It seems like most people have some type of yearly reflection around this time.  People start throwing out “best of” and “worst of” lists like their opinions should have some kind of authority.  Ignoring subjectivity completely, readers immediately react to these lists with enough vitriol to float a boat.  My solution?  Make lists that I can say that I am the authority.  So, here you go.

The Worst of 2008 for Me:
10. Getting my complete lack of drumming ability exposed by Rock Band 2.
9. The extended “sick, but not really really sick” battle I waged in November.  Two weeks of congestion and exhaustion was pretty much a big crapper.
8. The Great Comcast Battle of 2008
7. The extended “remodeling” of the Red Lion that kept it closed all of 2008.
6. My catalytic converter getting stolen off of my Jeep.  That really sucked and continues to keep the Jeep in Sucktown.
5. The seats when we took Sarah’s parents to see Jersey Boys.  A bad view, uncomfortable angle, and they ripped my pants.
4. The complete unraveling of the Cleveland Indians and Browns.  Both ended up being such letdowns after 2007.
3. The incredibly long and unrelenting winter of 2008.  I don’t think we saw anything over 30 degrees until May.
2. Getting a parking boot.  Stupid on many levels, but man, finding my Jeep with a giant yellow parking boot after work was just about the worst feeling ever.
1. Sarah taking a softball to the knee.  It made life challenging for a while and kept her on the bench for the rest of the year.  Oh, and the pressing fear that she wouldn’t be able to walk normally for the rest of her life.

Honorable mention: Owing taxes, the new Indiana Jones movie, and paying $10 for lunch way too often.

And now… the Best of 2008 for Me:
10. Sarah allowing me get away with growing a beard for the last several weeks of the year.  I’m guessing her acceptance will be endless.  If not, Sarah making me shave my beard will be on my 2009 “worst of” list.
9. The Great Nebraska Trip of 08.  This trip has redefined the awesomeness of summer.
8. The Dark Knight in IMAX.  Mind = blown.
7. Getting a Costco membership.  I know that sounds lame, but trust me, it is.  Even so, it has turned out to be pretty dang awesome.
6. Pastor Daniel’s “sex series” and forum.  It’s been quite a while since a pastor has spoken words that hit me the way his series did a couple months ago.
5. The Wii… and Rock Band 2… and WiiFit… and taking my dad down in Wii Bowling.
4. Getting engaged.  From the ring to talking to Sarah’s dad to postponed proposals to finally getting the word to come out of my mouth, this was probably the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done.
3. The Weber 22.5″ One-Touch Gold kettle grill that was provided by the guys from my “bachelor weekend.”  This may continue to be on my 2009 “best of” list.
2. Brewing my first batch of beer ever with Jud.  Hopefully it leads to continued brewing and eventually some stellar beer.
1. Well, it’s not that hard to guess what my number 1 might be.  Obviously, it was discovering there was a Sonic in Ohio just off of I-70 near Dayton.

Honorable mention: Discovering the tv show Mad Men, Iron Man or Wall-E, Microsoft replacing my Xbox 360 quickly and for free.

Ok, for real, there were two pretty monumental occurences that will make 2008 incredibly memorable.  Enough so that they deserve their own list.

So, here it is… the Greatest of the Great in 2008:
2. Hearing Wolf Blitzer say, “We are ready to declare that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States” while standing in Grant Park with my wife and some good friends.

and finally…
1. A month before election day, standing in front of a gazeebo somewhere in Michigan and wearing a nice suit, a beautiful woman for some reason agreed to spend the rest of her life with me.  That was pretty swell.

So that’s it.  2008 reduced to a couple of lists.  Disagree with any of it and I will have my friend Corey poke you in the eye.  He’s ready to do it too.

Dear President-Elect Obama,

First of all, SWEET PARTY in Grant Park the other night.  It was amazing.  I kept telling my friends – there’s no way this guy can pull off this shindig.  You proved me wrong, sir.  The pizza was so-so and hella expensive, but it’s cool.  I was hoping for an open bar or at least a keg, but hey, you did your best.  Maybe in 2012, right?

Now, the reason I’m writing.  I’m pretty excited about your presidency overall, but there’s a few things I’m hoping you can address in late January/early February.  I’m writing to you now because you probably need to get a head-start.  I’ve always heard that money helps grease the wheels, so I’m not afraid to bring up the multiple donations I sent your way over the course of the primary and presidential races.

