Liberal vs. Conservative

Since Katrina the St. Tammany Parish libraries have been offering English tutoring to Spanish speaking people due to the influx of spanish speaking people that moved into our area as we rebuilt. Yesterday I was at the Causeway Branch and browsing Biographies in the back. Political biographies to be exact. Which is ironic in this story.

There is a woman I recognize from the library. Believe she works there. She is sitting at a table with a Hispanic young man. Maybe in his twenties? She is tutoring him on English and teaching him the difference in words. For instance she was explaining quantity vs. quality.

So I am looking over the books and move closer to where they are seated. I hear her say "Liberal". The young man repeats the word. She asks him if he knows what it means? He says he does not. She asks if he follows politics. He must have indicated he did not because she proceeded to explain further.

"Ok. There are basically two political groups. Conservatives and Liberals. Conservatives are the ones who don't want "you people" here." He asks what she means. ("You people" Really, that is what you go with?)

"Conservatives don't want "you people" to live in our country. They don't want "you people" to cross the border. Do you know what is going on in Arizona?" He must have indicated he did not.

"Would you believe that they actually passed a law in Arizona that forbids "you people" from being here without papers. The Conservatives are the ones that did that. The liberals are fighting it in court. Conservatives believe you should just pull yourself up by your bootstraps. I mean we all came here from other countries. America was built with people immigrating."

At that point I had to walk away. I wanted to turn around so badly and speak my mind. I wanted to tell him that not every conservative is against people coming into our country. We just want it to be done legally like our ancestors did. We want people who live here to pay taxes like we do. We don't want to pay for your medical care and other services you get without paying taxes to live here.

I don't know about her ancestors, but "my people" checked in at Ellis Island. Got papers to prove it.

Political Questions, Neutral Forum

IF OPRAH WON'T DO IT, I WILL!

A few posts back I posted my Political Challenge to encourage all sides to NICELY post their opinions on the presendential candidates. I am still looking for more takers on this and am adding more questions after this post. So please click on the link above and participate. If you have already participated, please add another comment to answer the newest questions if you'd like!

Take my political challenge

Ok. There are a lot of people out there who would love to vote this coming election but do not know who to vote for. They are either on the fence or dislike both Obama and McCain. I've heard it from Dems, Reps, Northerners, Southerners. Too many undecided.

So I am asking all those who are politically educated to take my challenge and help out those who have a tough decision to make this coming election. Please give intelligent, well supported answers and please no mud slinging. Be nice. This is not a forum to spew your political views. It is a forum to share your opinion in a nice manner.

Also, if there is a question you would like me to present here please email me and I will consider it for inclusion.

Read Barack Obama's stand on the issues

Read John McCain's stand on the issues

** Indicates newly added questions since original post!

Presidential/VP candidates:

1. Give the top 3 reasons you are supporting your candidate.

2. Give the top 3 reasons you are not supporting the other candidate(s).

3. Do you think Obama made a good choice in selecting Biden as his running mate? Why/Why not? **

4. Do you think McCain made a good choice in selecting Palin as his running mate? Why/Why not? **

5. Do you think your candidate (if not listed above) made a good choice in selecting their running mate? Why/Why not? **

Answer the following questions about the candidates that do not involve their political platforms.

1. Does Obama's previous associations, friendships, etc. bother you? Why/Why Not?

2. Does Obama's name bother you? Why/Why Not?

3. Does it bother you that Obama is a black man? Why/Why Not?**

3. Does McCain's age bother you? Why/Why Not?

4. Does McCain's personality/character bother you? Why/Why Not?

5. Does Biden's personality/character bother you? Why/Why Not? **

6. Does the fact that Palin is a woman bother you? Why/Why Not? **

Please answer the following questions not specifically related to the candidates?

1. Do you think the media is focusing too much or too little time on a specific candidate or party? Or is the coverage fair and balanced in your opinion. Please explain.**

2. Do you feel the economy is strong or weak right not? Why/Why Not? **

3. Do you feel that the current state of affairs with the lending companies is a result of bad corporate management or the government's fault? Why/Why Not? **

4. Do you feel the government should step in and bail out these companies or stay out of the business matters? Why/Why Not? **

5. What are your top 3 issues this election? **

6. Do you feel the candidates are addressing your issues in their political campaigns? **

Thank you for taking the time to post your opinions and help others make informed decisions this coming election!

Fun with voting!

