I wasn't going to mention the debate last night (and I don't plan to blog my thoughts on the remaining presidential debates), but I know everyone wants to know what I think (ha ha). And, I wanted to post this cool (though slightly outdated) button I saw on Mike's blog. :) So...I would compare last night's debate to a Nascar race that had no crashes or pit fights; or a 1-0 baseball game. I thought it was pretty boring, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was bad. I wasn't really all that familiar with Sen. Biden, and I have to say that I came away fairly impressed by him as a candidate and a politician. As much as I don't like politics, that doesn't mean all politicians are bad people. In fact, most are probably very good people. Sen. Biden came across as real and down-to-earth, and also someone who knows his stuff. I thought he did a good job of presenting Sen. Obama's plans (something we still haven't heard much from the other camp), and he tried to set the record straight on some things about Sen. McCain (what exactly does it mean to be a maverick?).
As far as Gov. Palin... let me say first off that I actually prayed for her yesterday. I don't know that it made any difference, but I wanted you to know that I am not a total cad. :) There was a lot of pressure on her, and I did want her to do well and not be overcome by the weight of the situation. She probably did better than I expected and I am happy for her. However, I still don't think she is capable of serving as Vice-President - much less as President should that need arise - of the most powerful nation in the world. And, if I can be totally transparent here... I just have to say that I cannot stand her voice and her 'personality.' But that's just me - it's a personal thing. And, this whole bit about her being "one of us." Well, first off, I don't think she's much like me. But also, I don't know that I necessarily want someone like me making decisions on matters of international concern anyway. I would hope for someone with a little more knowledge and expertise.
So, overall, I don't think either vp candidate "lost" the debate for their party. As one reporter said, "Gov. Palin made herself look better, but probably not John McCain." It probably won't surprise anyone that I think Sen. Biden won. He was calm, cool, and confident. Gov. Palin had some facts wrong, and... if the fact that she didn't totally screw up means she did good... I'm not sure that says a whole lot. I would also add that, even though Gov. Palin tried to get a little snarky on a couple occasions, I liked the tone of this debate much better than the first presidential one. They were both cordial and pleasant. So that's my fairly biased and uneducated take on the thing.
Peace out, folks; and in.
14 comments:
Thanks for posting. I've checked your blog at least 4 times so far this morning (not a real busy day).
I agree with most of what you say but I thought Joe was kind of arrogant and I still don't care for him much. He is very smart though and definitely seems to know what he's doing.
I liked Sarah in that I think we'd be friends. But I agree that "I don't know that I necessarily want someone like me making decisions on matters of international concern anyway."
I fell asleep around 10 so I didn't catch the whole thing. Still don't know what I'll do.......
Yep...
Great button by the way...
I can't stand the way that Joe Biden thinks that FDR got on TELEVISION during the depression to point fingers. (How about Hoover and the dang thing wasn't invented yet). Which is a little more basic than the "current" definition of the Bush doctrine that was thrown at Gov. Palin.
...not to mention what college boys think the "Bush Doctrine" is.
Also, I'm kind of surprised you like him, considering his open support of the war in Iraq. He voted against the troop surge, but supported the war. I know you're not a "one issue" man, but I thought that one was a biggie.
I believe the FDR thing was a mistake Biden made earlier, not in the debate last night.
And you are right that war is a big issue with me. Unfortunately there aren't any viable candidates to choose from that don't support war. But to my knowledge Obama is at least willing to consider other options.
Again, I don't know that much about him (or Palin), but at least he didn't make any cutesy little snorts and smirks.
I didn't watch the debate, so I can't comment on it. I'm sure it's posted on the internet by now, but I still don't plan on watching it. It is good to know that Sarah is a quick study, though.
I wouldn't really call Jesus a community organizer. Maybe community agitator? You don't really see a lot of community organizers getting the death penalty for being threats to national security these days.
While I realize that this button was intended as a joke, I think it still kind of presents Obama as a Christ figure, when he is pretty far from one based on my reading of the New Testament. His former pastor friend (Rev. Wright) may have been a little closer :)
Either way, I was also surprised at how much I kind of liked Biden--not that I agree with him on every or even many issues, but he just seemed pretty sincere. Palin was WAY out of her league, although she looked well coached and clearly knows how to dupe people into thinking she actually has political opinions.
I still think it's funny that all of them (both VPs and the Presidential candidates) think they know what it's like to be a struggling "middle class" American (as if the middle class here is actually struggling relative to the rest of the world). I'm just waiting for the stock market to finally crash....
sorry for the rant on your comment space. I've had a long day...
No problem, Isaac. It doesn't look like a rant to me. I pretty much agree. Especially about the candidates thinking they know what it's like to be middle class. I heard today the Palin's made $166,000 last year. Not quite where we're at. But I guess if middle class is anything under $5million (like McCain said) then some of them might fit.
And I've always struggled with how much of an agitator Jesus was. Certainly he agitated the Jewish leadership, but I've just never been able to settle whether he agitated the everyday person, or whether he was more appealing to them. But either which way - the button is just a joke, and Obama is not Christ.
Thanks for chiming in. Hope your night gets better.
That's a good question, actually... is Jesus an icon of anarchy and therefore appealing to those with a rebellious nature?
Well it seems Jesus IS a lot of things today. However, at least according to one of my professors (one of the more well respected biblical scholars in the country specifically in Matthew), it definitely appears that Jesus WAS a political subversive as far as Rome was concerned. He was given capital punishment for being at the very least a potential enemy to the state, just like Paul, and as far as I know every other disciple. It appears Jesus has always appealed to those with a rebellious nature because HE was rebellious in nature.
Good point. I wonder if it's not so much "does Jesus appeal to those with a rebellious nature" though, as... is a taking on a rebellious nature what it means to be a Christian?
I believe Christianity (the way of Christ; following Jesus) is fundamentally rebellious. It is rebelling against the ways of this world, and the "ruler of this world" - Satan.
What complicates matters is the tension created by living "in the world" and not being "of the world." Does Jesus want us to rebel against "everything," or just against "certain things." When you throw in all the "love one another"; "love your enemies"; and stuff into it... ahhh... it's just hard to get a clear picture. At least to me.
Questions, questions, questions...
I must have been typing while Isaac was posting this most recent comment. So, good points by both MR and Isaac. :)
To play around with the chicken and the egg a little, are there then people who are rebellious first, and then adopt Jesus as a means to an end; a trump card to all things they disdain, which happens to be just about anything. Can't Jesus then be used as an excuse for isolation, self-agrandizement, holier-than-thou-ness and a bunch of characteristics I don't think he'd have approved of? What percentage of each congregation fits this description, I wonder? Rebels first, Christians...not really.
MR,
I'm sure you're right. There's a difference between just being rebellious to be rebellious, and rebelling against the things Jesus would lead us to rebel against. I don't know that they're always mutually exclusive, but I'm not trying to say all rebellion is good either. I think, as with all things connected to Christianity, the heart and motive have a lot to do with it. And sometimes we mistakenly happen to get things right too. :)
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