrong to me. I agree with Bill Maher that religion has a lot to do with it. Most of the people who voted for the proposition are minorities in the traditional sense. They probably don't associate gay rights with other human rights related to race, gender and so on. I guess religion, like any herd mantality, promotes ignorance, although the same religions did promote equality between races in the past.
On the other hand, I am pleasantly surprised that both Proposition 1 and 2 passed in Michigan, allowing medical use of marijuana and embryonic stem cell research. Especially with so many signs and letters against Proposition 2 prior to election, I was afraid that it would be defeated. Its passing is a good thing for the state of Michigan.
2008-11-05
John McCain is Wrong
John McCain's concession speech was graceful. But I think he is wrong in at least two counts.
He said that "the failure is mine." The failure is not all his, W, the Republican Party must bear part of the responsibilities.
He said that "This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight." The election of Barack Obama is much more than that. Barack Obama is much more than an African-American President. It is a victory of hope against fear and despair.
He said that "the failure is mine." The failure is not all his, W, the Republican Party must bear part of the responsibilities.
He said that "This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight." The election of Barack Obama is much more than that. Barack Obama is much more than an African-American President. It is a victory of hope against fear and despair.
The Election is Over
The election is over (finally!): Obama 338 vs. McCain 160 on CNN as of now. Senator John McCain has given a graceful concession speech. President elect Barack Obama has given a somber victory speech to a huge crown gathered in the Chicago Grant Park.
Now the real work begins.
Notes from yesterday evening:
I voted today, for the first time in a presidential election and for the second time since I am eligible to vote.
I guess I mostly voted for the Democrats, as I don't know much about the other candidates in the local races. Even though I have studied the local issues a bit, I still didn't feel that I had spent enough time to really understand all the candidates. So I had to leave some blanks in the ballot. I guess it just shows that democracy is not easy.
As the day gets darker, polls start to close. We will know who is the next US president tomorrow morning, hopefully. So far, it looks like that the Republicans are going to get a shock and awe, which is what would delight me.
However, if Barack Obama wins the election, Americans still need to set the expectations right. Even if the Democrats gains significant number of seats in the Congress, human nature will determine that there will be disorder in their collective actions. The Republicans will try as hard as they can to assert their conservative convictions. Progress will not be easy. But whatever happens, hope is more uplifting than fear.
Now the real work begins.
Notes from yesterday evening:
I voted today, for the first time in a presidential election and for the second time since I am eligible to vote.
I guess I mostly voted for the Democrats, as I don't know much about the other candidates in the local races. Even though I have studied the local issues a bit, I still didn't feel that I had spent enough time to really understand all the candidates. So I had to leave some blanks in the ballot. I guess it just shows that democracy is not easy.
As the day gets darker, polls start to close. We will know who is the next US president tomorrow morning, hopefully. So far, it looks like that the Republicans are going to get a shock and awe, which is what would delight me.
However, if Barack Obama wins the election, Americans still need to set the expectations right. Even if the Democrats gains significant number of seats in the Congress, human nature will determine that there will be disorder in their collective actions. The Republicans will try as hard as they can to assert their conservative convictions. Progress will not be easy. But whatever happens, hope is more uplifting than fear.
2008-11-04
Election Day is Here
It is election day '08.
CNN has reported the first poll result in the country from Dixville Notch, New Hampshire: 15 Barack Obama, 6 John McCain, 0 for Ralph Nader.
On last Sunday's Meet the Press and a Fox News program, all predictions including one from Karl Rove gave 300+ electoral votes to Barack Obama, with landslide gains for Democrats in both the House and the Senate. Barring any disaster, Democrats will likely win both the White House and the Congress. That would be a historically significant shift of power and a sound rejection of Republican policies of the last eight years.
There was a letter to the Ann Arbor News a couple of days ago, in which the writer commented that the current and the last two economic recessions in the US all had been preceeded with eight years of Republican presidencies. I didn't know the US history that well. So here is a quick googling of US presidents: Calvin Coolidge (1923-29), Ronald Reagan (1981-89) and George W. Bush (2001-08) are indeed Republicans. The end of William Jefferson Clinton presidency (1993-2001) also saw a recession. But over all, the US economy grew significantly over the Clinton presidency. History never guarantees the future. But history is a good indicator.
The end of the election day is now only 16 hours away. Hope is within grasp.
Notes from 2008-11-01:
There is an article on Ann Arbor News today, front page, about McCain/Palin supporters being harrassed in Ann Arbor. I think I understand why those who did those things did them. Afterall, I myself have felt depressed for the last eight years by the stupidity, ignorance and arrogance so rampant in the administration. Then there are all those lives lost in the Iraq war. It's understandable that some people may have an ax to grind. However, such harrassing actions against individual are obviously just as stupid. Such stupidity only serves to divide the people in this United States.
