Thank you Palin...

... for leaving.

I have debated on what I should write about Palin for the past day. A big part of me said, "You know what, she's a human being. And if you're going to write about her, you should treat her with respect." But another part of me said, "She's a public figure. Public figures should be treated differently. You are allowed to be hyper critical."

The second part of me won.

Now you should know something about me. I am not a dyed in blue liberal. I don't listen to how celebrities tell me how to vote. In fact, I hate it when celebrities act like we should listen to them. I hate Fox News along with CNN and MSNBC.

What I'm trying to say is that, although I LOVE Obama... it's not like I have dug in my heels within the Democratic Party. If Eisenhower were to run, I'd vote for him.

But back to the main point. I am so glad she's leaving. She just irked me. She wasn't very intelligent. Not very politically savvy. It seemed like she just loved the spotlight.

I have to tell you. The Republican Party in general is taking a beating. How can anyone still be Republican? The party of the religious right is scandalized with adultery, kickbacks, corruption, and lies. In a way I want to Republican again, but how can I. The party is so far away from representing my values.

Also, the Republican Party is not even conservative. Under Bush, we saw incredible fiscal irresponsibility. And the moral standing of the party is in jeopardy.

So I will keep voting democrat, but I welcome the return of an actual Conservative (capital C, like William F. Buckley) party.

Wait, wait, wait...

I watched something interesting today. And I want to explain what I felt. When I watched the Story of Stuff, I initially felt "This is just a radical environmental agenda." and "Are they showing this to kids? This is way too political. It is going to make parents angry." And arguably, I am pretty left leaning politically.

But the message of the video rings true. It is unarguable. Industrialized nations over-consume. Is this not true? I'm not saying go back to living in straw huts. I'm saying, is every dollar you spend necessary. Is every dollar you spend at least on things you really, really want? Or sometimes are you buying, just for the sake of buying: over-consuming.

That specific message is one that Republicans and Democrats, not corporations, can all agree with. We all need to save more money. And by doing so, we are actually helping the environment. I know that I unnecessarily consume... and I am LDS. Of all religions, we should know that owning stuff doesn't bring us happiness. I have never seen that in the Book of Mormon or the Sunday School manuals. Unlike many churches today equivocating righteous living with boats, cars, and houses.

President 2008: It's a win-win situation!

The presidential race has never been so exciting. However, I will not humor the overdone the woman/black/mormon reason as a reason for doing so. It is exciting because I believe there are candidates within both parties that could be great presidents.

Top of my list for the Democrats is Obama. I make this choice despite the fact that I hate feeling like I'm jumping on the bandwagon along with likes of so many inept high school students on facebook who "support" Obama (see this article for an explanation of what I mean). However, I think he'll be a great face for a new America which can hopefully resolve the horrible situation of America's foreign policy.

Top of my list for Republicans is Romney. I make this choice with a little hesitancy also because he is quickly becoming the choice for my church, the LDS church, and is almost assuming an essential part of a member's testimony: "I know that Mitt Romney is a true candidate." However, as much as that bugs me, Mitt Romney, faith ignored, is the best candidate hands down for, wait for it, non-abraod American issues. Mitt Romney and the Iraq war has me a little concerned. But Mitt Romney's ability to improve health care, taxes, poverty, and education is actually believable. With Mitt Romney I feel like these issues will not just be empty promises. Not convinced, please read the linked Economist issue.

Romney Popular?

Romney Criticizes Bush War 'Errors' - washingtonpost.com

The article linked above shows that Romney matters. The question is: how much? Popular polls say not very much. He has a small amount of support. But do these polls really represent real opinion? My guess is that they're probably not far off. However, I think Romney is getting stronger every month!

Stop, hammer time! I dislike that he has changed his stances on abortion and homosexual marriage just for the mere fact that he gave into the lousy far right Republican agenda. I like many of the Republican Party stances but I believe religious issues get involved far too much.

So why do I like Romney? His business sense. I think he has a great track record and would like to see how he does in office. Plus, I would like to see if his ideas towards medical care work (Romney's Health Plan).

So, I feel really optimistic for Romney's chances! As far as the democrat ticket, I actually think they have a lot of great candidates. Hillary, Obama, or Edwards would be great

Why Mitt Romney Will Win the Republican Primary?

Jacksonville.com: Opinion: Watch out for Mitt Romney

You heard it right. Watch out for Mitt Romney. I won't be so bold as to say he will win the primary BUT I will be so bold as to say Rudy Giuliani has NO chance of winning the Republican Primary.

I'm frustrated that Romney has flip flopped to now being pro-life, pro-NRA, and anti-gay marriage. Not so much because I think their are invalid arguments to have such opinions but it's a shame that the Republican ticket is based on such trivial matters and that Romney has given into it.

However, if that's what it takes then so be it. I can only see great things happening in domestic affairs if he became president. Romney has a great track record in turning things to gold. Check out his biography.

Here's the summary of the article that started this rant:

"Yes, McCain has name identification. And unannounced candidates Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich could capture Republican voters desperate to re-establish the party's pre-George W. Bush philosophical ground.

You can take this to the bank: Romney will end up being the man they all have to beat. He will spend his mountain of money on television, and that will allow him to hide his ultra-sophisticated personality from those wary of having an urbane president.

Once he's known, he'll have the might of the GOP's old guard behind him."