The nation also needs a humane and sensible immigration policy. While Senator John McCain once appeared as a reasonable interlocutor on immigration reform, he gradually pandered to Republican ultra conservatives by promoting a two-step process emphasizing border enforcement. Senator Obama clearly outlines a far superior plan that will take a smarter approach to immigration, including bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows.
Then, out of nowhere, and without proper vetting, the impetuous McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. She quickly proved grievously underequipped to step into the presidency should McCain, at 72 and with a history of health problems, die in office. More than any single factor, McCain’s bad judgment in choosing the inarticulate, insular and ethically challenged Palin disqualifies him for the presidency.
Still, we have compelling reasons for endorsing Obama on his merits alone. Under the most intense scrutiny and attacks from both parties, Obama has shown the temperament, judgment, intellect and political acumen that are essential in a president that would lead the United States out of the crises created by President Bush, a complicit Congress and our own apathy.
Republicans love to mock Obama’s history as a community organizer. But here was a man with no money to offer, no patronage to dispense, no way to punish his opponents. All he could do was to work with people from all walks of life, liberals and conservatives, business people and the unemployed, and bring them together in common cause for a better community. Could there really be better preparation to reunite a worried and divided America to again pursue our “more perfect union”?
Los Angeles Times endorses a Democrat for president for the first time since 1972:
Indeed, the presidential campaign has rendered McCain nearly unrecognizable. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was, as a short-term political tactic, brilliant. It was also irresponsible, as Palin is the most unqualified vice presidential nominee of a major party in living memory. The decision calls into question just what kind of thinking — if that’s the appropriate word — would drive the White House in a McCain presidency. Fortunately, the public has shown more discernment, and the early enthusiasm for Palin has given way to national ridicule of her candidacy and McCain’s judgment.
Chicago Tribune endorses a Democrat for president for the first time in 161 years:
It is, though, hard to figure John McCain these days. He argued that President Bush’s tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, but he now supports them. He promises a balanced budget by the end of his first term, but his tax cut plan would add an estimated $4.2 trillion in debt over 10 years. He has responded to the economic crisis with an angry, populist message and a misguided, $300 billion proposal to buy up bad mortgages.
McCain failed in his most important executive decision. Give him credit for choosing a female running mate–but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. His campaign has tried to stage-manage Palin’s exposure to the public. But it’s clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment’s notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country.
Not that I ever liked any of the Vietnamese video productions’ cover arts, but Asia’s latest Bon Mua 2: Mot Thoi De Nho has to be one of the worse designs yet. The front of the box cramped with so much crap that it had no room to breathe. The people were collaged together like a group orgies. What happened to simplicity? The use of gradients on fat, calligraphic-like typeface was horrendous. One of these days, I would love to see a clean and simple design without any singers’ face on the front. The back should be where all the singers are listed. The listing all the performances as well as credits to producers and songwriters on the back was the right direction, but the faded background got in the way of the text and the use of colors ruined the feel of the seasons.
Now that I get the design irk out of my system, let’s get straight to the program. Bon Mua 2 was obviously themed around four seasons. One of the most memorable performances was Paolo whose voice was charming and powerful. He delivered “Delilah” with confidence and bravado. His acting was a little strange, but it showed his passion. With Vu Tuan Duc’s swing arrangement, Nguyen Khang gave Tu Cong Phung’s “Bay Gio Thang May” a nice touch of jazz. His timing was just right for the up tempo. Vu Tuan Duc also had done a great job of keeping the orchestration simple on Bich Van’s gorgeous cover of “Mua Xuan Dau Tien” and Ho Hoang Yen’s intoxicating rendition of “Chieu Tim.” These two were the best combo (Asia’s overused concept) of the show because of the contrast in their vocals. Bich Van’s voice was high and smooth; Ho Hoang Yen’s voice was smoky and a bit rough. The bossa-nova bassline accompanied Ho Hoang Yen’s vocals was captivating.
On the flip side, Thai Doanh Doanh gave an awful cover of “Without You,” yet Cardin was even worst trying to dance to Truc Ho’s “Va Hom Nay.” He couldn’t even stand still to deliver a slow song. Why he felt the need to dance like a robot was beyond me. Trish tried to cover Ngoc Lan’s French tunes. The good part was that she reminded me nothing of Ngoc Lan. Trish should focus on perfecting her Vietnamese before moving on to a third language. Yet, the most ridiculous act had to be handed to Doan Phi. This kid shook his behind more than Anh Minh in the lambada routine. If you’re going to grind on a hot chick like Anh Minh, do it with authority and power and not like a little bitch. Speaking of hot, Diem Lien was sexy, but not in a harmful way. She was neither busty like Y Phuong nor skimpy like Thien Kim. Her petite figure and cute smile added a nice touch to her ripe, savory beauty.
For once, viewers could enjoy the show without the political propaganda shoved down their throats, not even from Viet Dung and Nam Loc. The video’s main focus was music and that is the way it should be.
The McCain-Palin campaign sends out phone messages linking Obama with Bill Ayers. Unbelievable.
McCain hates gooks, yet “two-thirds of Vietnamese Americans said they support Mr. McCain.” We support someone who hate us? WTF?
A fantastic design for Housing Works from Jason Santa Maria. The homepage is striking with the use of big images and the interior pages are clean and organized.
The choice is made easy in part by Mr. McCain’s disappointing campaign, above all his irresponsible selection of a running mate who is not ready to be president. It is made easy in larger part, though, because of our admiration for Mr. Obama and the impressive qualities he has shown during this long race. Yes, we have reservations and concerns, almost inevitably, given Mr. Obama’s relatively brief experience in national politics. But we also have enormous hopes.