Don’t Know Much About History

OK. This is embarassing.

I just gave myself a little quiz, and then my poor unsuspecting hubby was subjected to the same darned thing. First I tallied up the number of presidential elections we’ve voted in, starting in 1972, and came up with nine.

I gotta’ tell you, it seems like more. A LOT more. But since there have only been nine, wouldn’t you think we could rattle off the Republican and Democrat nominees and name (confidently!) the nine folks who received our cherished votes?

Before I divulge this bit of history, try it yourself. Maybe if you’ve only been voting a few years, you’ll have an easier time, but maybe not. It’s AMAZING how quickly we tend to forget candidates after the results are in.

Here are the stats, starting with…

1972: Incumbant Republican Richard Nixon ran against Democrat George McGovern. By then, my father was already calling Nixon “Tricky Dick,” and besides, I had just graduated from high school and was a freakin’ hippie. Of COURSE I voted for McGovern, and I very nearly remember the election night party I attended at which we all wept into our…whatever. (Hey Lori, if you’re reading this, call me!)

1976: Tricky Dick had stepped aside, as you’ll all recall, but who the HECK stepped into the office, making him the Republican candidate that year? Even when I reminded Doug that the guy’s wife admitted being an alcoholic and got help, and went on to found a renowned center for recovering alcoholics, he COULD NOT say the man’s name! Gerald Ford, the reigning president, ran against….whom???? Oh, yeah! The born-again guy who did interviews with Playboy magazine! Democrat Jimmy Carter! Believe me, I LOVE Habitat for Humanity, but that’s the only thing I now love about Jimmy Carter. Even though I DID vote for him.

1980: I wouldn’t vote for him twice, though. Even though he did run for a second term. Did he win in 1980? Or did the Republican who became known for something called “trickle-down economics,” which did NOT trickle down to my poor little family of four? Never mind that, I loved the guy and I am proud to have voted for him: Ronald Reagan.

1984: Even Doug and I remembered that Reagan served for eight years, and we remembered voting for him twice. But who on EARTH did he run against the second time? I could have scratched my head from now till kingdom come and not come up with the name of George Mondale.

1988: Well, everyone knows that a President can only be in office eight consecutive years, so Reagan was on his way out. It wasn’t too difficult to come up with George the Elder as the winner of this year’s election, and I did vote for him. But his opponent remained a complete mystery to me no matter how long I pondered. Doug, however, remembered one detail: “You know, he had his picture taken in the tank.” Oh, dear Lord. Yes! Michael Dukakis!

1992: The senior Bush ran again, and I did vote for him a second time. He lost to Bill Clinton.

1996: Bill Clinton won again, running against the man I voted for—Bob Dole. About that time, we purchased a church pew at a garage sale for $50. The pew was reputed to have come from the church in Russell, Kansas that Bob Dole attended. I don’t know if the lore is true, but if so, our dog Bono has potentially shared a piece of furniture with the 1996 loser. In addition, because of Dole’s loss, Viagra rose to prominence. A fine couple of consolation prizes, hmm?

2000: Bill couldn’t run again, but his veep could and did. Al Gore didn’t take over the office, though. George Bush the Younger did. I voted for him.

2004: I voted for Bush again, this time against John Kerry.

I’ve been giving my voting history some thought, perhaps because that’s all it is—a record of holes punched. Of the candidates I’ve voted for, the only one I’d proudly choose again would be Ronald Reagan. Of the remaining candidates—the ones I didn’t vote for—there’s not one I regret dismissing.

At my age, with so much of my voting life already behind me, I’ve got to start asking myself some serious questions. The first question is this: Why do I wait to care until the final two (and sometimes, three) candidates have been named? Until, as it so often seems, the choices have come down to what we often call “the lesser of two evils”?

What if in each of the nine elections I’ve taken part in there had been candidates who might have become viable if only I (and millions of other voters) had gotten invested in the process earlier in the cycle?

