Archive for October, 2008
Debate #3
I took some notes during the 3rd and final presidential debate. Overall, I liked this format the best. I thought Bob Schieffer did a good job moderating and I liked the more pointed questions.
Topic 1: The economic crises
McCain kicked things off talking about how Americans are the “innocent victims” in this mess and how angry they are. He wants to buy up bad mortgages to prevent foreclosure. He rounded out his opener by wheeling out the ol’ Republican watch-words “distribution of wealth” and “class warfare”.
Source: Economic Policy Institute
Obama repeated again his tax cut for the middle class and talked about real incomes shrinking under the last 8 years of Republican economic policy. (See graph)
My take: Anger and self-pity aren’t going to help rebuild this economy. We need to take a long hard look at our economic history and make some real changes. Looking at the last decade of income growth, you can see why the middle class is itching for some tax relief. While neither candidate has really acknowledged just how bad it’s going to get, I think Obama’s policies are more in line with what the American citizenry.
Topic 2: Federal Deficit & Debt
Obama wants to cut some programs and reduce overall spending. He referenced the Democratic favorite “pay as you go” funding. Tied in mentions of health care, energy policy, and education as key economic drivers.
McCain wants to make the U.S. energy independent and says it will create millions of jobs and result in a balanced budget in four years. He also wants a spending freeze for the federal government (presumably excepting the few areas as he’s said before). Earmarks and pork barrel projects came out again as examples of wasteful spending.
My take: It’s going to be nearly impossible for either candidate to balance the budget given their current economic policies. Sadly, we are going to be paying for the Bush Administration’s reckless economic policies for decades to come.
Topic 3: Negative campaign ads
McCain managed to paint himself into the corner by saying how he was dismayed at how ugly the campaign had been. At one point it almost sounded like he was opposed to his own campaign. (Was this McCain(2000) trying to emerge?) He finally brought out Ayers and ACORN and tried to hang them around Obama’s neck.
Obama acknowledged that its been an ugly campaign with some “tough” ads. He put a bit of pressure on McCain, noting that 60% of voters think McCain has run a negative campaign. Then he turned up the heat by mentioning the recent trend in Palin rallies of supporters shouting “terrorist!” and “kill him!” when Obama’s name is mentioned. The coup de gras was one of the best zingers of the season, skillfully deflecting the Bill Ayers accusations:
And I think the fact that [Ayers] has become such an important part of your campaign, Sen. McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me.
My take: I think McCain took the negativity too far this year and I think he knows it. But a lot can change in three weeks so we shall see.
Topic 4: Running mates
Obama gave a broad, generic, positive endorsement of Biden as a lifelong civil servant. He especially mentioned his foreign policy experience. Nothing new or noteworthy here.
McCain fawned over Palin’s reformer credentials and repeated said how “proud” he was of her. (I thought it was a bit patronizing, but hey.) Then he took a weird twist and started talking about Autism and how Palin is an expert on special needs children.
My take: I’m thoroughly disgusted by how the McCain/Palin campaign are using her son with Downs syndrome as political bait. What’s even weirder is that McCain repeatedly talked about Autism specifically. Does he know that Autism and Downs are not the same thing?
Topic 5: Energy independence
McCain kicked things off by telling us he could eliminate foreign oil from the Middle East and Venezuela in his first term. He listed a host of options including nuclear, solar, wind, and off shore oil drilling. Right at the end of his opener he hedged his previous claim by saying maybe it would take 8-10 years.
Obama agreed that we could stop importing oil from the Middle East within 8-10 years. His focus was on transportation and holding Detroit responsible for producing efficient cars.
My take: The tough reality is that over half of our imported oil comes from the Middle East. That’s not going to change unless we have a fundamental shift in our energy policies. We simply must live more efficiently. Neither candidate is coming anywhere close to the scope of changes that we need to make if we’re to stop importing oil from the Middle East.
Topic 6: Health care
Obama explained his plan fairly well: If you have insurance, keep it. If you don’t have insurance, you can buy into the Federal Employee insurance pool. He added the need for reducing costs and preventative care. One of the great points he made is that we already pay for uninsured people through Emergency Room visits and Medicaid so this would only make things cost less in the long run. (Let’s hope he’s right)
McCain proposed a $5000 tax credit to buy insurance on the private market. His plan relies heavily on the idea that the free market will force competition and lower costs. Though he was hesitant to bring it up, he also will tax the health care benefits you get from your employer.
My take: I want to know who wrote McCain’s health care plan, because it sounds like a direct handout to the insurance industry. The free market doesn’t work particularly well unless buyers and sellers have equal access to information, and I don’t think that’s the case with health care. The rest of the world is probably on to something when they provide universal health care.
Topic 7: Roe v Wade
McCain is against it
Obama is for it
My take: Abortions are preventable. Stop unwanted pregnancies and you can stop abortion. I can not fathom why so many conservatives are opposed to sex education, contraception, and an overall healthy approach to sex and sexuality. Pull your heads out of your Puritan asses and start teaching kids how their bodies work.
Topic 8: Education
Obama wants to increase funding for some programs like early childhood education and pay for teachers based on performance. He also wants reform but was less specific. Finally, he wants to give every college student $4000/yr for tuition in exchange for community service (including military, peace corps, etc.)
McCain is very much opposed to spending more money on education. He says reform and competition via vouchers and charter schools is the answer.
My take: We desperately need to fix our broken education system. Sadly, I don’t think Washington can do it. We have devolved culturally to a place where intellectualism is a liability (remember when Obama was too “elite”?) and “faith” is all you need to land the nation’s highest office (Hello, Mr. Bush). This needs to change.
Filed under politics : Comments (0) : Oct 15th, 2008
Demand, Baby, Demand!
