The election is a long way off, and my mind is far from made up on who will get my vote (I think there is an excellent chance that the republican nominee will be a dark horse who is not currently getting a lot of press.), but of the three main contenders currently vying for the front of the pack I have to throw my endorsement behind Mitt Romney.Sure he's a mormon with a suspicious record, but he's my man... for now... until somebody better comes along... I hope somebody comes along.
...but I think I could get behind this man. Go Romney!!!
I simply will not vote for Giulliani.
I could vote for McCain, but I don't like the man. I don't trust him either. (I know...I know... I can hear you now "You don't trust McCain, but you trust Romney?!?!?") Voting for McCain would be a tough pill to swallow for me. He a relentless self-promoter, he's disloyal, a grandstander, and he's no friend of evangelicals. There is a strong streak in him that leans towards appeasing liberals. He still thinks that the battle should be won in middle- the realm of compromise where conviction on matters of import are set aside or prioritized lower for the sake of political expediency and positive public image. He's a compromiser, and he will end up disappointing both sides of the fence. Sadly our nation is becoming increasingly polarized, and I say McCain needs to pick a pole and stop pining for and flirting with the enemy. If McCain ran his colors up the pole, I"m afraid it would be McCain's own personal flag- he's a true maverick, an individual, in an age when we circle the wagons and pass the lead.
I can't stand all of this talk on the TV about "legacy." What is that??? Clinton was obsessed with the idea of legacy. So much so that he openly talked about it in interviews while he was in office. It reveals an obsession with self. Concern over legacy shouldn't govern how a politician conducts himself. Personal conviction and a pragmatic assessment of issues in the here and now (...and with an eye toward how it will affect the future) should motivate a politicians conduct.
McCain is a legacy minded candidate. I hope I don't have to vote for him.
5 comments:
I like Romney very much, both pragmatically and on an issues level. He's my choice too.
The anti-Mormon prejudice among some evangelicals is a little off-putting. I'm not electing a pastor, I'm electing a president, and if I prefer an able administrator with a proven track record who agrees with me on the issues, I'm not going to be stopped by the fact that his religion is crazy.
At least not yet. I make the argument, but I'm not totally convinced... It may, after all, suggest a lack of critical thinking skills.
completely unrelated...
this is lydia thornblade and I heard you went to Laval U. while attending Houghton. I may be going there to study this summer and wanted to know if you'd recommend it/ if you had any advice about Laval.
thanks, Lydia
Lydia,
Laval was incredible. It really was. Not only did I learn a lot, but it was a great experience. Quebec City is beautiful and one of the most interesting locations I have ever visited. I have been trying to get back ever since I left.
I have four suggestions for you if you are thinking seriously about their french immersion program.
There is a really good protestant church over by the plains of abraham. I think it is just up the hill from the gate of St. Jean. (Although I could be wrong about the gate.) It isn't far from the old city. Getting involved in that church helped my french just as much as the classes because I got invited to birthday parties and other real life events andf the folks who attended, by and large, spoke no english. It was also a help spiritually. The pastor at the time was actually a missionary from France to Quebec, which struck me as a little odd. It can be hard to find a protestant church in Quebec because it is predominantly catholic. The church was very informal, warm and inviting and gave me tons of opportunities to practice French.
Team up as much as possible with students who don't speak English and avoid the Canadian students as project partners. Most of the Canadian students that you will encounter at Laval don't have to pay there own money to be there. I found them fun and smart, but not as motivated as other students who were ponying up their hard-earned cash to learn french. Because it doesn't cost them anything to be there they tend to approach the whole thing as a lark and slip into English a lot. There were a lot of foreign students there from South America, Africa, Asia etc...
I teamed up a lot with a guy from Mexico. He didn't speak English and I didn't speak any spanish so our only option was to speak French. It worked out well for us.
Laval will give you different housing options- If you are really serious about learning French (and you can afford it) take the one where you actually live and eat with a French Speaking Family. The other options are not as helpful and make it less of an immersion program.
...and lastly- bring a bicycle. That is the kind of city Quebec is. They have tons of bicycle paths down into the old city, and there is almost no parking for a car. I brought a bicycle, and it allowed me to have way more fun and adventures than if I had been on foot or relied on a car or public transportation.
Thanks so much for all this info.
it's a big help.
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