Inauguration 2009

Two months ago I resigned myself to the fact that I would not be going to Washington for the 2009 Inauguration. It was just too much of a hassle and too expensive. With my new job, I was unable to even take the day off of work. I was fine with this. It was out of my head.

Last night at the Community Shares of Greater Cleveland Young Professionals mixer, something happened that changed all of this. I was approached with an opportunity to stay and go for a really cheap price. Everything fell into place. Before I made my decision, there were professional and personal obligations that I had to weigh. The decision became tougher and tougher to make, and then more things fell into place. I was still torn and then I found the video below. It brought back all of my election blog entries along with every feeling I had on election night and then my decision was made. I am going to attend the 2009 Inauguration of our 44th President and I am going to love every minute of it. Needless to say, The Save A Lot Experiment of 2009 is going to be temporarily put on hold unless I find one in the DC area. Enjoy the video! Special thanks goes out to Jed Lewison for making such a great piece that continuously brings back all the emotions of that special night.

Blog Vacation

Like Barack Obama, I was offered a new job last Tuesday. His position is a little more exciting than mine, but it's still a transition nonetheless. I have been quite busy the past week, and probably will be for the next week or so until I get settled into my new position. With this in mind, I probably won't be blogging nearly as much. In case the two of you who actually read my blog get bored, you can always watch one of my favorite videos:
The first Sarah Palin spotting on SNL:

Why I Early Voted

I voted three weeks ago. The process was so easy. I was one of three people voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Thursday, October 9. My co-workers, many of whom still are not at work yet because they are standing in line voting, mocked me and said my vote wouldn't be counted. It was counted this past weekend along with all the other absentee ballots in Cuyahoga County. I have slept like a baby for the past three nights knowing I have already voted and my vote has been counted.

This morning our alarm clock went off at 5:30. My girlfriend had to get up earlier than usual to vote. As she drove off to wait in line, I watched CNN and got ready for work peacefully. I left a little early to go get my free Starbucks coffee, which every person who voted today is able to get. I was the only one at Starbucks. I flashed my "I voted sticker" which I kept because they gave me three of them back on October 9 when there was a sticker surplus. I saw another person in there who had just left the polls. She looked excited but tired. I gave her a refreshed smile and a look of confidence that every Obama supporter is passing on today, and kept on my merry way. As I drove to work, I passed lines of people standing outside waiting to vote. I got a text from my girlfriend who voted but didn't get a sticker for her free coffee. Apparently there were no stickers to be found. Bummer. I listened to CNN on my XM radio, and found out there are already voting machine issues in major battleground cities. Can someone explain to me how five of the seven voting machines in Richmond VA, have already broken after only an hour? (Aunt Mary: you live in Richmond, whats going on with your Board of Elections?) I was the first person at work today. As more people walked in, there were stories of long lines and the inability to vote due to time constraints. I just sipped on my free coffee and tried not to mock them as they had mocked me only three weeks earlier.

Sarah Palin Makes Halloween Fun!

For Halloween this year I decided to dress up as Sarah Palin's house and Julie decided to go as Russia. Sarah Palin inspired this idea with her brilliant quotes regarding the way Alaskans can see Russia, and this in return made Palin qualified on foreign relations issues. I am really going to miss her in two days!

This is the costume. I was Palin's house and Julie was Russia. Good Times:


Here is our inspiration:

The Opposite Of Hope

When a candidate builds somebody up so much like John McCain has done with "Joe The Plumber" there are bound to be Frankenstein moments when the monster turns against you. This video sums up that moment as "Joe" (His real name is Samuel by the way) stands McCain up at a rally. McCain then proceeds to say how he saw "Joe" on television that morning. Shouldn't Joe be watching McCain on television and not the other way around? I have to admit I felt sorry for McCain after watching this video, but that quickly faded as I found out "Joe" is about to sign a country record deal. Nice job McCain Campaign: You really are helping the unemployment crisis (at least for one man).

HOPE.

At an early age, my mom instilled in me how much politics can impact you emotionally. She would re-tell stories of the way she would feel when she listened to JFK speak before he was elected. I feel like I was there with her when she found out JFK had been shot, not because she told that story so many times, but because of the way she told it. I always wanted to feel that way about a candidate. To have a president inspire me. To give me someone to believe in the way she believed in JFK.

