More political talk

I started watching the Republican National Convention last night, on CSPAN, a bit early on, and I found it to be a tad boring. There didn't seem to be the same energy, good lighting and good speakers as the DNC had. I thought, "Great. This will really help the cause, NOT!" People are definitely swayed by stuff like that, including me, and I changed the channel due to sheer boredom. I kept changing back and finally, saw Fred Thompson speak. He was great! He detailed John McCain's time as a POW, delved into his character and took time to point out the downfalls of their opponent. Below is an excerpt of my favorite parts of the speech:

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"...Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be president, but it does reveal character. My friends, this is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of our history have sought in their leaders: strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we'll never have to ask ourselves: "Who is this man?" and "Can we trust this man with the presidency?"
But a man who never quits is never defeated. Because John McCain stood up, his country is better off. And the respect he's given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to America's critics abroad--no, not that; it's not because of that, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship. There has never been a time in our nation's history, since we first pledged allegiance to the American flag, when the character, judgment and leadership of our president was more important. Terrorists, rogue nations developing nuclear weapons, an increasingly belligerent Russia, intensifying competition from China, spending at home that threatens to bankrupt future generations, for decades an expanding government, increasingly wasteful and too often incompetent. To deal with these challenges, the Democrats present a history-making nominee for president -- history-making in that he's the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president. Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history-making, Democrat-controlled Congress -- history-making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history. Together, they would take on these urgent challenges with protectionism, higher taxes and an even bigger bureaucracy and a Supreme Court that could be lost to liberalism for a generation. This is not reform and it's certainly not change. It's basically the same old stuff they've been peddling for years."
(And here's my very favorite part...)
"...America needs a president who understands the nature of the world we live in, a president who feels no need to apologize for the United States of America. We need a president who understands that you don't make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer, and you don't lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history. Now, our opponents tell us not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they're not going to tax your family. (Laughter.) No, they're just going to tax "businesses." So, unless you buy something from a business, like groceries or clothes or gasoline or unless you get a paycheck from a business, a big business or a small business, don't worry, it's not going to affect you! They say they're not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the other side of the bucket! That's their idea of tax reform.
My friends, we need a leader who stands on principle. We need a president and vice president who will take the federal bureaucracy by the scruff of the neck and give it a good shakin'. And my friends, we need a president who doesn't think that the protection of the unborn or a newly born baby is above his pay grade. The man who will be that president is John McCain."

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This speech was encouraging to me because it brought back the fundamentals of why we vote in this country and why we have a choice to make. I think it's always easy to be sexy, attractive and slick; to point out what's wrong, to please everyone and give vague answers. John McCain does have more character, I believe, than Obama. He answers questions straight up and knows he won't please everyone. I think that's not only why he would be a great president, but it's why he deserves to be president.
It's easy for me to worked up over this stuff, probably because it's in my genes! :)
But I also want to try to remember to be gracious and gentle. To listen and not shout.
So I think if Obama is elected, it won't be then end of the world; it will just be an uncomfortable next few years.