So, without further ado, here’s what I’m thinking should probably be addressed: (more…)

If Sarah and I are graced with children someday (woah), talking about the presidential election of 2008 will have a special importance.  We had the chance to stand in Grant Park with 250,000 people and follow the election results all night.  Then, as the west coast states closed their polling places, we watched as Wolf Blitzer told us Barack Obama would be the 44th president of the United States.

I can’t write that without getting goosebumps and watery eyes.  The memory of raising my arms in jubilation with about 250,000 people, one of which was my wife of 30 days, is one I will never forget.  It was almost like a combined sigh of relief for a moment most of us probably at at least one time doubted we would ever see.  As much as I supported Obama from before his announcement in Springfield, to believe that he actually was named president-elect?  It’s still a struggle.

I remember talking with Sarah and realizing that she was as excited as I was, and the anticipation on the ride downtown.  I was wearing a button my friend Kelly bought me – it said “Beer Brewers for Obama.”  While beer brewing is still a yet-to-be-achieved dream, it was a fun, eye-catching button to wear.  Sarah and I were in a crowd of supporters as we walked from the station to the park.  It wasn’t long before we hit Michigan Avenue and saw the first real glimpses of the enormity of the crowd.

We were quickly divided into two groups – people with tickets and those without.  As Sarah and I pushed through to the ticket side, mounted police appeared and the hustling crowd slowed to a crawl.  We chatted with people around us as we made it through the first check point.  Lots of people were being turned away and the crowd control staff was visibly overwhelmed.

Once past the first check point, we made lots of ground as we crossed Columbus Drive flanked by mounted police.  We thought we were moments away from finding our place in the park, but we were definitely wrong.  We again slowed, this time to a complete stop.  That’s when it started to happen.  Pennsylvania was called for Obama.  Expected, yes, but incredibly important.  A loss in PA meant this race was a lot closer.  That’s when we pretty much all knew all we had to hear was Ohio or Florida.

We moved in clumps in that crowd as the check point gradually let us move past.  As much as we hated just standing there, it made sense and worked out well.  More people were turned away at this check point, so once we made it through it was another chunk of ground we had to cross.  This time it wasn’t just cops lining the path – the first Secret Service officers and Obama staffers began to appear.  We were told repeatedly not to run, but we were all making that awkward speed walk that kids do when you tell them not to run.

Once we made it to the metal detectors, Secret Service outnumbered the Chicago P.D.  The lines moved quickly as we literally had every ring of keys, cell phone, and camera inspected.  It actually moved really quickly considering the circumstances.  We were the first of our group to make it the entire way in so we found the closest spot  we could.  That’s when we heard it – Ohio.  For someone who bore a little of the blame from my Minnesota friends in 2004, I took great pride in my home state’s decision.  I also knew that this was it.  Any path to victory for McCain went through Ohio, and Obama had blocked it like my friend Geoff and Corey block my longest road in Settlers of Catan.  We would have to wait several hours though until the west coast polls would close and networks could ethically call the race.

The crowd was in high spirits.  Even though the networks weren’t calling it, we were all talking about the importance of the Ohio victory.  They flashed a county map and I saw that my home county was blue.  I literally choked up.  I wondered how my parents had voted.  I wondered if my mom was physically able to vote after her surgery.  Sarah soon made a trip to grab us a couple slices of pizza and some water.  She also brought back some of our best friends.

As we stood there and watched CNN on the giant screen, we cheered the Obama victories and booed the McCain wins – even the obvious ones.  We watched as Obama got closer and closer to 270 and anxiously waited for the polls to close on the west coast.  We counted down the seconds.  And then it happened.  Wolf acted like it was just another projection, but he flashed the words President Barack Obama on the screen.  A wave of disbelief hit the crowd for a half of a second… then an explosion.  We yelled at the top of our lungs and raised our arms in the air.  I turned to Sarah and hugged her with tears in my eyes.  My friends came next.  They just kept showing it over and over.  Jesse Jackson cried.  Oprah was flipping out.  And we were all there together in Grant Park.

The last sound check operator walked ot the podium and said, “Last sound check for the next president of the United States.”  We went crazy again.  They showed McCain’s speech, which garnered a mix of responses.  The mention of Palin was pretty much the only part that drew a widespread negative reaction.  The announcer came over the PA and we cheered as a bishop walked out to give the invocation.  We cheered again for the pledge and national anthem.  Anticipation was at a fever pitch.