Today I drive home from work and listen to Barack Obama and get goosebumps. He inspires me. He speaks to me. I relate to what he has to say not just about the economy but on foreign policy and education. My hot button topic is education. I work in education. I work with college students everyday who can't afford to go to school. Obama is the only candidate who has asked these students to join him. To join him and give back to this country with community service and volunteering and he will help them go to school. This concept is not new, but it seems to have been forgotten. Nothing inspires me more and gives me more hope for this country than listening to Obama speak about everyone working together, and the opportunities this can lead to for the future. We as a people have to be accountable not only for ourselves, but we also have to be accountable for the future of our country. Take care of ourselves and take care of our neighbors and the country will do it's best to take care of you. Is this such a crazy concept? Is this such a new concept? Does "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?" sound familiar?(Barack Obama speaking in the rain in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, October 28th, even after the Mccain campaign canceled their Pennsylvania commitments due to the weather)

Sports Socialism

If you are following the current landscape of the 2008 election, you would know that the new catch phrase is "Redistribution of Wealth," and it is being used against Barack Obama. This is a fun phrase that the GOP and Fox News like to use to scare people into believing this will be the first time in their life they will have to pay taxes, and that those taxes are going to go directly to a non-deserving population of people. They are even calling him a Socialist. To these people apparently a Socialist is someone who believes those at the bottom deserve a chance, and with that chance, a more competitive market place will occur at home and abroad. This is not Socialism, it's common sense. If you are a sports fan, you see this annually when your favorite team drafts a new player. To make this more relevant to Cleveland sports fans, I want to remind you of the 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers stunk. They tied for the worst record in the league. Thankfully for the Socialist mentality of the NBA, and other major sports leagues, the worst teams in the league draft first. They do this to create a more competitive league by giving the worst teams a redistribution of wealth. That particular draft brought LeBron James to Cleveland and the rest is history. If the NBA didn't believe in fairness, then LeBron would have gone to the Los Angeles Lakers who won the championship the year before, and they would have continued to win championships year after year. This would have become boring, and fans would have stopped attending games for small market teams. This most likely would have ended up in a bailout for these small market teams and perhaps an emergency plan-maybe even a 700 billion dollar emergency plan-to help out these small market teams who never received the chance at a top draft pick. Even in my fantasy football league, the worst team gets the first shot at free agents every week. I almost called the Commissioner of my league this week to complain and call him a Socialist, but then I realized he was just being fair. Because of this Socialist fantasy football policy my last place team two weeks ago, has now won two games in a row, and we have HOPE that we can make the playoffs. We were given a chance to do something with our team, whether we did or not was up to us, but at least we had a chance.

If hope, fairness and chances are how the GOP is going to re-define socialism, then count me in because I am a small-market sports fan that loves fantasy football and loves this country. For now on, just call me Jo-Anne Six Pack, the Socialist.

Sportygrrl Election Homework: read this article from the New Yorker to see how much McCain actually AGREES with Obama AND Biden's policy and comments on taxation.
This excerpt is from the article:
During the 2000 campaign, on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” a young woman asked McCain why her father, a doctor, should be “penalized” by being “in a huge tax bracket.” McCain replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.” The exchange continued:
YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism and stuff?. . .
MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of comfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more.

Fantasy Football Players Care About The Election Too!

For the sake of this blog, let's forget that I watch CNN 20 hours a day (My girlfriend thinks I have a serious problem, but I just call it Electionitis). Let's also forget that I could recite all four stump speeches that each candidate gives everyday (I have the scars to prove it my friends). What if I didn't follow everything going on in the current election like it was my job? Like many Americans who don't have the time or the patience to listen to every single thing being said and written about, I would most likely get my news from the periodicals that I normally read, such as ESPN The Magazine and one of my favorite writers, Rick Reilly. Reilly isn't a politcal commentator. He writes about real life and he does it really well. If I was an undecided voter without the knowledge of 20 hours of CNN a day, this story from Reilly last week would have helped me make my decision because when I am not watching CNN, I am obsessing over fantasy football (in case this is your first time to my blog, I really like fantasy football A LOT). With that in mind, you can imagine how excited I was to read this article written by Reilly about his fantasy football partner, Barack Obama (It's important to note that Reilly asked both candidates to play a week of fantasy football with him, but only Obama agreed to the challenge):

I have the absolute worst fantasy league football partner. Just try to get the guy to return a call. Or a text. You need a damn court order.

