Yesterday we got the latest edition of Time magazine in the mail.  I’m tempted to make this the last magazine we get from Time due to the cover.  I hate it – hate is a strong word but applies here – when someone does or says something to persuade opinion and assumes those they are trying to persuade are too dumb to realize it.  This cover left me feeling this way and I will tell you why.

Senators Obama and McCain are on the cover along with two former presidents.  The cover mentions temperament – one of the former presidents presumably has a temperament similar to Senator Obama’s and the other similar to Senator McCain’s.  I immediately get what they are trying to say/do and I don’t like it.

It doesn’t matter who you think is more qualified to run the country, the candidates are who they are and discussions on temperament are clearly coming from someone who wishes to dismiss on of the candidate’s temperament – Senator McCain.  Say what you will about their plans for our country’s future, but one would have to admit that Senator McCain has come across bitter, sarcastic and basically like a jerk on more than one occasion.

If Time magazine had put “McCain For President” on the cover I would have had more respect for the magazine.  What they did was try to plant a seed in the readers’ minds that temperament – in this case McCain’s temperament – may not matter.  I actually think they are right, but I didn’t need this cover to make me think so.

Both men are politicians so whose to say either one of them are going to do what they promise once elected?  That being the case, we may need a jerk or someone with “jerkish” tendencies to run the country.  We have some real problems with our economy, terrorists and many other things and this may not be the time for someone with a calm demeanor to lead us.  Either way, I would have liked it if Time magazine didn’t blatantly (I call it that) put something in my face to persuade my opinion.

Do you think that Obama is too calm or McCain is too…whatever he is?  If so, what temperment do you think is appropriate to lead our country given the current national and international climate?

Hasn’t this been the longest, most drawn out, downright negative presidential campaign ever?  If not, it sure feels that way.  Anyhoo, as I wait patiently (wink) for this election to come to pass, I start to think about what each candidate has said about each other.  For example, McCain’s camp has accused Obama of associating with terrorists just because he knows William Ayers.  On the other hand, Obama says that McCain supports cutting Social Security in half, which basically twisted McCain’s words about deregulating the health insurance market.  I bet you’re wondering where I’m going with this.  Well, in looking at the antics of both candidates during this campaign, my question to you is:

Just because something is factual, does it make it completely truthful?

Before answering, think about it first.  When McCain says Obama is palling around with terrorists who target their own country, he is referring to William Ayers, a Chicago professor of education, who, in the 1960s, was part of a radical antiwar group that set off pipe bombs in bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon.  Keep in mind that when all of this was occurring, Obama was only a little boy!  While it is true that Obama knows Ayers, he and Ayers haven’t had an ongoing relationship in over three years – way before Obama’s run for presidency.

Of course this question can be applied to other situations -not just the current presidential campaign. So, without further ado, I turn the mike over to you as I would love you hear your thoughts on this topic.

At the debate, John McCain promised that, if elected, he would direct the government to buy up bad home mortgages, allowing strapped people to keep their property.  He called this plan the American Homeownership Resurgence Plan.  McCain said his plan would allow homeowners to basically refinance their home at the current value, with the financial institutions eating the loss.   Well, on Wednesday, he published documentation on how his plan would work and guess what?  McCain’s plan would actually be more generous to financial institutions and more costly for taxpayer!  When confronted with this obvious lie, McCain’s camp said that making financial institutions accept refinances at a loss was not “the intentions of the initiative.”  The way I see it, his camp is really telling Americans that they are really stupid if they honestly believe McCain would help them save their home!  According to McCain’s camp, it was just a simple mistake on McCain’s part to say this.

This article was on Digg, but I wanted to share it with our readers here on 7DayBuzz as I feel it is extremely important that we stay in the know.  Please read as the content reveals what could possibly happen with this history-making election that is coming up in November.

“Here, in this shattering new interview, Stephen Spoonamore goes into harrowing detail about the Bush regime’s election fraud, past, present and–if we don’t spread the word right now–to come. Since he’s the only whistle-blower out there who knows the perps themselves, and how they operate, we have to send this new piece far and wide.”

read more | digg story

The polls are in and both presidential candidates seem fit to run the country.  If whatever data was used to come to this conclusion proves to be accurate, thank goodness!  Both candidates seemed to do a pretty good job overall, but the news is so slanted and there are some things to note.

• There is an article on CNN titled “Round 1 In Debate Goes To Obama, Poll Says.”  This is all well and good until the article mentions the fact that most of the people polled were Democrats and even then Obama only have 51% of the vote.  I would actually think someone at CNN would look at this and not even bother to report it.
• At this point I think both candidates are coming at us from two different angles.  One is harsh, somewhat aggressive and I think bitter at times.  These actions, during the debate, follow how his campaign has been ran up to this point.  Basically, politics that lean towards the ugly side.  The other candidate seems to be smooth, even if some of his answers may be light.  He is the one who draws people in with his delivery and charisma.  The only question is, how is this going to play for the next four years?  Some may debate it, but we’ve had nearly 8 years of someone looking directly at the camera and blowing smoke.  Do we really want and/or need that anymore?
• I think it should be noted that Obama didn’t really want to mix it up directly with McCain.  I’m not sure of the gentleman’s name or title who ran the debate, but he sure was egging them on wasn’t he?  He wanted them to talk directly to each other and it just wasn’t happening like that.  Maybe things will heat up later, but last night seemed to be pretty civil.
• Are the vice-presidential debates going to be more information or entertainment?  I think plenty of people will be in front of the TV with popcorn ready.  Someone sure does have their work cut out for them preparing one of the vice-presidential candidates.  I’m not naming names, but you know exactly who I’m talking about here.

I think we have two candidates with different approaches and for this reason I don’t think there was a clear-cut winner.  Somebody tell me, does winning these debates really have that much of an impact on who is ultimately elected?

I’m getting a late start today so let me jump right in.  Everyone likes to speculate, right?  So today, let’s speculate on …… well whatever:

1)  What If….. Obama wins the White House?

2)  What If….. McCain wins?

3)  What If….. Everyone practiced what they preached?

4)  What If….. People didn’t judge others?

5)  What If….. America was a communist country?

6)  What If….. Racial hatred didn’t exist?

7)  what If….. You lived forever?

8)  What If….. People were content with what they had instead of wishing/wanting more?

9)  What If….. Poverty didn’t exist?

10) What If….. Slavery never occurred?  What would America be like?

I know, I know.  Some people will say they don’t base their life on ‘what ifs.’  And that’s cool.  But, if you did, what are some ‘what ifs’ you would ponder?  I would love to hear your thoughts on this…..