SOL VIEW: 1ST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

I JUST FINISHED WATCHING THE MCCAIN-OBAMA DEBATE ONLINE LIVE. MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I AM AN AVID OBAMA SUPPORTER AND DEMOCRAT. I WALKED INTO TONIGHT'S DEBATE EAGER TO HEAR SENATOR OBAMA DEBATE AND PRESENT HIS AND THE PARTIES PLATFORM. THE FOLLOWING BLOG IS MY VIEW NOT JUST ON THE DEBATE, BUT ON WHAT WAS SAID, NOT SAID, AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE SAID. THE OBVIOUS PREVAILING TOPIC OF THE NIGHT WAS THE ECONOMY AND THE STRATEGIES TO REPAIR IT AS WELL AS THE THINGS STRESSING THEM. IN THE TIMES THAT WE ARE IN OBVIOUSLY IT IS CRITICAL AND IMPARATIVE THAT WE HAVE A LEADER THAT CAN DO BOTH. NATURALLY APART OF THIS SAME DISCUSSION COMES THE TOPICS OF TAX CUTS, AND GOVERNMENT SPENDING. TRUE TO HISTORY THE PARTIES TOOK THEIR OPPOSITE ENDS AT THE SPECTRUM... REPUBLICAN CUT BACKS ON GOVERNMENT SPENDING OUTSIDE OF DEFENSE AND TAX CUTS FOR THE HIGHER CLASS OR MORE "CHOICE FRIENDLY TAX OPTIONS. DEMOCRATS PROPOSING BIG GOVERRNMENT PROGRAMS AND TAX CUTS THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF THE AVERAGE AND MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS THAT POPULATE THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY I MUST SAY THAT OBAMA HELD A STRONG GROUND ON THIS SUBJECT INSISTING THAT WE NOT SACRAFICE GOVERNMENT EXPEDITURES IN NEW ENERGY MEANS, MEDICAL INURANCE, AND COLLEGE OPTIONS BUT HONESTLY DID NOT MAKE IT ASSERTIVE ENOUGH.... WHILE REITERATING HIS POINT THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE THE LEAD IN NEW ENERGY OPTIONS AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR THOSE WHOSE JOB DOESN'T HE STILL DID NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION.... WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRAFICE IN LIGHT OF THIS FINIANCIAL RESCUE SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY OUR GOVERNMENT. DESPITE MY DISAPPOINTMENT THAT SENATOR OBAMA DIDN'T DIRECTLY ATTACK THIS QUESTION I FEEL THAT SENATOR MCCAIN'S ANSWER TO THIS WAS NOT A TRUE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM... ( FREEZING GOVERNMENT SPENDING ON EVERYTHING BUT VETERANS BENEFITS AND PROGRAMS, DEFENSE SPENDING, AND ENTITLEMENTS). WHILE VETERANS BENEFITS AND PROGRAMS DON'T COMPRISE A LARGE AMOUNT OF THE DEBT WITH THE GROWING NUMBER OF YOUNG AMERICA ROTATING OUT OF THE MILITARY WHO HAVE SERVED THE NEED TO INCREASE SPENDING IN THAT ARENA IS GOING TO BECOME HIGH. THAT COMPOUNDED WITH THE TWO BIGGEST SPENDING ELEMENTS OF OUR BUDGET CREATES AN UNDENIABLE RECIEPE FOR DISASTER. THE NOTION THAT YOU WOULD NOT PUT ANY TYPE OF LIMIT ON DEFENSE SPENDING AND MERELY CONTINUE TO LET IT RISE UNCHECKED IS LUDACRIS... THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH TRYING TO BRING ENTITLEMENTS INTO CHECK WOULD RESULT IN STILL INCREASED SPENDING COUPLED WITH MCCAIN'S AGENDA TO EXPAND DEFENSE IN IRAQ AND ABROAD. THE SECOND POINT OF A TWO DIFFERENT TAX CODES PROPOSSED BY MCCAIN CAN APPEAR INTRIGUING BUT IS BOUND TO HAVE RED TAPE UPON LOOPHOLES FOR INCREASED TAXRES FOR NOT SELECTING THE "PREFERED" CODE OF THE ADMINISTRATION. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE COMMENT THAT SENATOR OBAMA MADE REGARDING NOT CLOSING A LOOP BY ADDING TOO IT BUT BY ENDING IT. EVEN BETTER THE RESONATING THEME THAT 'IF WE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON TAX CUTS ON PEOPLE WHO DON'T NEED THEM AND LEAVING OUT COVERAGE FOR HEALTH CARE, WHO ARE WE SERVICING IN THE LONG RUN'.... SPEAKS MORE VOLUMES ON THE SUCJECT THAN ONE COULD HOPE TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WHILE AGAIN I DON'T AGREE AT ALL WITH SENATOR MCCAIN'S PLANS FOR A FREEZE I STILL DON'T FEEL THAT OBAMA'S SINGLE STRATEGY OF CUTTING SPENDING IN IRAQ WILL SIMPLY DO THE JOB. MORE IMPORTANTLY I WANT TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WHILE THE FINANCIAL BAIL OUTS IN THE LONG RUN ONLY HURT THE DEMOCRAT AGENDA WHICH IS DRIVEN BY BIG GOVERNMENT SPENDING TO STIMULATE TEH PEOPLE AND THE ECONOMY AND ONLY FURTHER ILLUSTRATE THE REPUBLICAN'S POINT THAT GOVERNMENT NEEDS TAKE CARE OF ITSELF AND LET BUISNESSES AND PEOPLE DO THE SAME....