Then… music.  Stevie Wonder.  Brooks and Dunn.  Buddy Guy.  More and more music.  The end of each song was a tease.  We stood there in disbelief as Obama’s appearance was delayed.  It was as if it was Christmas morning and your parents were making you wait to open gifts.  And then, as we waited for another song to come on, there he was.  Obama poked his head out and made his walk to the podium.  I was in disbelief.  It was real.

I will always have the words of his speech, but the experience of standing in Grant Park on that night will be one I have to hold on to in only a few pictures and my memory.  Here is hoping the next four (or eight) years prove to be worthy of that night.

Dear Senator John McCain,

You probably don’t remember me.  Eight years ago as you mounted the Straight Talk Express during the Republican Primary, I sent you a couple bucks because I thought you were poised to be a great leader.  Clinton was wrapping up his time in office and I felt you were the best candidate to follow him.  Times were good, weren’t they?  I was a college student at the time – just a blank slate of a freshman excited to vote in my first presidential primary. (more…)

When listening and reading Kennedy’s nomination acceptance speech at the 1960 Democrtic National Convention, it is actually somewhat freaky how relevant his words are today.  I think Obama could take the speech and swap “terrorist” for “communist” and “McCain” for “Nixon” and almost read it word for word.

Well, except for the part where he calls his opponent young.

This part gives me chills.

Perhaps he could carry on the party policies, the policies of Nixon and Benson and Dirksen and Goldwater. But this Nation cannot afford such a luxury. Perhaps we could afford a Coolidge following Harding. And perhaps we could afford a Pierce following Fillmore. But after Buchanan this nation needed Lincoln; after Taft we needed Wilson; and after Hoover we needed Franklin Roosevelt.

But we’re not merely running against Mr. Nixon. Our task is not merely one of itemizing Republican failures. Nor is that wholly necessary. For the families forced from the farm do not need to tell us of their plight. The unemployed miners and textile workers know that the decision is before them in November. The old people without medical care, the families without a decent home, the parents of children without a decent school: They all know that it’s time for a change.

We are not here to curse the darkness; we are here to light a candle. As Winston Churchill said on taking office some twenty years ago: If we open a quarrel between the present and the past, we shall be in danger of losing the future.

Give it a listen.

I don’t remember the first “truth about Obama” e-mail that was forwarded on to me, but the hate-filled crap still seems to be flying around the internet.  Almost daily I hear some type of reference to Obama linked to Islam, playing on the xenophobia of fearful Americans that equate Islam with every societal ill from high gas prices to gay marriage.  Instead of making educated decisions in the voting booth, too many turn to opinionated “news” reporters and hate mongerers with keyboards.  A public fist pound between a husband and wife is called a “terrorist jab” on a “fair and balanced” “news” network and a scarf gets a donut commercial pulled from the air.

Oh, and somewhere there are people who heard from “high ranking” folks that somebody saw a video of Michelle Obama using the term “whitey.”  Oh, and conveniently enough, it happened at Trinity.  Nobody actually can produce anything remotely related to this, but it’s enough fodder to keep the focus off of real policy long enough to maybe convince a few more voters that we aren’t ready for a biracial president.

Right.  Having a non-white president would be the worst of our problems.  The last 7.5 years have been so successful, why not have more of the same?

I know this may sound like a bit of a stretch for some, but stick with me here. This primary process is shaping up to be like something straight out of the movies. Specifically, the 1976 Oscar-winning Rocky.

It’s pretty clear how everyone lines up.

(more…)

This is fantastic.  Let’s hope the people in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont take former President Clinton’s advice.

“… you better vote for the person who wants you to think and hope…”

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Oh Cleveland, how I miss you. I’m enjoying some of Great Lakes Brewing Company’s finest and taking a little e-diary of the 1.5 hour debate. Let’s see how it goes, eh?

(All times are in CST)

8:03: Hillary comes out first to defend her rage-driven rant from the other day. She was just defending herself apparently.

8:05: And now the question is turned to ask about the picture of Obama in traditional garb. “As far as I know…” Hillary says, “it didn’t come from my campaign.” That should probably be written down as many times as possible.

8:08: Hillary is citing her experience in healthcare. I wish Obama would bring up the HillaryCare debacle from Clinton presidency.

8:15: Seriously, change the subject.

8:16: No, seriously. This isn’t a debate on your healthcare plans.

8:17: Oh, awesome. NAFTA. This should be fun. Can we go back to healthcare?

