2012 Presidential Candidates Update!

Apologies to those who could care less about politics, but for some reason the subject fascinates me. I am not an official member of any political party and I still believe that the problems we have as a nation cannot be blamed on any one political party, but squarely on "WE THE PEOPLE" who let our own elected officials do the things they do without holding them accountable. That said, here is a current update on who is officially running for President of the United States for 2012. (The two major parties only at this time.)

Democrats (1) -- President Barack Obama. No other Democrat has chosen to run against our sitting President to this point.

Republicans (10) -- Michele Bachmann (Current U.S. Rep. from Minnesota), Herman Cain (Former Federal Reserve Banker and Businessman from Georgia), Newt Gingrich (Former Speaker of the House and former Rep. from Georgia), Jon Huntsman, Jr. (Former Gov. of Utah and former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore and China), Gary Johnson (Former Gov. of New Mexico), Ron Paul (Current U.S. Rep. from Texas), Rick Perry (Current Governor of Texas), Buddy Roemer (Former Gov. of Louisiana), Mitt Romney (Former Gov. of Massachusetts) and Rick Santorum (Former Governor of Pennsylvania).

Please choose your candidates carefully!

NOTE: Shortly after this post was posted, Former Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty announced he was withdrawing from his campaign for President.

And the GOP Candidates Are....? (So Far)

The Republican list of Candidates who hope to oust President Obama, is growing. The number is now up to 10.

Here is the List of Republicans who have officially declared their candidacy so far... (By the way, no Democrat has filed to run for President against current President Barack Obama!)

Michele Bachmann -- U.S. Congresswoman from Minnesota

Herman Cain ... Former Federal Reserve Banker and Businessman from Georgia.

Newt Gingrich ... Former Speaker of the House from Georgia

Jon Huntsman, Jr. -- Former Governor of Utah and U.S. Ambassador to China and Singapore.

Gary Johnson ... Former Governor of New Mexico

Ron Paul ... U.S. Congressman from Texas

Tim Pawlenty ... Former Governor of Minnesota

Buddy Roemer ... Former Governor of Louisiana

Mitt Romney ... Former Governor of Massachusetts

Rick Santorum .. Former Governor of Pennsylvania

I am sure there will be at least two/three more before it's over; however, these are your Republican choices for the moment.

By the way I am neither Republican or Democrat, I am just very interested in politics.

This and That and Miscellaneous Stuff!

Over the past few weeks, I have found it hard to find topics to blog about. Finally, I just decided that I would do a potpourri of various topics until something just stands out.

While driving through the Dallas/Ft. Worth area recently, my wife and I kept seeing the billboards with pictures of people saying, "I am Second!", with the web-site IAmSecond.com underneath. We finally looked this site up. It is a site dedicated to people who are in recovery from various addictive behaviors. These recovering addicts tell their stories about how they realized that they needed God to help them in their lives. By putting God "first" in their lives and putting themselves "second" they are working to overcome their problems and stay on the road to recovery. It is a cool site. I really like the story of Josh Hamilton, who currently plays outfield for my Texas Rangers.

Speaking of the Texas Rangers, baseball season is almost upon us. This is my favorite sport by far of the major 4 (Baseball, Football, Basketball, and Hockey) in the United States. It seems the Rangers are going to have to rely heavily on their young pitchers to step up and perform well. I agree with the Rangers strategy of not "breaking the bank" to sign big name players, and I hope our young guys, with some veteran support can do well this year. If I get to attend any Ranger games live this year, I will have to get a Josh Hamilton t-shirt.

Other news from the baseball front. It seems the ever so wonderful, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroid use back in 2003. Well, well, what a surprise! It seems baseball's golden boy did a little juicing himself. What is really sad, because of this recent scandal, one sports writer has resorted to calling the Rangers the worst abusers of steroids in baseball. The nerve of that guy. I am not going to sit here and say none of the Texas Rangers have ever used steroids, but to call them the worst abusers in the league; Come on man!

I refuse to comment on the goings on with our nation's government. If you have read any of my past blogs, I think you know I feel about throwing out billions of dollars to agencies, businesses, and even the common tax payers in an effort to stop the current financial crisis we are in. Hey, I am not about to turn down free money, if it comes my way, but I think we brought this crisis on ourselves by not being good stewards of the boundless blessings God gave us. Throwing more money our way will not help us learn the lessons we need to learn to prevent this from happening again in the future. I guess I commented after all! Sorry!

