John McCain, the Republican nominee for president of the United States, advertises frequently that he is "the original maverick". He says change will come to the country if he is given the presidency. This message of change has resounded with Americans as evidenced by the candidacy of Democratic candidate Barrack Obama. Now both candidates, keeping in mind the American Public's dismal approval ratings for the Congress and President Bush, the turmoil in the economy, and an unpopular war in Iraq, have made change their central focus.


One of the most amazing facts of the 2008 election is that the door to diversity has swung open farther than in any previous election. For the first time in American history, either the President will be African American, or the Vice President will be Female.


Whether he wins or not, John McCain has contributed something special to this election. maybe as a result of his sometimes pariah status in his party, McCain was able to select a running mate that was out of left--err right field. His selection of Alaska governor Sarah Palin reinvigorated the race, and in many ways refreshed McCain's claim to open mindedness.


Palin's questionable credentials aside, McCain's choice was exciting. The Republican nominee could have easily chosen yet another white male to run besides him. The media, his colleagues, and the American public expected it. McCain went against the grain in a big way by choosing Palin--someone so far separated from what most political junkies consider core party or national politics that pundits and media outlets had to scramble just to find out who she was.

As a result, national media quickly uncovered any questionable material on the Alaska governor, and Obama's camp swiftly questioned the experience of a small state governor that had only previous experience as the mayor of Wasilla, population about 7,000.


All of the coverage and interest in Palin has done wonders for the McCain campaign. Consider how much time Palin has been covered in national media. It seems as if she is mentioned nearly on an equal basis with McCain or Obama. On the other hand, Joe Biden, who is Obama's running mate, has all but faded from the national spotlight since the Democratic National Convention.

Biden seems considerably more qualified to be Vice President than Palin, though Republicans are quick to point out the Palin is the only one of the four with experience "running the government" as an executive. Biden, however, has decades of experience in the Senate, and has been a central figure in American international relations.

Even though many considered Joe Biden a front runner for the position of running mate, the choice is not without its own unique demographics. Biden, what you could call a career politician, is not of the ultra-wealthy class of politicians. He is also a Catholic.


Now that Americans do have a choice outside of the normal "WASP-Male" candidates, more and more voters are realizing that demographics should not be the deciding factor as they head to the ballot boxes. Although many African Americans polled have said they will vote for Obama, not all will. The number of those that do is only slightly higher than would regularly vote Democratic anyway. Meanwhile, not all women will vote for McCain, simply because Palin is on the ticket. Hillary Clinton has urged the millions of people that voted for her in the primaries to support Barrack Obama with votes.

Once again, most Americans will vote on values, economic policy, military utilization ideas, health care promises, and business development. While Americans this year will have voices coming from underrepresented groups, the votes will be based on what the candidates say they plan to do, rather than how they look. Still, after 28 years with a representative from either the Bushes or the Clintons in the White House, it is great that Americans are able to draw from outside that circle this time. The United States is incredibly diverse, and our multiculturalism makes possible an unrestrained flow of ideas. Now, people with different perspectives will get their shot at governing our country.

Labels: Barrack Obama, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin

Labels: California Central Valley, high speed rail, Proposition 1A

Labels: Sacramento Rivercats

In an open letter to the community, owners of the restaurant "55 Degrees", Ali Mackani and Luc Dendievel announced the closing of the restaurant. The place was located on the Capital Mall in downtown Sacramento, and it would seem to be a casualty of not only the overall economy (price of fuel and gas), but more locally the failure of the twin towers project. Sure looks as though the restaurant would have had a better chance with a large residential/hotel tower open on the same street. The letter is pasted below:

Friends,

It’s with a heavy heart that we are writing this message to inform you that we have decided to close the doors at 55 Degrees. After 3 years of dedication and hopes for better tomorrow, we have come to recognize that we cannot continue to support the financial commitment of today’s business environment to operate the restaurant and its expenses.

Our game plan 3 years ago was to be part of the major re-revitalization plans on Capitol Mall and its promise of residential development. The promise unfortunately did not happen and, with the downturn in economy, we have to say enough is enough.

During these past 3 years, we have met and made plenty of friends and supporters of our concept and we’d like to thank each and every one of you. It’s hard to imagine not walking in to 55 Degrees everyday and seeing a familiar face. We truly appreciate you and your support.
We would also like to thank our vendors and purveyors who have supported us and helped deliver to you some the best quality products available in this region. We thank you.

And last, but not least, we’d like to thank our staff, most of whom have been with us since the beginning of this venture and helped us build what has been known as one of the best restaurants in town. We salute you and wish you and your families the best.

This Friday lunch (September 5th, 2008) on the 3rd year anniversary of our opening, it will be our last day in business and we will close the chapter for now.

From all of us here at 55 Degrees, we wish you all the best and hope to see you all soon.

Ali Mackani
Luc Dendievel