On our way out of the house today, two senior African American Obama volunteers came to our door to remind us to vote. I told them that I was prepared to vote. I have been ready for a few years. This country is a bit too radical for me personally -- although they label themselves conservative. There is nothing conservative about racking up national debt in trillions while the individuals pocket hundreds of millioms a year. There is nothing conservative about going into a country, killing tens or even hundreds of thousands of people and then just calling them collateral damage. There is nothing conservative about labeling themselves compassionate conservative to fool the voters and turn around leaving them hanging in the wind to dry when disasters strike. Their behaviors have shown themselves to be radicals, repeatedly. As W himself quoted, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." A third time would be bryond shame for all.
CNN has reported the first poll result in the country from Dixville Notch, New Hampshire: 15 Barack Obama, 6 John McCain, 0 for Ralph Nader.
On last Sunday's Meet the Press and a Fox News program, all predictions including one from Karl Rove gave 300+ electoral votes to Barack Obama, with landslide gains for Democrats in both the House and the Senate. Barring any disaster, Democrats will likely win both the White House and the Congress. That would be a historically significant shift of power and a sound rejection of Republican policies of the last eight years.
There was a letter to the Ann Arbor News a couple of days ago, in which the writer commented that the current and the last two economic recessions in the US all had been preceeded with eight years of Republican presidencies. I didn't know the US history that well. So here is a quick googling of US presidents: Calvin Coolidge (1923-29), Ronald Reagan (1981-89) and George W. Bush (2001-08) are indeed Republicans. The end of William Jefferson Clinton presidency (1993-2001) also saw a recession. But over all, the US economy grew significantly over the Clinton presidency. History never guarantees the future. But history is a good indicator.
The end of the election day is now only 16 hours away. Hope is within grasp.
Notes from 2008-11-01:
There is an article on Ann Arbor News today, front page, about McCain/Palin supporters being harrassed in Ann Arbor. I think I understand why those who did those things did them. Afterall, I myself have felt depressed for the last eight years by the stupidity, ignorance and arrogance so rampant in the administration. Then there are all those lives lost in the Iraq war. It's understandable that some people may have an ax to grind. However, such harrassing actions against individual are obviously just as stupid. Such stupidity only serves to divide the people in this United States.
On our way out of the house today, two senior African American Obama volunteers came to our door to remind us to vote. I told them that I was prepared to vote. I have been ready for a few years. This country is a bit too radical for me personally -- although they label themselves conservative. There is nothing conservative about racking up national debt in trillions while the individuals pocket hundreds of millioms a year. There is nothing conservative about going into a country, killing tens or even hundreds of thousands of people and then just calling them collateral damage. There is nothing conservative about labeling themselves compassionate conservative to fool the voters and turn around leaving them hanging in the wind to dry when disasters strike. Their behaviors have shown themselves to be radicals, repeatedly. As W himself quoted, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." A third time would be bryond shame for all.
2008-10-20
Election Day is Coming
Today on the way home from Chinese school, we drove passed the Obama campaign office outside down town. I stopped the car and took the kids for a little walk. We went into the office. There were quite a few people in there. But the atmosphere did not smell like battle ground.
That didn't surprise me although Michigan is called a "battle ground state". John McCain has pulled out his troops and given up Michigan. Elsewhere in Michigan may be different. Ann Arbor, however, is definitely covered with Obama-Biden signs with McCain-Palin dotted here and there. A week of two ago Lynn came home and told me that the first house entering the neighborhood had a McCain-Palin sign in their front yard -- sort of a news story. One morning I drove by the house, the sign was gone. In the evening it was back out again.
There was a letter in the News a week or two ago about a missing McCain-Palin sign. I would suspect that it was a kid's prank. But the letter writer seemed to suspect some Democrat had stolen the sign. The letter was a bit hysteric.
Driving in and out of the neighborhood, seeing that McCain-Palin sign makes me smile, every time.
That didn't surprise me although Michigan is called a "battle ground state". John McCain has pulled out his troops and given up Michigan. Elsewhere in Michigan may be different. Ann Arbor, however, is definitely covered with Obama-Biden signs with McCain-Palin dotted here and there. A week of two ago Lynn came home and told me that the first house entering the neighborhood had a McCain-Palin sign in their front yard -- sort of a news story. One morning I drove by the house, the sign was gone. In the evening it was back out again.
