politics

I have been watching a little of the democratic and GOP conventions and I have to say that they infuriate me. I am so tired of politicians trying to manipulate the American people. Quit trying to use our emotions to distract us from the facts. I am all about inspiring speeches when they are used in context. McCain has a very inspirational story about being a POW, and I am really glad that our county has moved beyond its past enough to have a black man in the presidential race. . . HOWEVER, I feel like these stories are used as a diversion. The stories are told to draw people's emotions to the surface and then the stories are followed by a bunch of half-true out of context criticisms or promises. I want to know the truth and I know I am not going to get it from the mouth of any of the candidates.

There is hope if you are seeking the real story as I am . . . It is a website called PolitiFact. There was a representative from the site on NPR last night so I checked it out. It dispels a lot of the claims made by the candidates and they make it entertaining with a truth-o-meter. For example, Obama has been criticized for wanting to raise taxes. McCain and Palin have both gone on and on about how this will hurt the middle class American. The claim was rated a half-truth because the real story is that Obama intends to roll back the Bush administration's tax cuts on people with incomes of $250,000 for couples and $200,000 for singles. Agree or disagree, but at least you are doing it based on the truth. . . and the whole truth (or at least as close and you can get to it). Anyway, I encourage everyone to educate yourselves and don't depend on the politicians to do it for you. Happy fact finding.