Election day nearing and other thoughts...

Election day is tomorrow, and if you are like me, you're starting to get nervous because Obama is predicted to win and you just know it's too good to be true. My own thoughts are that he should win, if it's close, we'll have to sit through weeks of tit for tat, so I'm hoping a fairly convincing win. Either way, whoever wins, it's not really the best environment to be elected because you promised a lot of things and the economy is just not set up for those programs to go through. So some quick thoughts:

1) For me the election is about whether you think that the country needs to make a fundamental change of direction. If this is the case, then you should be for Obama. If you think it's going the right direction but there have been just a few bad actors, vote for McCain. While I think Obama will largely bring symbolic change, but only incremental actual change (he's largely consensus building and risk averse), I think (hope) it will signal an end (lessening more likely) of the culture wars of the 60s. I'm sick of fighting the same battles as my parents and think that younger voters are looking for a different model of government.

2) Part of my annoyance with the Republican party is that I feel like they lambast science and evidenced based research, and therefore me. The bashing of intellectualism has also been lamented by David Brooks, conservative columnist for the NY Times. Christopher Landing has been harsh on the McCain-Palin campaign, particularly Palin, for this, and two articles ago unleashed a torrid final paragraph that makes me feel a release but also fear that it has a little too much smugness in itself and risks the same ignorance of the opposing viewpoints, particularly if is not considered "intellectual" enough. There can still be validity in populist ideas, even if they are more conservative.

Final paragraph of Palin's War on Science:

This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just "people of faith" but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity.

3) Charges of Obama being a socialist are way overblown. t gives a good rant on the idoicy of this argument.

4) At long last, have you no shame? Have you know decency? Where your tax dollars are going... socialism for the rich.

5) Rick Pitino had some interesting comments on what kills potential.

"There are four things that are killers of potential," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "One is drugs. Two is alcohol. Three is disrespecting women, and four is a lack of humility. You will never reach your potential if you think you've arrived before you have."

Should it be xRick Pitinox?

6) Some interesting detective work on the web for the origin of:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk.
Martin walked, so Obama could run.
Obama is running so our children can fly.

Peace. Go Obama.