Obama/Clinton ticket: Dream Team or Nightmare?

I have really been looking forward to this post. Mostly because of the overall complexities of the decision that Obama now faces. By clinching the nomination (at least, we assume Clinton will bow out now), Obama has been placed in the situation of becoming the "leader" of the Democratic party. If he chooses to accept Clinton (Hillary, not Bill) as the VP, then he may unite the party and they would most likely beat McCain in the November election. For campaigning purposes, that is a great move to make. However, what happens on January 20, 2009 when Obama will have to find things for Clinton to do that will satsify her thirst for power but at the same time, allow him to run the show? Moreover, what will it be like for Obama to have Bill Clinton as the unofficial second VP? He has already been shown to be a loose cannon for his wife's campaign (that hasn't been helpful over the long run). What's to say that he would be "in control" during Obama's general election campaign, much less his presidency?

On the other side, if Obama chooses someone else in the VP spot, he is going to have to find something for Clinton to do in the administration because I am sure that Hillary has no desire to return to the Senate. What happens if Hillary becomes bitter and takes the 17million plus votes she won and pulls a Ross Perot and steals the election from Obama and gives it to McCain? Not to mention the toll that would take on the Democratic party. Who knows, maybe there is history in the making and Hillary will form her own party and we'll have a three-party system in America. That would be interesting!

As you can see, there are hundreds of questions that all need an answer, and all one can do is speculate about their outcomes. For Obama, however, he needs to get this one right or it'll be short lived campaign and a very bitter Democratic Party.

Michigan and Florida: Are they half citizens?

Well, I wouldn't classify myself as a Democrat nor would I classify myself as a Republican. Shiree and I joke that I am more of a Republicrat (or a Democan, but I like the first one better). On Saturday, the Democractic National Committee (DNC) Rules Committee voted to reinstate all of the Michigan and Florida delegates (both pledged and unpledged) but only give them 1/2 of a vote. I'll admit that I was pleased with the outcome that the voters voices were heard in those states. That is truly an example of the democratic system in progress. However, I was displeased with some of the comments during the discussion about the Michigan delegates that some of the committee members (Clinton supporters, ironically enough) felt that giving delegates to Obama was wrong and that people's votes were being "hijacked." Granted, Obama's name was not on the ballot in Michigan (who knows why he pulled it in the first place - in my opinion a poor judgement call), but still, just because his name wasn't on the ballot, does not mean that Hillary Clinton won the state of Michigan. Conducting a fair analysis of the voting results in Michigan, where we assume that the "uncomitted" votes were for Obama, is a logical conclusion. However, there were still other contestants in that race. From my knowledge, John Edwards was still in the running and his name was not on the ballot either. Florida was a little bit cleaner cut, because both candidates received votes. However, Michigan is a little more fuzzy. In the end, I think it was the best choice under these circumstances.

I was hoping that the Democrats would stick to their guns and not allow any of the votes to count, but that sure wouldn't win them the presidency in the fall. Hence, we saw right before our eyes the political game that must be played in the two-party system.

A Surprising Revelation

By growing up in Utah there are several things that become learned behavior. One of those is becoming a Utah Jazz fan and another is a great dislike for the Chicago Bulls (it hurts too much to remember those horrific losses in the NBA Finals - not to mention that memorable "push-off" by MJ). Since MJ has left the game, and the Bulls aren't really threat anymore, my dislike turned to another foe: the LA Lakers. I'm pretty sure that Kobe Bryant has had a lot to do with my general dislike and the intense rivalry I feel between the teams. After viewing the excruciating loss to the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs this year, I came to a realization: I like the LA Lakers. That blew me away! That is on my list of things never to do (right behind "never lick a spinning tire" and right before "play patty-cake with a grizzly bear"). I guess it has to do with the fact that Derek Fisher is back with the Lakers. I was always nervous whenever the Jazz played against Derek Fisher's team because they were playing against Derek Fisher. I have to admit (and you should to), that guy is good! It was so exciting last season when he was playing with the Jazz. But alas, all good things must come to an end. So the Jazz lost.

Then, I was looking forward to the Spurs-Lakers series. I have always loved watching Tim Duncan play -- except when he played against the Jazz :). Anyway, after watching the game last night (Game 5), I have to admit once again, the Lakers just flat outplayed the Spurs in the second half.

So I regret to inform you that I think I am becoming a Lakers fan, at least until next season when the Jazz play the Lakers ;)

Memorial Day - A Salute to our Veterans

For those of you who don't know, I am doing an internship at the Veteran's Medical Center in Salt Lake. I work in the Valor House, which is part of the Homeless Program for Veterans. I wanted to say a few words about my new perspective on Memorial Day.

I gained a new respect for Memorial Day after sitting through a 90 minute presentation at the VA where 35+ junior high school students presented 35+ handmade quilts to some Utah Veterans. The event went unnoticed by the world, particularly the news media, where only a 3 minute spot was done by ABC channel 4 news on Friday afternoon. But the impact that had on the veteran's with whom I work was monumental and unforgettable. I hope the experience was similar for the kids.