He's Barack Obama. And, yeah, I guess he's busy, but why was I the one who had to fly to Dayton, get frisked and have bomb dogs drool on my bags just so I could meet him getting off his tricked-out, chartered 757? He can't meet a guy halfway?

I asked each candidate to be my running mate for one week in a fantasy league, just to see what kind of president he'd make—how he'd handle decisions under pressure and balance a budget. (On ESPN.com's Gridiron Challenge, you get a mystical $50M to spend on a team.) Only Obama bit. We settled on the Week 6 games.

Still, you talk about bossy. I thought he'd let the professional sportswriter do most of the picking while the wonk occasionally looked up from some Pakistan brief and nodded. Yeah, not exactly. When I got on his campaign bus, all three flat screens were tuned to ESPN. Obama was sitting in a black leather swivel chair, reading the paper. "Hey, man, I'll be with you in a second," he said. "I'm poring over the latest economic news." It was the USA Today NFL stats page.

He is taller, grayer and quicker to laugh than I expected. Moves sort of like an athlete—cool and smooth. "Now, you're the expert," he began. "And I'll gladly be the junior partner in this, but I really think we should take Drew Brees. He could have a big week. Oakland's secondary is a wreck."

Ohhhh, so that's how it's going to be. "Well, I like Carson Palmer," I said. "He's due for a big week, plus he plays in Ohio and I figure that's a state you need, so …"

He looked at me like I'd stuck my elbow in his soup. "Man, this is more important than politics!" he insisted. "This is football!"

This is a man who could potentially audit me forever. We paid $7.3M for Brees.
He wanted Clinton Portis. I wanted Adrian Peterson. We took Portis ($6.6M). He wanted Brandon Marshall. I wanted Bernard Berrian. We took Marshall ($5.7M).
Doesn't work well with others. Check.

Have to admit, though, he knows his stuff. Turns out, he played a little. He was a tight end in ninth grade until a coach told him to "trample" an opponent's back. He gave up football for hoops. In 2004, when Mike Ditka considered running against him for Senate, Obama—remembering how Ditka let William Perry score a Super Bowl TD instead of Walter Payton—said that "anybody who would give the ball to Refrigerator Perry instead of Sweetness doesn't have very good judgment." Ditka didn't run. "Too bad," Obama says. "We were hoping he would."

Likes to bait Hall of Famers. Check.

It took us 30 minutes to pick nine slots. The man was into it. I said I'd need to talk to him the following week about how we did.

"Cool," he said. "How's Tuesday?"

"Sorry," I said. "Getting married Tuesday."

He looked stunned. "Who'd marry you?"

Wise guy. Check.

We wound up in a dark tunnel under Fifth Third Field in Dayton for a campaign event. He was telling me a story about throwing out a first pitch when suddenly I heard over the PA system, "… the next president of the United States, Barack Obama!" He looked at me, said "Gotta go!" and sprinted up some steps to a thunderclap of a roar.

Afterward, while signing books, he asked if I thought we'd win. "Win?" I said. "There's like a gazillion teams in this thing!"

He glared a hole in me. "You think we're just messing around?"

Then Sunday came. Man, did he get lucky. The guys he made us choose—Brees and Portis—went nuts. The guys I wanted, not so much. We finished 32,190th for the week. But wait! That put us in the 81.2 percentile, which means we beat four out of five teams!

Of course, he already knew. Because, like so many Americans, he was checking the fantasy stats all day, even while he was supposed to be prepping for his final debate. He e-mailed to say he wished he had followed my advice on Berrian (who smoked Marshall), but he was "pumped up" about our numbers. And he congratulated the newlyweds.

I e-mailed back and said that if he wins this election, the ambassadorship to Tahiti would make a nice wedding present.