Sunday, our preacher, gave us an excellent lesson about. "Flying Stand-By!" Have you ever flown stand-by? I have not. People who fly stand-by have to wait to find out if someone else has cancelled a flight or if their will be any unbooked seats on a plane in order to board that particular flight. It creates lots of uncertainties and stress because they do not know if they will be able to board the plane or not. People who have already booked their flights and have their tickets can arrive at the gate with a more relaxed attitude because they know they are going to get on the plane.

As Christians many of us live like we are on "stand-by" when it comes to our eternal salvation. Despite the many promises of God and the gift of Grace through the death of Jesus, many Christians have not accepted God's "free ticket" to get into Heaven. We still believe we have to earn our way into Heaven. We live a life of uncertainty, as if we are unsure if we will get into Heaven or not. Those Christians who have fully accepted the Grace of God through Jesus, can live a life focused on the important things we have to do while still here on this Earth. We can relax (to an extent) knowing we are going to going to live with our King forever. All we have to be concerned about is fighting the battle against darkness and making sure others know that God has give them a free-ticket on the plane to Heaven.

Also just to catch you up on the recent concerns regarding Jamie's health; read her recent blog about what is going on with her health.

Romans 13: 1-7 (Submission to the Authorities)

In a highly charged election year, many of us are wondering who the best choice for President of the United States really is. Many of us have wondered, how can we get away without paying our taxes to a government that is not wisely spending our tax dollars. Many of us wonder are we really heading down a "Socialist" path of government. Obama or McCain?

I have an idea...Give God Control! You vote your conscience and then let God take control and work his will in our lives. Despite who wins the upcoming election, God gives us very clear instructions on how to live, in regards to our government situation. It is found in Romans 13: 1-7

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment to the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

This is why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor." -- NIV

It doesn't matter who gets elected...If Obama or McCain turns out to be a great president and America prospers, then God is rewarding us for doing what is right. If we suffer as a nation, then God is just using the winner of the election to carry out his "wrath" on us for not being obedient to His will. God will put the person HE wants into the White House, and if we are obedient to God's will, then we will have nothing to fear. So go vote and trust that God has His best interest for us at heart.

A Response Letter from Sen. John Cornyn (R) Texas

This letter was written in response to A Letter to My Elected Officials about the government's plan to help the economy.

Dear Mr. English:

Thank you for contacting me about the current financial crisis. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter. I, like many Texans, am angry and frustrated that the United States is in the current financial crisis. As a strong supporter of the free market, I am opposed to unnecessary government intervention in the economy. As you know, the federal government has recently taken several steps to ensure that our financial system remains stable for the growth of our economy. Any actions by the federal government must be temporary and limited. Furthermore, any taxpayer money that is used to support our troubled economy must be subject to strict oversight and be repaid—in full—to the American people. Hard-working, financially responsible Texans should not have to pay for the irresponsible behavior of corporate executives who abused their positions. These executives must now be held fully accountable under the law.

The current financial crisis was caused, to a large extent, by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—two government sponsored enterprises that played a central role in the much maligned mortgage market by guaranteeing loans to individuals who could not pay them back. Together, these two agencies own or guarantee nearly half of the nation’s $12 trillion mortgage market. I have long advocated that Congress reform both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an effort to protect taxpayers. In 2006, I urged the Senate Majority Leader to bring reform legislation before the full Senate after reports that Fannie Mae intentionally overstated its earnings by $10.6 billion. This reform legislation would have increased oversight and taken steps to protect taxpayers from the risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac posed to our economy. Regrettably, the Senate did not consider these reforms because special interest groups lobbied their Congressional allies to prevent this legislation from being debated.

Furthermore, risky business practices by irresponsible financial institutions have caused great stress on our credit market, limiting the amount of credit available to both individuals and businesses. America’s system of credit is the lifeblood of our economy as it affects thousands of purchases and investments made in our country each day. Without access to credit, small businesses cannot pay their employees and working families cannot receive the loans necessary to send their children to college or purchase a new home or car. It is critical for our economy that the financial crisis be prevented from spreading to families and businesses across Texas which would result in many Texans losing their jobs, diminished college funds for their children, and a loss of hard-earned retirement savings.

