Political Meanings

From Michigan's Supreme Court race to the many incumbent losses in the House of Representatives, to the incumbent losses in the Senate (Oregon's Smith, N. Carolina's Dole, New Hampshire's Sununu), the anti-incumbent vote made its presence very visible in this election. It was decidedly an anti-incumbent vote against the GOP. However, both major parties can no longer ignore the power of the independent voters (6% of whom decided the Democratic direction of this race), nor the power of voters exercising their right and obligation to vote out incumbents when government disappoints the voters.

As early as 8PM this evening, we may have clear indications as to who our next president may be. Be that as it may, there are an enormous number of other important races and candidates to be determined from the Eastern most point of Maine to the Western most tip of Hawaii. For 10's of millions of Americans today, a case of the blues will try to settle in because their horse didn't cross the finish line in first place. But, this election is as much about process as results. And the process, though in desperate need of reform, continues to work.

As always, elections are about variables so myriad as to make polling effective only in trend for some elections, and entirely unreliable in others. It appears to me this 2008 election however, is about a crisis in confidence toward authority and the presidential winner will be the person having shown the most credible judgement.

McCain/Palin and other Republican politicians running for office are throwing the 'socialist' tag at their Democratic opponents in the hopes it will stick to voter's foreheads while lining up to vote. Rather odd and illogical tactic unless they are targeting voters who have been oblivious to the socialist doubling of the national debt by Republicans these last 7 and 3/4 years.

The details in some of the polls now show 12% of Republicans intending to vote for Barack Obama. This reflects an anti-incumbent target bigger than individual incumbents, aimed selectively at the Republican Party itself. Given Republican control of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007, where all spending and tax law finds its beginning, and control of the Senate from 2001 to 2007, in addition to a Republican President from 2001 to the present, and given the dire economic condition of the country and world economy today, it is no great surprise that voters would focus anti-incumbent sentiment on the Republican Party and its incumbents primarily.

Most American tax payers could not give a definition of the term "opportunity cost". Just as most Americans could not tell you what al-Queda was, prior to 9/11, 2001. Not knowing however, did not stop al-Queda from attacking America, and not knowing what opportunity cost is, will not stop those oppressive and suffocating costs from forcing future tax increases on income earners in America and pushing the nation toward bankruptcy.

Each candidate held their own. A few more contrasts and details were made available. The format was a bit more interesting, and the questions were superior to previous debates. Below are the responses I recorded as the debate was taking place.

Economy
McCain - put a floor under falling homeowner values. Use 300 billion to buy mortgages of homeowners whose homes are, or will be foreclosed upon.

Obama - Rescue Bill was first step. A rescue package needed for the Middle Class too, focused on jobs, tax cut for those making under $200,000 per year. Renegotiate mortgages for foreclosing homeowners without bailing out the banks. Fix energy, health, and education as long term steps to strengthen our economy.

Would you teach your children to make up their own minds about political party and candidates? Or, would you insure their politics were the same as yours? Parenting politics should be a fascinating topic, but, it is under researched. Scholastic Magazine sponsored an election conducted by school age kids, grades 1 - 12, on the presidential races. Obama 54% to McCain's 39% if I recall their interview on TV this morning, correctly. What is interesting is how those percentages mirror the adult population polls.

America has a future. American's have a future. In many ways, it will not look like our past. What is happening right now is a revolution, a political, economic, and cultural revolution. There is no choice about it. When Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, certain concepts and ideas were put to the test, and in 2007 and 2008, those concepts and ideas brought our economy crashing down, driving 10's of millions of voters to leave the two major political parties, and opening the door to dramatic cultural change going forward.

Obama didn't so much win this debate, as McCain failed in it. There was very little new to be heard from Sen. Obama, though he made a couple positions clearer to the audience. But, Sen. McCain's falling poll numbers required him to turn the table in this debate, and he did not. If anything, he raised new doubts about his candidacy as he unleashed a new spending program in tonight's debate.