You’re driving along… $3.95, $3.97, $4.03, etc. Gas prices are skyrocketing and when I watch my mom fill up the tank, it costs close to 60 bucks for one trip to the gas station. I don’t know about you, but that is a lot of money for gas, which is an everyday necessity in the world we live in today. So, John McCain and Hillary Clinton have supported the idea that the gas prices should be cut during the summer months when everyone is buzzing to and fro. But Clinton added that she would tax windfall profits of oil companies so that the gas tax money would not be lost completely. Obama didn’t agree with it and said it was a short term solution. He opted for alternative energy sources and a cutback on oil consumption (like we’re eating it, but at the rate we’re using it, we might as well be having it three meals a day).
Here’s what I think… I might not be the one to pay for the gas, but I definitely hear about it, from parents and teachers, and friends. It seems like a mini break in the summer would be worse that continuing to pay for the gas throughout that time. Most people take time off during the summer, which adds up to less money during that time as well. Add that to not paying for gas, once you return to that harsh reality, it seems like it would be a lot harder to pay for gas. This is because the money you once used for gas, you are spending on other things and therefore once you go back to paying for the gas, it draws from other expenses. So all in all, it doesn’t seem like a very balanced idea. I’d rather keep paying, but that’s coming from someone who doesn’t pay. Another point that Barack Obama mentioned was that in order to change, we have to change Washington. Washington is the core, the heart of our government and that is where the change will start, and slowly spread. That is a gigantic reason that I want to go to the Presidential Inauguration in January, because I want to see if Washington has been changed, will be changed, or hasn’t changed yet.
Although in past primaries, Clinton or Obama has had the leg up, a slight advantage, in the Indiana primary, they begin on equal footing (or so people say). In the two counties where over 25% of the vote comes from (Marion County and Lake County) there are large African-American populations, which is good for Obama. These two counties house Indianapolis and Gary. Not only that, but the north of Indiana considers themselves part of Chicago and have been watching Obama and his growth as politician. I’m thinking to myself… What’s left for Clinton?? Well, even if she won all the other counties, she could still lose because of how big these two ones are. Whatever this data seems to say, I think that it is never certain who will win a primary. What you thought would happen could flip itself around, leaving you feeling as if you’ve been hit by a 50 ton truck. For example, recently I came in second place for a writing competition, The Dupont Challenge. I had no expectations that I wuold win anything and lo and behold… I won second place!! If that will happen with this primary, I have no idea. All I have to say is let the best person win.
At a speech quite recently, Obama stated how he thought that small town voters were bitter about not having jobs, and that they didn’t place their trust in the government but instead held onto religion or antipathy against certain people. And the commentary/intense scanning began. This was analyzed over and over again but what really interests me is Hillary Clinton’s reaction. At everything that she has attended she has mentioned that in order to bring Obama down just a wee bit more. And is it working? Have the people lost faith in Barack Obama? Considering the other things done to him in the past, and that he has worked above in this presidential race, I think not. Barack Obama retaliated by stating that he did not use the correct wording and that he was sorry for offending people. Everyone loves apologies, for they are hard to give. It is interesting however, that Clinton uses the negativity against other candidates to fuel her own campaign. She seems to become more successful from it, or rather in the end will it just collapse around her ears? My mother always says that the honest people win, the good people, and the liars lose out in the end. Will she be right, or will it be an unusual case of the bad one winning (which is funny in movies but not in real life)?
As the race for president and the Democratic nomination draws closer and closer, like a barrel of gunpowder, it is widely said that the super delegates will be the one to decide who becomes the Democratic nominee. And so there is a tooth and nail fight for the super delegates so that Obama or Clinton will be able to run for president. There also seems to be a hierarchy among the super delegates–whoever gets to appoint more super delegates is therefore higher in the pecking order. It seems normal to me, that you would want to have the super delegates with appointing power on your side. I think it is very cool that some super delegates can appoint up to five other super delegates at the convention. Like Art Torres, the chairman of the California Democratic Party. Control over a total of six votes is a pretty big deal when that is what this race is beginning to depend upon. But imagine if you made the wrong decision… And America got a president that we do not need. How horrible would that be? There is never anything that would really help your decision, except whether you would follow your state’s wishes. To be a super delegate, you must have extreme presence of mind and a high determination to do what it right. Which is why I want to see the Inauguration in January to see what came of the super delegates decision.
When he was asked if he would place Al Gore on his cabinet, Barack Obama answered wisely with a yes. Al Gore would be a fantastic asset to one’s cabinet, and if you question that, just look at all the things he has accomplished. I think it is just fabulous that he is trying to save our environment, and he’s trying to spread it too. It’s something that everyone should be making an effort to do. I think that if Al Gore had become president he would not have been able to do all that he does now with the environment and all. Because, honestly, when you’re president, who has time for stuff like that since you have to run the whole country first? The remark that Barack Obama has already been talking to Al Gore is very impressive because that shows that Barack Obama is already moving in high circles. Which is good for his career of course. I wonder if the other candidates would put Al Gore in their cabinet… Hillary probably wouldn’t. I think it’s exciting picking your cabinet because you are the one deciding who the influential people in your administration would be. Basically who keeps the country running alongside yourself as president. All in all, Al Gore would be very helpful on Barack Obama’s cabinet, if Obama becomes president. I guess you could say Al Gore would be a convenient someone.
For this week, my principal has launched a new persistence campaign to try and get all students in all three grades to become more persistent. So we had to listen to a reading this morning on persistence and we are also going to have door decorating contest with the theme of persistence. Not only that, but our teachers are addicted to us learning about persistence so they decide to talk about it any time they can. However, sometimes it sounds forced. It seems as if the only thing us students are persistent in is talking. The persistence campaign (as I’ve begun to call it) is highly annoying to all the people who are already persistent, including me. It sounds corny, and no one actually cares like at all, so I think there is no point, although I applaud my principals for making an effort. And here is the best part… They’re bribing us with the fact that if we achieve three green tickets for being persistent, then we get a green bracelet. Oh joy! Before writing this, I actually never realized how much alike school and a political campaign are. It’s actually kind of scary when you think about it. Both are trying to get you to do something, sometimes you feel they are corny and other times, you think ‘This is great!’. The people who are running for president have to be very persistent (side note:sometimes i think persistent is a nice word for competitive and stubborn). You see, they have to convince all of America to like them, and seeing how diverse we are that can’t be easy. Which is why they have to be very persistent. And if, in my school of about 600ish people, our principals can’t convince us to do one thing, Obama, Clinton and McCain have to be pretty darn stubborn and competitive. Hillary Clinton is especially persistent, I think, especially since she is determined to win the Democratic nomination over Obama. Is she being too persistent however? (Now do you see why persistence just might be another word for competitive and stubborn?)