There was a letter in the News a week or two ago about a missing McCain-Palin sign. I would suspect that it was a kid's prank. But the letter writer seemed to suspect some Democrat had stolen the sign. The letter was a bit hysteric.
Driving in and out of the neighborhood, seeing that McCain-Palin sign makes me smile, every time.
2008-10-17
«Recount»
HBO showed the movie «Recount» earlier.
It is a somber reminder that every one's vote does matter -- may be not down at the individual level, but collectively, yes, definitely.
That fateful 2000 election gave the country W and eight years of misery. To think about it otherwise, that the US would not have invaded Iraq, the US economy might not be in such deep trouble, people of the world might not have to endure so many -- seemingly endless panic attacks, one has to imagine, the world could have been a much different, even much better place than it is today.
But in that fateful month, the Americans collectively decided that the country's path down towards hell for the next eight years. There were enough blames to spread around. If Clinton were not stupid enough to let loose his zipper, the election result could have been different. If there were a little less ignorance in the country, the election result could have been different.
But history is what it is. We are all just humans, even the judges in the Supereme Court.
In a little more than two weeks, the country will have another chance to choose its path forward. And this time for the first time, I will be able to vote.
I wish that the country will choose wiser. We must all learn something from the last eight years of sufferings.
John McCain said in the last debate last Wedensday that he was not "President Bush". Fine. But he is still a Republican. He may be able to be a "maverick" sometimes, but he is still a Republican in the end. A commentary in the News wrote the other day, Republicans seemed to be anti-intellectual. I think they are more than that. They are anti-thinking. For that reason alone, I will not vote for a Republican.
It is a somber reminder that every one's vote does matter -- may be not down at the individual level, but collectively, yes, definitely.
That fateful 2000 election gave the country W and eight years of misery. To think about it otherwise, that the US would not have invaded Iraq, the US economy might not be in such deep trouble, people of the world might not have to endure so many -- seemingly endless panic attacks, one has to imagine, the world could have been a much different, even much better place than it is today.
But in that fateful month, the Americans collectively decided that the country's path down towards hell for the next eight years. There were enough blames to spread around. If Clinton were not stupid enough to let loose his zipper, the election result could have been different. If there were a little less ignorance in the country, the election result could have been different.
But history is what it is. We are all just humans, even the judges in the Supereme Court.
In a little more than two weeks, the country will have another chance to choose its path forward. And this time for the first time, I will be able to vote.
I wish that the country will choose wiser. We must all learn something from the last eight years of sufferings.
John McCain said in the last debate last Wedensday that he was not "President Bush". Fine. But he is still a Republican. He may be able to be a "maverick" sometimes, but he is still a Republican in the end. A commentary in the News wrote the other day, Republicans seemed to be anti-intellectual. I think they are more than that. They are anti-thinking. For that reason alone, I will not vote for a Republican.
2008-09-10
Putting Lipstick on a Pig
You put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.
John McCain calls that saying sexist? That's really pathetic.
John McCain calls that saying sexist? That's really pathetic.
2008-09-03
Rudy Giuliani
"True American here". I guess Rudy counts himself as one of those?
"The American people", not the "Hollywood celebrities". So I guess Hollywood is not inside America.
"America comes first"! And then American media criticizes the nationalism of the Chinese.
I am waiting for Rudy to say that John McCain will get rid of taxes once and for all. No one will have to pay tax anymore and everyone will live happily ever after.
"Shake up Washington" -- Yeah, right.
"A beacon for the world" -- maybe back in the days when the twin towers were still standing.
"The American people", not the "Hollywood celebrities". So I guess Hollywood is not inside America.
"America comes first"! And then American media criticizes the nationalism of the Chinese.
I am waiting for Rudy to say that John McCain will get rid of taxes once and for all. No one will have to pay tax anymore and everyone will live happily ever after.
"Shake up Washington" -- Yeah, right.
"A beacon for the world" -- maybe back in the days when the twin towers were still standing.
Hearing Mike Huckabee
There are decent people among the Republicans. When Mike Huckabee talks about the evil of big brother government taking away our liberty, I trust that he is sincere. That is exactly what all the Americans need to do: Kick out the government that is taking away our liberty.
But are all the poor people "waiting for the government to rescue" them? It makes me think of the white-haired gentleman holding a sign at the south-bound exit 41 on US-23 these days. The sign says:
John McCain is a respectable person. But that doesn't automatically make him a president. If he kicks GWB's behind in public, I may consider give him my vote.
