posted October 5, 2008
Let us stand back and look at where this country is for one moment and accept how we got to this spot in just eight years.
The United States is currently embroiled in wars in two different countries and a possibility of war in two more countries. The current President repeatedly reminds us that this war is against an enemy who wants to "destroy our way of life."
This country was attacked in 2001 and the very symbol of our economic philosophy destroyed. The working people in this country have repeatedly been pitted against underdeveloped countries which has led to a disintegration of the classical family unit and forced us into an environment that even pits husbands and wives against each other in the workplace. Our unemployment has risen steadily as the value of our dollar has shrank steadily. Our economy has been pitted against other economies through an idea called "globalism" by a small group of people who have enriched themselves at the expense of their country. The cost of energy has risen to astronomical heights amid an ever diminishing supply of finite resources. These are just a few of our most pressing problems.
The 2008 presidential election in the United States will be a defining moment in our history. The person unfortunate enough to get elected will have an enormous task of solving our problems and ensuring the United States is the beacon of light it has been in the past for the "huddled masses." Solving the problems mentioned above should be the number one problem our new President should focus on. Our next President should not only be able to talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
The average "Joe" doesn't drink a six-pack of beer before he votes. The average "Sue" isn't a "hockey mom" because football is still the number one sport in this country. Contrary to the opinion of the leaders in the conservative movement; many people in this country are far better educated than the proxy leaders pressed upon us by both parties. Many people in this country still believe the most important qualification of a U.S. President or Vice President is the ability to name and explain the first three sections of the U.S. Constitution: For on these sections lie the entire U.S. government. If a candidate cannot accomplish this task they really have no place in the political process for U.S. President.
It is a joke that either party would press a candidate upon us who cannot accomplish this task.
Sure, personal character should be an issue in any political campaign. It should be an issue if, as a POW, you gave information on your fellow POWs so you could receive special treatment by your captors. It should be an issue if, as the son of an Admiral in the U.S. Navy, that you skated through the Naval Academy and graduated at the bottom of your class. It should be an issue if, while in the service of your country, you destroyed U.S. military aircraft paid for by the U.S. taxpayer, due to your not paying enough attention to detail. It should be an issue if, as a person, you have continually shown impulsive behavior that is totally self-serving. Most importantly, it should be an issue if as a governor and a potential successor to be U.S. President you attempted to have demons exorcised without being required to prove the success of this operation.
On the other hand, it should be an issue if your campaign has run on unity and you have been known to meet with the radicals, in this country and in the world, to bring greater understanding without giving up basic principles. It should be an issue if you were raised in a hostile family environment toward your race, and you have been able to put animosity aside and work toward a better America that is blind toward race. It should be an issue if your campaign pushes hope and opportunity; that you obtained a college education and graduated from one of the top law schools in the country against many odds. It should be an issue if the pastor of the church you attended is no more a radical than the pastors touted by the other campaign. It should be an issue "what" any of these pastors say is the truth no matter the pain it may cause; for this is the job of a pastor. It should be an issue, if your campaign pushes personal responsibility and making the right decisions, that you have been true in your marriage.
These are very important issues. The ability of the average voter, whether he/she be Joe Six-Pack or a Hockey Mom is much higher than one of the political parties would have us believe. We know our jobs have gone overseas and at the same time a few people in this country are becoming wealthy because of this migration of business. We know that heavy industry capacity has decreased to a point in the U.S. that makes us very vulnerable were we to become involved in a large prolonged military conflict. We realize there are too many taxes on businesses, but at the same time we realize there is very little accountability on where any of our tax dollars are going. We realize, from our day to day association with government, that all too often we are the victims of people "not doing their job" instead of too high of a tax rate.
It is not lost on us that when a President is uninformed, arrogant, selfish, and unable to admit his/her mistakes that this attitude trickles down government like a cancer and costs us national wealth and the precious lives of our military men and women.
Last of all, we know that government-enforced "trickle down economics" works as much toward eliminating poverty as feeding more corn to a cow to ensure birds, who survive off undigested corn in the cow dung, do not starve. We all may have came to this country on a boat, but it wasn't a banana boat.
Steve Durham freethinker1963@yahoo.com
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