Finally, it is imperative that all parties associated with the current financial crisis are aggressively investigated and that any corporate executives found to be involved in criminal activities are swiftly prosecuted. I intend to ensure that a thorough criminal investigation is conducted and that those responsible for violating any criminal laws of the United States are held accountable. As such, I have called on the Attorney General to begin a criminal investigation of executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It is because of their poor—and possibly criminal—business practices that American taxpayers and our nation’s economy are in jeopardy. Soon after the Attorney General received my request, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced an investigation of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and multiple Wall Street financial firms.

I appreciate the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate and you may be certain that I will keep your views in mind as the 110th Congress draws to a close. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: (202) 224-2934Fax: (202) 228-2856
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/

A Response Letter from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) Texas

This letter was written in resonse to the letter I wrote to my elected officials in Washington.

Dear Mr. English:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

On September 19, 2008, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced a plan by the Bush Administration to stabilize the financial services sector of the economy. This plan included broad authority for the Treasury Secretary to purchase troubled financial instruments with very limited oversight and few protections for taxpayers.

In July, I voted against a similar proposed bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac because it did not provide taxpayer protection and limits on executive compensation for a government owned entity. For the same reasons, I was not willing to support the Administration’s initial proposal, and I encouraged my colleagues to continue work on a plan that would protect taxpayers, provide strict oversight, and place limits on the benefits to executives who accept taxpayer assistance.

In the days following the Treasury Secretary’s announcement, concerns about the danger to the broader economy deepened. The high-profile failure of numerous financial institutions caused the commercial lending market to accumulate and hold cash. The credit markets effectively froze, making it difficult for consumers to obtain loans for purchases such as homes and automobiles. The lack of lending in these areas began to place further pressure on the troubled housing market and threatened to spread deeper into the economy. Similarly, many small and mid-sized businesses were finding it difficult to obtain financing to meet their payroll obligations and purchase inventory. Many cities were entering the bond market and getting no bids, even with AAA ratings. The current liquidity crisis still poses a real potential for significant job losses. After consulting with numerous financial experts, small businesses, and bankers in Texas, it became clear to me that normal commercial lending activity would not resume without action by Congress.

Despite this realization, I was still not inclined to support the Paulson plan. After weeks of negotiation, however, a bi-partisan compromise was reached. While there are provisions in the bill that I do not favor and would not have drafted, overall the need for action to stabilize the market and to protect the retirement savings of millions of Americans weighed heavily on my mind. Ultimately, I supported the Senate bill along with 73 of my colleagues. The bill we passed was a major improvement over the initial plan announced by Secretary Paulson.

We increased the deposit insurance cap from $100,000 to $250,000 so that families will have added protection for savings and retirement accounts. While the initial proposal authorized up to $700 billion to purchase distressed assets, the measure we passed takes a more cautious approach, initially authorizing $250 billion and requiring the approval from Congress and the President for additional funding. Importantly, the bill we passed includes restrictions on the benefits received by executives whose companies are selling some of their distressed assets to the government. In return for purchasing the assets, taxpayers will obtain an ownership stake in the companies. Many leading economists believe that the real estate market will turn around in the foreseeable future and government owned properties and assets will be sold at a profit. A provision in this bill that I supported requires any profits realized to be placed in the nation’s treasury to reduce the deficit. If, however, after five years the government is facing a loss in the program, the President must submit a plan to Congress recommending how the money will be recouped from financial services companies. I believe that these protections are a dramatic improvement over the Administration’s initial proposal.

The bill passed by the Senate included an important package of tax policy provisions. One of these provisions is an extension of the state and local sales tax deduction, which is a matter of fairness for states like Texas that do not have a state income tax. The average Texan will save $520 when they file their federal income tax forms next year. We also shielded low and middle-income taxpayers from higher taxes associated with the flawed alternative minimum tax (AMT) and included tax incentives to spur energy production and innovation including the wind energy production tax credit and the research and development tax credit.

As Texans, we have learned to take responsibility for our actions and being asked to pay for the mistakes of others is something many, including myself, find deeply troubling. However, after careful deliberation, I believe that the risks associated with doing nothing outweighed the risk of passing a less than perfect bill that nevertheless includes important protections for taxpayers. Economic evidence clearly suggested the problems were spreading into the broader economy. That is why I voted for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act.

I appreciate hearing from you. Please do not hesitate to contact me on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,

Kay Bailey Hutchison, United States Senator
284 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov

Forget the Economy and Let's Hear From Google, then Watch the Vice-Presidential Debate

Enough about the economy, the government is going to bail out the "loser" companies, it doesn't matter if the American public wants them to or not!

And now a word from Google, the wonderful web-based organization that sponsors the blogspot blogs we read every day:

The founder and CEO of Google.com publicly supports GAY MARRIAGES!

You heard me...want proof...Co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin calls California's efforts to make gay marriage illegal, "chilling and discriminatory." Still don't believe me, read Mr. Brin's (which happens to be Google's Official blog site.

Now, how does one react to this? Do I switch blog accounts? Do I write ugly letters? Do I blog about it? (that's what I did first), or Do we just continue to pray for God's children who are mislead by Satan and his warped version of relationships. (that's what I did next)

That being said, be sure to watch the Vice-Presidential Debate tonight on CNN at 9:00 pm EST. I'm interested in seeing how Gov. Palin holds her own against the seasoned political veteran Sen. Biden. Who knows it may be even better than Saturday Night Live!

Is Congress and the President Doing What is Best for the County?

Congressional and Presidential support to limit severance pay of the executives of the failed financial institutions is growing despite the fact that the FBI is investigating these companies for possible mortgage fraud. What gets me is why the executive of these companies are getting any kind of severance package at all? When I left my job in Gilmer, after teaching 9 years and over 1,000 children, all I got was a coffee mug and a pat on the back. Actually, I didn't even get the pat on the back. These executives are going to get Millions of dollars for doing a lousy job of investing our money and possibly committing mortgage fraud or other crimes. Why?

At least some people are getting past the panic mode; Conservative members of Congress are asking the rest of the Congress to 'Take a Breather' before passing anything irrational. At least the Democrats want to limit or cut the severance pay before attempting to "bail out" these companies.

Despite the fact that over 85% of all Americans polled, in several polls, are against the "buy out" of these companies. Congress is pushing ahead with the plan to "rescue" these failed institutions. Are they really doing what is best for our nation or are they doing what is in their own best interest?

John McCain laid out his 5 Five Fixes in his recovery plan yesterday. Barack Obama is saying that "Middle Class tax-cuts are absolutely necessary and the taxpayers of our country must be protected."

Is there a legal way I can refuse to pay my taxes to a government who has lost its mind?

Two Blogs for the Price of One

How often do you hear the ads on television say buy one get one free?, or two for the price of one? Well, today is your lucky (or unlucky) day to get two blogs for the price of one.

Blog 1 -- Am I a good teacher or just a great presenter of information?

Many times I have wondered if I am a good teacher or not. I have always claimed, "I am not a great teacher, just a good one." Is that really true? After doing much soul searching and honest looking at my teaching methods and style, I have come to the conclusion that I am a better than average teacher who just happens to be a great presenter of information.

A good (or great teacher) takes the time to make sure their students truly comprehend what is expected of them and that they are able to perform that task well. Surprisingly I have found that I do not always do that. I present the information to my students in such a way that is easy to understand and easy to duplicate. If they have questions I will answer them. My weakness lies in the fact I rarely follow up to see if my students have actually grasp the "concept" of what they are being taught. I tend to throw information out there and leave them to struggle to find meaning behind what they have been given.

I have found that the best subject I teach is Math! (What a surprise considering I barely passed High School Algebra and Geometry.) My knowledge of Social Studies, History and Government far outweighs my knowledge of Math, but I have found I don't really teach those subjects; I just present them with my knowledge and move along. I have found that when I teach Math, I actually slow down and make sure they grasp the concept of what they are doing and why. I provide more examples and follow up on how they are doing in Math, more than I do any other subject I teach. You would think with my big History brain, that my students would think that was best subject. After surveying my students, they feel they learn more in Math than anything else. Maybe it's because I once struggled as they are struggling now, and I empathize with them more?

