I basically consider myself more of a history person than a politics person.  I hesitate to say that because I’m towards the bottom of the barrel in terms of knowledge among real ‘history people.’  However, that is the basis of much of my interest, and that influenced my perspective on Iraq.  I’m certainly no foreign policy expert, but I have read enough to know that wars and conflicts can impact a region and a country’s relationship with that region well after the situation is resolved.  While I was not happy about how the U.S. went into Iraq, and particularly disappointed that the claims that the government knew where nuclear weapons were located turned out to be false, I was more concerned about what the U.S. would do next versus what they had already done.  Also, my questions about foreign policy were not as ideological as they were practical.  ‘How do we fix this?’ and ‘How do we keep from making these mistakes again?’ were the type of questions to which I was most interested in hearing a response.

The issue that DQ’d most of the Republican candidates for me was torture.  This issue made me crazy throughout the primaries.  During the South Carolina Republican debate, the candidates were all asked to state their position on torture, and the only one to oppose it decisively was Senator McCain.  

While I generally agreed with the Republican position on Iraq (not how we got there, but what to do now that we’re there) more than the Democrats’ position on Iraq, it would have been very difficult for any other Republican to win my vote during the general election due to their inability to see torture as wrong.  Some debate about what torture is, and what methods of interrogation are appropriate, is not completely without merit, but for the whole line of Republicans on stage not to simply state that torture is wrong, I found disturbing.

Romney and the Early Primary States – Exerpt #6

There is an ongoing controversy about whether Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina should have the first primaries and caucuses.  What people seem to miss when talking about changing the set-up, and possibly creating a national primary date, is that moving more states or larger states to the beginning of the process would eliminate the ability for candidates to do town halls, and meet with voters at these smaller scale events.  While obviously this New Hampshirite would like my state to stay first in the nation, what I think is even more important is to preserve the town halls, house parties, and small-scale political events.  Once the election moves to the national level, campaigns become much more about money and marketing.  It makes sense that the first test for a candidate is if he or she can talk and interact with actual voters, and not have the whole process be about ad buys and fundraising.

Meeting Senator/Vice President Biden – Excerpt #5

President Obama’s response was to chastise Senator McCain for being in campaign mode. In reality, Senator McCain simply did what the main stream media has refused to do over the last year and a half. He called him out on blantantly breaking a campaign promise. Now the CSPAN clip below, is not the clip you likely saw on the news, as the media still refuses to show criticism of President Obama. What the media presented was President Obama’s rebuke with out any of that pesky critique.

However, if one actually looks at the President’s record and his statement, it is one of the most blatantly hypocritical remarks made in ages. President Obama is the consumate campaigner; neither side question’s ability to campaign or make a speech. Campaigning is President Obama’s ‘go to’ move. Real Clear Politics breaks down just how politically motivated the president’s travel is, as one example of the Obama White House’s perpetual campaign mode.

Presidential Travel Favors Blue, Purple States

President Obama’s trip to Georgia tomorrow will be his first as president. According to data shared by the indispensable Mark Knoller of CBS News, it will mark the 31st state the president has traveled to since taking office last January.

Looking more closely at those numbers, a pattern emerges that is hard to ignore. Obama has visited 23 of the 28 states he carried in November 2008, but only six of the 22 states carried by Republican John McCain. Broken into three broad categories:

Obama has made 47 stops in the 19 states he carried by more than 10 points (including 16 in neighboring Maryland).
Obama has made 44 stops in the 16 states where the final result was within 10 points (including 19 in neighboring Virginia).
Obama has made 4 stops in the 15 states that McCain carried by more than 10 points.

From Yahoo Brown revives GOP moderates’ pivot role

“I came to Washington to be an independent voice, to put politics aside and to do everything in my power to help create jobs for Massachusetts families,” said Brown, whose election last month gave Republicans the 41st vote that could sustain filibusters. “This Senate jobs bill is not perfect … but I voted for it because it contains measures that will help put people back to work.”

Monday’s vote cleared the decks for a far larger favorable vote when the jobs legislation faces an up-or-down final tally Wednesday.

The bill features four provisions, including a $13 billion measure exempting businesses hiring the unemployed from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December and giving them another $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year.

It’s undeniably modest, especially in comparison with the $862 billion economic stimulus bill enacted a year ago. It’s also significantly smaller than a rival bipartisan bill unveiled earlier this month by two senior senators.

The measure is centered on tax breaks for businesses that hire new workers this year and a renewal of highway programs through Dec. 31. Both ideas have wide support in both parties. Mark Zandi, an economist with Moody’s Economy.com, estimates the tax credit could spur about 250,000 new jobs.

Brown and other Moderate Republicans Vote For Jobs Bill

Senator Biden I had the privilege to meet at a house party hosted by state representative Jim Webber.  If I have any regret in voting Republican, it is that Mr. Webber was so kind in welcoming me into his home; he introduced me to people who generally knew each other, but not me, so I almost felt obligated to vote Democrat – almost.

It was a thrill to meet Senator Biden.  I’ve known of Senator Biden for as long as I’ve known that Senators exist, so while I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit it, he sort of took my breath away when he walked through the door.  Something about Senator Biden just makes me smile; don’t know what it is other than that he is very likable and very, very outgoing.

Senator Biden was the only other candidate besides Senator McCain that addressed Iraq in specific detail.  While his plan didn’t seem to add up the same way Senator McCain’s plan did, he gets big points from me on being direct and forthcoming.  He stated how dangerous the region was, and that if we didn’t leave the region properly, the Iraqi people who had helped us would be killed.

