This Is Important

I am a seventeen year old high school student, i am part of the generation who will have to try to afford college and get loans in the next few years. America needs a ticket that can get us out of this economic mess, and get our young people educated so they can run the country and compete with other extremely educated nations, such a Japan. I unfortunately will not be eighteen by election day, so i hope America does the right thing for my generation and everyone, by voting for Obama, and not the McCain ticket. If Sarah Palin is ever running this country, you can come visit me where i'll be living, Europe.

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TO shmooey1018: Well said! I was in Jersey and watched as the ambulances headed north from my small berg in total silence. How can we ever forgive Bush for diminishing our strength and mission with his bogus war? Had we stayed the course in Afghanistan, I truly believe there would no longer by any Al Qaeda left on the face of the earth and the Afghani people would be living the "democracy dream" that Bush & Cheney used to prop up their greedy war. Perhaps it's time our citizenry matures past bumper sticker politics and becomes thinking voters again.

I lived in NYC my whole life and experienced the attacks on the WTC first hand. I knew many people who perished that day. My neighborhood, a small community where everyone is either a cop, firefighter or city worker, was devastated . But through it all I put my flag up in front of my house and was proud as hell to be an American. But then the war in Iraq began. And for the life of me I could not understand WHY. We had not finished our mission to find BinLaden. Iraq had nothing to do with the WTC. But our country's leader had long ago decided that we needed to go to war in Iraq and 9/11 was there convienent excuse. President Bush used the deaths of these decent hard working and INNOCENT people to promote his cause. He used them and he used our pain and anguish and trauma for his war and for his re-election.
And right beside him was John McCain, who still to this day continues to show his unwaivering support for this
war. So in my eyes he is as guilty as George Bush. And I can not understand why the American people do not
see this, that they do not make this connection of how they dishonored all those poor Americans who died that day. This is what truly breaks my heart. And after 8 years of the worst administration I think this country has ever seen, half of the population still wants more. And one more thing: why would we support a woman, with
absolutely no credentials or experience, for Vice President, especially when she is a religious extremist. Isn't that why we are at war with the terrorists? Aren't terrorists religious extremists who mean to punish us for not believing what they believe in? So we have sent 4000 + soldiers to die for the cause of fighting religious extremism and to promote democracy only to turn around and elect a religious extremist into office. Sarah Palin believes she will see the Rapture occur in her lifetime and only members of her religion will be saved and the rest of us will burn in hell. Great. I am all for freedom of religion but I believe more in freedom from religion dictating our political agenda and interfering with our democracy.

I just wish that the entire American populous can take this stance. But i fear that many will be swayed by the political mumbo-jumbo and will blindly follow whoever "sounds" better. But a very insightful article.
thanks
Dan, MN

how interesting to read this 1/2 hr after the first debate has ended. i thought that the first casualty of the debate was truth. we need to have moderators that are comfortable pointing out the lies, obfuscations, etc. we need serious moderators!! pam, wisconsin

When I need to sort out the rhetoric and cyberbull (thank you, Anna, for that word), I plug into Anna Quindlen's words. The clarity of her thought and being able to put it into writing is a gift -- and I, for one, am thankful that she chooses to share this gift with us all.

This column is a perfect example of that clarity of thought on an topic that is loaded with emotion.

An thoughtful, insightful essay that cuts through the hype and distractions. Everyone in this country needs to read it!
Thank you, Anna.

An excellent, insightful essay that cuts through the constant hype and distractions. I hope everyone reads it!
Thank you, Anna.

