Dear Democratic Party,

Seriously? Seriously. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State? Obama, I voted for you. Much to my parents dismay I voted for YOU! I did NOT vote for Hillary. The people of New York elected her, the entire nation did not. We spoke loudly that we did not want her representing us to foreign nations.

Now I am just angry. Why would you send Hillary, the most grating individual on the planet, to go make peace with nations that hate women? I suppose you would reason that you are doing this in order to wrap her up in your administration, preventing her from being a thorn in the Senate to your policies. Maybe it is to prevent a 2012 challenge.

Whatever the reason, the answer certainly was not this. I seriously would have preferred the appointment of her husband to this post. At least he seems to have a way with girls people.

Signed,

Disappointed Democratic Voter

I don’t want to open up a hornet’s nest. However, I can’t stop thinking about this issue, probably because a week after the election, it is still front page news. The issue is Prop 8 and how I am still upset that it passed.

I know some of you are saying - but Jenn you are a church going Christian, don’t you believe that marriage is between a man and a woman? The answer is, yes. I, in fact, do believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. However, that is not what Prop 8 was really about.

Those who sponsored Prop 8 presented you and I with a false dilemma. They forced us to choose whether or not gay couples in California could marry, under our (read:Judeo-Christian) definition of marriage. But this is not the real issue. I believe the backers of Prop 8 used the Christian community to rally against gay marriage, without dealing with the real question - do we as a country allow a group of citizens the right to be in union (whatever you want to call it) with whom they choose? You see, I believe when presented with the option to allow gay couples the same legal rights as straight couples, Californians would have voted YES! All people should have the same rights under the law, no matter their beliefs.

Let me explain further - just because I believe in Jesus and what He said about marriage, does that mean I can’t be supportive of other people who don’t believe what I believe about Jesus? Does that mean that the rights of those people should be reduced by the difference between our two belief systems? I don’t think so. Further, for those that saw the signs saying “Protect Our Families - Vote Yes on 8″ - I ask you, how exactly do gay couples threaten our families? If we are really worried about protecting our families then maybe we should consider our own actions at home before we chastise the actions of others.

I do not put my faith in Government. I do not expect Government to advocate for my beliefs. Mostly because what if they get it wrong? (as they are often known to do) Sometimes Christians miss the obvious on this issue - like what if the Government advocated for Catholic beliefs? Or Southern Baptist? Or Mormon? Even in the ”Christian” community there are thousands of bifurcations on beliefs. I think author and commentator Cal Thomas puts it well:

Thirty years of trying to use government to stop abortion, preserve opposite-sex marriage, improve television and movie content and transform culture into the conservative Evangelical image has failed. The question now becomes: should conservative Christians redouble their efforts, contributing more millions to radio and TV preachers and activists, or would they be wise to try something else?

I opt for trying something else.

Too many conservative Evangelicals have put too much faith in the power of government to transform culture. The futility inherent in such misplaced faith can be demonstrated by asking these activists a simple question: Does the secular left, when it holds power, persuade conservatives to live by their standards? Of course they do not. Why, then, would conservative Evangelicals expect people who do not share their worldview and view of God to accept their beliefs when they control government?

One of my sisters is gay. She lives with her partner and I adore them both. They do not share my view of God or my belief in the Bible. They got married a couple of months ago in a brief civil ceremony. They desire to be with each other until their lives here on earth are over. How can I look at them and say - because I believe in the Bible, and I believe that gay marriage is not what God intended, they therefore should not be together? I, in fact, can not. Maybe that is a weakness of faith on my behalf. However, no matter what I certainly can not ask the government that governs us both to chose my way of life over theirs. It would be a constitutional breach of their rights to pursue their liberty and happiness.

Prop 8 asked us to define, in our Constitution, marriage as being between a man and a woman. We were forced to make a socio-religious decision between two false choices. As usual, the answer to the question of gay marriage lies somewhere in the gray middle, not in the dark spaces on each side. However, I believe there is a very clear answer to the question of whether or not our government should afford the same rights to all citizens of this country, no matter their beliefs.

What do you think?

I’ve read all of the newspapers. I’ve watched all of the coverage. I’ve combed through the returns and I’ve listened to the pundits. Nowhere, not in any of the statistics or any of the articles has the spirit of this election truly been captured.

