BC Election: Leaders Debate

Watch it LIVE here

Two Views on Gay Marriage

David Berner is a well known media personality in Vancouver and someone who I've felt honoured to have met a few times in my life. On some issues we very much agree whilst on others we don't at all. Gay Marriage happens to be one of the latter. Here's something he recently posted.

Here's the comment I left him:

David, the issue of gay marriage is low on my priority list. It was made legal here in Canada and hasn't directly affected my life at all. And I wholeheartedly believe that gay couples should have all the same benefits, etc. of heterosexual couples.

But if I was given the choice to vote on it, I would vote 'No' for gay marriage. If you or your readers think this makes me a bigot then c'est la vie.

I heard someone recently suggest that all liberal democratic societies have a built-in self-destruction mechanism. Years ago I would have thought this to be nonsense but now I wonder if the concept of unlimited rights for everyone and a determination to never discriminate against anyone in any way is taking us down a very slippery slope.

Let me pose some questions to you which I hope you will take the time to think about carefully before responding to.

1. Do you believe, in the interest of non-discrimination, that a man should be able to have any number of wives?
   
   
2. Do you believe, in the interest of non-discrimination, that an adult child should be able to marry their mother or father?
   
   
3. Do you believe, in the interest of non-discrimination, that a brother and sister should be able to marry each other?
   
   
4. Do you believe, in the interest of non-discrimination, that a 6'2" tall man, who states that he believes he's a woman, should be able to wear a dress & makeup and stand in the girls bathroom at a local school or swimming centre?
   
   
5. Do you believe, in the interest of non-discrimination, that the concept of separating boys and girls into different sports leagues is completely outdated?
   

I'm most interested to read your answers. Please note that if you don't agree with all of these initiatives that more than a few people would call you a bigot and believe you to be absolutely wrong.

Joe The Plumber

In this strangest of political campaigns, who would have ever guessed that a plumber named Joe Wurzelbacher would become the most famous man in America. His name came up over & over again in tonight's debate.

Trying to put myself into the mind of the average undecided American voter, I think that Obama came off as calmer and more collected. McCain sounded a little snippy at times. McCain did his best to throw the most significant charge (ie. William Ayers) at Obama but the latter offered a reasonable sounding response.

Where the truth in any of the back & forth tete-a-tete actually lies, who knows. Mine is simply a first impressions evaluation. Stanley Kurtz, for one, thinks that Obama was somewhat disingenuous with some of his answers.

Kudos though to both men for engaging in a respectful, adult conversation, letting the other speak. In Canada's recent English language debate, all but Stephen Harper were able to do the same.

I still adamantly believe that an Obama administration will be a great disaster for America because socialist-leaning policies always kill the incentive of the most industrious in any society. And without them, societies slip backward. Britain is learning that now. So is France. Canadians have been wise enough never to elect the NDP. On November 4th we'll see if Americans need to learn a painful lesson.

The VP Debate - Realtime Blogging from Dallas

I'm 650 miles southwest of the debate in St. Louis but am actively tuned into it, like tens of millions of others!

8:01pm - And so it begins . . . like many people who don't trust the MSM, I'm paying special attention to everything that the moderator, Gwen Ifill, says.

8:03pm - The candidates came out. Sarah Palin asked Joe Biden if she could call him "Joe". He said "Yes".

8:04pm - Biden started talking about the current financial situation. I would have too. Though if one were to dig below the surface, it's clear that the Democrat Party and their buddies in Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, are at the very heart of the problem. That's hard to explain in a 30 second soundbite though, and Obama & Biden are counting on that.

8:06pm - Palin is reminding America that two years ago John McCain tried sounding the warning bell about the forthcoming economic crisis but that Biden & his colleagues weren't willing to listen.

8:09pm - Gwen Ifill just made a joke at Palin's expense about her not answering a question. I wonder if she'll extend the same discourtesy to Biden?!

