The Thrilling Season

I talk often about the changing seasons and how they mark off time in my life. I love the seasonal injection of "new hope" that I feel as the landscape and the temperatures change . For me, this is my giant clock. A clock that I can feel and see all around me. This season that we are now well into, is a leap year in a sense. It comes around every four years. It's colorful, packed with lies, sex, adventure and scandal.

It's better than any great trashy novel. You just can't make this stuff up.

Election Year Politics. Election Year 2008.

I am an addict.

I'm addicted to the Presidential Election . Every detail. All of it.

It's been happening to me for some time for me now. It began almost two years ago , this deeply emotional quandary. I was conflicted about the choice of the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, or the viability of the candidacy of a new young "Black" candidate Barack Obama. Could or would America be able to support a candidate of mixed raced or a woman? I knew that I could. But could the the majority of our voting public accept a candidate with dark skin or breasts? Can you believe that this is even an issue? It is though, a real issue. Hillary Clinton is no longer in the running for the Democratic Presidential spot. There is another woman running today. Now Sarah Palin will be on the Republican ticket running for a Vice Presidential seat.I still don't know this answer. We'll have to wait for the final count.

I am proud of the accomplishments of Hillary Clinton. She has done so much and her biography is impressive. She is an outstanding woman and a great Senator. Pause...Something about her character had left me with doubts. I still can't tell you what exactly it was, is. There is always a nagging sub context about her, possibly her ethics or a lack there of? She has a killer instinct that is off putting. Possibly it is her, "I would do anything to succeed"plus the "All is fair" drive, that is the most distressing to me . I don't know. I was saddened to see her continue her Primary race to the end, knowing that it was hurting her Democratic Party . She continued to use misleading advertising that damaged her opponent. It was embarrassing and selfish. She cemented my opinion by doing this to her party. She is still refusing to let it go. It must be very hard to for her to go on watching all of this from the other side of the podium.

I had decided that I would support Barack Obama early on in the race. He spoke to me. He spoke of a brighter future, where we as Americans might work together. He offered ideas to correct the enormous damages that have been done by the current Administration and their policies of secrecy, greed and aggression, at home and abroad. He offers America a chance to again lead in a peaceful way and to make positive change in our world. His rallies and speeches were and still are electrifying. I want to hear them all, live as he speak to the crowds. I put the radio on the all news channels to catch anything while I am in my car. I've stayed up for every primary, watching as the votes came in. I've TIVO'd every debate and I watch them live if I can.

I enjoy having strong opinions about our candidates.

John McCain is a real American hero I have always liked him. I feel that he not a great leader. He is easily angered and has shown that he will slam his doors quickly. He alienates anyone who might disagree with him . His campaign has showed similarities to the Bush administration in continuing with secrecy. He restricts media access and coverage. He is well informed about History and War tactics. He is lives in the past. He is good at war. I want peace. I want someone who is good at making PEACE. That looks like Barack Obama to me. His choice of Joe Biden was a thoughtful and strong choice. This will give him a vice president offering good advise, as they begin to govern a new America. I see them leading us back into a leadership role in the world and into the 21 st Century. That's just my opinion.

I think Sarah Palin is a nice woman, very pretty, colorful too. Maybe she is a good Governor. Some in Alaska love her, some hate her. I would never choose her to be a heart beat away from leading the Free World. She is not prepared in away or stretch of the imagination or equipped to do this. With his choice of Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate, John McCain has illustrated to me that he has poor judgement. There are many who will disagree with me about this and all that I have said. That is why it is all so exciting. We all have the right, even more we have the responsibility to have an opinion.

What about you? What do you think? Tell me. I hope that we would all take an interest in our nation and it's future in the world.

Let us ALL ---Go out and VOTE!