Retraction

I can no longer be angry at LeBron James. He may be a Yankees fan and he may be a Cowboys fan. He may also be leaving Cleveland in two years to go play somewhere else, but he has changed my mind about all of those hard feelings. I have been impressed by the way James has gotten involved in this year's election. He has taken criticism in the past with his political stances, but I think he has finally come around to realize you can create change when you put your money where your mouth is. This is his latest gesture, and it is quite impressive considering he has already been registering voters and canvassing downtown for Obama.

My Somewhat Coherent Post-Debate Thoughts.

I have a couple thoughts on the third and final Presidential Debate last night that I would like to share with anyone who may or may not care.

1. Is it me or would you just love to play poker with John McCain? The guy has the worst poker face in the history of mankind. I have never seen anyone so excited to throw out a zinger or know an answer in my life.

2. I found it amazing that Joe the Plumber was available for live interviews right after the debate last night. I also found it amazing he came up 26 times-mostly initiated by McCain. Say it ain't so Joe...the plumber, but I find the whole thing to be a little fishy.

3. I agree with the critics that Obama missed his opportunity to criticize Sarah Palin last night. The Obama/Biden campaign is obviously trying to make her a non-issue. I am sure the McCain/Palin camp wishes she actually was. How do Joe Lieberman and Mitt Romney sleep at night knowing they could have helped McCain win this election?

4. So why did Obama not criticize Palin when he had the opportunity? He may be trying to make her a non-issue, but my real hypothesis is that he only had nine minutes to answer the question. Where do you begin to criticize the credentials of this woman? Nine minutes just is not enough.

5. Hillary Clinton's post-debate interview. I enjoyed it better than the debate. Is it me or does she seem to get smarter everyday, or is that just what John McCain thinks? Afterall, he did praise her four different times last night, while trying to compare some of his plans to her ideals. Does this mean that all the Clinton bashers who support McCain now agree with Hillary? If this is the case, than they also agree Barack Obama will be the next president. Clinton said the phrase "President Obama" every chance she got in that interview. She is really taking one for the team.

6. Speaking of taking one for the team. This is going to seem crazy, but I do believe paying taxes is patriotic. I have no problem with paying taxes. I am lucky to live in a country that has given me a chance to excel with guaranteed government student loans, and to work in a field supported by the government. I think even if you make less than $250,000, you should put it on yourself to pay an extra 3%. Do it yourself on your own terms. Help America. I will consider this my patriotic tithe. Conservatives will say people like myself don't support this country or love this country because of my liberal (though actually pretty moderate) views. I disagree with that. While I may not be taxed 3% more, I guarantee you I will now begin to give an extra 3% of my salary a year to a non-profit that Barack Obama would support when he becomes president. Community Shares, I am talking to you.

7. I will admit McCain's zinger to Obama that he should have run four years ago if he wanted to run against Bush was a great move for his campaign. Not sure why he waited so long to use it, but maybe it's because McCain and Bush really aren't all that different. View for yourself:

Now view this:


You be the judge. To me they both have a pretty bad sense of direction when it comes to this country or leaving a room for that matter.

8. My last and final thought is this: Go Vote. No matter who you want to see win this election-vote! I think it was great when the moderator, Bob Schieffer mentioned the importance of voting at the end of the debate. We live in the greatest country in the world that gives you the honor and privilege to vote for your beliefs. Take advantage of that right.

Love Hurts

Have you ever been cheated on? Even worse, have you ever found out from a third party? If so, you can imagine how I felt when I saw Brady Quinn on the evening news Wednesday night introducing John McCain as "the next President of the United States." I was heartbroken. Why Brady? Why? We were so close to having it all.

My choice now is to either work through my issues and see if I can salvage this relationship OR revenge. I am choosing revenge. Monday night when I attend the Browns/Giants game wearing my Brady Quinn jersey, I will also be wearing my "I Already Voted for Barack Obama" sticker right over Quinn's number.