So originally, Memorial Day was set on May 30th to recognize the veterans who lost their lives, were POW's, were/are MIA, and those who survived. (though mostly it was for the vets who had lost their lives). Currently, we (meaning Congress) changed it to be the last Monday in May. The reason for this is so that employers didn't have people taking a holiday in the middle of the week. Thus, it was changed so that we all could enjoy a nice three-day weekend. Unfortunately, this change has altered the perception of some about the importance of Memorial Day. Now, I'm not suggesting that we need to spend the whole day in sackcloth and ashes remembering our fallen patriots; but I am suggesting that before we spend the whole day in a well-deserved vacation time, that we take a few minutes to ponder over the freedoms we enjoy and the cost of lives, blood, and other losses with which that freedom was purchased.

I myself have two grandfathers who served in World War II. One of them has passed away and the other is still alive and kicking. I want to say, "Thank You" to both of them (and the millions of other veterans) for serving so valiantly and courageously in the cause of freedom. Their service preserves our freedom, a freedom that I take for granted sometimes. Working for the VA has helped me see how much some of these veterans have suffered and gone through to preserve that freedom.

So even though Memorial Day 2008 has passed into existence, I hope that you can find some time this week to enjoy a few minutes of quiet reverence for our fallen men and women who fought for us.

The Presidential Race, so far...

I thought that I would get the ball rolling with my opinions on the presidential race.

I'll just start off with the obvious. I admit that I was disappointed when Mitt Romney dropped out of the race. I was looking forward to his ideas to "clean up" Washington, but mostly to help the ailing economy. To me, he wasn't very strong in the national defense category. But what won the most points with me was his dedication to family values. I enjoyed hearing his views on how to address domestic problems of crime and education. His point of view was that if you strengthen the family, by keeping parents married and Dad in the home (and not in jail) then families have a greater chance of survival. Why does that matter you may ask. Well, if the family is in tact, then the parents can teach and show their children how to grow up in this world. It is when families fall apart that the education rates drop and crime rates go up.

With that in mind, I like John McCain because of his strong stance on national security. However, I am a little concerned that national security is his only strong point (and an exaggerated one at that). McCain has made some friends along the way (on both sides of the aisle and some in the middle) which is indicative of his ability to work together and accomplish meaningful tasks.

Barack Obama is a lightweight in the ring of experience. Virtually no foreign policy experience, some domestic policy, and hardly any national defense experience. But what Obama lacks in experience, he makes up for in comraderie. What I mean by that is his ability (like McCain) to bring people to the table and work together to find solutions. We should never expect a President to be an expert in every aspect of his/her job. (If that same standard were held to us, we would all be out of a job). But what we should expect from a President is someone who can listen to the opinions of the experts (yes, even if they are differing) and make the best decision possible in that situation. I believe that Obama is an expert at surrounding himself with good people (Jeremiah Wright being the exception) and bringing the best out in them for the betterment of the country.

Hillary Clinton has more experience in Washington than what is good for her. Of all the candidates, I believe, she has the most experience with executive functions, having been married to the Chief Executive for his two-terms in office. Moreover, the way she handled the Lewinsky scandal (and all the previous ones) is a credit to her political ingenuity and savvy. She plays the political game very well, perhaps too well. Her best attribute, her experience, is also her weakest link because she appears to want to work with the attitude of "business as usual" in Washington. She has so much experience in the current Washingtonian political atmosphere that how can we expect her to change anything, let alone, reform the healthcare system. But I have to give her props for her determination and resiliency. Almost anybody that would have run for President would have given in by now (as evidenced by the fact that every other major candidate has given in by now). The real question is, who would be the 2nd vice-president behind Bill Clinton?

I like the free-market healthcare plan that McCain has adopted; but I also like the fact that Obama and Clinton would require healthcare coverage for all children (adults should be able to make their own decision about whether they want coverage or not, children shouldn't). I love Obama's dedication to education and his higher education reforms. I like McCain's strong sense of national defense, but abhor his stubbornness for unexplored paths of diplomacy.

The fact is, I am a voter that supports a candiate who has high morals, a good game plan, a strong dedication to this country, and an even stronger dedication to the family (particularly their own). I don't know who I would vote for if the final election were today. Perhaps I would just write-in Thomas S. Monson and leave it at that. But I know that he has a different job, and one that I am sure he would not give up even for the Presidency of the United States.

Welcome to My Thoughts!

Welcome everyone to My Thoughts! I thought for a long time about whether or not I should create a blog. At first, I thought it would be okay if it were dedicated solely to politics and Mormonism; but then I couldn't post much about my family and how cute my kids are :). Anyway, so I made it a general blog where anyone can comment and share their opinions about "my thoughts."

I will continue to focus on the political atmosphere and and connections it has with the LDS culture. The purpose here is not to point fingers or blame or attack, but to create an open dialogue about your opinions on politics and the reciprocal connection with the LDS faith. This blog is open to anyone who wants to contribute in a meaningful way.