The Democratic Convention will take place next week in Denver Colorado and its historic significance is an internationally recognized moment in time.

The talk of the town is the presidential “veep-stakes.” Who will Senator Barack Obama choose as his running mate? He is about to accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency and the suspense is creating a maelstrom of guessing. Despite the pressing issues of the day, most of the voting (and non-voting) public is focused on who will be the vice-presidential nominees (of both parties)? The reality is: those who say they know do not really know because those who really know would not really say, and the latter is a relative few inside the inner circle.

The economy is still in shambles; gas prices are relatively high; homes are being foreclosed on every day; and soldiers are still dying in Iraq. Senator John McCain constantly criticizes Obama’s plans for handling Iraq and since Russia has followed the leadership of the United States and invaded a sovereign nation, McCain seems to have received a signal that his so-called experience is needed to handle that situation. According to the national media, McCain has seized on the Russian invasion to tout his foreign policy judgment. What foreign policy judgment has McCain rendered that is of significance? The time when his judgment was put to the test, he failed. He voted for the invasion of Iraq.

Last weekend, Obama and McCain were at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California for what was billed, a Civil Forum. One of the observations of the candidates was their stark differences in Supreme Court Justices and their pro-life stances.

Rather than say who he would have nominated or agreed with philosophically, Obama spelled out the two justices he would not have nominated if he were the president: Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who are considered strict originalists—they interpret the Constitution in its literal, original meaning. They were appointed by Republican presidents: Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush respectively.

McCain also picked the justices he would not have nominated: Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer. They seemed to be the more liberal-leaning justices. However, they were appointed by Gerald Ford (Stevens) and George H. W. Bush (Souter), Republican presidents. Bill Clinton, a Democrat, appointed Ginsburg and Breyer. McCain appears not to favor justices due to their presidential benefactors; he is an equal opportunity “disagreer.”

On the right to human right issue, Obama declined to give a specific answer deflecting to be confined to a theological or scientific interpretation. McCain, on the other hand was very specific that he would be a pro-life president.

The Democratic convention officially starts next Monday and Obama will be announcing his running mate this week. (some sources say by Saturday in Springfield, Illinois, where his campaign began). There have been a lot of distractions on the way to the convention and there are still a lot more to come as the march to the White House continues.

Published in : News, Obama Watch