What will be the message contrast between the Republican and Democrats Convention?

The week of the Democratic Party Convention is coming to a close. What take aways did people get from the Convention and how will they differ from what comes out of the Republican Party Convention? Well I for one saw the Democratic party Convention focus is all about "people", specifically the Middle Class and their struggles during the past 8 years of the Bush Administration and their down right focus on the wealthy few, to receive the benefits from their policies.

What do I expect to hear from the Republicans next week? Honestly, I am not sure. But if they follow the previous Republican Party Convention goers and their TV audience, they will put the focus on Barack and attacking everything they can think of about him. They will talk about "money", because that is what is important to them; how much they have, how much they want, less government in our lives and to promote the security of our country from the "evil" ones, through the fears they will conjure up, stating that the Country will be at risk under a Barack Obama Presidency. They will use fear in every form and contrast that to the "hope" of the Obama message.

I might be wrong here but I don't think by much. It is obvious that the Democrats are for uniting people at this historic moment and anniversary of both Martin Luther King speech "I have a dream!" and the three year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the abysmal response of the Bush Administration in the aftermath even to this day.

Iran vs. US. We have more in common than you think!

All this bluster about Iran. President Bush and VP Cheney are always rattling their sabers threatening them with an attack. Bush has called Iran one of the axis of evil countries. But we have more in common with Iran that we have differences.

For example, the Iranian people love the American people and our way of life. The cleric leaders impose their will on the people just as our President imposes his will on us with the Iraq war. Their "elected" officials do the bidding of their leaders and are toothless just like our Congress and Senate. The Iranian people are basically a gentle people as are the American people. It's just that both countries have their rabid ones controlling the rest of the population. Many reasonable Americans want a dialogue opened with Iran. Many Iranians want a dialogue with Americans. But the leaders of both countries taunt each other, like children. Make that spoiled children.

See we do have a lot in common with Iran.

I'll trust the American people any day. Would you?

The Presidential candidates are all giving us their "line", hoping we'll nibble at least, and possibly, get hooked on them. But what I noticed is that they all sound the same. Each chooses which particular special interest issue is the bait for us and then they give us their "line". Of course we disagree with each of them on many other issues, where we haven't fallen for the bait. But they keep putting that same bait out there hoping to drag us along to the primaries and then the General election next November. The Republicans use these as bait; reduced taxes, pro-life, against gay marriage and a strong military. The Democrats use: tax the rich, pro-choice, anti-discriminatory practices regarding gay marriages, and more recently, a path to citizenship for undocumented workers.

On the other side, you have all the elected officials, Republican and Democrats alike, and the American public, that totally disagree with this President/ Vice President and Administration on a number of issues. We all can't wait for their departure from office, back into their non-reality world. Where the only help for them is therapy or AA, and where they learn to embrace the 1st step of the 12 step process; Denial.

President Bush says, "I'm the Decider! I don't follow the polls". Cheney says, We can't make decisions based upon some poll, we have to do what's best for America!" I say, why not? If we are a true democracy, shouldn't government be representative government of "all" the people not just "business leaders"? If polls were done with a large sample of Americans and truly representative with statistical accuracy, why should major questions and issues be put before the American people to decide?

Seems to me that if you take ALL the pools on the war, the American people have spoken loud and clear. They say get out NOW! It isn't even close now with 70% of the poll results showing the vast majority of people want out of Iraq sooner rather than later. And yet neither party is willing to follow the input and wishes of their constituency. We do not have representative government that works any longer. Maybe we should it more along the lines of American Idol and have people vote by phone and elected officials must comply with the result? It can't be much worse than what we have now. Even adding a third party will not work as the leader will need to get support from the other 2 parties which won't be so inclined to support them.

It's not the only issue Americans agree. More than 75% of Americans want our Borders secure first before deciding anything about the 12-20 undocumented (illegal) immigrants here. Same is true about keeping the government out of our bedrooms and out of our life or death decisions we are faced with our elderly parents. Also true, we agree that if this were a war we had to win, we would be willing to have shared sacrifice. We also agree that the rich should pay more share of the taxes. We agree we want to preserve Social Security and Medicare Prescription Drug benefits but that the government should be able to negotiate for better prices to get a large discount, especially for seniors. And we agree everyone should be covered by Universal Healthcare coverage and not be denied care. My friends we could decided some things and move along the process of stalemate in Washington.

Seriously though, we need to consider this problem as informed citizens and be willing to make proposals that could get the lobbyists and special interest groups out of the process. I'm really open for some good creative thinking here. Have you got any good ideas to share? Leave a comment if you do.