Simple knowledge of a subject does not a great teacher make. It's the ability to truly teach a concept to full understanding that does. It's a lesson this teacher still needs to learn himself.

Blog 2 -- Will the Democrats make up their mind already?

It seems after the recent victory of Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, that the Democrats are still having a hard time deciding who their presidential nominee will be. Barack Obama still leads in pledged delegates, but Hillary leads in the super delegate count. Sen. Clinton seems to win the bigger states (great for Electoral College votes), but Obama seems to win among the average Joe's. (which could also come into play in some of the smaller, yet still important, Electoral States). I just wish they would make up their minds already. They had better stop the in-fighting soon or the public may just get so fed up with them, they would rather vote for John McCain. After all he's about a Democrat as a Republican can get isn't he?

Primary Day is Upon Us in Texas

Today is the Texas Primary. Signs and people promoting the remaining candidates are everywhere.

As far as Democrats are concerned: On the return trip from Corpus Christi, I saw many people standing on overpasses waving Barack Obama signs. Young people were standing on opposite sides of street corners holding signs for Obama and Hillary Clinton. (At least the younger voters are getting involved in the election process). Obama and Clinton are also eating up the airways. TV and Radio ads are on almost every break and I am getting a little tired of both of them. I have also received phone calls from supporters of Clinton and Obama (mainly Obama) reminding me to vote in the Democratic Primary! == "What if I'm not Democrat?", I asked one of them. There response was, "Well, maybe you should consider being one this year." I laughed and hung up.

As far as Republicans are concerned: I have seen some signs for McCain here and there, but haven't heard much from him as far as TV ads or other promotions. Huckabee's supporters had a "Honk and Wave Day" a few days ago. It was a little noisy for a while but they died out quickly. I mainly see Huckabee signs on bumper stickers. Ron Paul has signs everywhere, you would think he was the front runner! It seems the Republicans are saving their advertising budget for the "Big Election" in November.

I also found out you can actually vote twice in Texas. You heard me, vote twice! Texas apparently not only has a primary, where anyone can vote in any party's primary, but they also have a caucus. So after you vote in the morning, you can attend your party's caucus that evening and vote again to help you party leaders decide who to give their delegates to. How about that? Two votes in one day! (I learned that from an Obama telephone message left on my answering machine at home.)

Watch the news to see how our fair state votes. We will do our best to leave those of you in Indiana a choice when your primary comes around in May.

Another Crazy Indian Joins the Race for Big Chief

Just when you thought the number of Indians running for Big Chief was dwindling, along comes another Indian. Today, Ralph Nader announced he is running for President as an Independent candidate. Even though I seriously doubt he will pull off a winning campaign, it was his influence in the past two elections, the Democrats blame for taking just enough votes away from them, that the Republicans won the White House. Will Nader do it again? To visit Mr. Nader's official campaign web-site click here.

To update you once again on the current candidates...

Still running for the Democrat nomination: Hillary Clinton & Barack Obama (OK, Mike Gravel supporters...technically Mr. Gravel has not officially dropped out, he has not won any delegates and has absolutely no chance at winning the nomination.)

Still running for the Republican nomination: John McCain & Mike Huckabee (OK, Ron Paul supporters...I know Rep. Paul has not officially dropped out either. I also know you guys are crazy about your candidate, but he has been mathematically eliminated from the race.)

Click on the names of the candidates to learn more about them and how they "currently" stand on some of the major issues.

This's and Thats

This is an observation I made during my men's Bible study class last Wednesday night. The room we study in does not have a visible clock for us to check our time. Somewhere near the end of class the study leader asked what time is was, to make sure he wouldn't start something new and not have enough time to discuss it. Every man in the class who was abt. 50 or older looked at their wrist to see the watch they were wearing. Every man in the class who was abt. 40 or younger (this included me, even though I will be 41 on Tuesday), pulled out their cell-phones to check the time. I guess it is a "sign-of-the-time" so to speak. It really showed the dependency the younger generations have on the new technology.

