Friday, August 31, 2012

Stuff My Brain Says #44

I would like to ask President Bush how it feels to be a three-term President. Since everything has been his fault over the last four years, he must still be sitting in the Oval Office. I guess that means the Democrat campaign slogan should be "Give Obama a Chance!"

© Emittravel 2012

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

As Hope Burns


Prior to my meeting, falling in love, and marrying my lovely wife Lisa, I was a mess. I was still trying to get over someone and was refusing to allow myself to get close to any other woman. This poem came out during a non-numb moment - if you know what I mean. -j.p.


The seasons have come and gone
Time drifts slowly past
People come and go
Impacting in ways small and great
But some memories remain
Peaceful yet haunting

I told you once
(Seems so long ago)
That there will be others in my life
Mere shadows compared to you
Words of prophecy
Falling into fruition

Why can’t I forget you
Stop caring each and every day
Wondering where you are
Missing you so much
Recounting the moments
Immersed in my failures

Where do these tears come from
How can they continue to fall
Haven’t I cried enough
Shouldn’t my heart be dry
And yet I wonder
How many tears have you shed

Do I ever touch your thoughts
Speak to you in the quiet
Alone in your bed
Can you feel my arms around you
Does my name cross your lips
In the sorrow of prayer

I wait for you
After all this time
I reach out
Try to touch you in my musings
And love you
As hope burns


J.P. Wiegand
© Emittravel 2004


Monday, August 13, 2012

Why You Don't Choose The President


It's official: GOP candidate Mitt Romney has chosen Paul Ryan for his VP. Will this turn out to be a good choice? We don't know. There is the impact on the election and, more important, the impact on the potential administration. 

We understand why the election impact: a candidate is trying to capture a voting block that he may otherwise be not as likely to win over on his own. (Note: I'm using "he" throughout, since when the gender of the person is unknown, "he" is grammatically correct usage. Using "he/she", or alternating "he" and "she" makes reading clumsy for the audience.) What I want to address is the impact on the administration. Mainly, why do we let candidates pick their own running mates?

According to Federalist #68: "The Vice-President is to be chosen in the same manner with the President; with this difference, that the Senate is to do, in respect to the former, what is to be done by the House of Representatives, in respect to the latter." The 12th Amendment gives instructions on choosing the President and Vice President. In neither document does it state that the Vice President is chosen by the President - neither as President, nor as a "running mate". 

Shouldn't the Vice President be elected in the same manner as the President, as described by our founding documents? I understand that choosing one's own running mate allows the balance of the ticket, but one of the main responsibilities of the Vice President is to take over in case of the loss of the President. If something happens to the President, wouldn't we want the SAME things in a Vice President? Isn't the point to have a seamless "change of command" in such a loss? Why would we want someone who would take us in a completely different direction? 

Think back on all of the President/Vice President combinations we've had. Would you honestly have voted FOR the Vice President chosen?

Barack Obama / Joe Biden
George W. Bush / Dick Cheney
Bill Clinton / Al Gore
George Bush / Dan Quayle
Ronald Reagan / George Bush
Jimmy Carter / Walter Mondale
Gerald Ford / Nelson Rockefeller
Richard Nixon / Spiro Agnew / Gerald Ford
Lyndon Johnson / Hubert Humphrey
John F. Kennedy / Lyndon Johnson

The above list goes back to just before my birth. Just think about the combinations. Why would anyone willingly choose these combinations? Sure, some of those aren't so bad, but if given the opportunity to choose, would you have done the same? I don't think I would have.

But again, when the game is to get elected, what is best for the country slips in importance.

So remember when going to the polls: Since the Vice President is selected as a running mate, you don't, ultimately, get to choose who is President. If something were to happen to this person if elected President, would you REALLY want their chosen Vice President to take over? Brrrr - is there a chill in the room, or is it just me?


© Emittravel 2012