Politics Blog #2

If you come to this website to find out how I feel about the upcoming election, or potential policies, than you have been disappointed time and time again. I don't typically write about politics or the thoughts and feelings that they inspire. Only one other time have I written about politics, and it was written with a much different mindset than I have now. After I wrote this I stumbled across a video put together by Lawrence Lessig, who is a Professor of law at Stanford Law School, and has been a long standing advocate for a less corrupted congress. It is really fascinating, you can find it here.

I have never taken part in politics, I do not agree with what politics do to people. In the past, politicians have tried to stratify the voting pool into those who will vote for them and those who will not. Historically, this may have been an effective way to campaign, but as the approval ratings continue to plummet and a recession looms ahead, a new kind of campaign is necessary. Barack Obama presents the American public with a new and refreshing campaign mentality, unity and hope.

I support Barack Obama’s policies, but the truth is that Obama and Clinton’s policies are not very different. They both want a form of universal healthcare, or healthcare for all, both of which emphasize preventative medicine, increased research and decreased transfer payments to keep costs low. They both have similar immigration policies, which may be described differently, but operate, on the same levels. And, their economic stimulus packages both put money into the hands of consumers, hoping to increase spending and consumption, rather than lowering price levels from the top down like McCain is planning on doing. The most striking difference between the two candidates however is character.

Many have written on the recent surge of Obama supporters, who have packed the gymnasiums, stadiums and meeting halls during his recent travels. They are described, as Obamaniacs and they are passionate and united in their drive. Sure, this may be an emotional reason to support a candidate, but emotions are the fuel for our behaviors. I believe that an economies emotional environment is one of the most important determinants of our economic standing. Our behaviors at work, with our families, in our homes, and with our health are all influenced by the emotional states we find ourselves in. If we are dissatisfied with what we are doing or how much we are being compensated to do it, we will be less productive. If one is stressed because they cannot pay their mortgage payments and risk losing their home, they are more likely to get sick, and their ability to produce and contribute to this economy diminishes. If we are unsatisfied with the whole, like most Americans have been for the past five years or so, than we will become individualistic and segmented. Segmented in our spending, expectations, investments, attitudes and opinions.

What sets Obama apart then is his ability to encourage, unite and lead. Many times during his career as senator he went against the norm, even when there was significant political pressure. Take the war on Iraq for example; he was the only presidential candidate in 2004 to publicly protest the war, saying “What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war, a war based not on reason, but on passion. A war based not on principle, but on politics.” I believe that Obama has the potential to increase consumer and producer confidence, which could have a significant and positive influence on our economy.

I think that Obama, much like Reagen did, has the ability to put America on a fundamentally different path. A path that values passionate integrity, rather than politics, a path that encourages transparency, in prices, sources and quality, and a path that encourages honesty. The realignment of the American people is going to be absolutely necessary before any change can occur. As we have seen with the Bush presidency, we no longer need an accountant or CEO of the government. The presidency requires a leader, a leader who inspires and instills courage and commitment in the people. Change will require unity. Change, whether economic or ideological comes from a united people, and I believe that Obama has the strength and audacity to lead this change.

Holy Week 2008

We drove straight down to San Diego, and it only took us 14 hours, which is six hours faster than the MapQuest estimation. Once we got to San Diego we went straight to the beach to take naps and hang out in the sun for the day. We ended up playing rugby on the beach with four french guys. That night we stayed with one of Drew's family friends in downtown San Diego. The next day we drove into Tijuana, Mexico and drove 160 kilometers south to Ensenada. After we ate some tacos and decided that Ensenada wasn't really what we were looking for we decided to drive across the Baja Penninsula. It took us about four hours and the drive was beautiful. The entire drive was spent on a curvy road winding it's way between boulder strewn hills. We got out and hiked quite a bit along the way. 

Once we arrived in San Felipe we saw some Mormon missionaries walking down the road, so we deicided to ask them about the beaches and places to eat. They didn't really help us in that department, but as we were leaving they told us that they had four extra beds at their house and that we were more than welcome to crash there since all of the camping and hotels were full because of Holy Week (which we later found out to be the largest vacation week in Mexico, hence the thousands of people everywhere we went). We spent two days in San Felipe just hanging out on the beach and playing on the abandoned ships. The water was warm and it was about 85 degrees. On Monday morning we took off and headed north to the border, and we crossed back into the United States just north of Mexicali, Mexico. We decided to go to Joshua Tree National Park to climb, hike and potentially do some backpacking. We ended up getting to the park at 4:00 pm and it was stunning. 

Joshua Tree has some of the most remarkable desert landscapes I have ever seen. All of the campgrounds were full so we decided to hike into a backcountry area to camp. At this point we had all decided that we were midway through thr best road trip any of us had ever been on. That night however, ended up being the worst night of my life. I was so sick with a terrible cold, I was coughing and congested all night, I was hallucinating for some reason and I had a mild case of vertigo combined with a migraine, vomiting and freezing cold temperatures. I thought that I was going to have to hike out and go to a hospital. Strangely, the next morning I felt great and we spent the whole day hiking and climbing on the huge rocks that identify Joshua Tree. 

We ended up spending most of the day in Joshua Tree, and in the afternoon we drove to Redlands, California. We stayed with one of Drew's best friends who happens to go to University of Redlands. The next morning we went into Los Angeles and had Chipotle with a couple of friends from California. After eating we drove north to San Jose, where we stayed with a friend from linfield, whos father is a psychology professor at Stanford. 

Thursday morning was spent playing pick up soccer and basketball games at the Stanford Campus. That afternoon we headed into San Francisco and saw all of the tourist sights. A bunch of people were in San Francisco for spring break, so we met up with them and spent the evening with them. Tom, amazing redheaded friend of mine from Longmont, goes to school south of San Francisco and he met us with us. It was really great to see him, and to check out his stomping grounds. The next morning (Friday) we woke up early and drove across the golden gate bridge, and drove all the way to Redwoods National Park, which is along the northern California coastline. It was so humbling to be driving and walking amongst those giant trees. They are truly massive. 

The rest of the drive was spent on curvy roads, winding through Oregon's southwest mountain ranges. Sadly, after driving 2900 miles I got the first and only speeding ticket on the trip. I was in Oregon and there weren't any speed limit signs for over five miles, and I thought the speed limit was 65 miles per hour and I later found out from the ranger that the speed limit was 55 mph. Because I have a Colorado license they aren't able to take points away, so instead they stuck me with a hefty fine. As I said before, we got back to McMinnville last night around midnight. All of us were tired, sick and ready for our own beds, but the trip was truly incredible.