Getting political. Part 1

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." - Samuel Adams

If there ever was a time to "get political" it would be now. The presidential race is in full swing and has dominated news stations for the past six months. Regardless of the outcome of this presidential election it will be an election of firsts. We will either have our first African American president in Barak Obama or we will have our first female Vice-President in Sarah Palin. It should be an exciting time to be an American.

Unfortunately I am currently feeling disenfranchised by our political system. As an avid Ron Paul supporter I have become cynical about the role the mass media and the party system plays in elections, specifically presidential elections. Unless you have the media or your political party on your side you do not have a chance at being President of the United States.

Ron Paul is a Republican with enormous grassroots support who talks about how the Republican party has strayed from its roots. He raised record amounts of money this past winter, but was hardly given any recognition or time with the mass media. He was laughed at and ignored during the Republican debates even though he is a man of integrity and wisdom. His voting record backs up everything he says and he is willing to say things that are unpopular if they are the truth. He has been against the Iraq war from the beginning, even when it was the unpopular stance to take, and he believes the federal government has over stepped their boundaries.

http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com/news/

I was so excited about Ron Paul, a true "maverick," and the ideas he would bring to the presidency. It was very disheartening to watch how he was smeared by the media and the Republican party. To be honest I am not excited about either John McCain or Barak Obama. I think they are both dishonest and not men of integrity. I think both contenders are willing to make whatever promises they need to in order to be elected.

This assignment of "getting political" will be a stretch for me. After Ron Paul dropped out of the race I was tempted not to even vote this Novemeber. I will use this assignment though to learn more about the candidates and hopefully make an informed decision that will allow me to choose the lesser of two evils this November.