That Nintendo Wii is back. It has already started to eat away at our quality family time together. It arrived back a little quicker than we thought it would. It was waiting on our front porch (thanks to UPS) when we got home from school and work on Thursday. There has already been one argument over playing it and since it located in the main living room, it uses the main television so "I" (selfish) can't watch some DVD movies we have from Netflix. I sort of enjoyed the quite we had around the house without the Wii. Somehow I think Satan just loves video games and television. Maybe my family should follow the example of Tech Daddy and give up television and video games. They seem to be doing fine without them.

This is what I think of the "CONSPIRACY" the home entertainment system is forcing us to conceed to. I don't like the fact that we have to buy a "converter type box" just to "downgrade" the new High Definition television signals, so we can watch television on our older televisions. Our television works just fine without High Definition why do we have pay extra money just to keep watching television that we still won't get in High Definition? It's another reason why we should possibly give up television like Tech Daddy. Another "CONSPIRACY" is the plan to stop making DVD style movies. Many movie companies plan to start using Blue-Ray for all their new movies within the few years. This means that all my DVD movies that I have (that I had just almost finished switching over from VHS), must now be switched over to Blue-Ray. A young fellow at Game Stop advised me to just buy a Sony PS3 game system instead of a regular Blue-Ray disc player. He told me the PS3 will not only play the PS3 and PS2 games, it will also play regular DVD movie discs as well as the new High Def. or Blue-Ray discs. Great that's all I need is another video game system in our house. I'm telling you it's a Conspiracy!

That recent lunar eclipse that just happened. Well, we couldn't see it. Storms were moving in that night and totally blocked our view of this semi-rare event. We saw the first part of the Earth's shadow start to cover the moon, then the clouds rolled in. The only images we saw after that were on TV or pictures from the internet. What a bummer. We really wanted to see the eclipse.

On another note: I'm already tired of the Presidential campaign commercials appearing on my TV. Every morning I am greeted with Hillary or Barack telling me how they are the better choice for change in America! I have only seen one McCain ad, and surprisingly I have not seen any Huckabee ads. There are some Ron Paul signs up and about along with Obama signs. I'm just ready to vote on March 4 and get my primary over with. At least us Texans still have somewhat of a choice when we vote. I hope you bloggers in Indiana still have a choice on who to vote for by the time your primary comes around in May.

Finally the Voters are Showing Their Power!

Six Little Indians still running for Prez.
The Power of Math eliminates two,
That leaves 4 wanna-be chiefs,
Who will you choose?

Democratic candidate Mike Gravel refuses to give up his bid for the Democratic nomination, despite not having won a single delegate. Mathmatically there is no possible way for him to win the nomination, so I'm cutting him from my list of little Indians.

Ron Paul on the other hand, is still carrying on his campaign for the Republican nomination. He has won delegates in several states, but alas Math is also against Rep. Paul. Even Ron Paul seems to have recognized the facts and has recently announced that he is cutting back spending on his Presidential bid to focus on his re-election campaign for the House of Representatives in Texas. Therefore; I am also cutting him from my list of little Indians.

The remaining little Indians are making this election year one of the most exciting times for nominating a President that I have ever seen.

Just in case you live in hole and do not know who the remaining 4 Indians are:
For the Democrats, there are former First Lady and current New York Senator, Hillary Clinton, and current Illinois Senator, Barack Obama. For the Republicans, there are current Arizona Senator, John McCain, and former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee.

I strongly encourage anyone who has not yet voted (Especially my fellow bloggers who live in Indiana) to read up on these guys, and gal, and make an educated vote. At least for the Democrats, your vote will still be very important. It may be a little late for the Republicans, but as I type, I hear the news behind me telling me that Virginia's Republican Primary is still to close to call between McCain and Huckabee.

I am really liking this election year. The voters for both parties are finally feeling the power of their votes for the first time in years. It would really be a shame for the "Super-Delegates" to ruin that feeling if they are the ones who decide who wins the Democratic nomination.

I hope you are enjoying my Tale of the Little Indians...and Vote, Vote, Vote!!

One Less Person to Vote For (6 Little Indians Left)

In a stunning announcement today, Former Mass. Governor, Mitt Romney is suspending his bid for the White House. Wow!! I guess he got tired of spending his own money on what seems to be a loosing battle.

This leaves 6 Little Indians looking to become Chief and move into the Big White Teepee!

There are 3 Democrats: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Mike Gravel (who has no chance in H*!!, but he's still hanging in there.)

