2008 election: fact check
YOU. NEED. TO READ. THIS. if you are even THINKING about supporting Palin (or McCain, considering she comes with him now). It's basically all of the lies she told in her speech, countered with the reality of the situations and how she's handled them in the past. It's all backed up and cited. I'll post the bits here that really affect/upset me, but trust me, there are loads more that probably mean something to you. We are responsible for the future - educate yourself and choose wisely. I don't care WHO you vote for, I just want you to know the TRUTH about the candidates and THINK about what you're doing.
PALIN: “But we are expected to govern with integrity, and goodwill, and clear convictions…”
REALITY: PALIN UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ABUSE OF POWER.
→ July 2008: the Alaska State Legislator voted 12-0 to approve $100,000 for a special investigator to begin an investigation into claims Palin fired a former state official because he would not fire a state trooper who was involved in a bitter custody battle with Palin’s sister. The legislator’s intent was to investigate the events surrounding the termination of former Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan and potential abuses of power and improper action by Palin and her administration. [KTVA 11, 07/28/08]
Will you take just a second and think about how absolutely TERRIFYING it would be to have a president who is prone to abusing power? No really, think about that and what it could mean. And not only that, but look at WHY she was under investigation - she took someone's job and made it personal. That is a HORRIBLE quality to have in office.
PALIN: “Starting in January, we’re going to lay more pipelines, build more nuclear plants, create jobs with clean coal … and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.”
REALITY: PALIN CUT FUNDING FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
→ 2007: “[Sen. Hollis] French and [Anchorage Mayor Mark] Begich both lamented the [Palin] veto of $20 million toward a Fire Island wind farm project and connecting transmission lines. That money was part of Railbelt Energy Fund cash that Palin said she doesn’t want to spend until a study on energy needs is finished.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 7/30/07]
She doesn't believe or support anything she's saying. She's just saying it because it was written for her... to read off of a teleprompter. Unfortunately if she's in office, America won't have that luxury and protection, and she'll no longer have to listen to a teleprompter in an effort to gain our approval. She'll be able to do what she wants.
PALIN: “It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves. With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war. But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off. They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.”
REALITY: PALIN COUNTED MCCAIN OUT TWICE
→ 1.) February 2008: Palin Wouldn’t Endorse McCain. “McCain opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and has repeatedly battled with Sen. Ted Stevens over federal spending on Alaska projects… Republican Gov. Sarah Palin said she won’t make an endorsement until she can speak to McCain. [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 2/3/08] 2.) “Some Alaska Republicans are conflicted over McCain, including Gov. Sarah Palin. They like his maverick reputation and military background but not his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ‘She said she’d like to support McCain but felt she couldn’t at this particular time because of his stand on ANWR,’ said the governor’s spokeswoman, Sharon Leighow.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 2/3/08]
AND NOW SHE IS RUNNING WITH HIM. SEE, DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM HERE. AND LET'S NOT EVEN MENTION THE FACT THAT HE'D ONLY MET HER WHAT, ONCE? TWICE? BEFORE CHOOSING HER AS HIS RUNNING MATE? This is not a partnership at ALL - it's bullshit.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell that speech was bull. And to be fair, I'm sure Obama has twisted the facts or lied at some point as well. In matters like this, it is extremely important to let ACTIONS speak instead of words - pay attention to the real actions and the history, not the way speechwriters and the media twist them around to make you believe something that is not true. DO your research, PAY attention, THINK. Don't vote for someone just because your mother or father tell you to. Don't vote for someone just because your best friend is voting for that person. Don't vote for someone just because of their gender or race. Don't vote for someone just because of their family - their family will not be the ones to make the final calls on important issues. Read up on this stuff and make your own decision. A decision you can be proud of and stand by, no matter the outcome of this election. A decision you'll be able to smile about when your son or daughter comes home and answers "the 2008 Presidential Election" when you ask them what they learned about in school that day. Get educated. Otherwise? Don't vote. I am of the mind that an uneducated vote is a useless one.
Not sure where you stand?
→ DeclareYourself.com - a simple bullet point list of the difference between the two presidential candidates.
→ ontheissues.org
→ watch the speeches on MSNBC.com
→ BBC In-Depth section
→ my 'politics' tag on delcious.com - just a mix of whatever I feel the need to save, but you might find something in there worth your while. It will be updated constantly.
→ any suggestions of sites to add to this list are welcome.
SPEAK UP. Disagree with me? Please do. ♥ No I'm serious - if you like her, defend her. I would love nothing more than for you to disagree with my political choices as long as it's what you believe in and you have solid, REAL reasons to back your choices up. I don't care, and I won't look down on you. This election is a very big deal - Take responsibility for your future and your country.
People not in the US: :( I'm sorry for shoving US politics on you, bbs. But it might be fun/a good idea to get a general idea on this stuff, because it could end up affecting you and your countries in the near future as well. ♥
(Now that I've given my little spiel, I will try to refrain from shoving this down your throat in future entries. But I can't promise that. It's just really hard because I am so into it right now, which is really weird because I've never been into politics. But it is very fun for me right now, IDEK.)