8:17: Wait, did Hillary really just cite Saturday Night Live? Man, I wish I had DVR. She also just said Laredo is the largest inland port. I love quirky random facts. You get 10 points, Hillary.

8:18: A “trade timeout”? International trade is not a 3 year old toddler. You lose 10 points, Hillary.

8:22: I love Tim Russert.

8:23: Wow, Hillary cared about NAFTA when she was trying to get votes in New York City, but now that she’s in the Rust Belt, she claims Tim Russert doesn’t have all the facts?

8:26: Almost a half hour, and we’ve only talked about healthcare and NAFTA? Tim! Brian! Do something!

8:28: Did anybody else see the intro to this debate when it was mentioned that Ohio is the birthplace of more presidents than any other state in the union? MSNBC better check their stats. Virginia leads by 1.

8:31: Oh, Hillary would follow through on her promises IF she had the resources of the White House. Apparently the resources of the Senate are not enough.

8:32: I wish there were people in the audience from each city that’s mentioned so people could cheer.

8:33: Yay! A new topic! What could it be? Iraq.

8:35: Reeb – I’d love to talk about what Obama is saying, but Hillary is droning on… and on… and on… I think I’m going to send her staff an e-mail with the definition of “concise.”

8:37: Yep, she’s still talking. Without a break. If she goes 3 more minutes, it will confirm she is a robot.

8:38: Obama makes a fun parable about driving a bus into a ditch. Some parables are better than others, apparently. Generally, driving a bus into a ditch isn’t top shelf material.

8:40: I think it’s now a debate on who thinks they can win a debate with John McCain.

8:42: Again, I love Tim Russert. Fastballs up under the chin. “If you pulled out of Iraq and it went to hell, would you re-invade?” I think it’s pretty clear neither candidate was prepared for that question.

8:44: Hillary made a good point earlier. Why is she getting all of the questions first?

8:46: Wow. The first commercial break. I wonder what the candidates do during commercial breaks. If it was me, I’d have a game of Wii tennis or something similar ready to go. That’s about the only way I could make it through something like this.

8:48: What’s with all the heartfelt commercials out there now? Do blood-sucking banks really believe we would fall… oh… he’s giving the old man his wallet that he found? You mean the bank behind this commercial would give me my wallet back if they found it? Sign me up!

8:50: Hillary snuck in after the telecast started. I wonder if it’s because the line in the women’s room was longer than the line in the men’s room?

8:52: I wonder what the candidates are writing down while the other is speaking. I hope it’s a sudoku puzzle. I bet they both could do a five star sudoku in about 20 minutes. In fact, maybe they should publish their sudoku abilities.

8:55: Hillary mentioned taking away subsidies from the student loan companies. 100 points for Hillary.

9:00: We’re at the one hour mark. I’m out of beer. I need to go to the bathroom. I wish it was time for another heartfelt bank commercial break.

9:02: Ooo… public campaign finance money comes up. This reminds me to commit $1 of my tax refund to campaign money.

9:04: Wow, Anna B. No need to call Hillary names. I mean, I’m not her biggest fan, but she is a respected elected official.

9:05: Hillary back-tracking on her loan to her own campaign, making her tax returns public, and her archived records as 1st lady just looks shady. “I’m kind of busy right now,” she says.

9:07: This entire situation with Louis Farrakhan is pretty interesting. I think it’s probably one of Obama’s most complicated issues as of late. A figurehead in the African American community putting his support behind Obama, which is obviously important, but that figurehead happens to have a history of very anti-semitic remarks. I think it’s making a lot of nothing.

9:11: There’s a difference between “rejecting” and “denouncing” according to Hillary. She knows, because, you know, she’s been there before.

9:13: Woah – there is an audience there! No time for that, though… commercial break! Bladder salvation!

9:15: While relieving myself, I started wondering what the staffers of each campaign are doing right now. If the West Wing taught us anything, they are huddled in a room making smart ass remarks and pumping their fist a lot. I kind of wish I were there… or playing Wii boxing.

9:17: Yes! The National Journal claim is brought to the stage! I loved reading how Obama was named the “most liberal senator.” Obama sounds very prepped – he points out that the votes that the rating was based on contained only two differences between his record and Hillary’s. Obama also points out that his position on Senate ethic investigations – that if a senator is being investigated for ethics violations, that senator is not allowed to sit on their own investigation committee – is a “liberal position.” How many conservatives are really going to stand against that? Score one for Obama’s prep team.

