I am Totally Confused

Everyday I read the polls. Remember when there used to be just the Gallup Poll? Oh, that it were so easy these days. There must be a hundred different polls out there. And then there are these averages of polls. The New York Times with Really Clear Politics does this and so does CNN with its Poll of Polls.

I too statistics. I know what proper polling technique is and I don't think all of these do it right or there would not be such variance. As if to prove me right I got this poll call yesterday. A national one. Not a state one. I get lots of those. Not as many since the primary is over but being a registered Democrat in a Red State gets me some not always welcome attention. Which is why this national phone call had me scratching my head.

"How sure are you that you will vote in this election?"

"Positive."

"Will you vote early?"

"If I find the gas money and time to drive to the county court house an hour and half from here."

"How sure are you that you will be voting for John McCain?"

"I am absolutely positive that I will not be voting for John McCain.

"You won't be voting for John McCain?

"Correct. I absolutely will not be voting for John McCain."

"Thank you for your time."

After we hung up I wondered why they would call a Democrat in this particular poll which was obviously to boost McCain poll numbers. The questions were not blind and her tone was not unbiased or neutral. I also wonder if they put a check in "will be voting for McCain" just because they didn't have a box for "absolutely positive I will not."

Sometimes it can be fun living in a Red State. Especially one that has just been painted Blue. And today I got called by the Obama Campaign and I am going to be an official Obama Poll Watcher. I am wearing my antique American Flag lapel pin which belonged to my grandmother. It has 48 stars. Sorry Hawaii but I just did not want to wear a star for Alaska. I am so embarrassed by them.

Okay, that's it!

For those of you that have not read my Y!360 blog I am reposting this.

I ran across this little tidbit about Governor Palin of Alaska while surfing the net for the latest news. And in my opinion this one issue over-rides all other considerations that might arise. This entirely puts quit to the issue of who I will vote for this election. I confess to being a bleeding heart liberal when it comes to the treatment of our animal friends.

I am not against humane hunting. But I also believe in a natural balance. This is not natural. Besides it is just not wolves. I think she has stated that she does not believe Polar Bears are endangered. So what's next? She approves aerial shooting of baby bears? If she is elected vice-president she gets to set national policy about this sort of thing.




Oh, by the way other states in the past have put bounties on animals. It never works. A neighboring state of New Mexico did it with coyotes once back before animal rights organizations could check ranchers on issues. And it was a pair of ears you brought in to some state official to receive your check for $15. They were so successful at eliminating this "hunter of baby lambs" for the ranchers that there really weren't any. In the next couple of years the population of rabbits bloomed as it were. And their grazing eliminated the grass the sheep eat.

State officials contacted New Mexico to see if we would give them some coyotes. We sold them some which at the time was for about $150 each. It was a costly program for the state and ranchers but especially for coyotes and sheep.

What state you ask? Why McCain's state. Given his age he may have even been senator then.

I've Been to Alaska

In response to Governor Palin's question: I have been to Alaska. I was up there on a USO tour and I saw Cold Bay pictured here, Nome, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Indian Head, an numerous other radar bases monitoring flights from Russia.

Oh and all those decisions about fly overs and the security of the United States are made by the United States Military. I seriously doubt the Governor even knows.

I an the others I was traveling with were in Cold Bay, Alaska, the last piece of land before the Aleutian Islands begin, when there was a US Airspace incursion. Our scheduled two days in Cold Bay became a week because all military aircraft was busy and that was the only way in and out of here. It was salmon season and I don't remember caring that somewhere in or near the Pentagon there were probably some nervous military folks.

Alaska is a very interesting place. Bars are open for all but two hours when all the drunks are tossed out, the bars swept out, and then reopened before those you tossed out freeze. Right next to the coat check at most bars is a weapon check. While you can wear guns and knives on the streets, and many do, the civilized bars require you check them at the door. Walking home from the bar, or driving, you need to watch for moose and or bear. The average sidearm has little effect on either of these so the pickup has a gun rack with the heavy artillery.

In short I don't believe any of the problems that Governor Palin had to deal with in Alaska are transferable to our lives here in the lower 48 even though coming home at night where I live I have to watch out for the elk and black bears. She is certainly not going to understand the inner city issues. And she probably translates global warming as a chance for a longer hunting season. After Fairbanks there are not a lot of paved roads to worry about, no mass transit (unless you count the ferry from Juno), and the only immigration problems are the Japanese (the visit Alaska in endless charter flights) that missed their tourist flights back.

Alaska is a wonderful state but it is a state totally apart with all its own unique problems. I can certainly understand the independence movement up there. Heck I live in New Mexcio and I think that the four corners states ought to quietly leave the United States. Nobody in Washington seems to give a damn about us except for what they can take from us. And I can imagine that feeling is really rampant in Alaska. So as Governor she is probably not very pro United States and some Republicans want to give her control of it? Get real.