8:11pm - Biden is lying (or stretching the truth) about Barack Obama warning 2 years ago about the sub-prime crisis whereas McCain was apparently mystified by the same. I'd LOVE to see the facts on that!

8:12pm - The crux of the divide between the two parties has just come out. Biden has insisted that middle-class people don't have enough money. Palin agreed but then pointed out how many times Obama increased taxes.

8:14pm - Palin just let both Biden and Ifill have it by saying, "I might not answer the questions that you [Biden] or the moderator want me to, but I will answer them."

8:16pm - Another split has arisen: Under Obama's tax plan, will families over $42,000 per year or $250,000 per year be effected? Palin says it's the former, Biden says it's the latter.

8:17pm - Palin is chastising Biden for his stupid statement that paying more taxes is patriotic. Bravo!!!

8:18pm - Palin has just outlined McCain's health care plan of giving every family a $5,000 tax credit and then contrasted it with Obama's plan of a federalized health care plan ... welcome to Canada's mess - egad!

8:19pm - Biden is smiling a lot less :-)

8:20pm - Biden just tried to spin McCain's plan in a negative light and added a little joke about the Bridge to Nowhere. Facts?!?

8:22pm - Biden just promised that he & Obama will cut lots of spending. Surrrrreeeee!!!

8:23pm - Palin is sharing her history about breaking up the monopoly of the oil companies in Alaska.

8:25pm - Biden is once again painting McCain as part of Big Oil. Effective rhetoric.

8:30pm - Palin is addressing the issue of Global Warming. She's talking about McCain's "All of the Above" approach of Energy Independence.

8:32pm - Biden believes that Global Warming is all man-made. Too bad he's wrong. But facts never stopped Al Gore so why should they stop Biden & Obama. This guy sounds like an American version of Stephane Dion.

8:34pm - Palin is talking about the importance of energy independence. God Help Americans if Obama & Biden get elected and actually follow through with their energy policies!

8:39pm - They're now talking about Iraq. Palin used Biden's own words of condemnation against Obama's initial refusal to fund the soldiers in Iraq & Afghanistan.

8:41pm - Biden is now talking about the Obama timeline for drawing down the troops in Iraq. I know this greatly appeals to the Daily Kos Kooks but it makes no sense. Whenever in history was there such a timeline way ahead of time during an active military operation? Not in Germany, not in Japan, not in Korea.

8:44pm - Biden is now trying to painting himself and Obama as being right about what has occurred in Iraq. What a pile of B.S. Does 2 + 2 now equal 7?

8:49pm - The whole issue of how to deal with countries like Iran is now being discussed. Obama-Biden wants to sit down with the leaders of Iran ... much like Neville Chamberlain sat down with Adolf Hitler. It didn't work then and it won't work now. But I fear that many on the left simply won't accept that there are some people with whom you can't break bread, sing Kumbaya, and resolve all problems.

8:53pm - Palin has just chastised Biden for keeping on trying to connect her & McCain to the Bush Administration.

8:57pm - She just quoted Obama's horrendous quote about American troops aerating villages and killing civilians in Afghanistan. Such quotes the Far Left love because of their hate toward the American military but I doubt that the average American appreciates such words.

9:00pm - Palin is talking with great detail about military policy in Afghanistan. It's going to be hard for Obama's MSM buds to HONESTLY paint her as some kind of dopey hick. Sure, some still will, but I doubt that the average voter will buy it anymore.

9:03pm - Palin just took a great shot at Biden about For It Before Being Against It Or Vice Versa and relating how Americans are fed up with Washington Insiders not talking straight about any issue.

9:07pm - Biden made a comment that he would carry out all of the same policies as Obama.

9:09pm - Palin made an interesting contrast, stating that she doesn't agree with every policy of McCain but that a healthy debate is a good thing.

9:10pm - Palin: "There you go again, Joe, pointing fingers back again!"