As a sidenote to this story: After Quinn introduced McCain, McCain thanked him and wished him luck on Sunday. Does anyone know what Brady Quinn is doing Sunday?? I hope he isn't doing anything to hurt his chances of playing on MONDAY. Is anyone even briefing McCain before his speeches, or is he just hoping Palin will quote something smart off of a coffee cup? In case you missed it, last week Palin misquoted Madeline Albright who was quoted on the back of a Starbucks cup. I think Palin was choosing between that quote and: Caution! Beverage Is Extremely Hot!

Strongsville=Scaryville

I love the bike trails in Strongsville. I love the Brew Kettle in Strongsville. I love the way the MetroParks run through Strongsville into Berea and Rocky River. I even love tobogganing in Strongsville. As of this morning, though, there is one thing that scares me about Strongsville: The People.

Oh Caption, My Caption

I didn't think I would have time to blog before the weekend, but when I saw the photo below, I had to post it. This is the most ridiculous picture I have ever seen. Of course we all know he is fake laughing at something one of his potential voters may be saying, but the timing of the shot is priceless. You can make up your own caption for the shot, but I think mine will be: "Obama laughs at Clinton as she warms up the microphone for his acceptance speech." OR "Obama finally finds the guts to laugh at Clinton to her face instead of behind her back." OR "Obama laughs at Hillary Clinton's orange pantsuit as it becomes painfully obvious color will no longer be an issue in this election."

Paris Hilton For President

I hate all the political games. I just want November to be here. I can't stand all the banter back and forth. It is just too much to take, and it really begins to make even quasi-political people like myself start to feel apathetic. That is until you see really good non-partisan humor such as the Paris Hilton campaign ad that was just released. Last week John McCain released a commercial saying Barck Obama was similar to Paris Hilton. I think that is a bit of a stretch. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you have to see the absurdity with that comparison. Thankfully somebody was smart enough, rich enough and witty enough to come up with this response (please click the link below):

Click here to see the Paris Hilton video and then click on the video. It will make your day or just keep making my day. Either way-it's funny!

Die Republikaner Zählen Einen Punkt

I usually feel like a pretty smart person. I know I can be a little ignorant on some issues, but it wasn't until I traveled abroad when I realized how very little I actually knew about the world. When we were in Ireland we met people from all over the world who were concerned with what was going on in the United States. They asked us about political and financial issues because they knew they would also be affected by these problems. I never had anything to ask back. I knew so little about the world when I thought I knew so much. The people we met never looked down on us for not knowing about their politics. One Australian woman even said without trying to be patronizing: "We don't expect Americans to know what is going on outside of the United States." That was sad. Real sad.

So what's my point here?

Yesterday, Barack Obama was speaking in Berlin Germany. He seems to understand the importance of meeting with world leaders and speaking to people from other countries. I am glad he understands this election is not just about America. These people can't vote for him, but they can listen to his message. While Obama was in Germany speaking yesterday, John McCain also had a speaking engagement. According to CNN, McCain was giving a press conference from Schmidt's Sausage Haus in German Village, a small German section of Columbus. He really showed Obama who loves Germans more, didn't he? Is the Republican National Committee not raising enough money to get McCain overseas? One reason they may be low on funds would be this passage from the same article: "At the same time (Obama was in Germany), the Republican National Committee was running anti-Obama ads in Berlin, Pa., and other namesake villages in Wisconsin and New Hampshire." I can't believe I wondered why people thought Americans were ignorant toward world politics and issues. There is no difference between Berlin Germany and Berlin New Hampshire, is there? Score one for the Republicans (see German translation above).

Popeye For Vice President

John McCain should be working at the Tarot Card shop in Ohio City. Apparently he can tell the future because he sees an end to the war in Iraq in 2013. It looks like he is already campaigning for his second term with this brilliant plan. In essence if you vote for him now, he will put an abrupt end to the war just in time for his second term. I don't know about you, but the first image that popped into my head was Wimpy from Popeye and now I can't get: "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today" every time I see McCain on television.

One more observation for McCain supporters. Remember how you chose George Bush over McCain in the primary eight years ago, and now even you can't wait for Bush to leave office? In summary, you want to vote for someone that you didn't like as much as George Bush who now has the lowest approval rating of any U.S. president. That adds up about as much as McCain's proposed economic plan.

