I watch about an hour of the Republican National Convention last night.  I wish I could get that hour of my life back.

Let me give you a bit of history here.  My family growing up (and still is) was very Republican.  I grew up with Reaganomics and Bush Sr.  Then Clinton came along, and of course most of the people I knew railed against him for his personality and his politics and his womanizing.  I soon became one of those people.

Then Clinton’s 8 years were over and George Jr. took over.  Then 9/11 happened.  Then we decided to go to war with a country that hadn’t attacked us.  And we’re still there.

Folks, I don’t care what math you use about a troop surge working…I don’t care what rationale you might have for being in Iraq right now, but you cannot tell me what we’re doing there is GOOD.  We captured Saddam Hussein.  That should’ve been the main objective.  We even help set them up with a democratically elected government.  They want us out now.  They don’t want us out in 2012.

I voted for Bush Sr. in the ‘92 election.  I voted for (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) Bob Dole against Clinton in ‘96.  I voted for Bush Jr. not once but twice.  I can’t get those votes back.

But in 2008, I am voting Obama/Biden.  Do you want to know the main reason?  Do you want to know why I think the Republicans are going to lose (and lose big in the Electoral College) come November 4th?

Republicans as a whole are bitter.  I listened to Rudy Guiliani last night before Sarah Palin spoke to the RNC and he just sounds like a bitter old man who got overcharged for his Early Bird special at Piccadilly.  His speech was loaded with sarcasm and cheap jibes at Obama and Biden.  Maybe that was what he was up there to do, to rile up the folks there at the RNC into a frenzy.  It was probably the most pointless speech I’ve ever heard.

Then Palin comes out.  She spends the vast majority of the speech’s first 10 minutes introducing her whole family who is in the audience.  It’s actually a nice moment, and at this point I can see why Republican’s like her so much.  She’s very personable, she’s attractive, she speaks plainly and has a very dry sense of humor.  Then she starts in on the attacks of Obama.

I’m fairly certain she didn’t write anything having to do with Obama and Biden in this speech, mainly because as Governor of Alaska, I don’t think you make it your business to keep up with national politics.  But she sure seemed well informed (for a Republican).

But again, the biggest message that got put forth (at least in my opinion) was how bitter the Republicans are right now as a party.  Just bitter old men (and women) who yearn for the way things used to be rather than how things are.

Not to quote a TV show here, but government can be big enough for everyone.  It is a place where we can bring out the best in anyone and everyone.  Because government should be a place where people come together and no one gets left behind. An instrument of good.

Let’s start now.  Vote Obama/Biden in 2008.