Change agents Barack Obama and Mitch Daniels won over Hoosiers yesterday, but from different ends of the political spectrum.
Barack Obama took the state after a campaign in which he promised to increase regulations on business, raise taxes on high incomes, and appoint judges who would take empathy for the disadvantaged into consideration in addition to existing Constitutional mandates â?? all liberal-leaning positions.
Daniels made his campaign a referendum on his first term, a period marked by yanking collective bargaining rights of state employees, and a string of privatization deals including the lease of the Indiana Toll Road. In other words, Daniels won voter favor by working from the conservative end of the spectrum.
What does this tell you about Indiana voters? A state that in effect asked its governor for four more years of conservative reform also helped elect a president who plans to move the country away from the conservatism that has dominated for a generation.
Any other thoughts from the elections?
Barack Obama took the state after a campaign in which he promised to increase regulations on business, raise taxes on high incomes, and appoint judges who would take empathy for the disadvantaged into consideration in addition to existing Constitutional mandates â?? all liberal-leaning positions.
Daniels made his campaign a referendum on his first term, a period marked by yanking collective bargaining rights of state employees, and a string of privatization deals including the lease of the Indiana Toll Road. In other words, Daniels won voter favor by working from the conservative end of the spectrum.
What does this tell you about Indiana voters? A state that in effect asked its governor for four more years of conservative reform also helped elect a president who plans to move the country away from the conservatism that has dominated for a generation.
Any other thoughts from the elections?
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If America truly wanted change, they should have thrown out the entire House of Representatives. They, with their pervasive, incompetent leadership in Nancy Pelosi and the incredibly inept Barney Frank are responsible for the economic mess we're in.
Get ready folks because now you have a true Socialist ready to take power. All of the issues that have contributed to America's decline, such as:
1. Convenient, easy divorce
2. No prayer in schools
3. Abortion at will
4. Assault on the traditional family unit
5. Lazy, fat Americans that want to live off the Gov'mint because they're entitled
Now we'll get more:
1. Gay marriage
2. Legalized euthanasia
3. Socialistic Supreme Court
4. The decline of an incentive based economy, the former bedrock of America's economic strength.
We'll see the descent of our once great nation. That's what happens when you turn your back on tradition and God. We are now a nation of fools, just like Germany and Italy became. We have truly crossed the bridge to nowhere.
I don't want prayer in schools, believe women have a right to choose, and I've never understood why the right in this country think that gay people are going to undermine their family unit. Hetero people have pretty much undermined their family units all on their own, hence the need for convenient, easy divorces. I have many gay friends and most of them are in committed relationships. Perhaps we could learn something from them instead of insisting they're destroying America.
This country was founded on freedom of religion, but the right always wants to bring christianity into govt. I don't want other people telling me how to live and legislating morality to me. I have my own relationship with God that has nothing to do with religion and I prefer to keep it that way. Can we all just agree to disagree and let people live how they want, so long as it harms no one else?
We'll see the descent of our great nation? Have you been paying attention the last 8 years? I voted Republican last time and have for a great while, regretted that decision. There is almost nothing right with our country now. People want to try a different approach. The Republicans had 8 years and look where we are. Let's see what the Dems can do and if we don't like it, in 4 years we can try something else.
Can't we all agree to disagree and give the man a chance to prove himself? I've heard the experience argument before. Who in the world really has the experience to be President of the United States? I mean, how exactly do you prepare for that? Does Ivy Tech offer classes? This is a man of great intellect who does not seem afraid to seek the advice of people who are older and more experienced. What about Palin? She has even less experience and I have friends who know more about foreign policy than she does. I don't trust her judgement from what I know of her and I certainly don't share her views on anything. The thought of her in the White House some day kept me up at night.
McCain I believe is a good man at heart and I hope he'll work with Obama in the future. I think they could do great things by sharing ideas.
Let's see what a new administration can do before we start with the gloom and doom. As I see it, the gloom and doom is already here and we have no where to go but up.
Sarah Palin seems to be a respectable person that we may be able to admire. I agree she isn't ready; we have to recall how inept Jimmy Carter was during his term.
Regarding diversity, I have no grudge against gays. I never said they were destroying America. I have friends that are gay and I do business with gays. It is their decision to live as they see fit. That's what America is all about. They deserve to live their lives just as any other American. However, when it comes to changing the definition of marriage, that's God's business. He set up that institution. Their are other workable solutions for allowing the gay community to live the way they want, perhaps civil unions. Marriage is holy, like it or not, and it is a tradition that does not need to be changed.