PALIN: “But we are expected to govern with integrity, and goodwill, and clear convictions…”
REALITY: PALIN UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ABUSE OF POWER.
→ July 2008: the Alaska State Legislator voted 12-0 to approve $100,000 for a special investigator to begin an investigation into claims Palin fired a former state official because he would not fire a state trooper who was involved in a bitter custody battle with Palin’s sister. The legislator’s intent was to investigate the events surrounding the termination of former Dept. of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan and potential abuses of power and improper action by Palin and her administration. [KTVA 11, 07/28/08]
Will you take just a second and think about how absolutely TERRIFYING it would be to have a president who is prone to abusing power? No really, think about that and what it could mean. And not only that, but look at WHY she was under investigation - she took someone's job and made it personal. That is a HORRIBLE quality to have in office.
PALIN: “Starting in January, we’re going to lay more pipelines, build more nuclear plants, create jobs with clean coal … and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.”
REALITY: PALIN CUT FUNDING FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
→ 2007: “[Sen. Hollis] French and [Anchorage Mayor Mark] Begich both lamented the [Palin] veto of $20 million toward a Fire Island wind farm project and connecting transmission lines. That money was part of Railbelt Energy Fund cash that Palin said she doesn’t want to spend until a study on energy needs is finished.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 7/30/07]
She doesn't believe or support anything she's saying. She's just saying it because it was written for her... to read off of a teleprompter. Unfortunately if she's in office, America won't have that luxury and protection, and she'll no longer have to listen to a teleprompter in an effort to gain our approval. She'll be able to do what she wants.
PALIN: “It was just a year ago when all the experts in Washington counted out our nominee because he refused to hedge his commitment to the security of the country he loves. With their usual certitude, they told us that all was lost - there was no hope for this candidate who said that he would rather lose an election than see his country lose a war. But the pollsters and pundits overlooked just one thing when they wrote him off. They overlooked the caliber of the man himself - the determination, resolve, and sheer guts of Senator John McCain. The voters knew better.”
REALITY: PALIN COUNTED MCCAIN OUT TWICE
→ 1.) February 2008: Palin Wouldn’t Endorse McCain. “McCain opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and has repeatedly battled with Sen. Ted Stevens over federal spending on Alaska projects… Republican Gov. Sarah Palin said she won’t make an endorsement until she can speak to McCain. [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 2/3/08] 2.) “Some Alaska Republicans are conflicted over McCain, including Gov. Sarah Palin. They like his maverick reputation and military background but not his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ‘She said she’d like to support McCain but felt she couldn’t at this particular time because of his stand on ANWR,’ said the governor’s spokeswoman, Sharon Leighow.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 2/3/08]
AND NOW SHE IS RUNNING WITH HIM. SEE, DO YOU SEE THE PROBLEM HERE. AND LET'S NOT EVEN MENTION THE FACT THAT HE'D ONLY MET HER WHAT, ONCE? TWICE? BEFORE CHOOSING HER AS HIS RUNNING MATE? This is not a partnership at ALL - it's bullshit.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell that speech was bull. And to be fair, I'm sure Obama has twisted the facts or lied at some point as well. In matters like this, it is extremely important to let ACTIONS speak instead of words - pay attention to the real actions and the history, not the way speechwriters and the media twist them around to make you believe something that is not true. DO your research, PAY attention, THINK. Don't vote for someone just because your mother or father tell you to. Don't vote for someone just because your best friend is voting for that person. Don't vote for someone just because of their gender or race. Don't vote for someone just because of their family - their family will not be the ones to make the final calls on important issues. Read up on this stuff and make your own decision. A decision you can be proud of and stand by, no matter the outcome of this election. A decision you'll be able to smile about when your son or daughter comes home and answers "the 2008 Presidential Election" when you ask them what they learned about in school that day. Get educated. Otherwise? Don't vote. I am of the mind that an uneducated vote is a useless one.
Not sure where you stand?
→ DeclareYourself.com - a simple bullet point list of the difference between the two presidential candidates.
→ ontheissues.org
→ watch the speeches on MSNBC.com
→ BBC In-Depth section
→ my 'politics' tag on delcious.com - just a mix of whatever I feel the need to save, but you might find something in there worth your while. It will be updated constantly.
→ any suggestions of sites to add to this list are welcome.
SPEAK UP. Disagree with me? Please do. ♥ No I'm serious - if you like her, defend her. I would love nothing more than for you to disagree with my political choices as long as it's what you believe in and you have solid, REAL reasons to back your choices up. I don't care, and I won't look down on you. This election is a very big deal - Take responsibility for your future and your country.
People not in the US: :( I'm sorry for shoving US politics on you, bbs. But it might be fun/a good idea to get a general idea on this stuff, because it could end up affecting you and your countries in the near future as well. ♥
(Now that I've given my little spiel, I will try to refrain from shoving this down your throat in future entries. But I can't promise that. It's just really hard because I am so into it right now, which is really weird because I've never been into politics. But it is very fun for me right now, IDEK.)