I keep hearing the talking heads speaking about how exciting this voting season has become; democrats are engaged in the battle of the century and it is a thrilling time to be a voter in the United States of America.
Actually, I think the entire evolution is disgusting and not one candidate has presented a single stimulating idea or concept for the future of our country. I do not often agree with anything Rush Limbaugh has to say, but I do think he is correct to observe that Gentleman McCain’s treatment of Barack Obama, as a new messiah, will bite him severely during the general election.
My question, how is this election “exciting?” On the democratic side of the aisle, their entire proposition is a sham of gigantic proportions. What they must do, and have done successfully, is to select one or two major anti-Republican themes and convince democratic supporters that there is a real and present danger in not electing a democrat. Well, isn’t that what we expect democratic hopefuls to do? But it is bad enough that the DNC has misrepresented the facts, worse still that voters are swallowing these erroneous propositions.
During exit polls on Tuesday, North Carolina democrats said that their primary concern was (of course) the economy and the unemployment rate. Putting aside for a moment the idea that any president has the power to control a “free market” economy, or its associate the percentage of unemployed Americans, the suggestion is ludicrous. Now in a stressed economy, individuals tend not to spend money on nice-to-have merchandise. If our economy is in bad shape, will someone please explain the purchase of more than 100 million iPods in the past twelve months? When 96% of homeowners are NOT in foreclosure or late in their monthly payments, how is there a mortgage lending crisis?
Two years ago, Hillary Clinton and other erstwhile democrats told the American people that if they didn’t like the price of gasoline, they should elect a democratic majority to both houses of congress. So the American voter did just that . . . and now with prices at an all time high (and a projected increase of twice again as much in the next two years), democrats are suggesting that Mr. Bush and the Republican Party is at fault. Apparently, democrats expect the government to nationalize the petroleum industry, but they forbid drilling vast amounts of petroleum from within Alaska. A temporary cessation of federal gasoline taxes is a ridiculous notion to be sure, and even Nancy Pelosi has said that such a measure will “undo everything democrats hope to achieve”; never mind that we aren’t exactly sure what that means. If the government were willing to suspend any tax, it would suggest that the tax was a charade to begin with.
Why are voters (even in North Carolina) concerned about the unemployment rate? It has consistently hovered between 4-6% for the past forty years. It is presently 5%. How does this percentage of unemployed present us with a crisis? What does the rate of unemployment have to do with the North American Free Trade Agreement? Actually, it has nothing whatever to do with the economy unless you are a typical “sky is falling” democrat. It is merely the intent to create a crisis where none exists in order to secure votes from a largely ignorant population. But if you want more proof, consider this excellent opinion and explain how our economy is in serious jeopardy.
One of the favorite questions posed by politicians is, “Do you feel better off today?” Howard Dean’s Democratic National Convention is asking this question in one of their never-ending commercials. At best, whether citizens are better off today than at some time in the past appears to elicit a subjective, emotional, clearly rhetorical response since no politician actually gives a damn how voters feel. The question suggests that if voters do not feel better off, then they should probably vote for . . . well, “change.” But if we examine the underlying hypothesis, which is that politicians of any party actually improve the lives of citizens, we are likely to develop a critical view of every government entity; it may even force us to inquire further about the usefulness of politicians of any party and whether a bank of sophisticated computers would be a much better (and cheaper) deal.
My question, how is this election “exciting?” On the democratic side of the aisle, their entire proposition is a sham of gigantic proportions. What they must do, and have done successfully, is to select one or two major anti-Republican themes and convince democratic supporters that there is a real and present danger in not electing a democrat. Well, isn’t that what we expect democratic hopefuls to do? But it is bad enough that the DNC has misrepresented the facts, worse still that voters are swallowing these erroneous propositions.
During exit polls on Tuesday, North Carolina democrats said that their primary concern was (of course) the economy and the unemployment rate. Putting aside for a moment the idea that any president has the power to control a “free market” economy, or its associate the percentage of unemployed Americans, the suggestion is ludicrous. Now in a stressed economy, individuals tend not to spend money on nice-to-have merchandise. If our economy is in bad shape, will someone please explain the purchase of more than 100 million iPods in the past twelve months? When 96% of homeowners are NOT in foreclosure or late in their monthly payments, how is there a mortgage lending crisis?
Two years ago, Hillary Clinton and other erstwhile democrats told the American people that if they didn’t like the price of gasoline, they should elect a democratic majority to both houses of congress. So the American voter did just that . . . and now with prices at an all time high (and a projected increase of twice again as much in the next two years), democrats are suggesting that Mr. Bush and the Republican Party is at fault. Apparently, democrats expect the government to nationalize the petroleum industry, but they forbid drilling vast amounts of petroleum from within Alaska. A temporary cessation of federal gasoline taxes is a ridiculous notion to be sure, and even Nancy Pelosi has said that such a measure will “undo everything democrats hope to achieve”; never mind that we aren’t exactly sure what that means. If the government were willing to suspend any tax, it would suggest that the tax was a charade to begin with.
Why are voters (even in North Carolina) concerned about the unemployment rate? It has consistently hovered between 4-6% for the past forty years. It is presently 5%. How does this percentage of unemployed present us with a crisis? What does the rate of unemployment have to do with the North American Free Trade Agreement? Actually, it has nothing whatever to do with the economy unless you are a typical “sky is falling” democrat. It is merely the intent to create a crisis where none exists in order to secure votes from a largely ignorant population. But if you want more proof, consider this excellent opinion and explain how our economy is in serious jeopardy.
One of the favorite questions posed by politicians is, “Do you feel better off today?” Howard Dean’s Democratic National Convention is asking this question in one of their never-ending commercials. At best, whether citizens are better off today than at some time in the past appears to elicit a subjective, emotional, clearly rhetorical response since no politician actually gives a damn how voters feel. The question suggests that if voters do not feel better off, then they should probably vote for . . . well, “change.” But if we examine the underlying hypothesis, which is that politicians of any party actually improve the lives of citizens, we are likely to develop a critical view of every government entity; it may even force us to inquire further about the usefulness of politicians of any party and whether a bank of sophisticated computers would be a much better (and cheaper) deal.
I continue to argue that politicians are not to be trusted any further than an arm’s length. But the problem isn’t really our politicians (snakes that they are); it is about the uninformed voter who swallow everything candidates tell them and then cast their ballot based on illogical and patently untrue political supposition. Okay, so the “really-exciting” part of the upcoming general election will be the result. Will Americans choose wisely? I harbor serious doubts about that.
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