I voted today! Yup, for the first time ever I actually did my research on every issue on the ballot! And if anyone cares, I voted for both Reps and Dems this election.

In my research I stumbled across some pretty funny things that I have to share! You gotta love Louisiana Politics!

Royal Alexander (R) Running for Attorney General
Found on his campaign website:
-"Download high res image of Royal here." What? Who wants a high res photo of this guy?
- Site says he is “running to end the good ole’ boy politics of the past.” However, I see he was Chief of Staff to US Congressman Rodney Alexander. Don’t know who that is, but suspicous that they share the same last name . . .

John Georges (I) running for Governor
Found on his campaign website:
- “In the summers John was sent to Greece to help on his Father’s family farm. From this experience, he speaks fluent Greek and he gained respect for the role Louisiana plays in the world.” How does the fact that he speaks Greek have anything to do with the role LA plays in the world. It is not like he has previously held a public office for the state? This has to be the worst marketing fluff I've ever read!

- "Under Georges leadership, AMA Distribution, the 50 year old amusement company, he purchased from Mrs. Nims in 2000, has consolidated smaller competitors into one company that distributes video games, Brunswick pool tables and other machines. AMA has a gaming license. " First of all, who the hell is Mrs. Nims? Are we supposed to know who she is? This was the last paragraph on a page about his career. I reread the page to see if there was a previous mention of Mrs. Nims that I missed. NONE! Also, I guess that last sentence was thrown in there when it came out his association with the gaming industry.

Sammy Kershaw (R) Running for Lt. Governor
Found on Wikipedia:
- “Kershaw's bankruptcy application stems from financial losses from a failed restaurant known as Hotchickens.com” - Is this who we want to elect to be our Governor?

- I also found out ole' Sammy is a country music star married to country music star Lorrie Morgan. I didn't recognize his name as I don't really follow country music. I thought his teeth looked too perfect and white for LA.

Mike Strain (R) running for Commissioner of Agriculture
Found on his campaign website:
- “I’m Mike Strain, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) for 24 years, a conservative Republican State Representative who has served the people of St. Tammany Parish for the past 7 years, and I’m determined to reform Louisiana from top to bottom.” How are you going to reform LA from top to bottom as the Commissioner of Agriculture?

Walter Boassso (D) running for Governor
Found on his campaign website:
– Under a long list of Awards I found these two entries: 2006 King- Knights of Nemisis Mardi Gras Parade and 1990 Our Lady of Lourdes – King Mardi Gras Parade. Only in New Orleans would being a king of a Mardi Gras parade be considered an Award!

Bobby Jindal (R) for Governor
Found on Wikipedia:
- According to family lore, Jindal adopted the name Bobby after watching The Brady Bunch television program, at age four and has been known by that name ever since, as a civil servant, politician, student, and writer. Legally though his name remains Piyush Jindal. We have quite a Brady Brunch running for public offices this election. See below.

On the ballot the nicknames or rather the names the candidates are publically known as are put in quotes.(i.e "Bobby" instead of Piyush) Here are a few good ones I found on my ballot: “Tony G., Vinny, Spanky, Buddy, Ace. ”

Only in Louisiana ...

I was voted most likely to become President.

Yup. You read that right. In high school, I was voted most likely to become President along with my buddy Rick Hubler.

I was thumbing through my senior yearbook. (Ok. I admit, I had it out to identify people on MySpace.com that I can't seem to remember!) As I am flipping I see a picture of Rick and I standing there and read the caption and laugh out loud! I had forgotten all about that. I show it to hubby and he gets a good laugh too. Me, the person who has had to learn all about politics from my hubby since we've been married. Me, the person who never knows who to vote for and struggles to educate herself every election. Me, the stay-at-home mom living in Louisiana. How did I win that vote?

Looking back, I was very involved in just about everything in high school - sports, clubs, musicals, plays, committees, class vice-president (Rick was president) etc, etc. I was also. . . um, well . . . a nerd, I guess. Not a super geeky nerd and at the time I didn't think I was a nerd, but in retrospect, I was. (I already admitted in an earlier post that I hung out a lot at the library as a teen.)My hubby says I had the "homework gene" which he claims he was born without and hopefully our kids will inherit it from me. I also graduated #7 in my class of 140. I was in all the advanced college prep classes. But, if you asked me back then, I thought I was pretty popular. I also thought I was popular enough to be on the homecoming court, but I wasn't. All my close friends made it up there, but I didn't. I was disappointed. But, I also had my first lesson on how others perceived me. And that was not the way I perceived myself.