Could it be that there’s a statesman or stateswoman out there somewhere actually worth supporting? And if so, wouldn’t NOW be the time to throw some time, energy, and money into the process of moving that person into an electable position?

I know this much: If I wait, like I’ve always waited, until it’s down to the wire, I probably won’t be happy with the choices. And I’ll only have myself to blame.

Posted by Katy on 07/07/07 at 01:24 PM

Fallible Comments...

I too am proud only of my Ronald Reagan vote in '80 and '88.

You asked: "Could it be that thereâ€™s a statesman or stateswoman out there somewhere actually worth supporting? And if so, wouldnâ€™t NOW be the time to throw some time, energy, and money into the process of moving that person into an electable position?"

Yes, Katy there is, and NOW is the time! There is a pro-life, conservative, honest, compassionate Christian man who is running for president. He is being ignored by the big news media. That man is Dr. Ron Paul. You can check him out at: www.ronpaulibrary.org, or www.ronpaul2008.com. Don't listen to what people say about him. Read for yourself what he stands for. We followers of Jesus must look to candidates that actually walk the walk instead of just talking the talk, and this man does.
Posted by Suzan on 07/07/07 at 02:54 PM
sorry, it's www.ronpaullibrary.org. Forgot the 2 l's!!

:-)
Posted by Suzan on 07/07/07 at 02:55 PM
Woohoo! Ron Paul!
Posted by Scott Raymond on 07/07/07 at 04:18 PM
Suzan--I have started reading about him, and have viewed a number of YouTube items. So far, I have to say I'm impressed.

Scott--Wouldn't it be amazing if we ended up having the opp to and actually voting for the same person? Whoa, baby! I am looking into a local group of Ron Paul supporters, just to see what they're all about....
Posted by Katy on 07/07/07 at 05:04 PM
He is the only credible Republican candidate, IMHO.
I will do what I can to help him get elected, no matter what the polls say, or the media says. To support an honest and virtuous man who puts principles before party and principles before politics is the right thing to do. We must stand up for truth and freedom, or else we will lose both.
Posted by Suzan on 07/07/07 at 05:30 PM
I recently read an interesting post about Mike Huckabee. I'm not quite ready to throw my support behind him, but I believe he's worth looking into. You can find the post here:

http://www.kevinstilley.com/2007/06/fifty-reasons-why-i-believe-mike.html

If you follow the links, you can read some news articles and view some YouTube videos that give a lot of info.
Posted by Carrie K. on 07/07/07 at 08:41 PM
Suzan--It does bother me that evangelical leaders are already (so soon in the election cycle) talking about getting behind "a guy who can win"--even if he is NOT the principled statesman we deserve. The thing is, there is STILL TIME to promote a worthy candidate into the position of being electable. Time is on our side!!! It's way too early to settle!!!

Carrie K--Thank you! I know virtually nothing about Huckabee except his name and what I just read at the link you sent me to! Very good stuff. I will read more and try to get up to speed--while THERE'S STILL TIME!!!
Posted by Katy on 07/07/07 at 09:13 PM
unless there's something i don't know...Brownback! family man who fights for the little guy in sudan, among other places. anti gay marriage, anti abortion. it's not comfortable to talk about such things, but hey...

and for another interesting little quiz, try this one - http://www.selectsmart.com/president/2008.html
Posted by lisa on 07/08/07 at 02:01 AM
I hadn't even heard of Ron Paul, but I've been watching his clips on YouTube and reading up on him, and I am very intrigued! He almost sounds too good to be true. I get so angry that the media won't give air time to anyone aside from the top three from each party.
Posted by Carrie K. on 07/08/07 at 02:20 AM
i read some on ron paul, too, and he seems to be a really good guy. the other day i was thinking about how our government seems to have put itself in a position to be sold to the highest bidder, and how sad that is..nothing new, but really sad. hopefully us grassroots types will be able, collectively, to reverse that to some degree with good research, a little faith, and a loud voice this next time around. oh, and a hefty dose of prayer...
Posted by lisa on 07/08/07 at 04:09 PM
not to be a stickler for detail... (and i was only 8 yrs old) but wasn't the guy's name who ran against reagan walter mondale? he ran with a lady named ferraro i think.
Posted by joshua on 07/08/07 at 05:11 PM
lisa--Is Brownback actually running? Being right next door in Missouri, he is on my radar screen and someone to watch for a while to come. I took the quiz!!! Very enlightening....

