NEWSFLASH: Presidential Candidates Have Big Egos and other items

I know, I know, I need to post the songs. A certain someone needs to send me theirs in the right format, also.

Anyway, this post is not going to be about the headline so much, it just kind of bugs me when people talk about how they could never vote for the "other" candidate because he/she has way too much self love, as though their candidate is the model, the paragon, the quintessence, the tumescence of humility. Their candidate who is running for President. Of the United States.

Now then, I watched the Obama acceptance speech last night and I liked it. There were a few honestly inspirational moments. Like when he talked about taking action on consensus:

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.

Or when he basically quoted me about inidividual responsibility and mutual responsibility--that we can't let government solve all of our problems for us; we need to take repsonsibility for our own actions as well. (Once upon a time, when we were feeling fed up with political parties, Ms. Tom and I were going to create a political party founded on the values of reponsibility: personal, mutual, corporate, etc. We decided not to reinvent the wheel after all.)

Anyway, I support the general message of Barack Obama's speech, the idea that our country can do better 1) to give its citizens access to the resources they need, 2)to regain the bit of respect we used to have in the world, 3) to work together, despite our differences.

Then, there were a few things that gave me that not-so-gung-ho feeling.

One in particular that I have heard politicians, most often democrats, give lip service to a lot in the past several years, is the idea that we can somehow stop jobs from going overseas--often manufacturing jobs or even jobs that are on their way to being technologically obsolete, and of course there are always the call centers and help desks. No doubt it sucks to work in a factory for 25 years and suddenly the plant closes down and you have no job. But, we are never going to be able to give businesses the number of tax credits they would need to make it financially smart to keep these jobs here. I just don't see how it is a viable solution in our global economy. Can we do something to promote job growth? Sure, we can encourage new technologies. Can we do something to help train people that lost their jobs to do something else? Yes, why not? I just don't think we can keep these jobs from going away. Maybe I'm missing something.

And yes, like most of the country I doubt that we can afford to do everything Obama has in his plan.

Also, anytime the supporters started chanting something, I will admit I got creeped out.

Nevertheless, I do feel he expresses the needs and hopes of the country, particularly the disenfranchised, better than most, and I feel that the direction he talks about is the right one.

Just some thoughts and my reactions. I was also very interested to see McCain's VP pick. I know nothing about her, but I am kind of stoked that either way we are starting to break away from the two white guys mold.