Well, its that time of year again... I have to make a wish list for my birthday/Christmas. I never used to do this -- at least not since I was about 8 years old, but Julie's family has this tradition where everyone makes Christmas lists. Why do I always find it such a terribly difficult task? I have been sitting at the computer for about 2 hours and have only added 1 item to my list. I thought that tossing back a couple of beers would make the task easier. No such luck. Its just making it harder to read. Andw evem harber to typeee;

Personal Updates & Political Rants

Well, I know I haven't posted in a while... I have been very busy. We are working hard on getting our new place finished. I am very optimistic that we may be able to move within a month. I almost got a new (used) truck, but the deal fell through.

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to hear another political ad ever again. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but some of the races have gotten as nasty as I have ever seen in bakersfield. Here's what I don't understand: if your 30 percentage points behind the incumbent, why would you sling mud? I can understand a certain amount of mud slinging if its a close race, but if you clearly are going to lose, the only reason to go negative is out of malice.

I'm also sick of hearing about how the Dems are going to take back the house. Not that I don't want them to. I am one of the crazy few who believes that our government works best when neither party holds both the presidency and congress. I feel that this usually leads to the most moderate and reasonable governance. Prediction: The Dems won't take back the house. Sorry, but 15 seats are alot. I just don't think they will get more than about 13. I hope I'm wrong, but thats my prediction. Most of the media polls are looking at overall national sentiment, but you have to look at each individual race. Republicans still have much better voter turnout strategies than Dems.

Whatever happens, I hope that this election brings the country together, rather than polarizing it further. Everyone has their own opinion about the president, but the thing that I will remember most about this presidency is how it divided the nation. Think back with me to 2000... its almost hard to remember, but Bush used to have the reputation as a uniter. People were saying that in the White House, he would embrace bipartisanship and bring the nation together to get things done. If you know someone who said this (I can think of more than one person right now), call them right this second, tell them they are an idiot, and just hang up.

On 9/11 America rallied around the President as it always does in times of crisis. His approval ratings were the highest of any president ever (over 90%). Now, some polls are showing his approval ratings in the upper 30 percent range, and it seems that partisan hostility is at an all time high. Its hard for me to believe that anyone else in his position could have caused more division in the last 6 years.

I hear alot of hopes and fears when people talk about the upcoming election. Hope that a regime change might be enough to bring troops home from Iraq. Fears that a liberal Speaker of the house from California might set a legislative agenda to burn bibles and outlaw all marriages except gay marriages. It think both are obviosly rediculous. My hope is that everyone living in the United States will start seeing people as their neighbors, and stop seeing them as democrat or republican (or, God forbid, an illegal alien). That those in government will spend less time and energy playing hardball to push through their agenda, and spend more time meeting about an agenda we all can get behind. My fear is that everything will stay the same.