Have a Good Holiday Weekend

Posting will be sporadic over the holiday. While we have lots to talk about, the holiday weekend has arrived and spending the weekend with my kids is high on the agenda, but as anyone with kids knows, that isn't always the way they want things to go.

For many Americans who have been observing the politics, feel free to comment in this thread, but don't get banned attacking others and be aware that the likelihood of me being influenced by someones blog comment in this thread is ridiculous. Disagreements is what politics is all about. If you read this blog for politics, you're a damn fool.

I thought last night was incredible TV with Obama, and it was every bit the historical moment the media made it out to be. I was very pleased my 13 year old sat and watched it with me, she has heard my stories growing up in Arkansas, and she understood the moment. Obama really is the most dynamic political speaker in my life time, and is better than Bill Clinton ever was in communicating with others. Was I sold? Nope. Everyone has different issues that matter to them, and mine are economic and foreign policy. As a business owner I had chills thinking where his economic policy is going, as it became very clear that Obama's brand of economic policy is very much a socialist policy that goes after business to fork over money to Washington so that political leaders can redistribute it to the country. Faith in government to manage money is hardly a sign of wisdom, as best highlighted by the current administration. It is time to cut spending.

Obama's single largest problem is that he believes he can do what Republicans and Democrats have been trying to do for decades, tweak the income tax code and find a magic bullet. Won't happen, the tax code under the Bush administration is actually valued the right way, the problem isn't the policy, its the reality the tax code is very broken and we need a consumption (fair) tax. Taxing business instead of individuals is being sold as wise economic policy. That is laughable stupidity in this market, the sure sign business is not a priority in the economic system. The suggestion America will innovate under higher taxes of corporations is misguided political strategy, the reason we see so many alternative energy start-ups today is precisely because of the way the Bush administration has managed taxation of business. Look, Bush economics suck too, but its as good as it can get until we throw out the tax code, and that will become painfully obvious under Obama.

My wife and I had all but decided to vote for Hillary until that went off the tracks. I have never been a big fan of John McCain and never saw me voting for him, but the more I think about it, I'm not sure that I haven't been waiting my whole life to vote for him. He really is the against the grain politician that I've always claimed to be looking for, the maverick who I think is what we need, and he represents the American story I can believe in. Admittedly I'm more concerned with McCain's foreign policy direction than Obama's, but I vote with my wallet and see John McCain's economic vision as better than Obama's, although I can see why people who are not business owners completely fail to understand that. When they lose their job, they'll have more time to study the reasons.

The association between John McCain and George Bush might work on simple minds, but the attack underestimates the memory of the independent voter, so I ultimately think that line of thought will fail as a tactic. Obama is going to need to sell himself more and worry about McCain less if he wants to win, because McCain will sell himself just fine as the recent polling data indicates.

Sarah Palin is a brilliant choice, but for awhile people will not understand why. The American media is so shallow, they will highlight her as a woman, her position on abortion, her lifetime membership in the NRA, talk about her lack of experience (even if she is the only person on either ticket with executive experience), and will talk about womens issues and think they are covering the bases. To think the decision is about politics leads to her being underestimated, and the last time I saw someone underestimated in politics because of what they are, rather than who they are, that politician (Barak Obama) crushed his opponent. Underestimating Sarah Palin would be extraordinary shortsighted, she is a much more impressive pick than Joe Biden who was all but forced on Obama by his critics. People know so little about Sarah Palin this is a brilliant way to exceed all expectations, and expectations matter in politics.

I see my partisan friends worried about how the Republican Party or Democratic Party is split, and I can't help but smile. The only thing I've taken out of the election season to date is that business as usual is in the process of being rejected. We have two very interesting tickets, but they both tell the same story. The United States of America is the greatest country in the world, and the lives of all four candidates combine to represent and reaffirm that reality.

Have a great holiday weekend