But are all the poor people "waiting for the government to rescue" them? It makes me think of the white-haired gentleman holding a sign at the south-bound exit 41 on US-23 these days. The sign says:
Vietnam veteran
Hungry
Homeless
John McCain is a respectable person. But that doesn't automatically make him a president. If he kicks GWB's behind in public, I may consider give him my vote.
Is Romney Mocking McCain?
He says America needs to get ready to look to the west for the Sun.
Do all Republicans follow that logic? Somehow it looks that way.
Do all Republicans follow that logic? Somehow it looks that way.
The "John McCain Story"
The Republicans talk so profoundly about the John McCain story. They don't seem to have any memory that they are the same people who dumped shit on their dear John McCain in 2000.
Retards!
Retards!
2008-09-02
Wow!
Wolf Blitzer of CNN just said on TV that John McCain's campaign complained about the questions that Campbell Brown asked the McCain representative the other day.
That is hilarious. No. That is SAD!
That is hilarious. No. That is SAD!
2008-09-01
It's Fun to Watch the Republicans Dance
CNN is not really well-known for playing political hardballs. Therefore it is particularly humorous to watch those republicans doing their dances around simple questions from those CNN anchors. It seems somehow anyone question the qualifications of Sarah Palin is trying to belittle women as a whole, according to the Republicans. Like when Campbell Brown asked the McCain representative to give one example of Sarah Palin's executive decision, the guy did such a tap dance that the whole conversation sounds really like a good joke. After Campbell Brown repeatedly asked the same simple question, the guy tried to pin it on the CNN anchor woman that somehow she was trying to knock the Alaska governor down.
I guess even the Republicans are not ready to take her seriously as the Vice President of the United States.
I guess even the Republicans are not ready to take her seriously as the Vice President of the United States.
2008-08-29
约翰·麦凯恩的副总统候选人
今天下班回家，打开电视，CNN 上报道 John McCain 的副总统人选 Sarah Palin (莎拉·佩林)。
刚才想起来写点什么，到网上“古狗”了一下“约翰·麦肯”，结果找到一堆“约翰·麦肯罗”、“约翰·麦肯兹”，到新华网上看了一眼，McCain 翻成了“麦凯恩”。
麦凯恩这招挺聪明的，显然出乎民主党这边的意料，至少这边的这些电视评论“头”们似乎没有什么有深度的话可说。显然这位阿拉斯加女州长不是一个毫无建树的“漂亮脸蛋”，从电视上有限的介绍来看，此人不是一盏省油的灯，对共和党内部的腐败份子也不手软，在阿拉斯加很有人缘。前面在 Larry King 节目上那个共和党女 talking head 拼命鼓吹说她是全国最受欢迎的州长。如果民主党那边一味轻视此人，最终一定会吃亏。
我想，麦凯恩这招势在调动共和党人的热情，至少在一定程度上是会有所成功，至少一个年轻漂亮的女副总统会让人眼睛一亮。不过，就我个人而言，此次总统选举的候选人个人并不重要，党派也在其次，最重要的未来四年我们自己的生计如何。全民医保是最关键的一件，其次能源政策，综合经济政策，伊拉克战争的走向，这与我们每个人的每日生活都息息相关。就 John McCain 数不过来的家居、一年五百万等等，他将来的政策能够有益我们这些离“五百万”相去甚远的人群吗？我想等我一年挣到五百万的时候我或许会支持 John McCain 做总统。
Larry King 之后是 AC360，安德森又出现在新奥尔良。三年前卡特琳娜飓风来袭的时候他也在那里，三年之后飓风古斯塔夫（Gustav）又“兵临城下”。三年前新奥尔良的悲惨画面而今尚历历在目，如果今年再受灾害，就是苍天瞎了眼了。如果真的噩梦又来，共和党的末日政府能够指望得上吗？或许我们都该“吃一堑长一智”吧！
刚才想起来写点什么，到网上“古狗”了一下“约翰·麦肯”，结果找到一堆“约翰·麦肯罗”、“约翰·麦肯兹”，到新华网上看了一眼，McCain 翻成了“麦凯恩”。
麦凯恩这招挺聪明的，显然出乎民主党这边的意料，至少这边的这些电视评论“头”们似乎没有什么有深度的话可说。显然这位阿拉斯加女州长不是一个毫无建树的“漂亮脸蛋”，从电视上有限的介绍来看，此人不是一盏省油的灯，对共和党内部的腐败份子也不手软，在阿拉斯加很有人缘。前面在 Larry King 节目上那个共和党女 talking head 拼命鼓吹说她是全国最受欢迎的州长。如果民主党那边一味轻视此人，最终一定会吃亏。
我想，麦凯恩这招势在调动共和党人的热情，至少在一定程度上是会有所成功，至少一个年轻漂亮的女副总统会让人眼睛一亮。不过，就我个人而言，此次总统选举的候选人个人并不重要，党派也在其次，最重要的未来四年我们自己的生计如何。全民医保是最关键的一件，其次能源政策，综合经济政策，伊拉克战争的走向，这与我们每个人的每日生活都息息相关。就 John McCain 数不过来的家居、一年五百万等等，他将来的政策能够有益我们这些离“五百万”相去甚远的人群吗？我想等我一年挣到五百万的时候我或许会支持 John McCain 做总统。
Larry King 之后是 AC360，安德森又出现在新奥尔良。三年前卡特琳娜飓风来袭的时候他也在那里，三年之后飓风古斯塔夫（Gustav）又“兵临城下”。三年前新奥尔良的悲惨画面而今尚历历在目，如果今年再受灾害，就是苍天瞎了眼了。如果真的噩梦又来，共和党的末日政府能够指望得上吗？或许我们都该“吃一堑长一智”吧！
2008-08-27
I Pity John McCain
John McCain is a tragic figure of sort.