Carrie K--I think Ron Paul and some of the other underdogs are getting media time on Jon Stewart's show and other cable shows. But certainly not much in the mainstream media! I enjoy Sean Hannity, but I'm sorry. If he's going to say he's giving all the candidates on all sides an opp to be on his show, he needs to extend that to the little guys as well. IMO, of course. :)

lisa--Doug and I think we'll pop in on a Ron Paul meet-up here in the KC area. And maybe meet-ups of a few other candidates, too. Then make a decision about with whom to cast our lot. And then actually DO something for that person while he still has a chance....

Joshua--Thank you! Not only could I not recreate these election year scenarios without resorting to wikipedia for my info, I can't even read!!! Yes, WALTER Mondale, whose running mate was Geraldine Ferraro, ran against Reagan. I think the George thing, starting with McGovern, kind of got stuck in my head. Hey, that's what it's like being fallible!!! ;)
Posted by Katy on 07/08/07 at 05:53 PM
katy, for some reason www.brownback.com isn't loading for me at the moment, but he also has a myspace - http://www.myspace.com/sambrownback . good guy, we voted for him in his senate races when we lived in ks. and he sure is one to watch!
Posted by lisa on 07/08/07 at 06:37 PM
Mr. Brownback and Mr. Huckabee seem like very nice men, but I think when you scrutinize the candidates on all the issues, Ron Paul's Congressional record is impeccable and speaks for itself. He is the only Republican who can seriously challenge Hillary Clinton in '08. I urge everyone to check him out.
Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 11:49 AM
Okay, I've only been voting since '85...but I remember them all, not that they've been great, to say the least. From Dukakis through Kerry, and each Democrat in between. The choices on both sides in the future are lacking, I'm afraid, but I'm starting to be an Obama fan on the Democratic side. We'll see... (I can tell that I'm facing a bunch of Republicans on here, though! LOL.)
Posted by Bridget on 07/09/07 at 02:50 PM
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That's what makes our country great!!

Some reasons to support Ron Paul:

Ron Paul is a constitutionalist.

Ron has never voted to raise taxes.
Ron has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
Ron has never voted for the Iraq War.
Ron has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
Ron has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
Ron has never voted to raise congressional pay.
Ron has never taken a government-paid junket.

Ron voted against the Patriot Act.
Ron votes against regulating the Internet.
Ron voted against NAFTA and CAFTA.
Ron votes against the United Nations.
Ron votes against the welfare state.
Ron votes against reinstating a military draft.

Ron is PRO-LIFE
Ron votes to preserve the constitution.
Ron votes to cut government spending.
Ron votes to lower healthcare costs.
Ron votes to end the war on drugs.
Ron votes to protect civil liberties.
Ron votes to secure our borders with real immigration reform

He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.

Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress.

There is NO ONE more qualified to be President and bring us together and turn our country around. No one.
Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 03:11 PM
lisa--thank you for the links! I will pay closer attention to him now....

Bridget--I am not at ALL sure that my readers are mostly Republican!! I very rarely have discussed politics on fallible, and from visiting the blogs of many of my readers, I've discovered how varied their beliefs and opinions really are! And I of course welcome every stripe of commenter here. I have typically voted Repub (as I've now made public!), but not always. And I cannot bring myself to EVER vote a "straight" Repub ticket--it's every candidate on his or her own merit.