I guess my point is that it is interesting how you see yourself and how others see you. I guess I was quite a leader back then. I remember I also was told I smiled a lot. I don't get that comment anymore. Hmm. Do we really change all that much as we become adults? Why don't I smile as much? Maybe I am just not as naive. Maybe I know too much about the world and people and have much more stress. Was I happier then? I mean, I fell happy now. Maybe I am taking life too seriously! My mom even told me once I didn't have fun as easily as I did before. Man, did that stick with me. I think I am a fun person. I also think I am funny. I mean at times. I like to be a smart ass sometimes and do silly faces to make my kids laugh and tell funny stories about my life or things that have happened in the past. I mean, I do have a lot of them to tell . . .

I look at old classmates on MySpace and think they seem the same to me. But are they? Do they think I am the same? I think I have changed a lot since high school, but maybe they don't think so. Maybe they look at my pics and read my profile and say, "Yup, there she is just as I would expect."

One of the benefits of moving away from your hometown is that you can reinvent yourself so to speak. You can start fresh - blank slate. No one knows you or has any preconceived ideas about you. So you get to make yourself who you want to be. I did this in college. I was so ready to leave high school and all of its drama that I chopped off my hair after graduation and decided I was starting over. I went to college and refused to become involved in any sports, clubs, etc. I wanted everything to be my choice, my time, my terms, my call. I was ditching all commitments. Commitments meant stress, time away from what I really wanted to be doing and lots of crap from other people. And you know what? College was AWESOME!

So I moved down here to LA and got involved. And you know what? I soon discovered it was time to drop the damn clubs and commitments. My life was becoming cluttered with stress caused by other people. I hated the "Politics" of clubs and committees. It took me a few trys to learn my lesson, but I finally got out. And now it is my time, my terms, my call. And any stress in my life is only going to be caused by myself and my family. (Mostly by my family - He He! - that includes hubby, kids, parents and siblings on both sides. So don't any of you go getting your britches in a tizzy!) But, my family is MY family and I love them. So they can cause stress. Other people causing me stress can take a hike. I don't need them!

Ok. So what the hell does all this have to do with me being voted "Most likely to become president." Well, good question, because it appears I am rambling . . .

What I am getting at is there is no way in hell I would ever run for political office. (ok. I've learned to Never say Never.) I mean, it is highly unlikely. As I grow older I am becoming more and more of a private person. I want to hold those that are important to me close and hide from the rest.I have no desire to be involved in any sort of political committee no matter how small or non-political. I have no desire to air my dirty laundry for the benefit of holding a public office.

I mean does the whole world need to know that I once skinny-dipped in broad daylight with my best friend in a man-made lake in the middle of a condominum complex?

I think not . . .

Can someone help me with the election?

While visiting my friend Jen in Florida something occurred to me. Her and I and probably millions of other busy moms in this country need a candidate cheat sheet. We were exchanging what info we knew about candidates and realized we need some serious help!

Yeah, we could get online and research yada yada yada, but who has time? I can barely find time to write this blog!

So can someone please create a spreadsheet with each candidates name, party, and what their platform is with maybe some good quotes, article references, what they claim they will do, etc -- all the time being as unbiased as possible! Ya know, cover their plans on the big issues - health care, taxes, war, education, small business, big business, economy.

If someone does that, I will post it here and send to all my mom friends. I am sure Jen and I are not the only half-informed voters out there!

Besides, I will bake you some cookies or something as a thank you. Except, they might not get to you until I do my Christmas baking. Again, no time for baking even!

UPDATE:
The following were submitted to me and I thought I would post them here for eveyone else to easily find.

1. Candidate Survey - My cousin dawn sent me this. Answer 11 questions to find out which candidates are most aligned with your views and opinions. You may skip questions if you do not want them factored into the results. This quiz is not meant to pick your candidate for you. It is designed to inform the public of the various stances candidates make.

4. Candidate Table - A cool table with check marks for supports and "x" opposes. Issues down the left. Candidates across the top. Easy to scan and decide! Thanks Krista for sending!

5. Wiki's Who is Running - This page is a good resource just to see who has thrown in their hat for each party! Thanks Krista for sending!

6. League of Women Voters - For those living in St. Tammany Parish this site will help you with local candidates. Thanks Greta for sending!