Obama doubles lead in Colorado...

Gawd, it's up to eight now! Fine with me as it takes me off the hook when McCain looses Colorado...

I'm a sucker for informercials... but...

Obama buys all this tv time tonight to try and talk me into voting for him. Hmm... he speaks well and particularly during a canned speech. Nah! I don't think I should even consider it. Nor should I consider all the suggestive smear comments on Fox News against him.

McCain goes on Larry King Live tonight, which is a tad bit better. At least Larry has to be neutral and ask questions. But it is all spin... all of it!

I only wish I had C-Span and could view the candidates unfiltered.

It's no better at this time...

I still am having problems deciding whom to mark on my ballot, which finally arrived. I think I can say I agree with McCain on taxes. Many of the other issues, I could accept Obama's stance. Here's the problem: It seems likely McCain will lose. But what if he does not? How will he be able to get anything done? And I have a big problem with Sarah Palin. Not that she isn't a very colorful and dynamic figure. It's her views that I would have a problem with. She would be o.k. as V.P., but what if the old codger in the White House dies or is disabled?

But then again, it is risky with Obama. He'll have too much power to do what he wants. So, I have to take a gamble with whomever I vote for. I'll gamble the same as I did last time: I can't stand John Kerry, but voted for him just to show that there was a few of us out there that were against Bush. I believe McCain's daughter, Megan, did the same. Anyway, Kerry had no chance of winning Colorado. Yes, McCain has a chance here. He has a chance to win the Presidency. So, I'll have to realize that this vote could count. But odds are that Obama will carry Colorado, so I'm off the hook. And if the predictable happens, please don't think that I'll be out there griping and wishing Obama failure. I'm an independent voter having a tough time deciding, that's all!

Yeah, this is a chicken-shit way to vote. The only thing, even more chicken-shit, that I could do is vote for one of the other minor party candidates on the ballot. Jeez, there sure are a lot of choices! But in an election of such importance, I feel it important to choose between two starkly different candidates. I give McCain only a slight edge of agreeing with my principles, yet he is unlikely to get too much done. I can only hope that he will come to the center and work with Democrats if elected.

Not THAT much like Kennedy please...

Look, as I've mentioned, I find the Obama persona and his family to be a bit JFK-like. I think the world could fall in love with him as a symbol of hope. I still don't know about his policies, though I suspect the final result will look nothing like what was spoken about on the campaign trail.

But now, today, a white supremacist plot is uncovered to kill blacks (kids in a school or something) and supposedly kill him. God, it would tear the country apart to have this young President killed! Even as a candidate, it would be devastating to see this happen. Seeing the picture of these little pricks would make me want to seek revenge, should they be successful at this.

Yeah, it would be nice to have another JFK. But please, let it be different this time!

Oil below $70 a barrel...

This could be the best stimulus ever for the economy. Gas prices that are at $2.70 per gallon and falling put money directly into the consumer's pocket. Of course OPEC is planning an emergency meeting to rain on this parade a bit. But eventually this should help inflation, resulting from transportation costs.

I wouldn't trade in that hybrid just yet, however. You need to drive it for a number of years to make up the extra cost. And would this mean that we could perhaps give a little environmental consideration before drilling the hell out of our country? Those of us driving old clunkers can relax. We don't have to go out and buy a used Geo Metro!

I really hope the world can wean itself from oil. I don't really want to see $200 oil, but could survive without $25 oil as well. The U.S. automakers are just beginning to tool up to make more efficient cars and hybrids. The best thing that could happen is for oil prices to stabilize. It would indeed help for us to increase refining capacity. This would stop harsh fluctuations due to hurricanes and the like.

What would happen?

Let us be hypothetical here and say that McCain pulls it out... I realize that this would be an uphill battle, but looking at the polls, the odds are not insurmountable. A lot of states do not show that great of a spread. Say, like four or five points. So, if they are painting the state blue but it is just outside the margin of error.... well, then I would not take anything for granted. However, in reading a commentary by ultra-Democrat Susan Estridge, it certainly seems like they are already measuring the drapes in the White House.

McCain will be lucky to win a narrow victory. Republicans will be lucky to keep losses to a minimum in the House and Senate. A President McCain will need all the Republicans he can get in Congress to get anything passed. During the first two years, I wouldn't plan on his tax plan or his health care plan looking anything like what he proposes during the election. So don't get to worked up about the details.

Neither candidate will get exactly what he proposes, after it is hashed out in the Congress. But a President Obama is likely to get more of what he asks for. I think that right now there are enough Democrats in Congress. With Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi in charge, perhaps they have TOO MANY Democrats!!! That's why I will consider voting for Bob Schaffer in the Colorado Senate race. As long as he is not a radical religio-republican, I could probably live with him. Heck, he has to be better than that retiring Senator Allard, doesn't he? I can at least praise Bob Shaffer for honoring his pledge to limit his terms as a congressman. I'll look up his stance on the other issues, but believe that no Republican will be able to get any radical legislation passed for some time into the future.