Suzan--Your passion for Ron Paul has definitely got me interested. I am hugely convinced that securing our borders has GOT to happen in a real way. And the fact that Paul has spoken in favor of abolishing the IRS doesn't exactly make me hate him, either...... :)
Posted by Katy on 07/09/07 at 04:44 PM
The overriding thing I'm noticing in articles/YouTube materials on Ron Paul is his decades-long devotion to preserving the Constitution. I think I haven't understood or appreciated the enormous importance of this single cause....until, perhaps, now.
Posted by Katy on 07/09/07 at 04:47 PM
bridget, we have often felt we were choosing the lesser of two evils when we vote..maybe that's a bit extreme, but things can seem so watered down and rhetorical when politics get to the highest levels. i would just love to see someone rise to the top still feverishly clinging to all of their ideals! i know, that's idealist thinking in itself..
i'd like to find someday a candidate who embraces (by voting record) all the issues I feel strongly about, and so far in my voting career I end up split right down the middle most times.

(i love that ron paul is a strong constitutionalist, I will be watching him for sure)
Posted by lisa on 07/09/07 at 05:05 PM
As a Kansas, Brownback is my man. I'm impressed with his conservative stance and even more impressed with his humanitarian efforts and his ability to work with both parties. I doubt that he'll get nominated, though. But since the weeks leading up to election make me LITERALLY CRAZY, I plan to be in County Mayo during that time. A month with no TV!
Posted by alison on 07/09/07 at 05:24 PM
Not trying to debate anything here at all, and I don't want to provoke anyone's anger. I have great respect for the freedom we have to choose whom to support, but with all due respect, I don't know if having a humanitarian stance is consistent with supporting an undeclared war where 1/2 a million Iraqi people, including women and children, were killed. If one claims to be humanitarian then they should be consistent.Consistency is the key to strong character. But I do like Mr. Brownbeck and Mr. Huckabee. I'm just not sure whether they have what it takes.
Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 05:46 PM
lisa--Split down the middle! I think that describes millions of voters' feelings on election day!!

alison--OK, I can't think of ANY better place to be in the days leading up to the Grand Finale than in Mayo!!! We went to a fantastic festival there last year in Louisburgh. Doug took whistle lessons from Cherish the Ladies' own Joanie Madden! And yes, he IS in love with her, and I'm OK with that!! I, too, cannot handle the rigamarole at the end of the election cycle, which is why I've decided to get involved at this stage. I'm hoping by investing on the front end (which I've never done before, by the way), I"ll be less exasperated in Nov, 2008. We'll see. Either way, I'd rather be in Co. Mayo!! :)

Suzan--Have you always been against the Iraq war? I understand Ron Paul voted against it from the beginning, but I don't know exactly WHY. Does he view it as being unconstitutional?
Posted by Katy on 07/09/07 at 06:08 PM
Katy,
Regarding the war, I was totally for the Iraq war until recently after I read some things on the "Christian principle of a just war," - I just blogged about it, and the reasons behind why the extremists attacked us. (A good book is "Imperial Hubris," written by a bin Laden expert ex CIA guy. Even the 9/11 commission explains it.)

Dr.Paul doesn't support the war for many of the same reasons but the main reason is that according to our US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war, not the President, and in this case, it is not a declared war,therefore it is endless. How can we afford an endless war and how many will die?

If you search Ron Paul's library you will see all of his writings/speeches about why he does not support the war:

http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/

In addition, our founding fathers were very firm about being non-interventionist. I now think the reasons for the war are just not strong enough to support it's continuing. I won't demonize anyone for their decisions, but I do not see justification.
Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 06:21 PM
I have never done the whole Democratic ticket thing, either. I totally vote person, not party. In fact, my ballot usually ends up being about split, too. I just haven't found a Republican President I like yet. Never say never, though.
Wow...Katy...have you sparked the comments...
Posted by Bridget on 07/09/07 at 11:24 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Don’t Know Much About History OK. This is embarassing. I just gave myself a little quiz, and then my poor unsuspecting hubby was subjected to the same darned thing. First I tallied up the number of presidential elections we’ve voted in, starting in 1972, and came up with nine. I gotta’ tell you, it seems like more. A LOT more. But since there have only been nine, wouldn’t you think we could rattle off the Republican and Democrat nominees and name (confidently!) the nine folks who received our cherished votes? Before I divulge this bit of history, try it yourself. Maybe if you’ve only been voting a few years, you’ll have an easier time, but maybe not. It’s AMAZING how quickly we tend to forget candidates after the results are in. Here are the stats, starting with… 1972: Incumbant Republican Richard Nixon ran against Democrat George McGovern. By then, my father was already calling Nixon “Tricky Dick,” and besides, I had just graduated from high school and was a freakin’ hippie. Of COURSE I voted for McGovern, and I very nearly remember the election night party I attended at which we all wept into our…whatever. (Hey Lori, if you’re reading this, call me!) 1976: Tricky Dick had stepped aside, as you’ll all recall, but who the HECK stepped into the office, making him the Republican candidate that year? Even when I reminded Doug that the guy’s wife admitted being an alcoholic and got help, and went on to found a renowned center for recovering alcoholics, he COULD NOT say the man’s name! Gerald Ford, the reigning president, ran against….whom???? Oh, yeah! The born-again guy who did interviews with Playboy magazine! Democrat Jimmy Carter! Believe me, I LOVE Habitat for Humanity, but that’s the only thing I now love about Jimmy Carter. Even though I DID vote for him. 1980: I wouldn’t vote for him twice, though. Even though he did run for a second term. Did he win in 1980? Or did the Republican who became known for something called “trickle-down economics,” which did NOT trickle down to my poor little family of four? Never mind that, I loved the guy and I am proud to have voted for him: Ronald Reagan. 1984: Even Doug and I remembered that Reagan served for eight years, and we remembered voting for him twice. But who on EARTH did he run against the second time? I could have scratched my head from now till kingdom come and not come up with the name of George Mondale. 1988: Well, everyone knows that a President can only be in office eight consecutive years, so Reagan was on his way out. It wasn’t too difficult to come up with George the Elder as the winner of this year’s election, and I did vote for him. But his opponent remained a complete mystery to me no matter how long I pondered. Doug, however, remembered one detail: “You know, he had his picture taken in the tank.” Oh, dear Lord. Yes! Michael Dukakis! 1992: The senior Bush ran again, and I did vote for him a second time. He lost to Bill Clinton. 1996: Bill Clinton won again, running against the man I voted for—Bob Dole. About that time, we purchased a church pew at a garage sale for $50. The pew was reputed to have come from the church in Russell, Kansas that Bob Dole attended. I don’t know if the lore is true, but if so, our dog Bono has potentially shared a piece of furniture with the 1996 loser. In addition, because of Dole’s loss, Viagra rose to prominence. A fine couple of consolation prizes, hmm? 2000: Bill couldn’t run again, but his veep could and did. Al Gore didn’t take over the office, though. George Bush the Younger did. I voted for him. 2004: I voted for Bush again, this time against John Kerry. I’ve been giving my voting history some thought, perhaps because that’s all it is—a record of holes punched. Of the candidates I’ve voted for, the only one I’d proudly choose again would be Ronald Reagan. Of the remaining candidates—the ones I didn’t vote for—there’s not one I regret dismissing. At my age, with so much of my voting life