Category: Politics

Someone should do this poll…

mitt-romney-for-president-3.jpgMany organizations have polled the question, “Would you vote for a Mormon candidate?” Well, I propose they try a new poll question, particularly among Mormons… “Would you vote for a candidate solely because he was a Mormon?”

When I talk to other Mormons about Mitt Romney’s candidacy, they typically don’t know too much about him. That is understandable because it is still early in the presidential race, and up until now he has been living and working in Massachussetts (which might as well be Timbuktu to some Mormons…). When I ask them who they are leaning toward, they usually say something like, “Well… I’d vote for Mitt just to get a Mormon in the White House.”

It’s basically the same logic that kept Sanjaya in American Idol for so long. People vote for the least likely candidate just to see how far he will go. (Well, the analogy breaks down when you realize that Sanjaya had no business in AI, whereas Mitt has qualifications to be President)

However… this is a dangerous position. You should get to know Mitt politically. Decide if he is the leader you want leading the country. I would be very curious to see how many Mormons would vote for their religion even if the candidate were Hillary herself.

While I’m on the topic of Mormonism, did you see “House MD” last night? I thought it was absolutely hilarious. One of the “applicants” for the new positions on House’s team is a black Mormon which House identified by a class ring from Brigham Young. This was funny to me because:

  1. BYU has no medical school… (and it is a well known fact that no doctors worth a hill of beans would get their undergrad at BYU… hehehe…)
  2. Class rings are not popular at BYU. I personally don’t’ know anyone who has one.

The character asserts early that Mormons now have a “very progressive” view on african-americans, then agrees to get slammed on Vodka as the “control group” for House’s latest medical test, after putting up a good fight contrary. (C’mon… wwjd if having a few shots cured a woman) I am really curious to see if this character will get anywhere in the series, and if House will continue to bash on his religious views. Who knows, maybe Mormonism will be the cure for House’s atheism! Um.. Not.

News Flash: No Homosexuals in Iran

Mahmoud AhmadinejadAccording to President Ahmedinejad, there are no homosexuals in Iran. In his words, “this phenomenon does not exist.”

Just one more striking, dramatic evidence that this man denies the basic realities of life. What do we call those again? Oh yeah, lunatics.

Oh, actually these guys might be a little sad to find out that they never existed…

How stupid do you think we are?

Mahmoud AhmadinejadLast night I watched 60 minutes’ strangest interview to date. Ok… Mr. Ahmedinejad how stupid do you think we are? This is the United States of Freaking America! We invented politico-speak. We invented beating around the bush. We invented the washington two step. We invented side skirting the question and going ‘into your song and dance.’

So how dare you come over our airwaves, and with the silly little smirk on your face, go into a song and dance when you were asked directly and specifically about developing nuclear weapons and funneling arms into Iraq.

I was proud of the interviewer for saying, ‘hey… why are you smiling… the american people consider this a very serious issue.’ This leader has a very narrow window now in the public perception before he is forever painted as an extremist and terrorist sympathizer. Our government has already painted as such, so the clock of public opinion is ticking.

The interviewer finally browbeat a denial of your nuclear ambitions out of you, but it doesn’t hold water. Your silly excuse that nuclear arms are not of political use is obviously counter-intuitive.

We have no reason to believe anything that comes out of your mouth, so don’t pretend (even with the anti-war leftist commies of this country) that you will get any sympathy. I gave you a shot. I listened to what you had to say, and you’re not fooling me.

And for a little twist of irony: Do you think that President Bush would have a chance in the streets of any of your biggest cities? And yet you contently skulk around the streets of New York City today, preaching your anti-american dogma.

As much as we may not like what some people have to say, free speech is perhaps the single largest contributor to making our society great.

FRED Thompson: Over before it began

Anyone else noticed that since Senator Thompson finally declared his candidacy, he and his campaign have suddenly gone into silent stealth mode?

Thompson certainly is not the candidate many people hoped he would be. He is appearing inarticulate and uneducated on many basic issues coming up in his campaign. He has certainly not emerged as the conservative no-nonsense savior the Republican right-wingers have hoped he would be.

The only positive headline I could find on him was that he was the highest internet drawing candidate. Well, I think that is because everyone in the world (including me) is still trying to figure this guy out.

Who is this washed up, ex-lobbyist, cradle robbing, former senator anyway?  I hoped by now he might have told us…

Remember

Spencer W. Kimball said the important word in the English language is the verb remember.

On today’s sixth anniversary of the tragic events of 9-11-01, take a moment to remember the lives that were lost; lives of the innocent victims and of the heroic rescue workers.

The twentieth century was one of the bloodiest and war-filled in human history, and the twenty-first century is, so far, looking like a continuation of it. Let’s remember what the real war is about: ideology. There are people in the world who hate others for no other reason than the color of their skin or the brand of their religion. This is inexcusable for the level of ‘civilization’ and sophistication we claim to have established in this modern era.

Let’s recommit ourselves to fighting the ideology of hatred and repression that led to the tragic events of that day, and honor the memory of the lives that have been lost in this epic struggle.

May we never forget.

A Society of Inclusion

Several years ago, a large media circus was made out of a certain courthouse in the south who had a monument on government property with quotes from the Old Testament book of Exodus; the ten commandments. As I was listening to this debate unfold, and hearing the impassioned arguments of all sides, I came to a pretty basic conclusion…”Can’t we all just get along?”

