The Debate

I can sum this up with two of the funniest things I've heard yet...

Senator Government's new theme song (sung to the tune of Bob the Builder):

Joe the Plumber!

Can we tax him?

... Yes, we can!

Beyond Frustrating...

I hope some of you were smarter than us last night when we sat down to watch the debate... we actually kept watching it while shouting randomly over the last 30 minutes that the candidates should "SAY SOMETHING NOW FROM YOUR STUMP SPEECH" or "ARE YOU KIDDING ME???" or just screaming in pure frustration.

I am infuriated with this election.  Digging into the issues, today, hasn't served much of a purpose for me.  The more you figure out what's actually going on in the country, the more blood will start shooting from your eyes (to coin a phrase from my hero Glenn Beck).  Here's a couple

• After the VP Debate, Tom Brokaw came on the air and said, "Many issues have still yet to be discussed.  Immigration, Social Security, Abortion..."  Well Tom, thanks to your moderating ability many issues remain so.  You flat out wasted 33% of the debates this year.
• Can someone please explain to me why we allow 6.1% of people that are unemployed take center stage every time a candidate opens his/her mouth?  I'm not heartless, but hear me out.  There is about 66% of people in America that work.  The unemployment rate stands at 6% of that total.  In real numbers, 189 million people work, and 11 millon are currently unemployed.  Does that seem out of balance to anyone other than me?  Can anyone talk about the 178 million people that do have jobs?  What about all the people that DO have healthcare?  It's frankly insulting to me that our country is not represented.  A subset of our country is.  Believe me, the last thing I want is a government handout of any kind.  That's not what I'm saying.  But I wish candidates would talk about real things instead of only talking about issues that affect a very small number of us...  Find solutions yes, but be honest.  Don't characterize my family as struggling through this economic downturn because a small percentage of the country is.  Now in a year or two when most people are struggling, then you can talk.  But represent facts, not your agenda...
• Undecided voters.  Again, after every debate on every channel we get introduced to the "undecided" voter.  We suddenly care what you think.  Here's my problem.  These are the most indecisive people you have ever met.  These are passive people, people who will not stand for anything because they don't want to upset anybody.  I'm all for independent thinking (watch Lou Dobbs on CNN, he actually has ideas), but posing as an independent because a decision is just too hard to make at the moment makes me want to throw up.  Again, the majority of our country stands for something.  That's why we're where we are today.  My fear is that the undecided voter is suddenly rising to the ranks of being a game changer in our country.  The problem is the undecided voter has no real direction to take us.  We will get there America...  trust me, if we aim at nothing we will reach it.
• Lastly, the fact that I'm white and have a job does not make me a racist and an elitist.  This characterization is probably the most frustrating thing I've heard throughout this campaign.  As a little kid, I was raised in a predominantly white family (laugh when you get that joke...).  I was loved by that family.  I was brought up to believe in this country and to accomplish anything I set my mind to.  So what did I do?  With their help, I went to college and graduated in the top 10% of my class.  Not because I was white, but because I worked hard to get the grades I ended up with.  I studied.  What did I do after that?  I applied for a job.  Why did I get a job?  Because I was qualified for it.  I had proven that I could study a subject and grasp it enough to be productive in the workforce.  This does not make me an elitist because I work for a corporation (ExxonMobil even... you know, the one who got mentioned 6 times in the VP debate unsolicited.  That press is hard to come by).  This doesn't even make me someone who believes we should oppress the lower part of our population.  I want all people to have opportunity, but for crying out loud when did hard work make you into a bad person?  I'm just beside myself.  It's wrong.

I feel like I've turned into a crazy person.  Ask Becky.  I honestly believe I'm slowly starting to grow crazy.  I just simply can't accept what's happening with our country now.  Last night, I saw why Ron Paul said it doesn't matter who you vote for because they're the same person.  I'm still supporting McCain because I believe his policies are better for the country even though he can't communicate that very well.  The only comfort I get (and this is sad) is that when the election is over, the world takes over.  Watch Bush's old debates and tell me how much of that he accomplished in Washington.  The sad reality is that if Obama becomes president and pushes his ideas, they'll get passed because he'll have a Democratic Congress.  That's the alarming part to me.  Who knows, maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe it will work and we'll all be better off.  But my gut tells me we're not...

Last night we prayed (a depressing prayer at that because my tone of voice was like this blog entry) and God game me comfort in remembering Jesus's life and the life lived by his disciples.  Do you think they could relate to the feelings expressed in this post?  They walked through this... not specifically but emotionally.  They wrestled with these ideas and in the end their quality of life was through the roof because of God's love for this world and His truth, not because they had enough to retire on or a job they found fulfilling or a family to come home to.  Temporary gifts of this world should not receive the attention they currently do.  That's the sacrifice we need to make... materialism for morality.  Jesus, come back to our country... please don't leave us.

We Will Not Adjust!

So last night after a rousing  game of LIFE in the Kiser house, Becky was understandably spent after spending an hour trying to figure out how to make ends meet with a Salesperson's salary of $20,000 dollars and lawsuits flying at her left and right (If you haven't played the game, I suggest you get the oldest version you can find.  It's funny really, because in the old game you bought insurance and actually had bad things happen to you where insurance would save your butt.  This game?  It's more on par with today's America, where insurance isn't needed and there are $100,000 nuggets of treasure dispersed throughout the board.  The only money that comes out of my bank is the $5,000 congratulatory money to the other player when he/she has a baby.  So get old versions of games, they'll help you in the future.)

Well she fell asleep as I was watching the news about the vote in the Senate about the bailout bill (which I still don't agree with even with all the tax breaks.  Maybe I'm dumb, but it's still 700 billion dollars.  If businesses can't make payroll because they have to borrow the money, then I don't think that's a very smart way to run your business.  STOP BORROWING.)  I digress...

Well, a Washington Mutual commercial came on TV and at the end of it I exclaimed, "And you don't exist..." while Becky then looked at me and said, "Thank you honey."

Confused, I said, "What'd you think I said".  She explained that she was having a dream and how the creditor was trying his best to get us into an adjustable rate mortgage.  Finally, I got so fed up in the dream that I yelled, "We will not adjust!" as I slammed our money on his table.  Ironically, I said this in exact unison with my "And you don't exist" comment in real life, prompting Becky to shower me with gratitude for once again protecting our family from misguided housing practices.

She's ever the encourager...