As for a McCain win? Well, I doubt it, but if this miracle occurs, there are gonna be one heck of a lot of bitter and disappointed black people and other Obama supporters!

The Visitor

Wow! This was a powerful movie. It is about a college prof named Walter, who returns to his New York apartment, after being gone for some time, and finds a couple living there who were taken in by some rental scam. They were illegals: the girl, Zainab, is from Ghana and the young man, Tarek, is from Syria. Walter befriends them and lets them live there. Tarek, gets nabbed by the police, when they thought him to be trying to skip over a subway turnstyle. He is then found to be illegal and sent to a detention center.

Well, I'm not going to tell you the whole plot. But this does show the human side of this immigration stuff. I fully understand the feelings post 9\11, but as the kid said: "the terrorists all have money and connections". The young man was here for political assylum, had had a hearing but did not make it due to a misunderstanding. So, he was put in detention. Later on his mother comes to New York to the apartment where Walter lets her stay.

Well, shit, I don't even think that Tarek and his mother were Muslims. But Syria being a so-called terrorist nation made the immigration Nazi's felt they had to rush to deport the kid. His mother (it never said whether she was here legally or not) followed him to Syria and had to have a tearful departure with Walter, whom she had fallen in love with.

I liked the film, because stupid people in this country have to see Arab and Muslim characters as humans and equals. I will continue to root out blatent examples of Islamophobia and Xenophobia, when it comes to people from the Middle East in Zim's Rants. I don't know about the right-wing Christians here, perhaps they want Armegeddon to happen in Jerusalem, so Jesus can come and save their ass. Me, I want the he Middle East to grow weary from fighting and for peace to break out. Especially since the young man named Tarek was so fucking cute!

How much socialism?

Jan the housekeeper in our building was considering voting for Obama, but read that he was part of some "New Socialist Party" a while back or something like that and changed her mind. Well, yeah, clearly the guy expresses a lot more socialist ideas than McCain. But after both Obama and McCain voted for this massive bailout, you couldn't really call either one a free-market capitalist.

Some guy nicknamed "Pbreet" in the Denver Post forums talks about Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged) and rails against socialism or government control a lot. I have to ask: What other country in the world is more free market than the U.S.? Is Europe evil because they are more socialized than America? Is Japan evil? What would have happened had F.D.R. not instituted the programs of the New Deal? Alas, perhaps we would now have the hammer and sickle as a symbol of our workforce, because private enterprise failed.

Nor could we ever state that we are totally capitalistic, either. There are many government-run institutions, which have been in place for some time. The U.S. Post Office is a government-run institution, yet it is made more efficient by competition from private corporations like Fed Ex and UPS. I'm not too big on the idea of income redistribution, but do belive all of us except those in poverty should do our part. Gone seem to be the ideas of a flat tax, or other major programs that radically overhaul the I.R.S.. It is my belief that if they really simplified the tax code, and eliminated those loopholes which are unfair and kept deductions that are fair, we could all pay less taxes. And hopefully a more simple tax system could rake in more income for the coffers of the treasury.

Taxes and foreign policy are my sticking points with Obama. I don't really want to see any more of those rebate checks. Even my friend Mani got $300 and he earns NO income. I have a problem with Obama making an arbitrary line of $250K for tax increases. In past decades that might have been a lot of money, today it is not. I haven't decided on Joe the Plumber as I have read spin from both sides about whether this would help or hurt him in trying to own his business.

The way things are going, I'll be below the poverty line! By the time this happens, the government will probably be out of money and I'll be on my own. I just hope they are serving something good at the soup kitchen! I'll even sweep the floor to get an extra bowl!

Biden and his comments....

We ALL know that the next President will be tested. But the way Biden phrased it, it sounded like he was saying that Obama needed all the help he can get during a crisis. Of course this gave McCain a perfect opening: recanting his role in the Cuban Missle Crisis.

Me? I have confidence that a military man like McCain would be best equipped to handle a crisis. And perhaps Obama could surround himself with wise men to help him decide. This is not so much of an issue with me. The issue I have is that I don't want the future "advisors" steering our new President into the adventurist exploits of the past. I sincerely hope McCain is not a Neo-Con who gets wrapped up in the idea that America is the world's policeman. With Obama, my concern is that he not negotiate away too much. "Trust but verify" as Ronald Reagan said...

Palin greets the Bible Thumpers in Colorado Springs...

This was her red meat crowd and she had to fire 'em up over gay marriage and such topics. Where McCain has veered away from attempting to change the Federal Constitution with the marriage ammendment, Palin supports changing it. My question to her is: Sarah, do you really think you can get this past a Democratic Congress? That is what it is shaping up to be, even more so next time.