America has long been a nation of misfits and immigrants. Most of our fore bearers came to this country to flee persecution, gain new liberties, or experience the freedom of a healthy free-market economy.

The gist is this: we need to be a society of inclusion. Consider the word inclusion. It indicates that everyone is involved. Everyone has a seat at the table. Everyone has a stake in the game.

It’s not tolerance. Tolerance connotes that you are simply ‘putting up with’ or ‘enduring’ someone else’s point of view.

It’s not acceptance, either. You can still disagree with others’ values and choices while still valuing and listening to them.

Inclusion means we are giving everyone a voice, and considering everyone’s viewpoint.

I don’t see anything wrong with having a monument of the Ten Commandments in my town. I would also have nothing against a monument to the Seven Avatars of Vishnu, should someone so choose to fund it. I feel that both can equally contribute something to our society. The beauty of the American constitution is that both of them will be treated equally under the eyes of the government.

This principle can be successfully applied to many of the values issues and moral debates that we face as a nation; school prayer, gay rights, immigration, etc.

Let’s take one of the simple ones: school prayer.  Many who were raised with publicly performed prayers in school seem to think our current educational system has become godless by prohibiting the practice of public prayer.  However, this policy has not taken prayer out of school.  In fact, it has probably allowed more prayers in our schools.  Now students from all denominations. who understand and practice prayer in various different ways. feel free to do so in their own personal way.  In effect, we have freed students to practice their own prayers, their own religion, by themselves and on their own time.

I understand that this is an idealistic perspective, and that in practice it is not always possible to accommodate everyone. We’re obviously not going to be able to fit 10 different religious slogans on our quarter, so for now we stick with our history: “In God We Trust.”

But this should be the basic starting point for the debate about these issues. We should begin the discussion by saying, “hey… how can we best include our fellow human’s rights and beliefs in this discussion.”

Welcoming Fred Thompson

So yesterday it was with much glee, happiness, and outright obsessiveness that I welcomed the new line of iPods. Today though, the story is just a little different. It is with much apathy and ambivalence that I welcome Fred Thompson to the 2008 Presidential Race.

I have taken a few hours to try and get to know this man’s 24 hour old campaign, and from what I can see, I’m not impressed.

Fred appears to be running the un-campaign. He jokes away serious questions about why it has taken him so long to enter the race and how he plans on raising enough money to compete. What he doesn’t realize is that rather than looking like a vociferous maverick (which is what I think he feels like on the inside), he just looks like a lumbering johnny-come-lately who might be too old and too long winded for any 21st century Presidential politicking.

On paper, this man looks good to conservatives. He has a nicely consistent conservative record, has experience in private and public life, and is from the South. However, when you stick this former TV star in front of a camera and ask him what he thinks about an issue, he pontificates, rambles, and struggles to be concise. When Jay Leno asked him about Iraq, he dragged on for about 5 minutes without making much of a point.

I’m gonna give Fred Thompson a chance, and I’m look to see if he can get up to speed quick enough, and articulate concise position statements. (Like it or not, Presidential Politicking is done via bullet point, sound bite, and check list.)

Fred is a problem for my current choice, Mitt Romney. Mitt can’t really attack Fred from the right like he is doing with Rudy. Mitt will likely have to resort to his “never run a corner store” offense, which is his best line to date.

Fred is also a problem for all of the 2nd tier candidates. He will easily eat up the votes of the governors and senators who are struggling to find a voice and a popularity point in this race.

If the convention were held today, Republicans would have a choice between a super moderate Rudy, a very conservative Fred, or a guy named Mitt who fits somewhere in between.

Look on the bright side though, at least our candidate’s name would be only four letters and wouldn’t rhyme with Osama!!!

The Revolution-less Democracy

So I have been thinking about this thing in Iraq for a pretty long time now. I wish I could say I have some great idea; some great answer to solve the conundrum in which we find our country, our military, and the middle east as a whole.

The only conclusion I can draw is this: freedom and democracy is not a gift you can simply bestow. Even though I believe that every human soul craves liberty from fear and oppression, all outward signs indicate that the people of Iraq have historically not felt strongly enough about it, as they were content to allow dictators and tyrants to rule over them.

Democracy is not a gift that can be bestowed. It is not something that can be constructed from a blueprint. We can’t simply make xerox copies of the United States’ Constitution and save all mankind and government. Freedom, government, and self-determination are things only a people themselves can fight for and attain.

Revolution itself seems necessary for any kind of representative government. While the phrase “bloodless revolution” has been coined and accepted, there is no such thing as as revolutionless democracy. The people must stand up and say that the country that unites them transcends their religion and special interest. That before being a Sunni, Shiite or Kurd; they are an Iraqi. In the United States we have revolutions every two, four, and six years. We call them elections.

Look at Isreal. We “installed” a democracy in that country much like we are trying to install the democracy in Iraq. More than fifty years later, it still hangs by a thread.

Are we willing to engage in a Neo-Colonialism where we send our military to every country of the world in which we have an interest? Will our military bases and embassies become the new wave of American colonialism?

One thing is for certain. Barring any major breakdown (a la 1979 Iranian revolution) in the Iraqi government, we will be there for a generation or two.