McCain is "old Caesar" on his warhorse on his last campaign into expanding the Roman Empire of Big Oil Interests. You think the American economy is in trouble now? There's a "black hole" of Blackwater payments to protect BIG OIL INTERESTS in the Middle East. This will only lead to war, and McCain wants war. Palin wants to give our American oil to BIG OIL INTERESTS, such as her husband Todd represents. Todd Palin has worked for 18 years as BP OIL Company Production Supervisor. Todd, it seems, had a "title change" when his wife Sarah tried out for VP, and is now called an "oil field worker". Todd Palin reads her governor's email and sits in her office reviewing "workforce hiring" right in the governor's offices. BP Oil and Big Oil Interests control Alaska, and Sarah Palin and her high school friends have been digging into the Alaskan "permitting" of American owned oil and condemning it by eminent domain to steal our American oil. Incidentally, Todd belonged for 7 years to the Alaskan Independence Party, and was an Independent registered voter until Sarah tried out for VP, and when the Republican cover-up crowd from the Bush Cheney Whitehouse took over her campaign, he recently changed to "Republican" as a registered voter. For those who don't know what the Alaskan Independence Party stands for, Alaskans want to take all the oil and mineral wealth that belongs to the American public and give it to Alaskan oil interests which are controlled by BIG OIL. Now you understand DRILL BABY DRILL. Look at the sadly corrupt state of Louisiana that gave away American offshore oil drilling to the control of BIG OIL. Louisiana got a few bridges and roads and a few schools. The American taxpayer got the cleanup bill and we are still paying for the Levies that broke under furhter political corruption and mismanagement. Alaskan voters got the "chump change" which they expect from all Alaska's corrupt dealings with BIG OIL, whether under Ted Stevens or Sarah Palin. Here's a little memo, Sarah. Americans own the Alaskan oil you are stealing and we want it back, ya betcha, hockey mom.

We need most of all to discuss what "Change" means and pre-empt the BIG OIL Interests from controlling the candidates and the discussion.
1. Create a Pro-Family Economy using a National Referendum for Drilling Our Own Oil (not DRILL BABY DRILL which hands our National oil and mineral wealth over to BIG OIL who will then sell it back to us at OPEC prices). We can vastly reduce abortions when our country can afford national health care, and mothers can afford gasoline and heating oil. We can attain full employment and reduce crime by bringing our jobs back into our own country, including the Boeing jobs McCain wants to give to France when he gets elected.
2. Create a Climate of Peace for Negotiations.
3. Give the Iraqi People Back Their Oil and Their Identity as the Substance of Peaceful Negotiations
4. Forget Bailouts designed by Bush or Cheney: they are designed to bailout BIG OIL INTERESTS. Focus on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailout.

This is my dream for America: that we can make Change work towards the good of all mankind and recover our National Pride. For me, this is not a ???long bomb??? football pass where we can fumble. If we fumble, it is because the Republicans were elected again with built in failure caused by the Big Oil Interests. It comes down to this: WHO REALLY OWNS OUR NATIONAL OIL TRUSTS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND SEASHORES? We, the American People, that???s who. Yes, it will mean cleaning out the bureaucracies of the Interior Department and the shameful ???permitting??? processes of Louisiana and Alaska that stole American oil and handed it over as ???rights??? to the Big Oil Interests, who then sold it back to Americans at high-dollar OPEC prices. This is the real sleaze behind DRILL BABY DRILL.

You are right! We now have the choice to demand to speak up in these "debates" since the non-debate and the cover-up are the political future of America. We must gain control of our own dialogue.
Can we define what we really mean by Pro-Life for instance, and tie Pro-Life to mean much much more than "life begins at conception"? Doesn't anybody look at the facts that a Pro-Life Economy will result in far fewer abortions? Doesn't any talk about the BIG OIL interests that have controlled the Whitehouse and will be a continuation of Bush politics if McCain-Palin are elected? We not only need to stop DRILL BABY DRILL being foisted on the American public, we need to open up our own considerable oil and mineral wealth for the benefit of our American economy. Americans can do a far better job than Russia did saving its economy by drilling its own oil instead of giving it away to the Big Oil Interests, who will then sell it back to us at OPEC oil prices.

1. CHANGE MEANS DIPLOMACY AND A PRO-LIFE ECONOMY
2. CHANGE MEANS AMERICANS DRILLING OUR OWN OIL AND BRINGING THAT OIL TO MARKET AT VASTLY REDUCED PRICES
3. CHANGE MEANS SAVING OUR ECONOMY WITHOUT BIG OIL COMPANY INTERFERENCE
4. CHANGE MEANS BAILING OUT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY FOR AMERICANS AND NOT WALL STREET BROKERS WHO ARE THE DRONES OF BIG OIL INTERESTS
5. CHANGE MEANS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SAFE LENDING PRACTICES

This is my dream for America: that we can make Change work towards the good of all mankind and recover our National Pride. For me, this is not a ???long bomb??? football pass where we can fumble. If we fumble, it is because the Republicans were elected again with built in failure caused by the Big Oil Interests.