Whether you supported Obama or not (statistics say most of you did), what happened last night is something for which we must all be proud. People crawled out of the tiny corners of this country to come and vote. People cared, people wept. I believe what lies ahead for President-elect Obama is mighty. His burden will be more than any of us can imagine. A country at war, a financial crisis, a healthcare system in chaos and a budget in deficit - these are the things that await our next President. Let us pray that the man who projected such calm wisdom on the campaign trail can deliver because, as a nation, never has it been more necessary that a campaign promise be fulfilled.

After 10 years working in politics, I can assure you I have my opinions on what goals are feasible and what are just empty promises. However, last night Obama and his team re-wrote the electoral map and shattered expectations for turnout. For students of politics, a new era of modern presidential politics was ushered to the stage last night, in form of a proud, intelligent black family.

As far as California, honestly some of the results were shocking. The passage of Prop 8, was a complete surprise. Again, conventional political wisdom says that high turn out elections skew liberal - which would have boded well for the No on 8 campaign. However we learned something about these not so often voters - those from the black and hispanic community are not in favor of gay marriage. I guarantee you the political statisticians and demographers and busy crunching whole new sets of numbers based on last nights’ results.

So what now? Now we wait. Now we try to enjoy the holiday season and the lack of political yard signs/commercials/flyers/etc. We wait, with baited breathe to see if we brought real change to Washington, DC or just another eloquent man with big ideas. I hope and pray for this nation and its’ future that it is the former. However, nothing can take away the leap of hope that race relations made in American last night, and I am proud of my country at this moment, for that alone.

I promise that a post regarding my thoughts and comments on the election results is coming soon, as I know you are all dying to know

Dear Readers,

I don’t care who you vote for today(well really I do, but that is another topic), all I ask is that you exercise your right to do so. This country has been blessed with a government structure that allows for the peaceful turnover of power on a regular basis - this is not something to take for granted.

So - got vote and make your voice heard!

PS - if you care, keep an eye on Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio. The early returns there will probably predict the presidential outcome. Stay tuned!

A while back I posted this and some of you were disappointed in my decision. I have wrestled with this decision more than I have ever wrestled with a political decision. Normally I am totally sure who I am going to vote for, normally I vote party lines. However, something happened to me between 2004 and today. Something that changed how I view politics.

My post about why I would vote for John McCain still stands. Foreign policy experience is why I would vote for him. However, last Sunday when Collin Powell announced he was endorsing Obama, things changed for me. Powell was the only voice of reason in the Bush Administration, he was the sole practitioner of “diplomacy before invasion” policies and he was completely shut out and then dismissed. I have always respected Powell, he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and he is a Four Star General, which gives him major street credentials in foreign policy.

As I sat and listened to Mr. Powell’s brief explanation of why he was voting for Obama, I realized that I had a decision to make yet again. As a Christian and a long time Republican, I have always stood for the following principles:

• small government
• reduced taxes
• limited government interference in the private sector
• limited use of “choice” i.e. - health of the mother, rape/incest
• energy independence i.e. - the use of multiple sources vs. oil/gas only
• states rights -meaning the right of each state in the union to decide on certain policy issues for themselves
• no “nation building” foreign policy exercises

The above list is what traditionally the RNC has stood for - until the Republican rise to power in 2000 and the complete hijacking of the party by the “religious right” and Karl Rove. I know, you are wondering why I would be concerned about the religious right when I proclaim to be a Christian. The answer is simple - I don’t believe those in the religious right have my beliefs in mind. I think they are fundamentalists who wish to preserve a certain way of life, not a Biblical perspective. They have hijacked the Republican party and just like any other lobbying group - became drunk on the power. Karl Rove knew that Christians have certain “hot button” issues like abortion and he completely extorted the Christian community by making us all believe that if you are a Christian you can only vote Republican because of this issue and a few others. My friends, this simply isn’t true.  George W. Bush proclaims to be a evangelical Christian. He appointed two judges to the Supreme Court. He and his party had total dominance in Congress until the 2006 election. NOTHING HAS CHANGED ON THE ISSUE OF ABORTION. It is a total falsehood to think that if you elect a Republican the issue of abortion will be dealt with.