My main point is not that Christians have any rights to control of this country or politics. It is that our creator has expectations that are clearly defiined as to how we the people are to run our country. The founding fathers understood this. People that drink the Obama Kool Aid don't get it. And it scares the heck out of me.
Obama is a Socialist. Get ready to have your pocket picked big time. And all of us midwesterners can see our energy bills increase by 200 - 300% under his watch, all in the name of global warming.
Perhaps those of you who don't believe in following the ideals on which this country were built should be the ones to move, but not to Alaska because you wouldn't last a month without the government providing your every need. Mainstream America has let themselves slide down the river and they are polluting the river for the rest of us.
First of all, in my post, I never said things weren't open to discussion, you did. If a mother's life were at risk, certainly I would agree to abortion as an option. If it were rape or incest, same answer. What I referred to was the casual dismissing of what God put in place, abortion on DEMAND for example. Doctor's used to sign the Hippocratic Oath, which stated that no abortion would be permitted. Could we have found common ground, certainly, but no, the supreme court just went ahead and said if it's not convenient, abort. Last time I checked God rules over the supreme court and will hold us all accountable for their flawed decisions.
I NEVER said anything about not feeding the hungry. I regularly get involved in Wheeler Mission drives and contribute to my church's food bank regularly. I contribute to the United Way and to mission work for those in many foreign countries that need our help.
My post had more to do with the dangerous direction our country is heading under our new President.
Perhaps Ellen and Brice, you need to look at yourselves in the mirror. I also said I am NOT a republican or a supporter of the party. In many cases the past eight years were a disaster. But I blame most of that on the do nothing congress. Results - failed to secure our borders, failed to establish a sane energy policy (the Senate accomplished nothing but throwing up roadblocks to many of the alternatives being proposed, failed to improve schools resulting in the collapse of public education - take the laughable No Child Left Behind. Thank Ted Kennedy and George Bush for that.
So what did the electorate do. Vote in a Socialist for President and reelect the same congressional members that have failed. That's not what I call change for the better, only for the worst.
By all means, I don't agree with all of his (Obama's) policies, but he is not the only one to make the decisions. You've gotta remember, that we have a house and a sennate with a total sum of 300-some-plus people. The Bills must go through both House and Senate before they are passed. Yes, we have a Majority of Dems, but not overpowering. There are not enough to have a complete run-away politics here. I betcha that there is going to be some restraint and I doubt that the Abortion plans that Obama promised will go through without some stipulations and restrictions.
In my opinion, we all must remember that the President is like a manager, he has the final word but none of it can be done without all that he oversees. A ruler of the land means nothing if the people of the land nor the representatives of those people lock horns with the President the whole way through (like the past 8 years).
The past 8 years, yes they were a disaster, but could it have been worse? I am still scratching my head trying to open my rear to what just happened. I still don't know today.
Whether or not you believe that abortion should be legal depends on what your spiritual beliefs are. The same can be said about marriage. I really don't understand the arguement that marriage should be one man one woman. Why should not two souls who love each have the same opportunity to commit to each other and be considered legally married even if they're the same sex? The world needs more love in it and people who are willing to commit to it. As I stated before, heteros have done plenty to destroy the institution of marriage all on their own. My motto is live and let live.
Everyone believes differently so that affects how they see the world and the issues we face.
Your statement Last time I checked God rules over the supreme court and will hold us all accountable for their flawed decisions. is really what galls me the most. I believe we're in charge of our own decisions down here - if we weren't why were we given brains to think and to ask questions? Not to mention I don't have that vision of God. My God is obviously different from yours, again I respect what you believe, but please don't try to claim that you know for sure that we're all going to hell because of Roe vs Wade, because I don't believe that for one second.
We've all got to work together and live together on this planet egardless of what we believe and it will go more peacefully if we can just live and let live and allow for vast differences of opinion.
You are a very intelligent and thoughtful person. Please understand that I said nothing about Hell. I only said God will hold us accountable. How he deals with us and the issue with Hell is his business. As a Christian, I am NEVER in a position to condemn anyone. I have no authority to do so and would never think of myself as better than anyone else in this regard or any other for that matter.
The issue here continues to be that there is a moral absolute. That absolute is determined by a higher authority. I believe we can both agree on that even though our definitions of authority may be different. My God hold nothing above the value of human life, born or unborn. We should, as a society, be VERY careful to make it to convenient to destroy life, be it born or unborn just because someone doesn't want a child after they created one or whether it is someone that is tired of living. All of that is God's business. And there is where I stated that the supreme court, as agents of the US and our society will be accountable to God if they tamper with His business.
