It has become very clear that the mood this election year has transcended the frustrated voter into the angry voter, but many are outraged at what they see as an all new low from a North Carolina parking lot owner. The parking lot owner decided that any cars with Barack Obama stickers are no longer welcome to park in his lot.

Although in an interview the parking lot owner states he was just “trying to make light” of the election year, he also made it very clear that Obama supporters are not welcome, and he has no intention of taking down the sign until after the election in November.

This outrageous behavior is just the tip of the iceberg of what has lately become a very polarized election year. Many are attributing the increase in anger among voters by John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin, who have openly been encouraging ideas that are divisive and come very close to crossing the line of bigoted insinuations.

Most recently, hostility toward reporters at Palin rallies has become so bad that racial epithets are common-place, and chants such as Read the rest of this entry »

As a middle-aged women, I implore all my follow middle-aged brothers and sisters (okay, friends) to realize just how important it is that we ALL vote this election year.

Growing up I recall hearing how the generation after us would be the “new frontier”, a new century of technological wonder and excitement as everywhere on the news people focused on the children starting kindergarten who would graduate in the year 2000. The generation before us was the “age of exploration” and the “wild child” era. They broke the rules and decided that things weren’t going to continue as they had, just because they had always been that way. Our generation, on the other hand, just existed. We had no rock “king” (Michael Jackson just doesn’t count), no JFK, nothing that really made us stand out. Apparently no one expected much from us.

But today it appears that we have a huge burden and responsibility. As the “middle-aged” generation we have to figure out how to get our parents through to retirement, without breaking the social security system and leaving our own retirement in question. We have to figure out how to fix the global environmental mess, to protect the planet so there is something for our children to inherit, and at the same time, we’re still struggling to work, raise our children, and still have time for ourselves.

Now I’m not saying that these problems weren’t created, in part, by us (we’re not that innocent after all), but it does seem that we will be taking on a larger share of the responsibilities of fixing it all, just because, well, that’s life!

So if anyone believes that this election year is just like all the others, that the stakes aren’t that high, you need a wake-up call! The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the implications for our future have never before been more intense. Can any of us truly afford NOT to vote this election year? I don’t think so.

But, don’t take my word for it - listen to the students in the video below. Sometimes, the smartest thing we can do as adults is take pause and listen to truly unquestionable, heart-felt advise from our youth. I believe by doing so, we allow ourselves to untangle from the nasty, downright stupidity of the political process, and to just realize that we are as much a part of this process as anyone.

The video below was created by 7th and 8th grade students in Mr. Macfarlane’s class at Templeton Middle School in California. It was found on the CNN website, iReports. In it students look at whats at stake in this election from a students point of view. Take a minute to really listen, and to think about the implications and what they stand for. Many of us have children their age, so we can relate to their needs, and dreams for their own future. If nothing else, don’t vote for you, but vote for THEM!

The most significant thing about tonight’s debate between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain - McCains vain attempts to try to use Obama’s own words to confuse voters. But more about that later; most significant now is - did this debate make a difference or change a course for the next four weeks before election day? Nope, not at all.

What the candidates did right.

First, McCain controlled his facial expressions better during this debate. He was able to come across more naturally in a format that he is very comfortable with and seems to enjoy. That doesn’t mean it always came across well for McCain, but at least it was a far better showing than the last debate.

As for Obama, it took him the first answer or two to warm up, but once he did he showed a marvelous Read the rest of this entry »

In one of the lowest efforts I’ve seen yet this election year, today at a rally in California Sarah Palin misquoted Madeline Albright, former Secretary of State and Ambassador to the United Nations. Or, maybe she just couldn’t read the fine print, I’m not sure. Regardless, it appears Palin is on a mission from God; distract voters, at all costs, from the obviously significant issues this election year, even if it takes winks, misquotes, and whatever you’ve got to get on the nightly news.

The quote, Ms. Palin indicates she found on a Starbucks coffee mug (what are the odds huh) states “”There’s a place in Hell reserved for women who don’t help other women.” Ms. Palin’s version however, as she was so willing to share this morning, went like this, “There’s a place in Hell reserved for women who don’t support other women.” Clearly, there is a difference in meaning here, that Palin capitalized on.

So how far will Ms. Palin go to support this failing campaign? Pretty far it seems. Since the vice presidential debate, Palin has taken on an attack-dog like zeal (she now even indicates she reads The New York Times) accusing candidate Barack Obama of ties to terrorists. Obama was eight years old when the “domestic terrorist” Palin refers to were at their most dangerous.

But these efforts only fuel the fire of a waning campaign, showing the world that John McCain is pulling his last straws in an effort to try to turn the tides once again in his favor. Not only is McCain not appearing too presidential or popular lately, Ms. Palin’s own woes refuse to die.

Recently a judge in Alaska concluded that proceeding with an investigation into Palin’s troopergate probe would not hinder her rights under the law and should continue. Of course the McCain campaign is appealing the decision but the fact remains - the issue is of enough significance, and the proof must be sufficiently real to warranted continued investigation. And in a recent decision by the Palin camp, it now appears that Todd Palin will Read the rest of this entry »

Despite the all the warnings from Congress, the President, mainstream media and of course the banking industry, that the bailout package was a “necessary evil” to cure the ills of the Wall Street financial mess, just after passage the DOW continued to fall. As of close of business Friday, October 3, one day after the bailout was passed by Congress, the DOW fell by over 157 points after a drop of 42 points the previous day.

What do you think? Will this bailout package get us anywhere? Or as we just playing stool pigeon for the wealthy?

After $223 million in pork barrel spending from the financial bailout package, Gov. Sarah Palin builds a creek to nowhere.