already behind me, I’ve got to start asking myself some serious questions. The first question is this: Why do I wait to care until the final two (and sometimes, three) candidates have been named? Until, as it so often seems, the choices have come down to what we often call “the lesser of two evils”? What if in each of the nine elections I’ve taken part in there had been candidates who might have become viable if only I (and millions of other voters) had gotten invested in the process earlier in the cycle? Could it be that there’s a statesman or stateswoman out there somewhere actually worth supporting? And if so, wouldn’t NOW be the time to throw some time, energy, and money into the process of moving that person into an electable position? I know this much: If I wait, like I’ve always waited, until it’s down to the wire, I probably won’t be happy with the choices. And I’ll only have myself to blame. Posted by Katy on 07/07/07 at 01:24 PM Fallible Comments... I too am proud only of my Ronald Reagan vote in '80 and '88. You asked: "Could it be that thereâ€™s a statesman or stateswoman out there somewhere actually worth supporting? And if so, wouldnâ€™t NOW be the time to throw some time, energy, and money into the process of moving that person into an electable position?" Yes, Katy there is, and NOW is the time! There is a pro-life, conservative, honest, compassionate Christian man who is running for president. He is being ignored by the big news media. That man is Dr. Ron Paul. You can check him out at: www.ronpaulibrary.org, or www.ronpaul2008.com. Don't listen to what people say about him. Read for yourself what he stands for. We followers of Jesus must look to candidates that actually walk the walk instead of just talking the talk, and this man does. Posted by Suzan on 07/07/07 at 02:54 PM sorry, it's www.ronpaullibrary.org. Forgot the 2 l's!! :-) Posted by Suzan on 07/07/07 at 02:55 PM Woohoo! Ron Paul! Posted by Scott Raymond on 07/07/07 at 04:18 PM Suzan--I have started reading about him, and have viewed a number of YouTube items. So far, I have to say I'm impressed. Scott--Wouldn't it be amazing if we ended up having the opp to and actually voting for the same person? Whoa, baby! I am looking into a local group of Ron Paul supporters, just to see what they're all about.... Posted by Katy on 07/07/07 at 05:04 PM He is the only credible Republican candidate, IMHO. I will do what I can to help him get elected, no matter what the polls say, or the media says. To support an honest and virtuous man who puts principles before party and principles before politics is the right thing to do. We must stand up for truth and freedom, or else we will lose both. Posted by Suzan on 07/07/07 at 05:30 PM I recently read an interesting post about Mike Huckabee. I'm not quite ready to throw my support behind him, but I believe he's worth looking into. You can find the post here: http://www.kevinstilley.com/2007/06/fifty-reasons-why-i-believe-mike.html If you follow the links, you can read some news articles and view some YouTube videos that give a lot of info. Posted by Carrie K. on 07/07/07 at 08:41 PM Suzan--It does bother me that evangelical leaders are already (so soon in the election cycle) talking about getting behind "a guy who can win"--even if he is NOT the principled statesman we deserve. The thing is, there is STILL TIME to promote a worthy candidate into the position of being electable. Time is on our side!!! It's way too early to settle!!! Carrie K--Thank you! I know virtually nothing about Huckabee except his name and what I just read at the link you sent me to! Very good stuff. I will read more and try to get up to speed--while THERE'S STILL TIME!!! Posted by Katy on 07/07/07 at 09:13 PM unless there's something i don't know...Brownback! family man who fights for the little guy in sudan, among other places. anti gay marriage, anti abortion. it's not comfortable to talk about such things, but hey... and for another interesting little quiz, try this one - http://www.selectsmart.com/president/2008.html Posted by lisa on 07/08/07 at 02:01 AM I hadn't even heard of Ron Paul, but I've been watching his clips on YouTube and reading up on him, and I am very intrigued! He almost sounds too good to be true. I get so angry that the media won't give air time to anyone aside from the top three from each party. Posted by Carrie K. on 07/08/07 at 02:20 AM i read some on ron paul, too, and he seems to be a really good guy. the other day i was thinking about how our government seems to have put itself in a position to be sold to the highest bidder, and how sad that is..nothing new, but really sad. hopefully us grassroots types will