A Little Bit of Pride

I woke up this morning feeling a little bit excited. Now that the Republican National Convention is over, and all the speeches have been made, for the first time in my adult-voting life, I can finally say that I actually like our guy! The first time I was old enough to vote was in 1992 when it was George H.W. Bush running against Bill Clinton. Bush was nothing to get excited about. And then came Bob Dole. I mean, seriously? And then George W. Bush came along, and to quote American Idol judge Randy, "he was just o.k. for me." Last time around, we had John McCain, who hails from the great state of Arizona, but who fell dreadfully short for me. Honestly, I was just tired of voting for the guy that I disliked the least.

That's not to say I dislike anything our democratic presidents have done, but I'm excited for the possibilities that the Romney/Ryan ticket brings. The speeches I heard this week were inspiring to me. I like the enthusiasm and the energy I felt when I listened to them. It was probably very much the same feeling many Obama supporters felt four years ago. I don't need CNN or Fox News to tell me what I do or do not like. I loved the theme that America is a great country, without exception.

When Mitt Romney first announced his candidacy, I was wary. I'm sure there were many Mormons who jumped on the Romney bandwagon simply because he himself, is a Mormon -- and I just couldn't do that. As the primaries went on, I kept finding myself drawn to Santorum, actually. But now that Romney is the nominee, I support him fully, and it has nothing to do with my religion. His political ideals closely match my own. I like his running mate. I think they mean business. And I'm excited about the possibilities they represent.

Of course, I am proud to able to say that for the first time in history, a Mormon is a serious contender for the White House.

And that's what's so great about this country. Anything can happen. We create our own history. We can cheer for our own guy. Vote for who you will, and so will I!

Can You Relate?

I'm going to take a small stab at politics today. Just because I'm curious.

In many recent polls, a common question that keeps reappearing is this: "Do you feel that (insert candidate's name here) relates to you as an everday American?"

Who cares? Why does that matter? Of course they don't relate to me. I lead a very different life than they do. The sheer fact that they are running for president sets them apart from me. I don't want, nor do I need the President of the United States to relate to me. I can deal with my own life just fine, thank you very much.

What I do want from my president is for him or her to do what the oath says: to protect, preserve, and defend the constitution. Perhaps that sounds simplistic. But look at how complicated this whole process has become. I just want the president to ensure freedom and to not be a control freak about it. To get out of my way and let me live my life according to my own dictates -- as long my own dictates aren't infringing on someone else's freedoms. The constitution guarantees me nothing more than the opportunity. And that's all I need.

Now THAT'S something I can relate to.

Big Balloons, Big Money, and Big Litter Boxes

I'm not intellectual enough to get into a full-on political debate with anyone (uncommon sense, remember?) but common sense is lost on today's political climate. Besides chasing a giant runaway mylar balloon that may or may not have contained a small boy (whew) there were two stories in the news that caught my attention today.

The first was the fact that social security recipients will not receive their cost of living adjustment for the first time since 1975. Despite the fact that the economy saw negative inflation, the cost of prescription drugs and food continues to rise. The president is proposing that every social security recipient instead receive a one-time check for $250, at a taxpayer cost of $13 billion dollars. Here's what it looks like with all of the zeros: $13,000,000,000. Really, what is $250 going to get people? Nothing; but it will get their grandchildren's grandchildren deeper in the hole.

The other story has to do with another bill being proposed: a $3500 per person tax break for pet owners. To quote the reporter, "Analysts say this could be good for the economy as people will spend the money on luxury items for their pets."

Hmmm... on one hand, we're plunging deeper into debt. On the other hand we're giving Fluffy the cat $3250 more than we're giving Grandma.

Well, at least Fluffy will finally get her luxury litter box.