chu's smart decision journey

a little bit more

2008-01-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't completed my thoughts on the Iowa Caucus and now we are already through New Hampshire. It is so hard to keep up. What is awesome is that McCain just took New Hampshire, he was second tier and just got bumped up, that is pretty interesting. What that means to me is that, holy cow, voting actually matters and the media isn't always right, hmmm.

What is really awesome is the youth vote. Billy and I were at a small diner in Freehold the other day and all the young people who were waiting tables were talking politics, that is pretty mind blowing. They weren't just talking celebrity politics, they were discussing the meat. Some of the customers joined in on the conversation and it turned out, they shouldn't have. They should have just listened to the 'kids' who knew what they were talking about. These 'older' customers were not informed and didn't really have an interest in who takes it. I think the past few elections have worn out some of the older voters. One of the guys even said "I don't like any of them, they all suck!" Have you read or heard ANYTHING about this election and the candidates? There are some great people with backbones and the will and heart to fix this broken country. I'll tell you, I am pretty excited.

So the race continues. I just recently saw some interviews with Obama and I have to say I think I am in love. He is one charismatic guy. As for his platform, it is just as awesome as most of the other democrats. I have more research and much more youtube debate action to watch, more to come on that...

omg

2008-01-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

So the Iowa Caucus results are in and ....wow...that was a surprise.
I have to process all this before i make some comments...so stay tuned, more to come!

oh, and by the way

2007-12-29T07:53:00.000-05:00

I have made one election decision so far, and that is that I am definitely DEMOCRAT. How could anyone in this world not be? With issues like women and abortion rights, education, health care, disappearance of the middle class and same sex marriage, I cannot see how any of my peers could agree with the 'lets help the rich get richer' republicans. They love the war, think we need to cut taxes for the wealthy, think 'no child left behind' was an outstanding success, think the government should overturn Roe v Wade(!!!! so that women have to go to dark allies to abort a pregnancy?!?!) and have no respect for same sex couples. Oh and there's more!!!
If you are a republican because you decided to be long ago when presidents were presidents, I understand but beg you to take a good hard look at where everyone stands on ALL the issues that are important to you and to your children and your children's children. I know that the democrats aren't perfect and some of them are a little too liberal for my taste but i am sick of rich white men running the country. Let's hear it for the presidential possibility of women, Mexican Americans and African Americans in the white house!!! WOOT!

now that just doesn't seem right...

2007-12-29T07:21:00.000-05:00

The hardest thing for me to understand and agree with is the fact that money plays a bigger role than just about anything else in this (and every) election. I mean, I know it's America and that is the American way but, come on. This point was driven home so loudly when I took a little "who should you vote for" quiz. It was rather detailed with 25 questions stating all the Democrat Candidates stance on the most important issues. You had to choose which answer you agreed with most to questions like: how will you end the war, what is your opinion of social security, do you agree with Roe v Wade, etc. The answers were detailed so that if everyone answered yes or no to something, you still could get a deeper feel for the candidate through their additional explaination. I was committed to finding out who I should vote for so I read through all the answers, was rather dilligent in choosing which one was best and an hour later, I got a little bit of a surprise. I should vote for Bill Richardson. hmmm, now who is he again, oh yeah I remember. I looked through my notes on the candidates and made sure that I didn't put an 'x' through his name for any reason and decided I better do some more research on this guy.
Now here comes the part that really got me thinking...after the test was over it takes you to this page that graphs the results of everyone that has taken this test (over 11,300 people btw). Bill Richardson was tied for third along side Hillary and John Edwards. Obama wasn't near the top at all. Now if you go to the CNN election site they have a popularity graph which is very different from the results graph. Clinton is the huge majority with 40%, next Obama with 30%, Edwards quite a distance with 14% and Richardson with out a hope at 4%. So how are we really voting then? Are we seeing who has the best smile and speaking voice, or who has the strongest background with the best ideas to turn the country around in 2009. Or is it none of those things at all. I found a third graph, one that shows how much money was raised and spent by each candidate and that graph looks almost exactly like the one on CNN. So are we most likely to vote for the one with the most money? What is sad is that Bill Richardson might have the best ideas and plans for us, but because he doesn't have the funds, well then he doesn't even have a chance.
Check out the site's I mentioned and see the craziness for yourself!
Washington Post's Choose your Candidate
CNN's Election 2008
Banking on Becoming President

and so the journey begins...

2007-12-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Election 2008...Already I have just about overwhelmed myself trying to figure out who is running. Come to find out the front runners have all but been chosen in most peoples eyes. Keep in mind that I am new to this. I enter in with the naive notion that an underdog with really great morals and ideals could possible pull ahead, regardless of money, social ties or celebrity-ship. Oh well, it's America. But the bottom line is that I am revoked the ability to complain about anything if I don't take the least bit of effort in chosing this great nation's next leader. Granted, this year it's a win win because come January 20, 2009, Bush will officially be removed from office (WOOT!)

my personal theme on this desicion: i have to vote, or shut up!