It comes down to this: WHO REALLY OWNS OUR NATIONAL OIL TRUSTS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND SEASHORES? We, the American People, that???s who. Yes, it will mean cleaning out the bureaucracies of the Interior Department and the shameful ???permitting??? processes of Louisiana and Alaska that stole American oil and handed it over as ???rights??? to the Big Oil Interests, who then sold it back to Americans at high-dollar OPEC prices. This is the real sleaze behind DRILL BABY DRILL.

Americans must not allow BIG OIL INTERESTS to collapse our economy and push us into a corner where we have to sell off our treasures to them while they dictate our future economy to be in never-ending debt to BIG OIL, and never ending war to "protect" globalized domination by BIG OIL INTERESTS.

The clock is ticking down on this American election. With no public debate to spur Americans to act in our own behalf, we will watch our collective future, our lives and our economy go down the drain. Hitler told the German people ???Give me 12 years??? but what he really meant was global domination. Believing the lies that Hitler told the German people, they elected Hitler Chancellor of Germany. That???s right. Hitler was elected.

Um, sorry to say it, "willnotvoteObama," but McCain did not attempt to postpone the presidential debate because he's a selfless hero who thinks only of others. He did it because he's running for president, because he's desperate for some validation, some hope that the American populace will not think he's wishy-washy, a "flip-flopper," if you will. Did you not read the entire article? It says that McCain vocalized something that he didn't believe in so that he could win the South Carolina primary! That's appalling. And it's not the first time that's happened, where he's been caught switching his views for his own personal gain. Sometimes having a career as a politician might require impassioned speeches, considering others' points of view, and adjusting one's own opinion after hearing others'. But to outright lie to get ahead? Not excusable. And not right for someone who wants to be President of the United States. I've had enough of John McCain's kind, and if that makes me susceptible to a "hand grenade," then so be it. It's better than the alternative--having someone so out-of-touch as McCain as president.

Um, sorry to say it, "willnotvoteObama," but McCain did not attempt to postpone the presidential debate because he's a selfless hero who thinks only of others. He did it because he's running for president, because he's desperate for some validation, some hope that the American populace will not think he's wishy-washy, a "flip-flopper," if you will. Did you not read the entire article? It says that McCain vocalized something that he didn't believe in so that he could win the South Carolina primary! That's appalling. And it's not the first time that's happened, where he's been caught switching his views for his own personal gain. Sometimes having a career as a politician might require impassioned speeches, considering others' points of view, and adjusting one's own opinion after hearing others'. But to outright lie to get ahead? Not excusable. And not right for someone who wants to be President of the United States. I've had enough of John McCain's kind, and if that makes me susceptible to a "hand grenade," then so be it. It's better than the alternative--having someone so out-of-touch as McCain as president.

McCain has Schizophrenia. This is very sad to see a good man waste to nothing like this right in front of the American people. When he walked off the stage after his plan to postpone his run for the White House he looked so sick and weak. I would like to know if he has every had a CT Scan? He sure needs one.

Anna my wife and I just love your opinions and your writing. Crisp and clear and to the jugular. I feel like the candidates are treating us like babies in a crib and they're jangling bright shiny objects to distract us from their lack of conviction and poor vision on the future. And was it just 8 years ago that deates questions asked Gore and Bush what they would do with all of that surplus that Clinton created after zeroing out he deficit? Big fans from San Diego! Cheers, Alex

WOW ! John McCain has done it again he has put his country and the american people first ! he said that he needs to be in washington and even asked obama to join him ( i guess he wanted to show the world that america is always united in a time of crisis ! ) he reminds me of that story of the soldier who was willing sacrificed his life to save his fellow troops by jumping on a hand grenade. this is what McCain did he sacrificed his chance at becoming the president to help save our economic lives GOD BLESS JOHN McCAIN AND GOD BLESS AMERICA ! McCAIN 08 COUNTRY FIRST !