Ezra Klein

Watching the debate and twittering my opinions was exciting last night. As a political junkie I enjoyed every aspect of the debate.  The big question though now is who won the debate? Barack Obama won the debate and here is why.

The first debate was on Foreign Policy. It is a given that this is John McCain’s strongest suit. Barack Obama should not have held his own if John McCain were to win.

John McCain’s goal last night was to prove to the American people that Barack Obama was not qualified nor ready to lead our nation come January.

Barack Obama’s goal on the other hand was to hold his own and not allow John McCain’s claim of “inexperience” resonate with the American people.  Read More »

Hillary Clinton did what she had to do. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to be on that stage but under different circumstances. She united a party that media tried to imply was divided. There were some that speculated that the party would split and there would be a Democratic Party with Barack Obama as their nominee and a Third Party with Clinton as their nominee.

That of course did not happen. Clinton’s message was clear. As Ezra Kelin notes, “Her candidacy was about something, not someone. She is a Democrat, not a Hillaryite.” Those that supported Clinton believed in an effort to expand health care, shift our economic policy so it benefits the middle class and rectify the damage that Bush has done to our foreign image and policy.  Read More »

Ezra Klein of The American Prospect gives his take on the whole Suburbs vs. City parenting debate. He notes that most families opt to raising their children in the suburbs citing it as the most ideal place to raise children. Although I may be biased since I grew up in the city, I concur with Klein's final assessment . . .  the kids will be alright.

We can debate about the advantages and disadvantages of both settings but when it comes to it at the end of the day . . . as long as parents are proactive in their children's lives, everything will be okay. That is said in the most simplistic terms of course, much more is needed. There is no real advantage to growing up in the suburbs. If anything it is an illusion created to justify why people should move out 30 minutes outside of the city. Many of my college friends that grew up in Suburbia felt deprived of the city. They were intimidated by the chaotic concrete jungle and confusing parking signs. As they grew comfortable with their new settings, they grew to love the urban lifestyle. I speculate that they will run back to the suburbs to raise their own families though. I don't blame them. It is a comfort zone they wish to relive for their children. If the advantage is mental, then let it be. There is no secret though that the Suburbs are worst for the environment . . . but that is a different story.