So, here I am, lost in a sea of political confusion and turmoil. I keep going back to a book a I read a few years back called Blue Like Jazz. Donald Miller is a writer I look up to for so many reasons but mostly because he challenged my worldview. When it comes to churches and government - really what would Jesus do? What would he think? Was he not most concerned about the needy, the helpless and the lost? Where are those people in today’s politics? In today’s churches? Have we as Christians been completed co-opted by the Republican party to think there is only one way to represent our God? I call shenanigans on that.

Let me be clear that I don’t believe the Democrats are any more sincere or moral than the Republicans. The truth is, politics are ugly and the people elected to higher office are mostly self-involved. They may not have started that way but the system leaves you very little choice - trust me, I’ve seen it firsthand. What now you ask? Throw up your hands and walk away? Don’t vote? Absolutely not.

This election has caused a deep and visceral reaction from America - we must be growing as a country because it appears that we are going to split at the seams. Since my vote for Bush in 2004, I have been in a confusing and awkward slow dance with politics. I love it but I am sick of my feet being stepped on. I am sick of being led in a direction that I fear is wrong. So, I am going to do what my heart has told me since the beginning of this election when I bought that t-shirt and sparked a controversy at Starbucks in Washington, D.C.

I don’t think that Obama will change the system or the world. I don’t think he will always represent me and my beliefs. I do however, think that he has the leadership qualities that this country is currently lacking and I think his ideas are worth a shot. We have had 8 years of failed policies - policies that frankly don’t even represent true republican beliefs. I am ready for change and I am ready for Obama.

Today I read two of my favorite bloggers, then sat staring at my computer in total disbelief. Let me explain…

I am a woman. I am a woman who has been pregnant 5 times. I am a woman who only has 2 children to show for those 5 pregnancies. I am a woman who had to have a D&C three times in order to remove embryo’s that had unexpectedly died in the womb. I understand the issues related to pregnancy, pregnancy loss and fertility. I understand them more than I would like to.

So, with that said… I bring a large amount of bias to the discussion of abortion. I have experienced the “empty arms” of a pregnant woman whose baby is no longer alive inside of her. The thought of choosing that out of convenience is abhorrent to me.  However, I refuse to stand in judgement of those who have, that is not my purpose or place and that is not the point of this post.

However, when I read posts both here and here about how a “thinking woman” couldn’t vote for McCain because of his stance on abortion, I wanted to stand on a hill and scream. First of all, that you would incite women who are well rounded creatures (not unlike their male counterparts) to vote on a single issue, well that alone insults my intelligence. Secondly, to assert that there is only one way to think on this subject is absurdly naive. Have we really come to the point as a society that we want above all else to protect the right to terminate a pregnancy? THAT is what we are going to fight FOR?

What about the children? What about the fact that we as a society haven’t educated men and women enough to know that if you participate in action A, the result could be B? No, instead we just want to make sure that after the “action” a woman can walk into a clinic and “take care of business.”

I understand that Julia (aka alittlepregnant) is talking mostly about the health of the mother issue. I agree that a woman should have “choice” in this instance. However, there has to be a reasonable definition of “health” and John McCain was absolutely correct - the pro-choice advocates have expanded this definition. I am not a doctor so I will leave this definition up the medical community.

However, the stats on abortion are staggering. Twenty-two percent of ALL pregnancies end in abortion. From 1973 to 2005 more than 45 MILLION abortions have been performed. Three-fourths of women having abortions cite financial concerns. Forty-six percent of women having abortions HAVE NOT USED CONTRACEPTIVES. You can read a lot more facts here.

I do not want to demonize the women who have to make this choice. I do however want to point out the fact that a generation of women since Roe vs. Wade have rallied around a cause that is not worthy of celebration and protection to the point where it would be the deciding factor in a political election. We are a country of ingenuity and intelligence and this is the “right” we boast in protecting?

Why can’t we rally around appropriate sex education? Why can’t we discuss options besides termination? Why does abortion have to be the answer for so many women? Can we not keep some sense of self-control as a part of this debate? Or do we legislative to the lowest common denomination and then simply hope for the moral best? I think we can do better. I think our politicians and N.O.W have done this country a disservice. Roe vs. Wade may be here to stay but it is NOTHING to celebrate.

Okay people, I went to an event last night for a Master’s program. I sat and listened to several professor’s speak and I was transported back to my undergraduate eduction.

