I'm A Nerd!

After a frustrating evening of work-related technical difficulties resulting in a shorter-than-normal shift last Thursday, I settled in to watch the RNC. I was little hopeful that Sen McCain's "stage presence" could even begin to compare with Gov Palin, or the keynote speakers at the DNC. Starting out albeit a little slow, I was delighted to see him maintain composure and build to a crowd-roaring climactic closure, even as a few "unruly" attendees tried to disrupt the speech. Okay, so call me a nerd, but I just love watching the candidates put on their Sunday Best performances. I looked forward to each evening's coverage of the conventions as the high point of my day. Not just the RNC but the DNC as well. The Obama-Clinton-Biden-Obama speeches were every bit as inspiring/revealing as were the Thompson-Palin-McCain speeches. (Though I am a bit partial to the Palin speech and rate that one as best of all) To be clear, I have long felt that neither Obama nor McCain would be the most optimal choice for President. Obama less so than McCain for obvious reasons. Young, charasmatic, eloquent and articulate, Sen Obama's lack of experience, his senate voting record (or lack thereof), the empty promise of change without revealing a working game plan, and quite frankly his arrogance, makes him, IMHO, a dreadful choice as our President and Commander-In-Chief. As stated in an earlier post, Obama Is Right- in that America needs change. That I will not argue. Given a few more years to prove himself in the Senate, and giving himself time to actually "do" something that can actually be considered an accomplishment, perhaps Sen Obama might be a more acceptable candidate. There are some Americans who will vote Dem or Rep just because that's what they've always done, regardless of the candidate or platform. There are other Americans who, like myself in 1980, will at some point cross the party ticket in order to vote for the person they believe to be best for the job. It is to those hesitant Democrats and undecided others, that I pose this question. If it were not for the cement blocks tied to his feet (President Bush and the current administration), or if John McCain followed on the heels of a successful Republican presidency, would you hesitate to cast your vote for him? It is unfortunate that Sen McCain is being weighted down by the negative popularity of President Bush. Absolutely- there needs to be shakedown in the current administration. It will be an uphill battle. While I still believe that there may be other better-qualified men for the job, I am now convinced that Sen McCain is the better of our two choices to fight that battle. I believe there is enough maverick in him to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. I am thankful for the Information Highway, political publications and media coverage (ewww did I actually say that?) which allows us to arm ourselves with information and make an educated choice. I'm enjoying spending a tiny bit of time each day getting to know the candidates and what makes them tick. Many of my lunch hours are spent poring over Time, Newsweek, Snopes, and various Google searches on different issues. I've even programmed NPR into the tuner in my car!! I'm most thankful, though, for an Inquiring Mind that inspires me to read and research information on my own, not letting these different media sources form my opinions for me. So my challenge to all Americans is this- Do Your Homework. Vote for the candidate of your choice. Voice your opinion in the voting booth or don't bother voicing your complaints later.