Endorsement

I have had a very difficult time getting into the Presidential race this time around. Truth be known, I rarely take much interest prior to the conventions in the summer. But this year is different. I guess I have never been as aggravated about a sitting President as I am this time. So, I was really anxious to see who would throw their hat in the ring and who would be in line to replace Bush. I mean, after the Iraq fiasco and the message sent in the mid-term Elections, it was just a matter of what warm body the Democrats sent out. Surely the Republicans had no chance of maintaining control over the Executive Branch. Right?

Well, as my good friend Lee Corso is fond of saying...Not so fast my friend. Over the course of the past year, the Democratic Party has marched out a cast of characters that has caused me a great deal of concern. Some no-name governors...a couple of old-timer Senators that don't really stand a chance of getting out of the primaries...and three relative newcomers to the scene. One, a retread from the Kerry debacle of 2004 and the other two members of demographics for whom the American public has historically failed to support for the highest position in the country. Things were not looking so good. Maybe the Republicans had a chance to win...and we certainly don't want that...do we?

It was at this point that I really started to think about the situation..had I really become the a member of the partisan electorate that I so abhorred...that I blamed for our current political environment? Was I going to become one of the mass of sheep that are led to vote along party lines, eschewing any serious scrutiny of policy or the effects of that policy on the welfare of our country as a whole? I mean, prior to Bush coming into power, I always prided myself on being a "political scientist". I majored in Poli Sci at the University of Texas and whenever anyone asked me my party affiliation, I would tell them "I am neither Republican nor Democrat....I am a political scientist...I thoughfully assess each candidate and cast my vote based on what I feel would most benefit the nation as a whole." Now that I recount this, it is basically a jack ass way to say I am an independent, but will serve to illustrate the way I was and the way I want to be.

That said, Bush pushed me way left, but now is the time to come back to the middle. To put aside any partisan thoughts re. the ways of the Republicans and to look at things with a discerning eye. This is way too important an election to look at things any other way.

So, who best represents what our country needs now? Well, let us first take a look at the state of our country. First and foremost, we have to address Iraq. Though many say the "surge" is working, this type of analysis is based only on the fact that fewer people are dying on a monthly basis. If that is our new benchmark for success, we are in grave trouble and should re-evaluate what is going on there. There has been little movement toward any political progress within the region, little progress in structuring a government that can effectively lead the country and almost no progress toward determining how Iraq would move forward without U.S. military intervention. This all seems to me to validate what my brother has mentioned to me in the past...that while it may be true that if we leave today, Iraq will be in grave danger of descending into chaos, it will also be true 10 years from now. We need to cut our losses today and we need a leader that is focused on that being the number one priority from day one.

Secondly, we need to refocus our efforts on the War on Terror. As I have said so many times, the War on Terror is akin to the War on Drugs in that it is not winnable and it is basically bullshit. We need to start spending more money not on going after them, but in developing better security here at home. I've used the analogy before and I believe it to be apt. When your house has been unlawfully entered, you have one of two options. You go out and hunt down those that might possibly be the thieves or you install a top notch alarm system. We have spent tens of billions on hunting and relatively little on the alarm system. That priority needs to change. Now let me add another analogy to that. Because this is not a simple case of breaking and entering. This burglar had, what he thought, was a good reason for breaking in. He thinks that you came into his 'hood and disrespected him. He thinks that the things you do are bad for your city in general and he thinks you should suffer for your transgressions. Now, knowing this, do you tell him to fuck off...that you are not going to change your ways, he needs to change? Or, do you say, the safety of my family is important enough that I am going to sit down with this guy and see if there is some common ground for our peaceful coexistence. I strongly believe that the second option is the only logical one. So, in summary, we need to refocus our War on Terror budget from war making to security and diplomacy.

Third, we need to focus some energy on improving the lives of our citizens. The old saying goes that if you are not getting better, you are getting worse. And while our medical system, our education system and our welfare system (NOTE: when I refer to welfare, I refer to the suite of programs offered by the government to redistribute income from taxpayers to those citizens that are in need) have served us well over the years, are the result of the revolutionary thinking and hard work of our nations leaders throughout history, and have served as the siren call to so many to immigrate here, they are no longer the best. Many other nations have surpassed us in every category and others are catching up. Remaining stagnant because it is the politicallly judicious thing to do is not going to work anymore. We have to elect some revolutionary thinkers to revamp these systems. We, as a populous, have to understand that there may be some short-term pain involved in this, but long-term, the gain will make any sacrifice more than worthwhile.

As you can tell, this will not be easy. Some would argue that it is downright impossible. I think it is possible. But it is going to take someone with a strong conviction. A great deal of bravery. An ability to bring people together and strike down partisanship. A good ear and a quick mind.

Do any of the current candidates strike you as up to the challenge? No? Well, let's look at this from another angle. What role does the President really play in this? While Mr. Bush grabbed as much power as he could and appointed the right people in the right places to protect this power, the role of the President is meant to be much more limited. There are three branches for a reason...yes, the President does have to lead. He needs to put forth a vision, he has to have strong conviction and he has to bring people together. But, more importantly, we have to have a Congress that is brave...has good internal leadership and is willing to bring forth brave, intelligent bills.

Do any of the current candidates strike you as being able to put forth a strong vision, to bridge the partisan gap, to lead bravely? If you said no this time, I will ask you to do me a favor. Take another look at Barack Obama. He is the person for the job. Though lacking in experience, he more than makes up for it in his vision, his conviction and his leadership skills. He is the one that will lead us out of the mess of the past eight years. He is the one that will bring this country back together and get us moving forward. He is the one that will put America back on top. He, in short, is the one. Do yourself a favor and read up on him. I will do my best to summarize his platform on this blog in the coming weeks, but do some reading yourself so you can challenge me and challenge your own current beliefs.

It took a while, but I am now excited about the coming Presidential Race. I can feel it. Good things are coming.