I was right up front during Senator Biden’s talk at the house party.  Senator Biden is a ‘close talker;’ he looks people right in the eye and stands just inches away from them.  I however, am not, and had to keep reminding myself not back up and fall backwards out the Webbers’ screen door.  When he was done he turned to the lady standing next to me and said, ‘How are you? Tell me about yourself.’  At which I thought, I need to get out of here; I can’t think of one thing about myself.  However, after I left the room, I realized I’d kick myself later if I didn’t shake his hand.  So I went back to the porch where he’d have to pass in order to leave, and shook his hand.  He was delightful.  I was happy that I remembered my name, and fortunately I’m equally happy to say I did not embarrass myself.  Senator Biden made a comment about my standing up front being similar to being stuck in the first pew of a church.  I was amused to hear him use that line a week or two later when one of his events was televised on C-SPAN.

Seeing the Candidates and The NH Town Halls – Excerpt #4

“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned,” he said.

“My decision was not motivated by political concern,” he added. “Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election.”

Bayh had never lost an election, from his first win in 1986 as secretary of state, his wins for governor in 1988 and 1992 and his election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and 2004.

“But running for the sake of winning an election, just to remain in public office, is not good enough,” Bayh said. “And it has never been what motivates me. At this time I simply believe I can best contribute to society in another way: creating jobs by helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor.”

From IndyStar.com Evan Bayh will not seek re-election

From the Denver post Huge rally and protests mark Iran revolution

TEHRAN, Iran—Hundreds of thousands of Iranians massed Thursday in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created the country’s Islamic republic, while a heavy security force fanned out across the city and moved quickly to snuff out opposition counter protests.
Police clashed with protesters in several sites around Tehran, firing tear gas to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest. Dozens of hard-liners with batons and pepper spray attacked the convoy of a senior opposition leader, Mahdi Karroubi, smashing his car windows and forcing him to turn back as he tried to join the protests, his son Hossein Karroubi told The Associated Press.

The celebrations marking the revolution’s 31st anniversary

An image made from video provided by Iranian State TV, pro-government demonstrators gather in the central square of Tehran to mark the 31st anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution Thursday Feb. 11, 2010 were an opportunity for Iran’s clerical regime to tout its power in the face of the opposition movement, which has managed to keep up periodic street protests since the disputed June presidential elections despite a fierce crackdown.
The opposition turnout was dwarfed by the huge crowd at the state-run celebrations. Many were bused in to central Azadi, or Freedom, Square to hear an address by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who proclaimed a new success in Iran’s uranium enrichment program and dismissed new U.S. sanctions.

And the massive security clampdown appeared to succeed in preventing protesters from converging into a cohesive demonstrations. Large numbers of riot police, members of the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militiamen, some on motorcycles, deployed in back streets near key squares and major avenues in the capital to move against protesters.

Opposition Web sites spoke of groups of protesters in the hundreds, compared to much larger crowds in past demonstrations

One protester told The Associated Press she had tried to join the demonstrations but soon left in disappointment. “There were 300 of us, maximum 500. Against 10,000 people,” she told an AP reporter outside Iran. She said there were few

Female demonstrators wave Iranian flags, as a picture of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is held at center, during a rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, at the Azadi (freedom) Square in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. Many thousands of pro-government demonstrators gathered in the central square of Tehran to mark the 31st anniversary of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Read full article Huge rally and protests mark Iran revolution for more info…

McCain events were plentiful and easy to attend.  A number of candidates had events during working hours, yet Senator McCain routinely had them after 5:00 or on weekends.  Since I was not thrilled with President Bush or the way the Iraq War was being handled, Senator McCain had some explaining to do in order to win my vote.  The first town hall I saw him at was in Exeter, and he did not win my vote immediately, but he did convince me that he was sincere and that he knew what he was talking about. 

The town hall events suit Senator McCain perfectly.  It’s essentially an informal interview and conversation.  The other candidate well-suited to this format was Senator Edwards.  The basic reason these two candidates did well at town halls is that they knew their stuff, they cared about the issues, and they cared about the people asking the questions.  Their answers could not have been more different, but it appeared that both candidates appreciated that the questions people asked were directly connected to their lives, and the questioners and attendees were taking time out of their day to see these candidates, so they could make a well-informed decision about how to vote. 

The two that I was least impressed by were the other two in my top three.  I saw Senator Obama twice (oddly enough, I also flew on the same flight that he did from Boston to Chicago the day after he gave his impressive 2004 convention speech).  First, he gave a speech at Dartmouth.  The outdoor venue, situated between several of the old brick dormitories, was packed, and he gave a good speech.  It wasn’t filled with detail, but it wasn’t a question and answer format, so that was understandable. 

I saw him again on a town green in southern New Hampshire, again with a huge crowd.  This time he answered voters’ questions, and I was not terribly impressed.  A young man asked him about whether troop withdrawals in Iraq would lead to chaos in the region. Senator Obama stated that there would likely be a brief escalation in violence, but that through diplomacy it would work out.  His answers were so generic, particularly on Iraq, that his ability to deal with foreign policy matters became what concerned me most throughout the primary and general election.  On a range of questions there basically seemed to be a lack of detail to his answers, as he tended to give stock campaign answers.  However, the crowd loved him, and he didn’t say anything that would have turned off a supporter.

Oddly enough, my reaction to Mayor Giuliani was somewhat similar.  I had wanted to see him from the very beginning, and was finally able to attend a town hall event of his in a hotel conference hall.  He seemed somewhat defensive of being asked questions and was not specific in his answers.  A young man who was a Marine at the time of 9/11 thanked the Mayor for his service, but asked him a tough question directly quoting the 9/11 commission’s report, and the Mayor essentially took a pass on the question.  It was surprising that he had no real response, and a little disappointing that he didn’t see the difference between a citizen asking him a question and a journalist asking him a question.  Again, he was likable enough, but his answers just lacked detail.

The Wizard of Oz Meets NH Politics – AIC Excerpt #3