Thursday, September 18, 2008

Election 08: What Matters Most

I make no secret about the fact that I am conservative. The only people who don't know this about me are some of the males with whom I attended law school, who, for some reason, assumed that an LDS woman in higher education had to be liberal. I suppose they thought that a true conservative LDS woman would be married and home with children rather than in law school.

Their reasoning reminds me of the reasoning of otherwise conservative LDS women and men who object to Sarah Palin's candidacy essentially on the grounds that a good mother should not work outside her home. But I am bored of the Palin conversation. Either you agree with her stance on the issues or you don't. Other objections are, in my view, not very relevant to the most important things at stake in this election.

I have been reluctant to post anything political for a few reasons. This blog is, after all, just a record of our family's happenings, and I definitely do not have the time or the energy or the eloquence to engage in ad hoc virtual political argument. And the lawyer in me has a hard time starting but then backing off from such a back and forth. But I read this today and wanted to share it. I love Thomas Sowell. Please read these excerpts from his column:

When terrorists get nuclear weapons, there will be no way to deter suicide bombers. We and our children will be permanently at the mercy of the merciless.


Yet what are we talking about? Taxing and spending policies, socking it to the oil companies and rescuing people who gambled on risky mortgages and lost.


Are we serious? Are we incapable of adult foresight and adult responsibility?


Barack Obama of course has his usual answer: talk. Rhetoric seems to be his answer to everything. Obama calls for "aggressive" diplomacy and "tough" negotiations with Iran.


These colorful adjectives may impress gullible voters but they are unlikely to impress fanatics who are willing to destroy themselves if they can destroy us in the process.


Just what is Senator Obama going to say to Iran that has not been said already? That we don't want them to develop nuclear weapons? That has already been said, every way that it can possibly be said. If talk was going to do the job, it would already have done it by now.


Go to the United Nations? What will they do, except issue warnings— and when these are ignored, issue more warnings?


But what does Obama have besides talk— and adoring crowds?


http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell0901608.php3
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell0900908.php3
http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell0904408.php3

15 comments:

Dan and Hilary said...

I enjoyed this post. Some of the points really made me laugh. You are a talented writer and I love the way you are able to express your point of view so well or at least recognize when someone else has done it for you.

Ashley said...

So what you're saying is you won't vote for Obama bc he's black.

Jacqueline Auna and family said...

I don't think this was the point you were making, but you are so equiped & eloquent in opining your political thoughts! I love to read what you and others have to say as I make a decision. I think the whole thing is pretty interesting! I really would like to hear your thoughts on the economy, and agree what you have written about our responsibility to work hard, be wise and frugal financially.

Paul said...

Ashley's comment made me laugh a lot. (Isn't Thomas Sowell Black???)

When I heard that Obama was the presumptive nominee I wanted to make a pre-emptive bumper sticker that said: "I'm not racist, I just hate communists."

Audrey and the Boys said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Audrey and the Boys said...

I agree about Obama's talent for talk but I am not too sure that McCain or Palin have too much more to offer.

Also the fact that things have gotten worse economically over the past 8 years must have something to do with republican policies regarding deregulation don't you think?

I don't have a side and am finding it very difficult to be motivated to take a side.

Anything you can do to convince me would be great!

Troy and Nancee Tegeder said...

I've been struggling with pinpointing why I don't like to get involved in too many political discussions. It's usually people who have more opinions than facts anyway. However, you helped me realize that it is the attorney in me who sees both sides and has trouble picking one. We are going for McCain in the end, just to preserve Troy's job.

alexandra said...

Audrey, I wish I knew more about economics in general and US economic policies specifically. I think that we are a nation of people who want the government to provide excessive services but we dont want to pay for those services (through higher taxes etc). I think both parties are guilty here, and the American people just want to have their cake and eat it, too. So we have a terrible deficit. That is my very unsophisticated view.

I think there are many more factors involved in our economic situation than just de-regulation. (And my unsophisticated analysis also tends to think that deregulated industry performs better anyway. Does that show how much I dont know?)

But the point I was trying to make is that the most important thing in this election is our national security. Obama's proposals to solving threats to our security seem frightfully weak. That is what McCain has to offer that Obama doesn't. That plus McCain does not have the most liberal voting record in the entire sentate. That doesn't bode well for finding a middle ground and healing our fractured nation or whatever it is he is claiming he will do.

Rachael said...

I haven't read for a while, and I really enjoyed your poli-post. I love unapologetic conservatives.

Ashley said...

No this post wasn't weird at all. I totally agree with everything you said. Including with your reluctance to post it. I have a gay marriage post brewing in my head that I will post sometime and then hunker down to wait for the attacks that will come from my family (in-laws).

And just to keep the world in balance, did you hear that Lindsey Lohan has come out (no pun intended) in favor of Obama. . . or more accurately as anti-Palin. I believe her exact words were "Palin can suck it." So that's another reason to be pro-Palin/McCain. Although I liked Jay Leno's line that he's reserving judgment til he hears what Nicole Richie and the Olsen twins have to say about it.

Tat said...

I'm really glad you posted on something political. I think it's important to have a lot of dialogue about these issues and to be involved in the electoral process. I agree with you that national security is a very important issue in the upcoming election - but I don't think it's the only issue. Even if it were, I don't think that Obama has ever said he's unwilling to use force against Iran, just that he wants to exhaust the other options first. I think that's a prudent policy. I was really freaked out by some of the things Palin said in her interview with Charlie Gibson that seemed to indicate that McCain not only advocates going to war with Iran, but also possibly Russia and Pakistan, or whoever else may slight us or our allies in any way. I think that any military action on our part, considering how stretched thin our forces and finances are right now, has to be very carefully considered.

Tat said...

P.S. I'm not a Communist. Do you remember that guy we knew in Rancagua who was, and you said something about him having these "illogical communist thoughts" and I said that would be a cool band name and you could abbreviate it I.C.T.? Funny memory.

Briana said...

Hey, it's Bri. I like reading your posts. The picture of Brig in the BYU hat warmed my heart. We miss you guys.

P.S. Sorry Charlie died. She was a sweet dog.

Ashlee said...

Love Sowell...and Paul's comment. I think I really will make that bumper sticker. :)

Ollie and Floyd said...

Great post and great article, Toby! Thanks for sharing it -- it is important to post this stuff!