9:13pm - Ifill just opened the door for Palin & Biden to explain their past comments about the role of a vice-president. Palin explained that her earlier rhetorical question about not knowing what a VP actually did was a lame attempt at a joke. We all knew she was joking, of course, though the pathetic dregs on the left tried to tar her with it. Perhaps that'll end now. Nahhh, I shouldn't get so optimistic that hate-filled liberals can ever rise above their patheticness.

9:16pm - Biden just stated his belief that Dick Cheney was the worse vice-president ever in the history of the U.S.

9:18pm - Palin just made a beautiful speech about her view of America and how she connects with Americans. I need to get a copy of that video clip!!

9:20pm - Biden just stated that his & Obama's record should be compared side-by-side with that of John McCain. I sincerely would be interested to see that. I bet many Americans would too.

9:21pm - Biden just spoke about his children and almost broke out into tears. It was a very touching moment. I sincerely mean that. In fact, I think he's a very good speaker. I just don't happen to agree with his world view.

9:22pm - Palin came back that her & McCain are not "more of the same" but are true reformers.

9:23pm - Biden is directly attacking McCain's record, saying that he is not really a maverick on "the important issues that effect people around the kitchen table".

9:27pm - Biden just spoke about his track record of bi-partisanship. This may very well be true but it is NOT TRUE for Obama. He is an leftist ideologue who is not willing to work with those on the other side of the aisle in any substantial way.

9:30pm - Closing arguments. Both were rock solid. Only on November 4th will we learn how the American people decided.

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Post Debate Analysis:

Peggy Noonan:


Michelle Malkin

Andy McCarthy

Mark Levin

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The Battle About Palin Continues

When they thought no one was listening, pundits Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan had the following conversation. Not very positive. I'm not familiar with Murphy but read Noonan on a regular basis. She's a superb writer. Often I agree with her, sometimes I don't. This time I don't.

Quick aside to my liberal friends: Please note that I'm not calling Noonan an idiot, a twit, or threatening to never read her column again. Adults realize that they can agree to disagree.

Quite a contrast from the hate filled private correspondence I've been receiving the past few days, including from some people I thought were friends. Apparently friendship stops at the party line for some.

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The world is awaiting Sarah Palin's big speech tonight. Anyone who thinks that she's going to be a big pushover is going to be proven wrong. This afternoon she said the following:

"Since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves," Palin said in excerpts of her remarks, released in advance of her appearance. "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."

Brian Day: Guilty of queue jumping or just a responsible parent?

Today, CBC Radio's Cross-Country Checkup is featuring a discussion about Dr. Brian Day's recent admission that he twice used connections to get himself and his young daughter ahead of the line for medical treatment.

Before the show even starts, I sent host, Rex Murphy, this e-mail:

I'd like to make a comment prior to any callers voicing their opinions on whether Dr. Brian Day was right or wrong about using his connections to get faster service for himself and his 5 year-old daughter. One might be able to make a legitimate argument that he shouldn't have done so for himself, though he could make an even better argument that restoring his own health as quickly as possibly meant that dozens, if not hundreds, of other patients were helped out as well.

But if anyone dares espouse that they would let their own 5-year old child suffer longer out of some sort of homage to "Canadian fairness" then they should immediately be called a liar. If they convincingly dispute this charge then the authorities should be called immediately to rescue their children, because they are clearly an unfit parent. Making such a claim is akin to a pacifist saying that they would not protect their child, through defensive violence if necessary, if an intruder broke into their home and threatened their child. Any person who actually stood on [very misguided] principle rather than defend their child resides in an area well beyond selfishness.

Canadian Health Care Debate

I attended this debate, hosted by talkshow personality and fellow blogger, David Berner. The problem with such things is that most people come with entrenched views and really aren't open to hearing anything from "the other side". Nadeem Esmail, from the Fraser Institute, presented many interesting examples from all over Europe, but the majority of people in the audience clearly preferred to keep their ostrich-like heads buried in the sand. This is but a small sampling of what politicians have to deal with every day of their lives!