9:21: The debate is winding down and Putin gets brought up. I think this is more appropriate for the Presidential debate – not the primaries. I would hope there are no huge differences here between Hillary and Obama.

9:23: Oh, I see why it was brought up. What would the candidates do if Russia invades Kosovo? Now that’s a good question.

9:24: Ooo – Tim just asked if either candidate has a position or vote they would take back. Hillary gets it first and briefly mentions her vote to authorize military action against Iraq, but quickly turns it to what she will do, not what she has done.

9:26: Now it’s Obama’s turn. Terri Schiavo is brought up and the inaction of the legislature before a break that allowed all of that drama to unfold. That’s an interesting one that hasn’t really been mentioned by anyone. Hmmm…

9:28: Well, it’s wrap up and make nice time. It’s been an honor… and a… WAIT – Brian has a last minute question! Ha ha!

9:29: Now this is a turn of events. Why wouldn’t your candidate be the best nominee… SNAP!

9:30: Obama briefly mentions how capable Hillary is and turns to McCain. I supported McCain in 2000 and really thought he was the best leader for the country. I wonder if he changed, or was it me?

9:31: Now it’s Hillary’s turn to talk about Obama’s worthiness of the nomination. The first clapping in the audience comes after Hillary pointing out she would be the 1st female president.

9:33: Lorain, OH… represent! Man, this audience is boring.

9:34: So that’s it. Brian Williams closes it up. Look at those eyes… so pretty… so welcoming… so inviting… I think he won the debate.

9:35: It’s so weird to me when presidential candidates sign autographs.  I mean, really?  Autographs?  They’re not playing the main stage at Lollapalooza.

9:36: I’d love to sit here and listen to the analysis and spin, but my friends and some cheap burgers are waiting for me.  Hopefully this is the last primary debate so we can all look forward to a mudslinging presidential race!

My winner – neither.  It was like watching a shoving match that doesn’t escalate beyond shoving.  I hope nobody in Ohio, Texas, or any of the other remaining states wanted to use this debate to make up their mind.

For the past week, I’ve been repeatedly accused of being deceived. I’m being won over by slick words and pretty speeches, rather than solid policy proposals. It’s interesting and somewhat perplexing to listen to television pundits, editorial writers, and even people I know tell me I am lacking the ability to think independently.

And apparently it’s not only me. Millions of young people are being told they don’t understand politics. We’re the “Facebook” crowd, as Hillary Clinton’s chief strategist called us, “only a few of [us] look like [we] could vote in any state.”

Of course, we see how that worked out in Iowa. Catching pretty much everyone not paying attention to Obama off-guard, the young vote that’s been sought after for the past few elections finally showed up. The same vote that could have spared this country 8 years of G.W., the same vote that was pretty much sworn off, made it to the Iowa caucuses and turned some heads.

I think what cracks me up more than anything is that one of the first points I hear in the argument accusing me of being deceived is that all Obama does is go out and make pretty speeches. He’s naive and his supports are too. We don’t understand the complexities of world affairs and the best approach to handle issues like terrorism or the global economy, and Obama glosses over these items in his well-spoken speeches.

While I can’t deny that Obama’s speeches are light on content and heavy on inspiration, I’m stuck wondering who among the major candidates of either party are giving us in depth views on specific policy ideas they would enact. When, ever, have the primaries been the time to be heavy on content? The answer is never! The purpose of the primaries is to simply energize your base and convince voters that you understand the issues that need to be addressed as president and that you are ready to take them on. If you highlight enough issues that strike a chord with voters, pretty soon you see your delegate count rise as people say to themselves, “wow, this candidate understands what I’m struggling with and is ready to take them on.”

And is it really that bad of an approach? Why is it a problem when a candidate seeks to inspire people? If any candidate took time to lay down policy after policy after policy, they’d quickly find themselves at the bottom of the polls and without an invitation to televised debates. The majority of the American electorate does not want to have to digest anything. Why do you think Ron Paul is quickly becoming the Libertarian version of Nader? (insert Tracy Jordan line from “30 Rock”… “I think I voted for Nader… NADER!”)

Believe it or not, Obama and his team have pulled together ideas and policies to approach some of the biggest issues our government faces. The struggle I keep finding is that the people accusing me of being deceived don’t want to have an actual discussion. They want to be the cool people that make fun of the bandwagon-jumpers, but don’t want to hear that someone of us made our decision with clear, educated, rational thought.

So, anyway, that being said, I am effectively suspending my campaign for president and officially endorsing Barack Obama.