You see, I am a rebel at heart. Just ask my mom. If you tell me do something, chances are I am going to resist. If you find a way to convince me it is my idea, then I will do it - but if I feel compelled…forget it.  As I sat at the feet of mighty academia for four years receiving an education from a public university in political science, I was crammed with liberal jargon. Seriously sometimes I felt like the prof’s were standing on my head shoving their beliefs down my throat - “Kennedy! Johnson! The Great Society! Reagan was crazy! Capitalism is evil! Lincoln wasn’t really a Republican!”

I hated this - it made me look for answers to the contrary. It made me embrace the seedy underworld of conservative philosophy with a vengeance. By the time I graduated, suma cum laude thank you, I was a full blown member of the Young Republicans. After college I went to work for the Republican Party in California and chugged the conservative kool aid.

This brings me to now. Now I don’t know what I am. Now I wonder if I can stomach either party. I am jaded and lost in a sea of political turmoil. However, last night as I sat and listened to the less than subtle hatred for all things conservative, it began to well up again - that Republican pride. I wanted to yell - Elitists! and run out of the room. I wanted to argue for everything that I don’t even really believe in now just because I can’t stand being told what to believe. I can’t stand the presentation of political theory as truth. There is no one way when it comes to political discourse. To believe otherwise is naive.

So - if you hate me because I am a Republican…blame the public school system.

In 2000 we elected a President with very little experience in foreign policy. He came across as a ”man’s man” and an everyday guy. He led us to believe he would surround himself with smart people in order to fill in his gaps of knowledge.  

In 2008, we reside in a world filled with chaos, both financial and political. On the political side, we are involved in two wars directly, Afghanistan and Iraq. We are also engaged in several indirect battles with North Korea, Russia and Iran. Who is to blame for all of this is unclear. At this point, I am not sure it matters.

This brings me to my point. Obama is a visionary, a skilled orator and a savvy politician. However, he has no experience in foreign policy. At all. He has opposed every action, which is meritorious to a point, however, he has no record of policy development with foreign countries.

McCain is old. He appears grumpy. He has been tied to his “aye” vote to enter Iraq and he has been successfully painted with the Bush Administration “brush” by the Obama camp. I disagree with his politics on some level, however, I do respect his ability to stand up to his party (which he has). I also agree with his stance on nuclear energy and his belief in limited government intervention in people’s lives.

One thing you can not argue about McCain is his foreign policy credentials. You can not look at that man and say he doesn’t understand the tightrope that must be walked internationally. You may disagree with his direction but you can not argue his understanding or experience.

So, as of today, I think that my vote goes to McCain because I think experience matters. This is a really hard decision for me because there are things about both candidates that I really like/dislike. However, safety and international security are really important and I don’t think it is prudent to put these tumultuous times into inexperienced hands. We did that in 2000 and look where we ended up.

P.S. If Biden were on the top of the Democratic ticket, my vote would be different.

P.P.S. If McCain dies, we are screwed. But I can not vote based solely on that fact.

P.P.P.S. I am PMS-ing this week and reserve the right to change my mind again next week.

All I want to do is drink my coffee but the people, oh the people, won’t leave me alone this morning! Emails, texts, phone calls all asking the same question: “What did you think of the debate?” I wish I could say that I have some incredibly original take on last night’s events. All I can offer is the following casual observations and then I will point you to some good reads about the debate, people who said it better than I can.

1. Palin was WAY TO FOLKSY. BTW - why does she have a midwestern accent? She sounds like she was auditioning for Fargo, the sequel.

2. Palin did much better than I expected. She didn’t fall down or say a name wrong or act like a total idiot. However, she did say “Joe six pack” and I wanted to throw things at the television.

3. Biden said “Bosniacs” and I immediately laughed out loud. This man is supposed to be a foreign relations expert. Yikes.

4. Biden was off his game - he is totally stumped by Palin and her “down home” nature. Normally this guy is a bulldog, I guess pit bull trumps bull dog any day.

5. I have worked in politics for years and even I couldn’t stand to watch the whole debate.

Okay, on to some good summaries………..

Dooce’s husband offers some good blow by blow action on the debate at Blurbomat

NY Times has an unusuall good opinion article about the debate. (Mom you will like this one)

Apparently the American people, aka Joe Six Pack, turned in big Neilson ratings for this “Thrilla in Manilla”

For those readers out there who watched - what did you think?