Yes, I agree with the Federalist McCain on that and other topics which give States the nod in making these decisions. Bush could not get anywhere near passing a marriage amendment, even in the years of his republican-controlled Congress. Now there are major crisis' to resolve and I really hope both sides (activists and evangelicals) can let the topic of gay marriage rest for a while.

Just remember about the durable old guy that McCain is.... he is not immortal. I'm not sure I want to have President Palin...

A meaningful endorsement...

Colin Powell endorsed Obama Today... I kind of expected it, but I didn't know he would actually come out so strongly for him. But if there is anybody I respect from the Bush Administration, it is him. Of course, I still wonder about the lie regarding WMD that he perpetrated before the United Nations. I'm sure he now regrets it, but it was a low point in the career of the "General" for sure! Perhaps, he was led into believing it by so-called experts.

To his credit, Powell warned the Bush Administration: "If you break it (Iraq), you own it!"

Joe the Plumber for President... Anniethology

http://anniethology.blogspot.com/2008/10/joe-plumber-for-president.html

Just wait until inauguration...

Perhaps a couple of months afterward... There should be a sense of euphoria about the new President. This is regardless of who wins. People will simply be glad to get rid of Bush! Barring any unforeseen catastrophes, the stock market should rally. Any programs which are initiated will not have had any time to get started.

Buy low, sell high! This is barring any unforeseen catastrophes...

The Final Debate... yawn...

My analysis is that McCain tried to gain inroads by some sharp criticism of Obama. Largely, what I'm hearing is that it failed. Also, and I don't fault McCain for this, he just looked stupid while Obama spoke. So, Obama is a smoothie... But so what? What? Is he going to sell me a used car?

Frankly, I still don't know enough about either one's health care plan to categorically state I would support it.

The winner of tonight's debate? Joe the plumber!

The magic bullet takes effect.... whoosh!

DJIA, the Dow, posts it's biggest point gain ever... 936 points! So all the "medicine" which has been thrown at this problem is finally beginning to work. Now, I wouldn't be too surprised to see the stock market take back some of this tomorrow. But it's kind of like that obnoxious concoction nurses give their patients for constipatation. When this mixture, containing prune juice, finally begins to work.... well, it really really works.

Now we will have to see if governments have over reacted and given too much of this "medicine". Welcome to the new era of socialism!

He's an Arab?

Oh, cut this crap! Even McCain had to jump in when that stupid bimbo called Obama an Arab. She obviously doesn't live in my neighborhood, where it is not uncommon to see all sorts of Muslims and Arabs minglng with the rest of us. Let me make this perfectly clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with being an Arab! There are many decent Arab Americans who contribute to our society. And they are not all Muslim, though there are many decent Muslims here as well.

They are making a big deal about race... Too big of a deal in my opinion! Not off the table should be Obama's voting record and perhaps his association with the Acorn group, as they are facing some pretty serious voter fraud charges. People can also feel free to associate William Ayers and Reverand Wright, though they are not that big of deal to me

But race? His Arab middle name?

Just remember that noble former king of Jordan, King Hussein! I liked him!

Oooooh, sorry John this doesn't bode well for you...

Gee, I could see myself watching the wrong channels which were biased in favor of Obama. And to be fair, I didn't even notice the "that one" comment in last nights debate.

But now, Michelle Obama goes on Larry King Live and knocks one out of the park. In the beginning, of course, the media pounced all over her for saying that she was proud of her country "for the first time in her adult life"... This was an obvious gaffe and I kind of had the feeling she was brighter than that. Now, listening to it as I type, I have to say that I would be surprised if any pundit at Fox News could come up with any new criticism of her that would stick.

To be fair, Cindy McCain seems like a nice lady as well, but I'm not sure she is as charismatic. Of course, we must remember that we vote for the candidate and not their spouse.

AIG hits up Fed for more money...

Hmmm, wasn't this the insurance company where the execs took their expensive retreat AFTER the initial bailout, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars? Now, the PIGS are at the trough again! CNN adds a JOE CASSANO to the list of top 10 criminals. I want to be fair here, so will do an investigation. But if this holds true, I hope the bastard takes with him a LOT of bad Karma. I was going to threaten him with bodily harm, but alas, those rich bastards have a lot of security. However, should one of the shareholders or disgruntled employees want to rough this prick up a bit, I won't complain.

Flow of illegal immigrants slows, Pew Center finds...

Get out! Go back and live off the land in Mexico. There are no jobs here anymore. Or, what few are left, we are willing to do now.

Lehman CEO grilled about $480 M pay...

Grilled? How about flambeed??? Petty criminals kill people for $5, so it seems perfectly logical to kill the bastard. Crap, we have to have someone to take this out on! How could I have not seen this mess coming? All these "too good to be true" deals!!!