Darrell Ross

I am blown away by the folks that host the http://www.JustSayNoDeal.com website. They claim to be a group of “disenfranchised democrats” who are upset at Barack Obama’s nomination by the DNC and have grouped together. Some of them plan to write-in “Hillary Clinton”. Others plan to be as loud as possible about how they are no longer Democrats and cannot vote for Obama.

The first thing that comes to mind is the chasm of differences on issues between the Hillary Clinton and John McCain and the similar views Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton share. Hillary stated herself several times that she and Obama agreed on around 95% of the issues. So those folks who seem to be unifying under the name P.U.M.A. or “Party Unity My Ass!” can’t possibly be not voting for Obama based on issues.

Perhaps, as described by some P.U.M.A. members, they are against Obama because he won the DNC nomination unfairly. Some have said they will vote for McCain “for the good of the Democratic party.” If these P.U.M.A. folks actually believe in their issues, then they are voting against them simply because they are bitter. I have watched my share of media coverage of these folks and they are clearly sore about their candidate not winning.

Perhaps somewhat ironic is the choice of a website with “just say no” in the title. As many are likely aware, the “Just Say No” campaign by Nancy Regan to help kids not do drugs was terribly ineffective.

Whatever their reasons, they have certainly made the reporters at Fox News dance with glee. I like watching how the reporter dances around the word “bitter” or the phrase “sore loser” while verifying that these Hillary supporters will be helping the republican party into office. YouTubeVideo

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It is quite clear we need a Democrat in the White House. I don’t care who it is as long as it’s not McCain. Hillary, Obama, Gore, a Democrat. This election is about Americans taking back the country, not about electing the class president. The petty choosing of Sarah Palin as VP on the RNC ticket is a shameless gesture to women who were put out by Hillary’s loss. I hope they don’t fall prey to such false political maneuvering.

Somehow in the rebuilding of this website, I failed to mention one of the most important changes going on in my life right now. I am engaged to marry Sharyn Radke on May 30, 2009. We have a website up that runs WordPress just like this page only with a different theme.

Wedding Website

Wedding Location Photos

It seems to be a common theme everywhere I go whether it is in guild chat during World of Warcraft questing, on blogs, in newspapers, and especially in comments on any web site – speaking in absolutes. An article professing any type of left-leaning tendencies will be followed first by right-leaning folks bashing the left and later by left-leaning folks returning the favor. An article that professes a love for life but then mentions abortion will undoubtedly end up with a band and forth pro-life vs pro-choice yelling match in the comments. I say yelling match because it will not be a debate. People apparently don’t care to actually think about things these days. Everywhere I go, it’s absolutes.

Obama or NObama. I find it fascinating that the folks who have made up their minds often feel that swing-states must be full of non-thinkers. Perhaps we are wrong (yes I have thought that from time to time) and that the people in swing-states are actually thinking so much about each candidate and in so many shades of gray, that they are not stuck in the black and white absolutes that much of the country is in. Or maybe they can’t make up their minds because they are not paying attention to what matters, the issues, but instead to who they “like” best. The “star power” of each candidate perhaps.

Either way, I am sick and tired of people refusing to admit that their position might just be unjustified or falsely held. Why not actually debate something for a change? Why not actually entertain the idea that you could be wrong?

I believe that speaking in absolutes can only lead to one place, stalemate where nobody listens. Compromise is a necessity. Get used to it!

“Only a Sith Lord speaks in Absolutes.”
– Obi-Wan Kenobi to Anakin Skywalker