It's Really True

[Dr. Shane]

When I was in high school I first got involved in politics. I followed the 1984 Presidential election but wasn't actively involved.

I first voted in a local election in 1987. I got active in the local Republican party at the age of 17 and met my congressman and US senator when I was 18. I stuffed a lot of envelopes and did a lot of literature drops. I gratuated high school in 1989.

In college the pendulum swung the other way for awhile. I got involved in the environmental movement and sympathetic to gay rights. I had two gay roommates but only one of them was actively involved in the environmental movement.

Then I got involved with the College Republicans. I became more of a fan of the Libertarian Party. I favored legalizing drugs and prostitution. I pretty much bought into the entire Libertarian platform.

Then I got involved in the pro-life movement and started to move away from some of my Libertarian views. The traditional views of the southern Democrats were appealing to me. I supported the war against poverty although I believed it needed to be reformed.

I registered as a Republican when I first moved to Texas 10 years ago. This past year I switched over to the Democratic party. I would register as an independent if Texas allowed that. I may switch back to a Republican depending on the local candidates and issues.

Who have a voted for President?

1988 Bush

1992 Perot

1996 Perot

2000 Bush

2004 Bush

2008 ????

~I am pro-choice on abortion but favor strict restrictions.

~I favor the right to bare arms but favor regulations.

~I support big business and small business alike but favor regulations.

~I believe taxes should be raised and lowered depending on the state of the economy.

~I support running a balanced budget and using surpluses to pay off the national debt.

~I support more oil exploration domestically and phasing out petroleum-based cars.

~I support civil unions but oppose gay marriage.

~I think both candidates for President are good and am undecided about who I am going to vote for.

~ My favorite sources of news are Al Jazeera English, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and FOXNews.

If anyone would like to discuss my political leanings here is the thread to do it. Let's not highjack other threads by making me the issue. That is not how we play well with each other.

[Bravus]

I value your perspectives, Shane, and know that you are a good thinker and a well informed person. Definitely one of the best informed people here on politics.

I do think you tend to swing Republican in some of the ideas and talking points, though of course that could be my own selective biases coming through. You were willing to write off Obama, or at least consider it, on the basis of the story in the Telegraph (which is a dreadful tabloid rag) about his brother, but at the same time to excuse McCain's cursing and bad temper even with people he agrees with.

Obama's brother is a half-brother he has almost never met, and may well have a lot of other things going on in his life. I do like the fact that you were prepared to wait for more evidence before making a final decision, but then why even canvas your reaction of writing him off ethically and morally? Why not simply withhold judgement until more evidence is available?

On McCain, I think both you and John317 are too willing to discount the temper issue because you agree with him. You even suggested that a temper might be a good thing in international relations. I strongly disagree: a president out of control is a president who will make bad mistakes. As a teacher I sometimes have to *feign* anger with an unruly class, but pity help me if I am ever truly angry enough to be out of control with a class. McCain's temper and the way he has been willing to unleash it in public *is* a serious character issue, and the way you're so happy to excuse it suggests a lot about your political views.

I do think you'll put a lot of thought into your vote, and America needs a lot more people like you, who understand their own values and beliefs and the implications of those for their political choices. I do hope you'll be willing to read critically on *both* sides, and to hold both sides to the same standards.

[John317]

You even suggested that a temper might be a good thing in international relations. I strongly disagree: a president out of control is a president who will make bad mistakes. As a teacher I sometimes have to *feign* anger with an unruly class, but pity help me if I am ever truly angry enough to be out of control with a class. McCain's temper and the way he has been willing to unleash it in public *is* a serious character issue, and the way you're so happy to excuse it suggests a lot about your political views.

Bravus, if I thought McCain was actually out of control with his temper, I would definitely not want him in the White House. None of the presidents I've named who had bad tempers and used bad language were ever out of control. Like you, I've "feigned" anger when working with young people at times, who needed to see that their actions could have some serious consequences. Of course this only works if it is fairly rare.

I want the best person in the White House for the sake of the country. I don't vote according to party.

Here in Denver the streets will be taken over by thousands of people who declare in no uncertain terms that they hate our democracy and think of it as a great evil. They talk of "swarming in the streets and forcing the cops to retreat."