About Face

People say Hillary Clinton is two-faced, but I beg to disagree. I believe she has so many more faces than two. I can't decide if she is the least or most photogenic person I have ever seen. Decide for yourself:

Hallmark: When You Care Enough To Watch All The Election Results

I had a co-worker come up to me this morning and say: "I am so sorry. I thought about you last night when I saw Dennis Kucinich had won his congressional seat." I thanked her as if I was at a wake. This then got me thinking that they should make election day-after greeting cards. In my case, it would go like this: "I am so sorry for your loss and the landslide victory the congressman you despise was able to win in your district. I want you to know I am here if you need me." Signed, Co-worker/friend/etc...

Why I Didn't Vote For Hillary: A Confession From A White Feminist

Yes, the title of this blog sounds like a Lifetime Movie, but I really feel my decision was that dramatic. I didn't make it until the last minute, and I have been riding the fence for three weeks, but this morning I voted for Barack Obama. It wasn't Barack's speeches, or the stardust he threw around as one of my friends would like to say. It wasn't about my white guilt or reparations. It wasn't based on gender because they both have very liberal views on women's issues and choice. It wasn't about health care, the economy or foreign policy though some politicos might cringe to hear that. (I found that their policies were both so similar it was often hard to really tell them apart). It wasn't based on experience because I have been on enough search committees to know experience isn't nearly as important as other variables when it comes to selecting a candidate. It was based on the following scenario: Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. As hard as I tried, I didn't like the way that looked and what it meant to our government. What it meant is that we would have the same lobbyists, scandals and favors coming in and out of Washington as if the city were a revolving door. If George W. Bush invaded Iraq because his father failed to do it right, what is Hillary Clinton going to complete for Bill Clinton and their political friends?

I wrote the majority of this blog post before I voted because I thought I was confident in my decision, but the truth is, this decision was a lot harder than I thought it would be. It was hard to not vote for a woman that I knew would be more competent than what we have had for the past eight years. Though my teenage nieces are more competent women than our current president, so it doesn't have much to do with gender. I admit to liking Hillary, probably more than most people, but I am ready for change. We need new corruption. I am tired of the same bribery and scandals that we have had for the past 20 years. I want new deception and lies and I believe Barack Obama is the man to do that.

Browns Sign Clinton and Obama

You can't go anywhere in Northeast Ohio without seeing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I mean this literally. In past elections, the Ohio primary took place so late that the candidates for each party had already been decided (see: John McCain). This year both Obama and Clinton can't seem to get out of Ohio. Just yesterday Obama was down the road at Valley Forge High School as Hillary was a little farther east in Youngstown before she came to Akron this afternoon. She will be holding a rally at Cleveland State University tonight. They will both be back in Cleveland next Monday and Tuesday before the election. This 2008 primary is really starting to overshadow the Browns' Free Agent signings-so much so that I am beginning to think the Browns signed both Clinton and Obama. Can you even imagine? Let's Try:

CLEVELAND - The Browns made two signings today to shore up both their secondary and receiving corps by signing strong safety Hillary Clinton and slot receiver Barack Obama. Both players were signed to four-year contracts with the option for four more years, though no money is guaranteed for either player.

Clinton, a strong safety out of Wellesly College, has promised to defend the long bomb against defenders. Her services will come in handy as the Browns secondary only had 17 interceptions last year and is one of the youngest in the league. Clinton has been tauted as one of the most fiery veterans available, but has never been seen as a team player. "I don't care if people like me," Clinton said. "My coaches know I can get the job done and I am here to do that."

Obama, a slot reciever out of Columbia University, has promised to prove his critics around the league wrong who say he is too young to start. He has yet to show much in his first three years, but the Browns were willing to take a chance on him based on scouting reports. "I really think I can surprise some people at this level," Obama said. "I have fought through adversity before."

Browns fans seem torn on this decision by General Manager Phil Savage. It seems that 51 percent of the fans are happy, 47 percent of the fans are unhappy and two percent of the fans are undecided. Season ticket holder Dennis Kucinch* had this to say: "I am really disappointed they didn't at least try me out for the team. I might be little, but I really know how to fake people out."

*The writer of this blog is hopeful people will vote Dennis Kucinich out next Tuesday. Please consider voting for Joe Cimperman!