be able, collectively, to reverse that to some degree with good research, a little faith, and a loud voice this next time around. oh, and a hefty dose of prayer... Posted by lisa on 07/08/07 at 04:09 PM not to be a stickler for detail... (and i was only 8 yrs old) but wasn't the guy's name who ran against reagan walter mondale? he ran with a lady named ferraro i think. Posted by joshua on 07/08/07 at 05:11 PM lisa--Is Brownback actually running? Being right next door in Missouri, he is on my radar screen and someone to watch for a while to come. I took the quiz!!! Very enlightening.... Carrie K--I think Ron Paul and some of the other underdogs are getting media time on Jon Stewart's show and other cable shows. But certainly not much in the mainstream media! I enjoy Sean Hannity, but I'm sorry. If he's going to say he's giving all the candidates on all sides an opp to be on his show, he needs to extend that to the little guys as well. IMO, of course. :) lisa--Doug and I think we'll pop in on a Ron Paul meet-up here in the KC area. And maybe meet-ups of a few other candidates, too. Then make a decision about with whom to cast our lot. And then actually DO something for that person while he still has a chance.... Joshua--Thank you! Not only could I not recreate these election year scenarios without resorting to wikipedia for my info, I can't even read!!! Yes, WALTER Mondale, whose running mate was Geraldine Ferraro, ran against Reagan. I think the George thing, starting with McGovern, kind of got stuck in my head. Hey, that's what it's like being fallible!!! ;) Posted by Katy on 07/08/07 at 05:53 PM katy, for some reason www.brownback.com isn't loading for me at the moment, but he also has a myspace - http://www.myspace.com/sambrownback . good guy, we voted for him in his senate races when we lived in ks. and he sure is one to watch! Posted by lisa on 07/08/07 at 06:37 PM Mr. Brownback and Mr. Huckabee seem like very nice men, but I think when you scrutinize the candidates on all the issues, Ron Paul's Congressional record is impeccable and speaks for itself. He is the only Republican who can seriously challenge Hillary Clinton in '08. I urge everyone to check him out. Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 11:49 AM Okay, I've only been voting since '85...but I remember them all, not that they've been great, to say the least. From Dukakis through Kerry, and each Democrat in between. The choices on both sides in the future are lacking, I'm afraid, but I'm starting to be an Obama fan on the Democratic side. We'll see... (I can tell that I'm facing a bunch of Republicans on here, though! LOL.) Posted by Bridget on 07/09/07 at 02:50 PM Everyone is entitled to their opinion. That's what makes our country great!! Some reasons to support Ron Paul: Ron Paul is a constitutionalist. Ron has never voted to raise taxes. Ron has never voted for an unbalanced budget. Ron has never voted for the Iraq War. Ron has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership. Ron has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch. Ron has never voted to raise congressional pay. Ron has never taken a government-paid junket. Ron voted against the Patriot Act. Ron votes against regulating the Internet. Ron voted against NAFTA and CAFTA. Ron votes against the United Nations. Ron votes against the welfare state. Ron votes against reinstating a military draft. Ron is PRO-LIFE Ron votes to preserve the constitution. Ron votes to cut government spending. Ron votes to lower healthcare costs. Ron votes to end the war on drugs. Ron votes to protect civil liberties. Ron votes to secure our borders with real immigration reform He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program. He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year. Congressman Paul introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any single member of Congress. There is NO ONE more qualified to be President and bring us together and turn our country around. No one. Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 03:11 PM lisa--thank you for the links! I will pay closer attention to him now.... Bridget--I am not at ALL sure that my readers are mostly Republican!! I very rarely have discussed politics on fallible, and from visiting the blogs of many of my readers, I've discovered how varied their beliefs and opinions really are! And I of course welcome every stripe of commenter here. I have typically voted Repub (as I've now made public!), but not always. And I cannot bring myself to EVER vote a "straight" Repub ticket--it's every candidate on his or her own merit. Suzan--Your passion for Ron Paul has definitely got me interested. I am hugely convinced that securing our borders has GOT to happen in a real way. And the fact that Paul has spoken in favor of abolishing the IRS doesn't exactly make me hate him, either...... :) Posted by Katy on 07/09/07 at 04:44 PM The overriding thing I'm noticing in articles/YouTube materials on Ron Paul is his decades-long devotion to preserving the Constitution. I think I haven't understood or appreciated the enormous importance of this single cause....until, perhaps, now. Posted by Katy on 07/09/07 at 04:47 PM bridget, we have often felt we were choosing the lesser of two evils when we vote..maybe that's a bit extreme, but things can seem so watered down and rhetorical when politics get to the highest levels. i would just love to see someone rise to the top still feverishly clinging to all of their ideals! i know, that's idealist thinking in itself.. i'd like to find someday a candidate who embraces (by voting record) all the issues I feel strongly about, and so far in my voting career I end up split right down the middle most times. (i love that ron paul is a strong constitutionalist, I will be watching him for sure) Posted by lisa on 07/09/07 at 05:05 PM As a Kansas, Brownback is my man. I'm impressed with his conservative stance and even more impressed with his humanitarian efforts and his ability to work with both parties. I doubt that he'll get nominated, though. But since the weeks leading up to election make me LITERALLY CRAZY, I plan to be in County Mayo during that time. A month with no TV! Posted by alison on 07/09/07 at 05:24 PM Not trying to debate anything here at all, and I don't want to provoke anyone's anger. I have great respect for the freedom we have to choose whom to support, but with all due respect, I don't know if having a humanitarian stance is consistent with supporting an undeclared war where 1/2 a million Iraqi people, including women and children, were killed. If one claims to be humanitarian then they should be consistent.Consistency is the key to strong character. But I do like Mr. Brownbeck and Mr. Huckabee. I'm just not sure whether they have what it takes. Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 05:46 PM lisa--Split down the middle! I think that describes millions of voters' feelings on election day!! alison--OK, I can't think of ANY better place to be in the days leading up to the Grand Finale than in Mayo!!! We went to a fantastic festival there last year in Louisburgh. Doug took whistle lessons from Cherish the Ladies' own Joanie Madden! And yes, he IS in love with her, and I'm OK with that!! I, too, cannot handle the rigamarole at the end of the election cycle, which is why I've decided to get involved at this stage. I'm hoping by investing on the front end (which I've never done before, by the way), I"ll be less exasperated in Nov, 2008. We'll see. Either way, I'd rather be in Co. Mayo!! :) Suzan--Have you always been against the Iraq war? I understand Ron Paul voted against it from the beginning, but I don't know exactly WHY. Does he view it as being unconstitutional? Posted by Katy on 07/09/07 at 06:08 PM Katy, Regarding the war, I was totally for the Iraq war until recently after I read some things on the "Christian principle of a just war," - I just blogged about it, and the reasons behind why the extremists attacked us. (A good book is "Imperial Hubris," written by a bin Laden expert ex CIA guy. Even the 9/11 commission explains it.) Dr.Paul doesn't support the war for many of the same reasons but the main reason is that according to our US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war, not the President, and in this case, it is not a declared war,therefore it is endless. How can we afford an endless war and how many will die? If you search Ron Paul's library you will see all of his writings/speeches about why he does not support the war: http://www.ronpaullibrary.org/ In addition, our founding fathers were very firm about being non-interventionist. I now think the reasons for the war are just not strong enough to support it's continuing. I won't demonize anyone for their decisions, but I do not see justification. Posted by Suzan on 07/09/07 at 06:21 PM I have never done the whole Democratic ticket thing, either. I totally vote person, not party. In fact, my ballot usually ends up being about split, too. I just haven't found a Republican President I like yet. Never say never, though. Wow...Katy...have you sparked the comments... Posted by Bridget on 07/09/07 at 11:24 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: Even I Am Not ALWAYS Embarassed Previous entry: Lang May Yir Lum Reek << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri