Politics - I'm venturing into deep waters, here.

Now that I'm registered to vote in my new location, I thought I'd better start doing my research on the candidates, beyond the annoying t.v. commercials I don't pay much attention to...
So, I kept half an eye on the Democratic Convention last week, and read some articles on each candidate, feeling pretty torn between Obama and McCain. I must be one of those swing vote independents that is a valuable target right now in the campaigning efforts.

Having lived overseas for a number of years, I know that cultural differences play an important role in people and countries understanding each other and effectively communicating with each other. Someone with little cross-cultural experience will have a hard time with international concerns and will need to depend on their State Dept. advisors for issues dealing with foreign wars and peace-keeping efforts. Principles regarding Democracy and freedom, for example, are very important to the United States, but respect and interdependence are more important, perhaps, in a clan-oriented society. When we (Americans) go blazing into a country with our anti-terrorism ideals, we have to present them in a way in which they will be accepted and integrated if we want to see real, long-term change. But is that our responsibility?! To change other societies?

So, Obama's lack of cross-cultural experience could make him vulnerable to mistakes of miscommunication of ideals or to an assumption of motivations not really there on another country's part. McCain's so-called "temper" or "prickly" interpersonal dynamic might add to tensions, but he does have many year's experience dealing with foreign nations and non-American ideals.

Obama's age and "color" are certainly exciting to think about breaking historical "boxes" put on the position of President of the U.S., but there's so much we don't know about his past and his former associations. And his job record is certainly lacking in real-life work experience, but he's obviously been able to work with the resources available to him to get where he is, so I don't think it's necessary to have worked at McDonalds, for example, to prove you can follow instructions or be a valuable team member. It certainly helped him to add Joe Biden to his ticket if he was wanting to add experience to his "tool chest" of advisors and resources.

But, honestly, I'm a pro-lifer, who wants to see the value of human life honored in every stage of life. I don't believe that a woman has the right to be promiscuous and then kill a life she didn't want, but was too irresponsible to prevent. We all have consequences to our actions, but my consequences should not lead to murdering someone else. But don't label me yet or box me into a certain corner...

I also believe that we should be good stewards of the Earth God created, and I'm all for wind and solar energy options. After Chernobyl, I'm not so excited about nuclear power plants. All you have to do is look at our crumbling infrastructure and you can get nervous about having nuclear power plants spread around our country. And how about hydroelectric options? Can't we turn some of this flooding doom and gloom into a positive resource? Is it an engineering possibility to make levees also be hydro power sources?

On the environmental issue, I was looking at pictures of strip-mined German landscape the other day and wondered why we don't make mining companies repair like tree-planters in Canada, where they have to turn around and replant what they chopped down to restore the land and prepare for the future? My husband tried tree-planting one Summer before we got married. He didn't do so well with it, but his buddy tree-planted every Summer to pay his way through college.

Anyway, back to the politicians...I happened to be working in the kitchen the morning that Sarah Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, and I was very interested in his choice. I must say that I'm favorably interested in seeing how her assets play out in the media, and the "box-breaking" excitement is there, too. Being a mother of 5 children and working in government already says something to me about her ability to MULTI-TASK successfully. And she's been effective at being a help-mate to her husband, by going out and helping in his fishing business, and cheering on her kids' educators on the PTO, was it? She's been applauded and promoted at every opportunity, so she must be the kind of person people not only want to have around, but want leading them. Granted, her learning curve going to Washington, DC, will be huge, but somehow, given a little grace, I think she can handle it.

So, McCain's gamble has impressed me, a 41-year-old religious wife and mother; and I will be hoping and praying for Mrs. Palin's successful entry into the vicious world of national and international politics and media coverage. On the topic of modern communications and media, McCain doesn't use e-mail, but I'm guessing that Mrs. Palin is more computer- and cyber-savvy. Do you think she's on Facebook??