More politics

I remember something I want to say about Palin and think it warrants its own post. On a forum I frequent someone mentioned that Palin said in an interview that she didn't know what should be done in Iraq. This person was disturbed by this answer. I just listened to this and honestly I think it shows a refreshing honesty in politics that we haven't seen much recently. It sounds like she also might not have known exactly what McCain's plan was (it was a few weeks ago) or didn't want to say anything wrong. Maybe she wanted to establish that she did not know exactly what would be the best solution which is what I understood by the end of her answer. This makes sense to me. I am not trying to be an apologist here. She better learn about McCain's plan in Iraq and learn more about the situation there so she can answer more completely next time she is asked. If she stays ignorant then there is a real problem.

I admit that I don't know what should happen in Iraq. I know bad ideas when I hear them but I don't have a great idea myself. Granted I am not a politician or the presumptive vice presidential running mate of McCain but no one else I know is this either and so many people seem to think they know what should be done. I am not a military strategist. I am not an expert on Iraq or on Muslim people. I am not informed about everything that goes on there. I can only get information that is passed through many filters. Like I posted before, news media can rarely be taken at face value. Even statistics can be and are manipulated based on the view the author of the story wishes the reader to come away with. I guess I am cynical on this issue but I have seen examples of this before and have used various tactics myself to deflect attention from various parts of a story and attract it elsewhere. What child hasn't? Until I am in a position to know more accurate information and have experts available to me (which Palin might now be in) I don't feel I really know what exactly should happen in Iraq. I don't really think many politicians know either, they just feel they have to say they do to get my vote. So bravo to Palin for being honest, at least on this issue, in a world where honest seems seldom rewarded.

Politics

I am reading much these days that has to do with the coming election, especially as of yesterday and McCain's announcement of Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate (I think that is how it is phrased). I always find it interesting that so many people see how ridiculous or tenuous some of the media claims about their preferred candidate are but can't see how tenuous some of the claims for the other candidate are as well. I guess that is only natural. I however don't believe many of the connections people come up with between the various candidates and some radical dangerous group. I need some more proof than most of these stories provide. I smile to myself though at comments like "that connection between Obama so and so is tenuous at best, but I find it much more threatening that McCain would connect himself with this kind of people" or "Maybe McCain employed people of shady character, but isn't it more worrisome that some aide of Obama's possible had ties to a terrorist group?" Really if either of the candidates knew someone working for them had ties like these and did nothing it would be equally worrisome. I don't think because one fired his problem people first or it took one longer to find the connection makes either worse or better. Realize that both of the claims were kind of far out there and the media's and opposing party's way of creating drama and possible negative thoughts about the candidate they don't care for.

In a political race in this country both sides always try to dig up any dirt they can about each other. They try to make connections between negatively viewed extremist groups and their opponent. Each side is equally guilty of this in my opinion. I really wish the media, various groups, and voters in general would focus more on the candidates' platforms and less on the rest of the circus that always occurs. If any real troubling thing surfaces then tell me about it but all the smoke and mirrors make it hard to see. I honestly trust very little of what I see on televison or read in newspapers, magazines, or other written news sources at face value. How can anyone these days?