He spent decades building a reputation as a maverick of Republican. He was winning in the 2000 Republican primaries before he was tared and feathered by Bush and his cohort of scum bags. Then he has to swallow all that defeat and resentment of Bush to hug him. Does anything get more disgusting than that? All just for this one and only chance to get into the White House? What a shame.
He spent decades building a reputation as a maverick of Republican. He was winning in the 2000 Republican primaries before he was tared and feathered by Bush and his cohort of scum bags. Then he has to swallow all that defeat and resentment of Bush to hug him. Does anything get more disgusting than that? All just for this one and only chance to get into the White House? What a shame.
2008-06-03
Presidential Election Primaries Coming to End
The 2008 presidential election primary season is coming to its end today. It looks like Barack Obama is going to win the Democratic Party nomination. It's too bad for Hillary Clinton. She was so far ahead of the rest of the Democrats in the beginning. I guess she didn't have an adequate plan to deal with Obama's win ever since Iowa.
However, to me, this extended primary season, at least on the Democrat's side, is a good thing. There are reports of the candidates visiting Montana on NPR today. To think of it, since Montana has always had its Democratic primaries in the end of the season, its choices have not been counted as much. Is that a good thing? Not to me, at least. So I really don't get all those cries for an early ending of the contest. Maybe people in Montana don't care who gets the nomination. But permanently exclude the later primary states from the nomination process can hardly be called democratic.
With all Obama's change slogans, I still don't know if he has the real ability to get things done when he gets elected. There has been op-ed articles in the News on the similarities between Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter. I admire the 39th president of the United States as a person. But today's world demands more than good qualities from a president, especially after Bush leaving this country in such bad shape.
There is also a danger of putting ideology before getting things done. My wish is that people in this country will get universal health insurance coverage during the next four years. Withdrawing from Iraq should not be the first priority of all, even thought that is an extremely important issue.
However, to me, this extended primary season, at least on the Democrat's side, is a good thing. There are reports of the candidates visiting Montana on NPR today. To think of it, since Montana has always had its Democratic primaries in the end of the season, its choices have not been counted as much. Is that a good thing? Not to me, at least. So I really don't get all those cries for an early ending of the contest. Maybe people in Montana don't care who gets the nomination. But permanently exclude the later primary states from the nomination process can hardly be called democratic.
With all Obama's change slogans, I still don't know if he has the real ability to get things done when he gets elected. There has been op-ed articles in the News on the similarities between Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter. I admire the 39th president of the United States as a person. But today's world demands more than good qualities from a president, especially after Bush leaving this country in such bad shape.
There is also a danger of putting ideology before getting things done. My wish is that people in this country will get universal health insurance coverage during the next four years. Withdrawing from Iraq should not be the first priority of all, even thought that is an extremely important issue.
2008-03-26
Will you vote for John McCain?
As much as I respect John McCain -- I trust him to be an honest person, I will not vote for him. Republicans may all be respectable individually. Yet the party is simply not. I have no respect nor trust in them whatsoever. I am not a Democrat, not even an independent. I am just me.
I am curious where those 19% of Obama supporters, or the 28% of Clinton supporters, who would vote for McCain live.
I guess I may donate to Hillary Clinton's campaign, just for the sake of supporting her staying in the race. It is supposed to be a competition. Is it not?
I am curious where those 19% of Obama supporters, or the 28% of Clinton supporters, who would vote for McCain live.
I guess I may donate to Hillary Clinton's campaign, just for the sake of supporting her staying in the race. It is supposed to be a competition. Is it not?
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