Thursday, October 02, 2008
Nook-ya-lur...Oh no!
Minutes ago, the one Vice Presidential debate concluded. The debate featured John McCain's running mate--Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and Barrack Obama's running mate--Delaware Senator Joe Biden.
As alluded to in the title of this article, one thing that was prevalent in the discourse of the debate was the strangeness of how Palin speaks.
OK, saying "Nookyalur" instead of "nuclear" is a pronunciation that is typical among many Americans. However, in the political sphere, it certainly calls to mind the way President George W. Bush says the word. And that works against what Palin was trying to accomplish.
In all seriousness, Sarah Palin proved to many that she is no political slouch. In the very least, she is a quick study, and could demonstrate a wide range of knowledge applicable to her possible position as the Vice President.
Rhetorically, though, she was not the polished politician Americans have come to expect in executive elections. Not since Admiral Stockdale, running with Ross Perot, participated in the 1992 Vice Presidential debate did a debater seem so over matched. The distinct difference between Palin's participation and Stockdale's was the level of confidence Palin exuded in herself and in her candidate.
The thing about Palin is that when she is searching for words to say, she has substituted political jargon as her verbal pauses. Whereas others who use a lot of verbal pauses say "uh", "um", "like", or "you know," it seems Palin has trained herself to use phrases like "in America, at least in some of our states," "put more attention in that", "things that we stand for that we can be put to good use," or "we are a team of mavericks". Then at times she sticks to colloquialisms that she is used to, and at those times, she seems the most genuine and identifiable to the average American.
Joe Biden had an exceptional debate. He sounded knowledgeable and earnest, while at the same time, did not seem overly aggressive towards Palin. Although Palin has experienced tough debaters in Frank Murkowski and Tony Knowles in her election as the Alaskan governor, it would seem Biden's years of experience in the Senate may have prepared him better for a Vice Presidential debate. After all, some of the greatest orators in America sometimes find their way into the Senate.Biden's speaking style was described by the media prior to the debate as problematic for the Obama campaign. He has plagiarized speech material in the past, which is a strong discredit against him. He has also been accused of rambling on a little, and there were fears he would seem patronizing to the over matched Sarah Palin.
Biden never went over the edge, and kept his focus on attacking McCain's positions, while Palin attacked directly quite a few things brought up in Biden's dialogue and record. Conspicuously absent were any references to Palin's legal issues in Alaska, or for the most part anything she has done as Governor of that state (unless it was brought up by Palin herself).
Palin's competence in the debate fortunately allows Americans to consider the issues. Americans are concerned about the economic conditions. Obama-Biden wants to approach the systemic problem created by the last 8 years through reducing taxes of the lowest paid and placing a larger burden on the highest paid Americans. McCain-Palin acknowledges the problems with the economy, but how it wants to fix the economy is less clear from Palin's statements. Palin says the greed of Wall Street must be curbed (although it arguably the buying and selling Wall Street does is based on the guiding principle of greed.) Whether you believe Biden or not, as Palin did not address it other than to say he sounded warning signals about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, McCain also is for the same kind of deregulation that has disrupted the world financial markets. McCain also will apparently not be reducing taxes for anyone except big business, as Palin believes that will result in the movement of the economy and the creation of jobs. Biden was quick to point out that this was the same idea proposed by the Bush Administration, and we can now see the results.
Americans are also concerned about health care and education. Palin and Biden pretty much stated the standard beliefs of their respective political parties on these issues.
Americans are concerned about the war in Iraq and the international standing of the country. Biden stated a clear exit strategy on Iraq, and Palin went with the approach that an exit strategy was akin to sending up the white flag. Palin and Biden both believed Iran should not be able to obtain nuclear weapons, but Biden insisted on the importance of diplomacy and discussion, while Palin focused on economic sanctions with friends and allies against the Iranians. On Afghanistan, Palin wanted to institute the same surge strategy that was successful in Iraq, while Biden was adamant that the surge would not work, as the ground commander in Afghanistan has stated.
All in all, issues were more distinctly divergent than they were in the first Presidential debate. While it is possible that Palin's inexperience in major debates may have caused a little drifting towards head to head confrontation, it is just as likely that the major contributor was Biden coaxing it that way with his direct communicative style.
Hopefully, the next two presidential debates will be a little more representative of the two candidates' political beliefs. Suggestion for Obama and McCain--be less of afraid of losing the debate. This means that minutes after the debate, neither one of you should release on your websites or in email that your candidate won the debate. It means that when moderators Tom Brokaw and and Bob Schieffer ask a question, be as informative to the voters as possible. A little "straight-talk" perhaps...
Labels: Barrack Obama, Bob Schieffer, Election 2008, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Tom Brokaw
Monday, September 22, 2008
McCain's Contribution
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 Re
publican 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
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Democratic National Convention
Barrack Obama's nomination celebration is underway in Denver this week. After selecting Joe Biden as his running mate last week, the Democrats plan to use this week's Democratic National Convention to show a united front and a desire to dethrone the GOP by highlighting the errors of the Bush administration.
The Central Valley of California is a study in politics that mirrors the larger American electoral map. Largely agrarian, vast portions of the Valley side with the conservative principles of the Republican party. Valley Republicans value the importance of laws reflecting religious morality, the protection of individual freedoms such as the right to bear arms and to do what they want with the property they own, and put a prime importance on the government taking as little tax from it's people as possible.
Meanwhile, much more concentrated in the urban areas such as inner Sacramento or the small University outposts such as Davis, are the Democrats. Valley Dems are more likely to favor growing government power to provide social, health, and educational programs to the most disadvantaged. Democrats value the importance of laws reflecting morality, including the Christian belief in charity, hoping to institutionalize the practice through the shared responsibility of governance.
A growing segment of the population, however, does not subscribe to either party. These voters agree with somethings in each party, but not everything. Or, they may agree essentially with almost all of one party's fiscal beliefs, but not their social programs.
In many respects, Barrack Obama has made an attempt to bridge these gaps, an attempt that is inspiring and hopeful. Obama may see what so many politicians do not appreciate. The nation, although polarized between red and blue in recent elections, is no longer a country with two parties of voters. Now it is a country with independent voters deciding between two parties. As the Republicans and Democrats increasingly polarized over the last couple decades, moderates in both parties lost a voice in decision-making. John McCain himself has made a career of being separate from the general GOP mindset, now advertising himself as "the original maverick". Obama has long centered on this theme of change, which most believe set him up to eventually defeat Hillary Clinton in the primaries.
However, Obama's choice for the Vice President, Joe Biden, makes some worry his message of change is being lost in his attempt to stop McCain's surge in national polls. In fact, many experts believe Biden may actually hurt his poll numbers, as Biden is seen as a Washington insider, a poor evoker of change. In the convention this week, Obama must recapture his earlier momentum by refocusing his campaign's message on a more hopeful and prosperous future.
Labels: Barrack Obama, Democratic National Convention, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John McCain, Republicans
