Entries Tagged 'Politics' ↓

I try not to post too much here about Chattarati, but this is simply too cool not to highlight. Our little band of new media believers cooked up something pretty special to help fuel conversations about local politics here in Chattanooga.

Introducing the Chattanooga Campaign Cash Maps, tracking financial contributions to all mayoral and city council candidates for the 2009 elections. To learn more about how we built the maps and why, read Making Transparency Local on Chattarati.

To twist a line we often use on Chattarati, this post is not satire.

First, this was not an easy choice. There are numerous policy areas where I part ways with Senator Obama, as there are with Senator McCain. Rather than hashing through all those disagreements like some sort of legal disclaimer, I’ll jump in to the reasons why I chose to vote for Obama.

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Given the season, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about politics and this weekend at Zap Your PRAM (more on that later) also brought a surprising number of political discussions. The train of thought continued on my travels home as I tried to finish N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope. As he talks about the role the resurrection should have in our thoughts about our work here on earth, he mentions two specific issues: the cancellation of third world debts and ecological responsibility.

Now, if you know me fairly well, you know I have a general libertarian slant. This is partly rooted in my belief that man is fallen and therefore prone to selfishness and lust for power. A question occurred to me as I read Wright’s discussion of these issues, though: Why do I trust the “free market” (i.e. individuals and, largely, corporations) to protect or steward the environment more than I do the government? That is sort of the implicit statement I’m making by leaning libertarian, right? Of course, ultimately the answer is that I should trust neither one, but practically speaking, what difference does it make to choose one over against the other? This, then, broadens the question to other arenas as well…

I have more questions than answers tonight about politics.

In related blogging, check out Brett McCracken on “Green Christianity”

Oil & Heaven
Originally uploaded by JHawbaker1800

Graffiti artist, I honor the place where your craziness and my amusement become one.

According to his blog, Ron Paul’s new book is going to hit the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List this week. It’s also currently the #14 book on Amazon, and the #1 book on their political list. That’s what I call hope for America!

NPR interviewed Dr. Paul yesterday about his book and his continued (no, he never dropped out) campaign for the Republican nomination. The web version of the story includes a great excerpt from the book. Here are a couple of my favorite bits:

A substantial portion of the conservative movement has become a parody of its former self. Once home to distinguished intellectuals and men of letters, it now tolerates and even encourages anti-intellectualism and jingoism that would have embarrassed earlier generations of conservative thinkers.

When we agree not to treat each other merely as means to our own selfish ends, but to respect one another as individuals with rights and goals of our own, cooperation and goodwill suddenly become possible for the first time.

My message is one of freedom and individual rights. I believe individuals have a right to life and liberty and that physical aggression should be used only defensively. We should respect each other as rational beings by trying to achieve our goals through reason and persuasion rather than threats and coercion. That, and not a desire for “economic efficiency,” is the primary moral reason for opposing government intrusions into our lives: government is force, not reason.

In case you’re wondering, yes, The Revolution is on my Amazon Wishlist.

I never said my politics were entirely consistent. Despite a strong preference for low taxes and limited government, I believe in the work ONE is promoting in Africa and I’m glad President Bush has supported that work. Now, unfortunately, the President and Congress are on the verge of cutting that funding by $1 Billion in 2009.

ONE is campaigning to get 60 senators to sign an amendment that would restore this funding to the budget, and they need your help. Sign the petition here.

Incidentally, Senators McCain, Obama and Clinton have all gone on record in support of the ONE Campaign.

In Tennessee’s primary this February, I happily cast a vote for Ron Paul. I knew that his chances of winning the Republican nomination were slim to none, but it felt good to be casting a vote for someone rather than picking the least undesirable candidate. I was drawn to Ron Paul’s candidacy for a number of reasons, including his positions on personal liberties, non-interventionist foreign policy and limited government. This quote from his op-ed on Forbes.com sums it up pretty well:

“America became the greatest, most prosperous nation in history through low taxes, constitutionally limited government, personal freedom and a belief in sound money. I decided to run for president because I am deeply concerned that the conservative movement has drifted away from these principles that we once so fiercely defended. Deficits have exploded, entitlements are out of control and our personal liberties are threatened like never before.”

As the results roll in from today’s primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont, I began to think more seriously about the general election. Should I fall in line with the party and support John McCain, despite some significant disagreements? Or give in to the Obama movement — Change We Can Believe In?

I’m going to explore this topic in more detail in a later post, but in the meantime — tell me why someone who voted for Ron Paul should support either McCain or Obama.

I was telling a friend at work this morning that I thought Barack Obama was in command of a Reality Distortion Field similar to that of Steve Jobs. Everywhere he goes people are mesmerized, and his followers every bit as fanatical as those of Apple. Well, just this afternoon, (Fake) Steve confirmed my suspicions:

“It’s just a kind of energy that some people are able to channel. Goes with the charisma and the ability to persuade people with your speeches. It’s just a more extreme version of that same energy. I’ve never asked Barry about this but I kind of knew when I met him that he had it. Bono has it too.”

Is this some kind of secret society? Sign me up.