Don't Stop

So this is annoying: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/campaign.wrap/index.html.  John McCain is pausing his campaign at exactly the wrong time, and I hope Barak Obama doesn't follow suit.  Honestly, the two of them being in the Senate right now isn't going to make solving the crisis any easier.  And now more than ever, we need them both to campaign so we can choose the right one to be the next president.  We desperately need the debates to put these guys head to head on policies and approaches.  And who is to say when the campaigns start back up?  Two weeks?  Four? We don't have the time.  And we certainly can't choose a president without debates.  It's un-American and would potentially ruin this political season for nerds like me all over the country.

From the PR side of this announcement, it kinda looks like McCain is slow to move and scared to debate Obama.  And yet he's set the perfect PR trap for Obama.  If the Senator from Illinois refuses to suspend his campaign, it will be spun as though he doesn't care about the middle class Americans he's targeted with his ads and speeches.  On that front, well done by the McCain camp.

I've been wondering since last week if and how the candidates would make themselves relevent to the economic conversation.  And with this line in an email just sent by the McCain camp he took at bold step in that direction:

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

Will it right Wall Street?  Probably not.  But McCain has certainly taken the leadership role here.  Can't wait to see how Obama responds...

Making McCain

Ok - let me put it out there.  I would've voted for McCain if he were running against anyone else (especially Hillary) or if he were the same person he was 8 years ago.  I'm serious.  

McCain has always had significant support amoung the younger types.  Even some of my most liberal friends in college loved him.  Then, he was truly an outsider and a maverick.  The Bushies hated him and destroyed him, which was really sad and unfortunately.  But his reaction was moreso.  Since gaining the nomination - and maybe even before that - he turned his boat around from the middle towards the shores of the conservative Evangelicals.  He sounds more and more like Karl Rove every day. 

The worst part is really the empty rhetoric.  He speaks in these broad strokes that gave us the once promising concept, "compassionate conservative."  But I know they're unfamiliar and uncomfortable with them - and I just want to shake them out of him.  Where has all the straight talk gone?  Left bhind on the bus?  I don't think this is who he really is.  

One of the worst things McCain has done during the second part of the campaign is give us his humor.  Young people related to him because he seemed real and because he made fun of himself and others.  He wasn't afraid; he was genuine.  Now it's all gone.  Whoever told him to give up his sharp sense of humor should be left to the mercy of John Stewart from now until November 2nd.

My mom came with me to the TODAY show yesterday, and some random guy came up to her complaining he couldn't get on the show.  During his rant, he mentioned that he was a Vietnam vet.  He said that neither he nor none of his friends came back sound of mind, body, and spirit.  The more my mom thought about it - the more she agreed with him.  She didn't know anyone either.  Made her look at McCain in a different way.

As for me, I'd really like to vote for McCain.  He's got my conservative values and before recently, he seemed like a middle-of-the-road, practical guy.  I'm hoping all the talk of change didn't change him.

Influencers

I thought it only fair to share with you where I get my news and analysis so that you can have a greater understanding of how or why I form opinions.  If you have a suggestion of other sources, please let me know and I'll try to incorporate them into my decision-making process.  Here you go:

www.MSNBC.com

www.CNN.com

www.NYT.com

www.WSJ.com

www.philly.com

NBC News (Nightly and TODAY)

Meet the Press

CNN

Newsweek

Daily Show

TODAY

Yesterday, I was on the TODAY show talking presidential politics because I'm the undecided, unmarried in PA type.  Which means I'm the target of the both the Obama and McCain campaign.  Awesome until they ring your door bell in the middle of the Eagles/Steelers game.  

Anyhow - the experience was a lot of fun and Meredith is great, but there just wasn't enough time to get into all the issues that matter to me and the other undecided women on the panel - Gen and Debbie.  So I've decided to put my verbocity to work here on this blog.  

As a primer - here's a rough profile of me: 27, Catholic, single, live and work in Center City Philadelphia, employed by Braithwaite Communications (marketing and PR agency), politics major in college (Catholic University - DC), originally from New Jersey, don't own a car or home, registered Republican.

Politically, I fall in line with the Republicans on my pro-life stance, low taxes, small government, "hands off" approach to the economy, gun rights.

My other primary issues include: foreign relations, environment, investment in technology and alternative energy, education, gay rights, equal pay for women, crime, and the ECONOMY.

Right now, I'm leaning Obama.  I think he's the special kind of politician we only get once a generation.  I also believe he's a fundamentally reasonable person - which I value tremendously.

I'm also excited by Sarah Palin because of her pro-life stance, her ability to balance work and family, and her ambition.  She's the kind of woman I know and like.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to add to this blog at least once a day.  My goal is to share how my opinions change in response to the debates, ads, PR, and policy plans the candidates put forth between now and the election.  

I really wish I had done it during the 30+ hours I spent watching the Conventions.  By there's no time like the present.  So here we go...