There was a time not so long ago when most of the U.S. was fretting over high oil prices. Gasoline was heading north of $4/gallon and politicians everywhere were heeding the call to take action. Most Republicans running for office (including McCain and especially Palin) proposed that the solution to high prices was to drill for more oil. In other words, increase supply.
I disagreed . (Along with most energy experts). Supply is inherently prone to lag. There’s a delay of 3-5 years (or more) before a new oil well will bring any new oil to the market. Not exactly the cure for today’s high prices.
Instead, I advocated that we do everything in our power to cut demand. This can be done virtually overnight. As the last few months have demonstrated conclusively. All around the world, but especially in the U.S., people are driving less and using less oil. This decrease in demand has caused the recent drop in oil, not the rally chant of “drill, baby, drill”.
Where do we go from here? Now that oil is back under $100/bbl we can’t get complacent. We need to aggressively invest in efficiency . (”Invest, baby, efficiently!”) For some regions, this means light rail. For others, modernized buses. For all, it means fuel efficient cars (and since Detroit has proven themselves incapable of planning, I think we should mandate it with CAFE standards).
But it has to go beyond that. We need to think about geography and how it impacts energy use. Does it really make sense to live 15 miles from work, 10 miles from the grocery store, or 5 miles from your children’s school? [answer: no] Can we build our communities to be more friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists? [answer: yes] Are airplanes really the best way to travel between Chicago and Minneapolis? [answer: modern trains would be faster/cheaper/more efficient ]
Cut demand and the prices will follow. Demand, Baby, Demand!
Filed under energy, politics : Comments (0) : Oct 14th, 2008
McCain vs McCain
There was a time not so long ago when I genuinely liked John McCain. Eight years ago, I was rooting for him to win the GOP nomination over the Governor from Texas. I still would have supported Al Gore, but at least the debates would have been interesting. Sadly, the Rovian political machine picked up steam and rolled right over him. (Recall the [racist; erroneous] whisper campaign about McCain fathering a black child.) I don’t think we need to think too hard to imagine that the last 8 years would have been a lot better had McCain won.
Something changed in McCain over those years. The man running for president today now employs the same anything-goes Rovian politics that he spent years protesting. (The racism is back too–just watch any YouTube video of a contemporary McCain/Palin rally and you can hear it plain as day.) It appears that McCain(2008) would rather win an election than maintain the dignity and respect he built over 26 years in the senate. McCain(2000) must be spinning in his [political] grave.
Not surprisingly, the crucial undecided voters aren’t buying it. They watched as he nominated an inexperienced Governor from the political (and geographical) fringe and wondered if McCain(2008) really had their best interest in mind. They listened to a campaign of increasingly dirty and dishonest attack ads and wondered where McCain(2000) was hiding. They waited for the maverick to stand up to the extremists in his party and fight for the traditional conservative values that Bush has ignored. But McCain(2008) is no maverick.
I feel sorry for John McCain. He made a deal with the devil and embraced the Rovian politics that have done so much damage to our United States. This election is too important for Rovian distractions. The voters know it and they’ve chosen the candidate who is serious about the issues–not just the sound bites.
McCain(2000) would not recognize McCain(2008) if they met today. What a long, sad trip it’s been.
Filed under politics : Comments (3) : Oct 14th, 2008
Still crazy after all four years
Today marks the 4th anniversary of this little plot of internet we all call tadfad.com. I started it during my college days at UW-Madison and have continued more or less interrupted ever since. (I had another even weirder blog in 2002-2004 but I think I’ve lost that content forever.)
As you may notice, I keep all my archives down the left side of the page. If you’re ever curious about the crazy ideas floating around my head and how they’ve evolved over the years, check them out. (Caveat emptor, as these relics from the past carry no warranty.)
Thanks for sticking with me and supporting my little soap box. It’s so much fun when I run into an old friend who’s still reading tadfad. Here’s to you!
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (4) : Oct 13th, 2008
Attention Milwaukee : Vote YES!
Did you know that Milwaukee County residents are voting on an advisory referrendum this November to modify the tax balance between sales tax and property tax? Well, we are. And you should vote YES!
The legislature is asking for direct voter input on whether the tax burden for transit, parks, and culture should be shifted from property tax to sales tax. Read the bullet points above and check out the linked site for more info.
And please, vote YES!
Filed under Milwaukee, culture, economics, politics : Comments (0) : Oct 13th, 2008
Fall apple picking
+ 
= 
Filed under culture : Comments (1) : Oct 12th, 2008
The Economist : Sept 27th 2008
(No, this isn’t real. But let’s be honest–this is how we all feel.)
(Sorry for the profanity. Hope your children didn’t see this and burn their innocent little retinas.)
Filed under culture, economics : Comments (5) : Oct 10th, 2008
2008 Twin Cities Marathon
You may have noticed the posting frequency on tadfad has decreased as of late. This is due to two reasons:
- The current economic crises has left me searching for words
- I just ran the Twin Cities Marathon
Let’s focus for a moment on the more positive item from above.
This was my second marathon in as many years. My first was the 2007 Chicago Marathon, where we ran through 95 degree heat until the race was “officially” canceled (I still finished). This year was the opposite–50 degrees and rain for the first half of the race. While I wouldn’t mind skipping the rain, this was actually pretty decent weather for running. It was easy to stay cool and hydrated.
My goal for the race was 4 hours. I was on pace all the way through mile 20, at which point I had a bit of a blowout. I felt some pains that I’ve never felt in 10 years of running and made the judgement call to walk a bit (in hopes of preventing catastrophic knee damage). I came across the finish line at 4:11:03.
The good news : my legs have mostly recovered.
The bad news : since I haven’t yet achieved my goal time, I’ll have to run another!
Filed under culture : Comments (6) : Oct 8th, 2008
