Just some thoughts...

-Well, I'm narrowing my list of whom I could potentially vote for in the '08 election by the day. Another person I wouldn't vote for is Mike Huckabee. Until recently, he just spoke like a compassionate conservative, who could get along with just about anybody. But in recent days, he's come across as quite the religious zealot and regardless of how nice the person seems to be, I'd rather not see a Pat Robertson in the White House. Huckabee has stated that the Constitution should be more in line with God/The Bible, and may need some changes to coincide with that. He's also "kindly" bashed those whom are not supporters of the Confederate Flag, which happens to be the state flag and reside at the state capital in South Carolina. He's also done some preaching during his campaign in South Carolina, literally. Overall, he seems like a nice guy and I wouldn't mind talking to him at a bar while inebriated, but not someone I want to lead this country. Just as I'd rather not see the pastor at my mother's church lead the country, I feel similarly about Mr. Huckabee.

-I got into a small argument with a friend the other day. It wasn't really an argument. But, I was befuddled, to say the least. A bartender asked my friend and I what we thought of Barack Obama's chances at winning the presidency. I paused, attempting to garner my thoughts, so I could give a thorough response, but my friend isn't really one for doing such things. He said, "Not to sound racist, but Obama is going to have troubles in some states that are typically blue, such as Alabama. John Edwards is the only Democrat who has a chance at winning the election." Stupid on both counts. First, referring to Alabama as a blue state is like would've been like calling Cal Ripken a Seattle Mariner back in his playing days. Alabama has not voted Democrat in a presidential election since 1956. Once I spoke up, in amusement, saying, "Alabama is a blue state?" He responded with, "They voted for Clinton twice." I didn't have the stats to back me up right there, but I doubted this was valid. He obviously got Alabama mixed with Arkansas, as Arkansas voted for their former Governor during both of his presidential runs in '92 and '96. But, even then, Arkansas has voted Republican in 7 of the past 10 elections, with two of those Democratic votes being for their former Governor, Bill Clinton. So, which ever way he wants to cut it, the southeast is anything but full of blue states, just like the northeast is anything but full of red ones. Then, to say that John Edwards is the only Democratic candidate to have a legitimate shot of winning in November is ridiculous. Why did he say this? It's obvious. Edwards is the leading white male candidate amongst the democrats. Clinton is female and Obama is African-American. Edwards is so far back of the two, though, he doesn't have much of a chance at representing the Democratic Party. So, in my friend's frame of mind, the Republicans have the election won. The turnout for the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary was irrelevant, where the ratio of the Democratic to Republican turnout was at approximately 2:1. Regardless of who the candidates are, whether they're male, female, androgynous, white, black, green, or purple, if the ratio is anywhere similar to what it's been in the early going here, the Democratic candidate will come out victorious.

-Another old friend of mine told me he could never vote for a woman, because women don't have what it takes to lead. I pointed out that women have been elected as leaders to other countries and been successful. He responded with, "Yeah, but it's different here." What does he truly mean by that? I just decided to change subjects, so I don't really know, nor do I really want to know. Either way, such statements trouble me. If someone doesn't agree with Hillary Clinton's politics, that's fine, don't vote for her. But, when someone simply doesn't vote for her because she's a woman, that's what bothers me. Although, I could go the other way too. I don't think a person should simply vote for an African-American or a woman, just because they are an African-American or a woman. If one agrees with what they have to say and believes they'll do a solid job in office, leading us in a positive direction, then vote for them, regardless of their gender or ethnic background.