Wisconsin, swing state for 44th President

[keith]

Wisconsin is considered one of a half dozen states that may determine the election of the 44th President of the United States.

Who's your candidate and why?

What are the most important issues to you?

Presidential politics have been extremely divisive in recent history. Divisiveness is not the objective here. Our Wisconsin vision for the future of the nation is our purpose here. Please make sound arguments, and respect viewpoints of others.

Cheap shots like name calling will not be tolerated.

I'll be back to weigh in later. Doing my best to listen to both conventions on the radio, to get a better feel for the substance of the speeches.

I look forward to hearing the thoughts of the members of our Wisconsin online community in a friendly forum. We are not each others enemies, even when our political views may be opposed.

When I coached little league, youth basketball and flag football, I was often disappointed by the vitriol remarks of parents on the sidelines, usually disparaging the other team or the referees. I remarked to the parents on our sideline that we need to keep in mind that we're here to help the kids learn the skills to play the games well, and that ultimately most of the kids on these teams, the ones that continued to play, would end up playing on the same team in high school. The same goes for the presidential political campaigns. In the end, we're all going to end up on the same team.

Regards,
Keith

[keith]

Wow...thought this might start a bonfire...

Anyone watch the conventions?

I listened on the radio, 80% of the nights.

I think the radio gives one a better picture, without being distracted by the eye-candy razzle dazzle.

Regards,
Keith

[pk]

I've been very interested in this election and trying to keep informed with both sides.

One issue that I think people need to really look closely at in this election is not just the ones running for President but the ones that have been picked to run with them as VP...

It amazes me how many times I say this to someone and they look at me blankly and say something like, oh, you don't really have to worry about the Vice President unless the President leaves for some reason..

Hello...the Vice President is one step to becoming the person that could run our country. This is also very important to remember when you choose the candidate to vote for. You are not just making the choice to vote for one, you are making the choice to vote for a new President and Vice President. When thinking like that it makes some people re think their choice.

[kookookachoo]

I'm not a fan of either candidate. I'm a republican by nature but no fan of McCain. Of the two, I'd rather see Obama in office.

I'm a Ron Paul guy and hope we see him fare better in 2012.. as for Palin, I think she was chosen as a smokescreen. Seems we hear less about McCain (or the issues) and more about how "hot" Palin looks in a skirt. I'd rather he'd picked Romney or Huckabee as a running mate.

[Twoaday]

Well I'm all for Obama.

-I do believe the President of the U.S. should be someone who inspires and leads and I believe Obama is the best person for this role.

-On issues like science. I want science taught in schools not religion. I'm tired of the war on science and fear it is holding America back.

-On issues like immigration. I'm amazed how we have forgotten our history and who built this country.

-Despite what we are told about tax and spend Dems being bad for the economy.. the best economy ever was under Clinton, the smallest government in 40 years was under Clinton, and as far as the deficit goes we were in the green! unlike Reagan, Bush and Bush.

-On issues likes transit we know Biden will be a champion for rail so that's a positive.

(sorry if that was a bit rambling)

[kookookachoo]

I haven't decided yet. I'm a republican but not a McCain supporter.

[Latina]

Obama/Biden all the way.

I cant imagine another 4 yrs of the same BS that has our economy the way it is. Not to mention Palin is a joke! I can hardly wait for the VP debate. Though she will be coached before hand, she wont have a script to memorize. I hope the Dems eat that @#$% alive.

I tend to end up in heated discussions on this subject, so i'll stop while i'm ahead lol

[pk]

I've been a Republican for ever....but when Bush came along I just could not do it. To vote for another run of Bush by voting for McCain?? LOL NO WAY.

Even if I was sitting on the fence trying to decide.... McCain settled it for me for sure when he picked Palin. Oh my gosh...I shutter to think if McCain won and then something happened to where Palin had to take over! We would be in a world of hurt with her at the head.

I'm right there with you Chica!

[j10asen]

Republicans,Democrats, I just can not relate to where they are at
negative campaigns,fluff without stuff,pointing fingers, I've had enough
why are they called a party when there is no fun
just tossing the muck at each other in an election on the run
it seems like we just got passed this,now four years have gone by
back with the same old passages and again we must decide
my phone is ringing, ringing off the hook, messages and the polling,
I won't give them a second look
don't talk about your opponent and tell us what he would do
just tell honestly how you can fill those presidential shoes

stoney rohde

[booandluna]

Someone sent me the following article and I would like to share it. Obviously this election has been groundbreaking - a woman as a serious contender and an african american candidate. From my point of view - it's about time! I do worry in this election that deep seeded racism will still be a factor when deciding who to vote for. I am a white, 48 year old woman, and I am voting for Barack Obama because I truly feel he is the best candidate to lead this country. Please read the following and then consider the double standards that still infect our society. Thank you.

White Privilege, White Entitlement and the 2008 Election
By Tim Wise / BuzzFlash / 13 September 2008

[Tim Wise is the author of White Like Me (Soft Skull, 2005, revised 2008), and of Speaking Treason Fluently, publishing this month, also by Soft Skull.]

For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological, and arbiters of social decay.

[Publisher's note: I have edited this entry down to the intro paragraphs because it is not appropriate to copy the article in entirety because of copyrights. Regards, Keith]

[keith]

An Amazon review of the book is at:
Amazon.com: White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son: Tim Wise: Books


The article posted is at:
White Privilege, White Entitlement and the 2008 Election | BuzzFlash.org

I have edited it down to the intro paragraph because it is not appropriate to copy the article in entirety.

My comments will follow.

Regards,
Keith

[keith]

Here are a few of my thoughts about race in our presidential election.

My daughter is an intern for the Obama campaign and hosted a party at my house to discuss the candidates and issues. (I'm very proud of her for acting on her convictions). One of the most remarkable observations I made was that race was largely a non-issue for the youngest people present. Teens and early 20s - didn't matter. That says something very positive about the progress we've made in racial attitudes across generations.

I believe that race is a factor in a lot of peoples' minds, but I also believe the Republican ticket would be making many of the same arguments they've been making regardless of the race of the Democratic candidate.

One of the most positive achievements of an Obama win, in my opinion, would be a worldwide appreciation for an America that, indeed, has the ability and the will to elect a person of color to lead our country. Obama's election would send a message, at home and abroad, that America is still a place where "anyone can work hard and become anything they strive for; they can even become President."

I have to say that I know a couple of otherwise good people in the community who will not vote for Obama because of his race, or rather, their racism. I have regular contact with these people in their volunteer capacities for community organizations, and when it comes to their racism I simply tell them they are dinosaurs. Well, dinosaurs in this context are not extinct. They are not as well tolerated as they once were, either.

Though I'm an advocate of equal opportunity employment and housing, and given two job candidates with equal abilities I believe I would choose a minority as an affirmative action, I believe that the election of an African-American as President would warrant a 'sunset' within twenty years to laws/quotas for racial minority hiring and contracting requirements. Our attitudes and practices have created an underclass without question. Yet the achievement of becoming the nation's first African-American President should cause us to recognize that we've come a long way, and it is time to level the playing field again. I said "racial" quotas because the most under-served, in my opinion, are women and children.

Those are my opinions, which, along with a few bucks, will get you a cup of coffee in a lot of places.

Regards,
Keith