Lee's Summit Journal Article:

http://www.lsjournal.com/articles/2008/02/27/news/03scuba.txt

Divewire News

http://www.divenewswire.com/NewsITems.aspx?newsID=9384

      It is true that I don't react physically to much of the world that is happening around, but that does not mean that I am not paying attention or that I don't care.  The truth is that I care very much about things but I internalize many things.  Every once in a while, my enthusiasm will bubble all the way to the surface because it is so overwhelming.  I'm not talking about tearing up in a coffee-house when I think my chances of becoming president are starting to fade.  I'm talking about that moment when the urge to explain to the world why I'm right is so overpowering that I can hardly take a moment to consider an alternate point of view.

     Lately, my passion has been bubbling out like a bottle of champagne that was recently shaken before being uncorked.  The political process has fascinated me for years, but the past year, I've hardly been able to get enough of it.  I find myself rushing out to the Internet several times a day to see if there are any new News stories about the recent campaigns.  I want to know what the polls are saying.  I want to know what the pundits are saying.  I can't get enough of it, and I'm disappointed when I get home from work to find it was a light news day.

      I should take some time to explain that I'm a Barack Obama supporter.  I believe, to the core of my soul, that he is the right person to lead this country forward.  Obama inspires the people.  He asks all of us to do better, and with Obama, it is not about left and right, or black and white, or young and old.  It is about what we can do as a nation.  It is about moving this country forward in a new direction.  It is setting a higher standard and raising the bar.  Most other candidates serve a smaller group of special interests who can vault them to power.  Obama serves the people.

     I get excited when I see how many other people like me there are out there.  People who get excited about politics when they find someone who leads and inspires.  People who are tired of the politics of status quo.  Status quo does not help anyone, but so many people are afraid of change, that they go for what they know.  People look at the names of leaders and see a name they recognize and think back to old times.  Somehow, things were always better "back then."  Were they really better?  Not necessarily, but you remember the good times fondly, and you forget most of the bad times, so in retrospect, it looks better than the present.  It's easy to long for the days of yesteryear.  Does that mentality really make us a stronger country?  Would the policies of eight years ago really work today as well as they did eight years ago?  There is falacy in thinking that what was right at the time back then will really help us going forward.  In the business world, the company that doesn't make themselves competitive is the company that loses.  Our government is the same.  It's just a large business.  A large business with a plan to earn $2.6 trillion this year and spend $3 trillion.  What is wrong with this picture?  What is competitive about spending more than you are making?  How can we stay at the top of our game, when our government is pandering to special interests?

     I get frustrated with the status quo.  We've had Bush and Clinton for the past 20 years and still there are millions of voters out there asking for more of the same.  All the while, there are millions more voters out there clamoring for something different.  They are calling for change.  They are getting involved in the process, many of them for the first time.  Obama doesn't just appeal to liberal democrats who are sick of war.  He appeals to anyone who wants something better for our country and believes it starts with someone offering a vision of change.  A vision of hope.  A chance to do something different and not offer up more of the same.

     Hillary has her supporters.  She appeals to those who are happy with the status quo.  She appeals to women who long for the day that a woman can be president.  I don't have a problem with the idea of a woman president, but if you were a feminist and really wanted to advance your cause, why would you bank on a woman who never put her husband in place when he cheated on her in the oval office?  Hillary is a tool of her husband.  She doesn't tel him when to shut up, and if she is president, what makes you think it would be anything less than a third term for William Jefferson?  If you want to advance the cause of women, pick someone who stands for something.  Oprah Winfrey does more to advance the cause of women.  Condoleza Rice is another name that comes to mind.

     I also want to rant for a moment about a propsoed combined ticket.  You rarely hear a mention of an Obama/Clinton ticket.  It's almost always the other way around.  As much as I believe in Obama, I just can't see throwing myself behind a campaign that featured a woman whose only appeal is that she is Mrs. Bill Clinton.  Much like the very divisive comments from conservative pundits like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh who swear that they will vote for a Democrat before they vote for John McCain, I will vote for anyone the Rebuplicans put up before I will vote for Hillary.  Ann Coulter would fracture her beloved Republican party before she would vote for McCain.  Why?  Because she would rather have four years of Democrat and a chance of having a right-wing long-shot candidate in four years, than have eight years of a moderate Republican.  The fallacy with that thinking is that right-wing conservative Repbulican would not have a shot of winning the presidency right now.  Our current administration has aliented all but the most conservative element of the Republican party.  For those keeping score at home, 1/3 of the population is Democrat, 1/3 of the population is Independent, and the final third is Republican.  Our current adminstration has aliented all Democrats, not a surprise.  But they have also aliented all the Independents and to a lesser degree, even a fraction of their own party.  The current administration has the support of less than 1/3 of the population?  How in the world could a right-wing conservative Republican possibly win an election in November?  The Republican party is brilliant for choosing a moderate Republican.  Especially if the core of the party comes to their senses and realizes that a moderate Republican is still better than a far-left Democrat?

     Where do the Democrats sit on all of this?  Well, right now it's between the far-left Democrat and the candidate who appeals to Democrats, Independents, and even some Republicans.  Who has a better shot of winning in a general election?  Wel, if you ask me, a candidate can not win by taking their party alone.  They also need to win a majority of those independents.  Who do the independents want?  Someone who leans towards center.  Someone who can unite a country and forge common ground.  Someone who can present a better vision for the future.  The Repbulicans have pretty much already landed on that moderate candidate in John McCain.  They just need to solidfy their support behind him.  On the Democrat front, the clear choice would be Obama, but it will never be that easy.  The old establishment still has a hold of that party.  For two elections now, they have put up candidates who could have one, but didn't.  They didn't have that broader appeal.  The Democrats have to make a choice now.  Do they put up another polarizing figure who likely will not win a general election, or do they go with the man who can unite the people?

     The difference between me and Ann Coulter is that I'm an Independent. I don't claim ties to the Democratic party and vote Republican, and I'm not a Republican like Ann Coulter threatening to vote for a Democrat.  I am an Independent!  As an Independent, my vote can make the difference.  When everyone else is voting party lines, I'm actually making a choice.  I can freely say that if Obama gets the nod, I will support him all the way, but if the Democratic paty thinks they can put Hillary on the ticket and still get my vote, they are sorely mistaken.  I am Independent and my vote will be for the candidate who represents a moderate point of view.  If Hillary gets the nod, this vote and all my support is going to the Republicans in the general election.  Democrats have a choice to make.  I hope for the sake of our country, they choose wisely.

  --- White Rabbit

Dive! Dive! Dive!

Cardinals win it in 5.  Final score Cards 4, Tigers 2.  Go Cardinals!

     If someone in your family gets sick, you expect treatment.  Wouldn't you want your family member to have a chance for a cure?  Stem-cell research is not about cloning.  It's about creating cures for many diseases that are denying individuals a basic quality of life.  You should support stem-cell research!  Go vote on November 7!  Vote Yes on Missouri Amendment 2!

On Tuesday November 7, 2006, I for one do not plan to cast a vote for a party.  Nor do I plan to cast a vote for the lesser of two evils.  This upcoming election day, I am going to exercise my right to vote and I am going to choose candidates who have a platform.  I am going to choose candidates who are taking a position on real issues, not the "wedge" issues which further divide us, but the real issues that will unite us.  I encourage everyone else to go out and do the same.  You may disagree with me, and that is okay, but if you are dissatisfied with the job your elected officials are doing, you need to exercise your voting muscle and send that message to those in office.  Even if your vote does not change the final outcome, it still sends a message.

While this discussion is not limited to presidential politics, I think it is interesting, nonetheless, that some of the greatest presidents we have had do not often agree with the ideals of their own political party.  Take, for example, Theodore Roosevelt.  He was a Republican by party, but if you look at his record, you'd think he was a Democrat.  He even ran once as an independent candidate, in which he lost, but garnered nearly as much of the vote as the Republican candidate. (For some additional info on Teddy Roosevelt please see: http://ap.grolier.com/article?assetid=0250190-0&templatename=/article/articl...)

When you go to vote on the first Tuesday in November, go well-informed, and vote for candidates who are addressing your issues.  Vote for someone you believe in.  You deserve leaders who will support you!

Below is an excerpt from the letter they sent to me:

Dear Andrew J Statler,

We recently reviewed your Target Visa account and made some adjustments, reducing your credit line to $xxxx.00 and reducing your maximum cash line.  These changes have been made and you'll see them on your next statement.

We based our decision on your credit history.  We used informatin from the credit reporting agency(s) listed below to review your account, but the credit reporting agency(s) didn't play a part in our decision and can't provide you with the specific reasons why we made this decision.  The following information the credit reporting agency(s) provided had the most influence on our decision:

....

I'm also including for your benefit, my response to said letter:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Recently you sent me a letter to let me know that you had reviewed my account and made some adjustments to reduce my credit limit.  Upon receiving your letter, I decided to review my consumer spending habits and I have decided to stop shopping at Target stores.  This change is in effect immediately.

I based my decision on your excellent consumer relations.  I used information from the letter you sent me to help support my decision.  If you look at my credit history with your organization, you will see that I have been very good at making my payments.  You also indicated that you used information from the credit reporting agencies to make your decision.  Had you looked closely at that information, you would have seen that not only do I make all my payments to your organization, but also to all other organizations who have extended me credit.

I am also dismayed at your decision in light of the fact that I was recently awarded several 10% off shopping days, but lament the fact that I can not use those rewards due to the fact that they are only valid when shopping with the Target Red Card and as I have no remaining credit limit, the reward is essentially empty.

The following web-site contains additional information regarding my opinion of your company and your policies:

• http://drew.maxoverd.com

If you have any further questions about my decision, you can contact me at the address listed at the top of this letter.  I’ll be glad to further explain my dissatisfaction with receiving your letter.

Sincerely,

Andrew Statler

 What inspires people to post their most personal thoughts on the web for everyone to read?

 Over and out!

Drew