Greetings and salutations!

On what a difference two weeks makes!

While, as I mentioned in my prior post, I didn't end up watching much of the Olympic Games, I certainly was glued to the TV for both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and, WOW, did they have an impact! In an already exciting campaign, the two conventions took the competition to a whole different level. While I was fairly clear where my vote would lie (if I were American) beforehand, that decision was cemented afterwards, by one convention as much as the other.

First off, I owe a bit of an apology to the Clintons. While I still resent their behavior leading into the Democratic convention, they both did what they had to do in their speeches - stood squarely in line with the party behind Barack Obama and released Hillary's delegates to do the same. Whether or not most of them will has yet to be seen. That said, the Democratic National Convention achieved it's main goals - promoting party unity and inspiring party members heading into the November election.

Let me be clear; in my opinion, there are many, many, many things wrong with the USA, but the reality is that America has been a beacon of hope and liberty for people around the world. If the laundry list of problems that has dragged the country down into it's current  sorry state can begin to be addressed by a government genuinely dedicated to doing so, the "American Dream" could be realized again. That kind of idealism and passion was on vibrant display during the DNC. Nearly every message was positive and focused on changing what America has become. The speeches by Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama were exhilarating and, more importantly, indicated the realities of Obama's plans for America and that he is ready to take the fight to John McCain.

Which bring us to the starkly contrasting circus that was the RNC. For starters, the surprise announcement of Sarah Palin's selection as VP candidate, followed by the political exploitation of severe weather events along the Gulf Coast. But finally the convention did get under way and it couldn't have been more different than the one before it! Where the DNC was full of passion and inspiration being taken in by a diverse range of US citizens, the RNC was full of bitterness, anger, and fear mongering. Rather than take their message to the people, the Republicans relentlessly attacked the Democrats in language that was often, sarcastic, mean-spirited, and full of hypocrisy and double-talk.

While I would charge former NY mayor Rudy Guliani with some of the worst offences in this regard, Mrs. Palin, already clouded by controversy as the party's unbelievable pick, was just as bad. Her prepared speech to a hall full of old, white people did nothing to promote the message of change they hijacked from the Democrats and did everything to strengthen my resolve that America must be saved from the Republicans.

It's a sad commentary on the influence of mainstream media when a comedy show (which I love dearly) has to call these people to account and I can only hope that Americans across the country will wake up and realize they need to take their future into their hands. I hope they understand that "I was a POW in Vietnam" is NOT a political platform and that the fundamentalist evangelicals propping up this dead party are NOT the people that represent the state of faith in America.

With Hope,
Joseph