I'll post each speaker and what I was thinking of during his/her speech. It might not necessarily deal with their speech. It was just what I was thinking at the time.
Ted Kennedy
The demon of the democratic party. This guy had a lot of good stuff to say. I began to think that if the Democrats didn't disagree with me on abortion I would be a democrat. The point that struck me as the most valid from his speech was a few comments he made on minimum wage. The minimum wage needs to be a wage that a worker can work at and not live in poverty. I see nothing wrong with that. I would actually vote for that.
If the Democrats actually stood up for what they believed in instead of pandering for the undecided middle, they would get more votes. This was appealing.
Dick Gephardt
I went to the bathroom. His speech was short. I missed it all.
Howard Dean
He didn't want to be on stage. He acted like a spoiled fraternity brother who was unhappy he didn't get elected fraternity president but had to support the one who was. Crappy and unintelligent.
Barak Obama
The headline at CNN says "Introducing the new star of the Democratic Party." They couldn't be more right. This was one of the most inspiring political speeches I have ever heard. This guy is one of the best speakers in the nation, right up there with Alan Keyes and Bill Clinton. It was refreshing to hear a good political speech after years of listening to one of the worst speakers in the world, George W. Bush. How can someone that would still be the worst speaker in one of my preaching classes be the President? Throw him in there with all of us first-time speakers and he would still be worse than us. And that is after giving speeches daily for the last four years. I don't understand why he hasn't improved.
Socially, I am more of a democrat except for abortion and stem-cell research. Fiscally, I used to be a Republican, but they seem to be cutting taxes and spending more rather than promoting fiscal responsibility. It doesn't go with my idea of cutting taxes and cutting spending. I like small government, really small government. And for those who don't believe that I'm really independent because of my radical conservatism that pops up during conversations, last election I voted for 4 Libertarians, 3 Republicans, and 2 Democrats. I doubt Libertarians have a presence in Paulding County, so I will be limited to the big two this time around.
Obama gave words to my frustration of the Republican party. He talked about viewing things as individualistic verses a communal. I can't find a transcript so, I will just say what I though he said. I wouldn't quote him on it. "When a boy downtown can't read, that effects me. Not because he's my boy, but because we are all worse off because of it." "When an old lady can't afford to buy her medicine, that effects me. Not because she is my mother, but because we are all poorer because of it." Stuff like that. It really touched me. In the end, I realized that my frustration with the Republican party is more of a frustration of lifting individuals above the whole. It's the same frustration I have with many churches.
The Democrats want everyone to have a safety umbrella, a standard of living nobody should fall below. I like that. Now, I don't know if the end result of what Democrats actually legislate is just another way of keeping the poor person down and getting their votes. The black community doesn't seem to be any better off despite the effort of the Democratic party.
Another great quote that he had was, "We need to turn our televisions off. We need to pick up books and read. Blacks need to stop saying to someone who reads that they are being white."
That was a Regan paraphrase. I think it goes much further than just the black community. Americans need to be educated. Too many just learn so they can pass the test and get the grade rather than to increase their knowledge. In the end, those test-passers are about as uneducated as someone who never took the class.
In summation of Barak Osama, listening to this speech was worth the time I invested in watching the convention last night. It was incredible. I would be tempted to vote for him, but he isn't running.
Ron Reagan
This was a speech on stem-cell research. He also is a very good speaker. Compared to all the others besides Barak, he would have been the best. But in the end he was overshadowed.
He said to base your vote on the party that would allow stem-cell research, a procedure that he pretty much claimed would save the world from every illness imaginable. I personally think we need to start eating right and a lot of these diseases would go away. But anyway, he also said that people like me and my wife who don't ethically believe in stem cell research "should feel ashamed of ourselves."
I personally will vote on the issue of abortion. It might be stupid to vote on one issue, but I can't think of a more helpless group of people in America than unborn babies. The poor come in a close second. After the abortion issue is gone (it will never be), then I will vote to help the poor. Until then, I can't go against the conviction in my heart.
He said to base your vote on the party that would allow stem-cell research, a procedure that he pretty much claimed would save the world from every illness imaginable. I personally think we need to start eating right and a lot of these diseases would go away. But anyway, he also said that people like me and my wife who don't ethically believe in stem cell research "should feel ashamed of ourselves."
I personally will vote on the issue of abortion. It might be stupid to vote on one issue, but I can't think of a more helpless group of people in America than unborn babies. The poor come in a close second. After the abortion issue is gone (it will never be), then I will vote to help the poor. Until then, I can't go against the conviction in my heart.
Teresea Heinz-Kerry
This was one boring speech. Nothing to say here except I went to bed immediately after listening. Okay, I do have one thing to say. I thought it was kind of a weird situation when Mr Kerry and her two sons were on the stage. Here is a party that is supposed to be for the average man, but on the stage are people that have more money than me and all of my friends combined will ever make in our lifetimes. Harvard or Yale grads. Blah. Blah. Blah. I'm sick of all of our leaders coming from the same educational institutions. Can't a good leader come from another educational institution? Can't we get some new ideas out in the public arena?
Okay, I'm done venting and sharing now. I will not do anything about any of these political stances. I am more concerned about working on the church. But I did waste an evening watching the DNC, and now you have joined me in wasting some time.
Watch out for the very big potholes.
Okay, I'm done venting and sharing now. I will not do anything about any of these political stances. I am more concerned about working on the church. But I did waste an evening watching the DNC, and now you have joined me in wasting some time.
Watch out for the very big potholes.