There are 3 Republicans: John McCain, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul.

For biographies of the remaining candidates go to You Decide 08 and click on the pictures of the individual candidates.

It's going to be an interesting and historical election year. Who knows I may get to vote for Huckabee in Texas after all?

Feeling Like I Don't Even Count

Today is what many News and Political agencies around the nation are calling "Super Tuesday!" Almost half of states are having their primaries today to determine which candidate they wish to win their party's nomination for president of the United States. Somehow, however; it dosen't feel very "Super" for me.

According to the news, the Republican nomination should be determined after today, with Sen. John McCain becoming the Republican candidate for President. As far as the Democrats are concerned, at least they have a race that may not be determined after today.

My problem is that I tend to lean towards a Moderate platform and I am a religious conservative. (I hate that word by the way. There are some things I believe that would probably "tick off" many so-called conservatives.) That being said, I would like to cast my vote for Mike Huckabee if I voted Republican and I would have liked to have voted for John Edwards if I voted Democrat. It looks like I may not get that chance. Texas will not hold its primary until March 4. Edwards is already out; and by then my other candidate, Huckabee, may not even be in the race. Then who do I vote for? I really have no strong feelings towards any of the other candidates for President. (Well, I have a few strong feelings against a few of them.) I feel like my vote in March will be a wasted vote.

I feel like Hawaii and Alaska on General Election Day. I have Electoral votes but they don't matter because the rest of the country has already chosen the President by the time I even get a chance to vote.

Voting in the Republican Primary will be a moot or lost point, if McCain does pull of the nomination after today. I guess I could still vote in the Democratic Primary. It's possible that Clinton and Obama will still be fighting for their party's nomination. I do tend to support at least small parts of one of these guy's/gal's ideas. At least then I will have some say so on who gets nominated in at least one party.

Best of luck to you guys who get vote ahead of "poor-ole-me." I envy you!

And Then There Were 7 (2 more drop Presidential Bids)

Nine Little Indians all running for President. Two lost big in Florida, and then there were Seven.

Two more presidential hopefuls officially ended their campaigns today, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008.

Former North Carolina Senator and Democratic candidate John Edwards ended his campaign, leaving former First Lady and current New York Sen., Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and long shot candidate, former Alaskan Sen. Mike Gravel, left as the remaining three Democrats.

On the Republican side, former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani dropped out and endoresed John McCain. This leaves Arizona Sen. John McCain, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and long shot candidate, Texas U.S. Representative Ron Paul as the remaining Republican hopefuls.

9 Little Indians Left

Dennis Kucinich, Democratic candidate for President, is dropping his Presidential bid today (Friday). This leaves 9 Little Indians left.

10 Little Indians (Who Still Want to be President)

It seems another Republican bites the dust in the ongoing battle to become President. Former actor and Senator, Fred Thompson, has withdrawn from the Presidential Race.

So who does leave in the race for the White House? Here are the 10 Little Indians who are left...

Democrats -- Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel.

Republicans -- Mitt Romney, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul

Just in Case You Care, Another One Bites the Dust

Just in case you are even keeping up with the Presidential Race...

Republican Candidate: Duncan Hunter officially dropped out of the race on Jan. 18, 2008.

Which Person Should I Vote For?

Well, I can't answer that question for you, but maybe I can help you out a little more. Earlier I had posted a blog about "Who Exactly Is Running For President Anyway?". Now I am giving you a little more help. Maybe...??

I have come across two different "surveys" about the current issues that are being discussed in the Presidential Elections. You take the survey, rank their importance to you and then submit your answers. These sites will then show you how well the candidates match up to your beliefs.

The first survey is from WQAD Minnesota Public Radio: Candidate Survey.

The second is from a web-site called SelectSmart.com: Presidential Candidates 2008 Selector.

I won't share my results with you because I don't want to hear the support/criticism! I'm just trying to help folks make some kind of informed decision, when it comes to electing our new President

Also in case you just want to know a little more about the current candidates, Nickelodeon, the children's network, is doing an on-line "Kids Pick Primary" among children. They have a section that gives a brief Bio., and how the candidates stand on certain issues. It is all in convenient kid friendly form. Exactly what we all need to try to make sense of the often confusing political system.