ONE POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IN TRANSITION TO DEFENSE POLITICS IS THAT WE ARE IN DEBIT TO A COUNTRY THAT FUNDS DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY THE TERRORIST INTRESTS WE ARE BORROWING MONEY TO FIGHT... AND WE CAN NO LONGER DO SO.WITH THE ECONOMY TAKING UP HALF OF THE DEBATE OBIVIOUSLY THE WAR AND DEFENSE EFFORTS AND SPENDING TOOK UP THE OTHER HALF OF THE DEBATE. WITH MCCAI'NS ARROGANT AND SNIPPET REMARKS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES I HAVE TO WONDER.... IF THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT QUALIFY HIM FOR THE PRESIDENCY WHY DID THEY NOT QUALIFY HIM BEFORE NOW AND WHY DID HE HAVE TO SHIFT HIS AGENDA AND VIEWS TO BECOME THE CANADTE FOR HIS PARTY. WE ALL CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SURGE WORKED... AND THAT AS A TACTIC IT DID WORK BUT IT IS NOT A STRATEGY ( LONG TERM ). FURTHERMORE SIMPLY CHOSING TO JUST STAY IN CASE THERE IS AN ISSUE IS NOT GOING TO WORK. THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BE FULLY FUNCTIONING WHILE USING US NOT ONLY AS A CRUTCH BUT AS AN EXOSKELETON. OBAMA KILLED MCCAIN WITH THE POINT THAT THAT THE WAR DID NOT BEGIN IN 2007 AND THAT WE CAN NOT JUDGE THE SUCCESS OF THIS WAR MERELY ON THE RECENT SUCESSES BUT ON THE TOTAL HISTORY AND RESULTS SINCE 2002. WE CANNOT ONLY THINK ABOUT THE FINNANCIAL CAPITAL THAT WE ARE SPENDING IN THIS WAR BUT THE HUMAN AND MORAL CAPITOL THAT WE ARE LOSING AND EXPENDING. I AM A HUGE SUPPORTER OF OUR TROOPS HAVING DATED PEOPLE IN THE MILITARY AND HAVING EVEN BEEN ENGAGED TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NOW SERVED TWO SEPERATE TERMS IN IRAQ. WHILE I AM PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING I CANNOT DENY THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS THAT IT HAS ON MY GENERATION. FOR THAT REASON, AS WITH MY CONTINUING VIEW THAT BEFORE WE CAN BE A WORLD POWER THAT RENDERS JUDGEMENT WE MUST LEAD BY JUST EXAMPLE, I DO SUPPORT A PLAND THAT WOULD PHASE TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ TO MUCH LOWER LEVELS WITHIN 6 MONTHS AND AN INCREASED INTERNATIONAL PEACE KEEPING PRESENCE THERE NOT JUST OUR OWN. I WANT OUR TROOPS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF WHEN THEY GET BACK AND TO BE GIVEN THE CARE THAT THEY NEED. THEY CAN'T GET THAT IF 6 MONTHS AFTER GETTING BACK THEY HAVE TO RETURN. ALSO, I AGREE WITH THE POINT THAT THE WAR ON TERROR BEGAN IN AFGHANISTAN AND NEEDS TO END THERE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT ALQUEDA AND THE TALIBAN DO NOT REGAN CONTROL IN THAT AREA AND ARE ABLE TO PERPTUATE ANOTHER ATTACK. BOTH CANNADITES AND I AGREE THAT WHILE WE ARE SAFER NOW THAN WE WERE PREVIOUSLY THAT WE ARE STILL NOT SAFE... ENSURING THAT SAFETY IS NOT GOING TO BE MERELY BY STAYING IN IRAQ BUT BY TAKING NOTE OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT POSE A THREAT TO US, TRULY REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY LEADING BY EXAMPLE AS TO INFLUENCE OTHER SUPER POWERS LIKE RUSSIA TO TAKE LEADERSHIP ROLES NOT OVERLY AGGRESSIVLEY MAN HANDLE THE REST OF THE WORLD.

BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE AREN'T GOING TO BE ANY GOOD TO THE REST OF THE WORLD IF WE PUT OURSELVES IN DEBT TRYING TO PLAY MIDDLE SCHOOL HALL MONITOR.


IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON DEFENSE POLICIES AND ON THE ECONOMY THE SUBJECT OF ENERGY AND OIL SURFACED MANY DIFFERENT TIMES. AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT WE CAN SLEY SOLVE THE US OIL PROBLEMS BY GIVING ENCENTIVES TO PEOPLE AND COMPANIES FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL SORCES I KNOW THAT IT IS NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION. THE ONLY PERSON IN THAT DEBATE WHO I SAW WH WAS WILLING TO GIVE AND TAKE ON THIS SUBJECT THAT BOTH UNILATERALLY EFFECTS THE ECONOMY AND THE WAR THAT WE ARE IN IS SENATOR OBAMA. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT WHILE OFF SHORE DRILLING IS NOT IDEAL THAT IN A SMALL WAY IT WILL BE NECESSARY. BUT WE MUST ALSO BUT TECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES TO CLEANER FORMS OF FUEL, SOLAR ENERGY, WIND ENERGY AND YES NUCLEAR ENERGY.

SENATOR OBAMA MENTIONED THIS FACT WE CONSUME 25% OF THE WORLD'S OIL BUT WE ONLY HAVE 3%. DRILLING TOO MUCH TOO SOON CAN AND WILL DEPLEAT WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE AND NOT GIVE US ANY FOR ANY DIRE TIMES WHERE IT MAY BE NESSCARY.


OVERALL THE DEBATE GAVE ME HOPE THAT SENATOR OBAMA IS SPREADING HIS PRESIDENTIAL WINGS. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS BUT IS SMART ENOUGHT TO SURROND HIMSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN TEACH HIM NOT JUST ANSWER FOR HIM. HE MAY NOT BE A VETERAN BUT HE UNDERSTANDS THAT IN ORDER TO HELP VETERANS YOU HAVE TO HAVE MONEY TO HELP THEM WITH AND PROGRAMS THAT CAN SUPPORT NOT ONLY THEM BUT THERE FAMILIES. I RESONATES THE POINT THAT FIGHTING A WAR AGAINST TERRORISM IS FIGHTING A CONCEPT NOT JUST A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THAT TO DO SO WE MUST MAKE THE WORLD HAVE FAITH IN US AGAIN AS A WORLD LEADER AND A WORLD POWER.

ON A LIGHTER NOT BEFORE I GIVE MY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS THE DEBATE DID HAVE SOME HUMOR. BETWEEN SENATOR OBAMA "MISTAKENLY" CALLING SENATOR MCCAIN TOM (REFERING TO UNCLE TOM) AND JIM (JIM CROW) AND A CORNY BUT CHUVKLE WORTHY IMAGE OF SENATOR MCCAIN STARRING INTO PUTIN'S EYES AND SEEING A " K A G AND A B". THE AWARD FOR MOST COLORFUL VOCABULARY FOR THE NIGHT GOES TO SENATOR MCCAIN FOR THE WORDS "FESTUNEND" AND "PARSING". BUT THE ALL TIME FUNNIEST MOMENT WAS THE LOOK OF CONSTIPATION ON SENATOR MCCAIN'S FACE WHEN HE HAD TO SHAKE SENATOR MCCAIN'S HAND AT THE END OF THE DEBATE.


OVERALL I NOTICED THAT BOTH CANNIDATES ARE VERY STUBORN AND HOLD FAST TO THEIR VIEWS BUT I DO SEE AN ARROGANCE IN MCCAIN REMINISANT OF W. THAT SCARES ME.... THE FACT THAT HE CAN SO ARROGANTLY BOAST ABOUT NOT NEEDING ON THE JOB TRAINING IS SCARRY. BUSH THOUGHT THAT HE DIDN'T NEED TRAINING AND WAS SO FIXATED ON BEING RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT HE ENDED UP DRIVING US DEEPER INTO DARK SPIRAL THAN EVER BEFORE. IT ONLY MAKES ME PRAY THAT THE MESSAGE OF CHANGE AND HOPE THAT SENATOR OBAMA BRINGS WILL INSPIRE MORE PEOPLE AND LEAD HIM RIGHT TO THE WHITE HOUSE.


One mind one heart one voice one soul. One person speaks a word that plants an idea into another's soul that blooms into a beautiful concept and reality that is seen and spread throughout the world. And by one speaking another listening and sharing and by it gong forth in repetition we spread this Anjlik Sol......