The main organizations leading out are self-proclaimed anarchists, Marxists, and anti-authoritarians. Their main goal is to disrupt the Democratic convention and "dismantle Denver's capitalism." They plan to do the same things at the Republican convention. Their stated goal is to "bring the whole ----- thing down." "Free all political prisoners," and "march against all borders." They want all money that is in the Denver mint to go to the people, and all the money spent on the convention to also go to the people. "Stop all direct causes of global warming." "Smash the police state." "Expose the sham democracy." "Stop the war." "This is an opportunity for anarchists, anti-authoritarians and others who want a world without imperialism, patriarchy, war, racism, and capitalism to cooperate in mass actions... here to confront this leviathan."

Most of it is the same thing we were saying back in '68 and '72. The city of Denver has spent millions on the development of sophisicated weapons designed specifically to deal with the problems which the cops will face as they work to control the crowds. No more busting heads like in Chicago. At least that part will be different. It would cause too much bad publicity for the democrats and the city of Denver, what with the whole world watching. So this time it will be tazers, and weapons that make your skin feel as if it's on fire; hoses that cover you with something like a huge spider web; and a machine that makes such high pitched sounds that you become disoriented. This Sunday or Monday there may be a real chance to see how they work.

[Dr. Shane]

I think my disappointment in Obama regarding his half=brother is because of my own experience with family in the third-world. To be fair, from the very beginning I expressed doubts about the story. I still do not know how true it is. It is doubtful Obama will address it because by doing so he gives it more news coverage and it will only do more damage to him.

Obama's relationship with his pastor did not and does not bother me. Some may accuse me of being willfully ignorant because I like Obama or his views. Their is the old adage, "Show me a man's friends and I will show you the man." So discussing a politician's friends is legitimate but I don't see an anti-American pattern with Obama. We don't see anti-American papers and articles that he wrote. We don't see that he participated with anti-American organizations. So I am willing to give him a break not because I like him or his views, but because I am trying to be fair.

Bill Clinton had a bad temper and used vulgarity a lot. He still has a bad temper. I specifically remember Rush Limbaugh making a big deal out of Clinton's temper when Clinton was in office. I didn't buy into the issue then nor do I now. Since I gave Clinton a break it is only fair that I give McCain a break too.

I do lean conservative and don't try to claim otherwise. Every time I have taken a political position test each one plots me just a little right of center.

[carolaa]

Wow, finally a thread about Shane!

I am wondering why you seem to be concerned about which party you belong to, having switched once and are considering it again. When I registered to vote in Texas, I was not asked to declare a party. Unless you are actively supporting a particular candidate, I don't know what difference it makes what party you declare. Can't you vote for whomever, or a mixed ticket, regardless of your party?

[Dr. Shane]

I am not concerned about belonging to a political party. I don't consider myself a member of either political party. Both of them send me mail asking for donations. In Texas one has to choose a party when they vote in the primary. If they go to the Democratic primary their name is crossed off the list in that primary so the person is identified as a Democrat.

Will I ever vote in the Republican primary again? That depends on the candidates and issues involved.

[carolaa]

Do you mean the electronic voting or the caucuses is where they cross of your name? Because the electronic voting shouldn't be democratic or republican, but the caucuses might be. I'm still trying to understand how it works here. It's quite different from anywhere else.

[Dr. Shane]

When a voter enters the voting place he or she has to verify they are a registered voter in that precinct. In order to verify this the election worker will ask for the voter card or a picture ID. With that they will look for the voter's name on their list of registered voters. If they are voting in the general election no party affiliation will be noted. However if they are voting in the primaries they have to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. As a result when their name is located on the list it will be crossed. Thus the county has a list of everyone that voted in the Democratic primary and everyone that voted in the Republican primary. And these lists are made public due to public information laws.

[carolaa]

Well, I know I've voted at least twice in Texas, but maybe it was not a primary. Also, I don't think many people knew much about the caucuses until this year, when the primary was running so close. I didn't vote in this year's primary because we missed the deadline to register with being preoccupied with moving. Anyway, I'll be interested to see how it goes in November.