You are right that we all need to live harmoniously. Each person in America can live as they choose and with a partner of their choice as long as they live within the framework of our society's laws. If they want that relationship to be outside the normal definition of marriage as determined by our current laws, then they should seek an alternative arrangement such as a civil union. That would be outside the dominon of what God established as a marriage between a man and a woman. That alternative would be fine with the Christians I know. We can respect that. Just don't try to change the traditional, God established definition of marriage. It is clearly definied in the Bible, and is what is accepted as the truth in our society.
You are right in that we are responsible for our own decisions. God give us the ability and freedom to choose our way in life. But, as a society, if we decided to make murder legal, that goes against God's laws and He has said he will hold all of us accountable. Obviously, not that we would do that, but then there would have been a time in our society when abortion on demand or gay marriage would have been totally unthinkable. We have to be careful in how far we go with changing tradtions and values.
Abortion of need to save a life - acceptable alternative.
Abortion on demand because it is inconveniet - not acceptable.
Civil union - acceptable alternative.
Gay marriage - unacceptable.
The point is we need to be sure that our changes are acceptable to God. And I see the destructive path we've already taken. You say that it was heteros that have messed up marriage. I say it is too many attorneys all about making money and the despicable decisions of our courts. They went too far, and once again, God will in some way hold us all accountable for this.
Just as he has for orignal sin, because we just keep on doing the same dumb things.
In the meantime, let us all continue to communicate and support each other and provide guidance where we can for the sake of each other.
Perhaps Americans will wake up some day and see that change comes from the mass of electibles (the Congress) not necessarily the Presidency. We still need to throw the rascals out that started the financial mess - Hello Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.
I never said it about Government solving anything. That is what happened when courts caved in to the special interests and pandered to those that wanted to change tradition. If that hadn't started, we wouldn't be talking about it now. Case in point - Californa voter clearly rejected Gay marriage. That didn't stop judges from going against the will of the people because they had their own agenda. Last time I checked, the judicial system is part of the government. Since we can't get them to stop legislating from the bench, where does that leave us?
One day after Obama was elected, Pelosi is meeting with the Big 3 auto makers to help bailout their debts to the UAW ($25 billion), plus $75 billion in low-interest loans. Unfortunately, we already had to bail out the financial markets to assist with a global crisis. Pelosi wants to assist poorly ran automotive companies that are strong-armed by outdated unions, because the Democratic Party is in bed with the unions.
Unions have run their course. They were important in the 1930’s to assist with creating today’s infinite labor laws. The judicial system has enough labor laws in place to protect today’s employees. I have done enough consulting work with manufacturing companies to know that nobody benefits from the unions, except the union leaders. Workers and more importantly companies are forced to meet unrealistic demands.
The federal government already has an ownership stake in financial institutions and is now looking into ownership stakes of the US automotive companies. What is next: insurance companies, health care, increased welfare and government benefits? We are headed down a treacherous road that has socialistic characteristics. I believe our founding fathers came to America to create a country with minimal government control, based on free enterprise. We are becoming everything they fought (and died) to change. Today, we are being governed by lawyers and lobbyists. It is my belief that the federal government should manage interstate commerce (i.e. stock market) and protecting our borders. They fail miserably at both. Watching Senators grandstanding at steroid trials makes me sick. If they want to increase welfare and government benefits, then I want to see mandatory drug testing and fitness examines (i.e. weight requirements). If you don’t stay drug free and within mandated fitness standards, no assistance (free ride).
Here is the brutal truth: in most cases wealthy people are wealthy for a reason and poor people are poor for a reason. Redistribution of wealth is not healthy for the economy and ultimately not fair.
the courts have not caved in to the special interest. the courts decisons are founded on constitutional rights that were established for all u.s. citizens, regardless of whether the decision adheres to your particular religious doctrine. as long as government is in the business of marriage, then gay people have every right to marriage as well.
what happened recently in California is the rights of a minority group were put up to a popular vote by the majority and the minority lost. how can this be? what if we would have put the rights for women and black americans up for a popular vote at one time in the past? you may recall your religious doctrine was also used to justify the denial of constitutional rights to women and black americans.
why would anyone choose to live as a gay man/woman when society is largely hostile to it? do you think being gay is such an attractive choice when gays have to constantly endure the insults and ignorance of people like you?
by the way, when did you decide to make the choice to be gay or straight? although you may not understand homosexuality, it is not acceptable for the majority to take away constitutional rights from this minority group. you will feel ashamed of your position on this issue one day.