Democrats Now

Democrats, now is the time for all of us to tell both Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton to stop with the bickering and antics and focus on the business of defeating the Republican candidate.

At this point, Obama and Clinton are basically tied. From the looks of things either candidate is about equal when it comes to qualifications to become president. Their skills and background may be vastly different but in the big scheme of things neither Clinton nor Obama has shown that they have any major qualification over the other.

Rather than continue to waste valuable time, dividing the party, somebody needs to step up and be the bigger person and drop out.

I went into this thing with my support firmly behind Hilary Clinton. I still believe that she would be the better candidate but none of that matters if ultimately John McCain is swept into office because the Democratic Party implodes.

The bigger picture here is the future of our nation. A recent poll showed that the majority of Americans feel that they are currently worse off than they were a decade ago. I myself can vouch for that. Since Bush took office my standard of living has declined.

John McCain is a hero and he has served his country and we should not ignore his personal sacrifices but the bottom line is this, he does not have the best interests of the country or the people in mind. His agenda does not fall into line with the vast majority of Americans and he seems more comfortable with maintaining the status quo rather than looking to rebuild the country.

But I cannot blame people for supporting the man when you look at the dog and pony show going on between Clinton and Obama. It is a joke.

People, we need to stop listening to the candidates and start telling them that they need to get their acts together before it is too late.

Democratic Politics Helping McCain

I must say that I am feeling a bit uneasy about the current contest between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton.  Most definitely I am looking forward to a Democratic victory in November but the fact remains that the longer the duel between the two Democrats continues, the opportunity exists for the McCain camp to profit from the confusion.  Like it or not, the Democrats have blown the opportunity to move back into the White House both with Al Gore and John Kerry.

It is not that the Republicans have fielded a superior candidate in either George W. Bush and now John McCain, it is the fact that they have had a consolidated front working to put their candidate into office.

Al Gore ran a strong campaign but when it came time to pull victory from the mouth of a questionable defeat, there was nobody within the Democratic party who had a clear vision of how to show the American public what a sham the Florida fiasco was.

John Kerry was too weak a candidate to show the American people that he had what it took to lead.  He sat by and allowed the swift boaters to taint his past and then waited even longer to attempt to woo the public until it was too late.

And now, due to the battle between Clinton and Obama, the Republicans are being given ample time to build up John McCain and paint him as the new best hope for America even though he is far from the ideal candidate.

Ultimately, either Obama or Clinton will garner enough delegates to get the nomination but then the winner will be up against the clock, trying to put the in-fighting behind them and at the last minute attempt to showcase themselves as the candidate who will lead the country into a prosperous future.  But between now and then, John McCain has the luxury of time enough to now focus all his energy into pandering to the public.  He only has to let the Democrats continue to struggle with whom they want to represent their party and make pretty speeches in front of the press.

The reality is this, both Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton have much to offer.  One has vision and one has experience.  The longer their battle continues the more we have to worry about losing the election because too many people will be caught up in the drama to realize that another Republican has snuck into the White House.

Next Stop, 1600

Oh lord.  It still isn’t over but I am getting myself ready to eat some crow.  Unless the Clinton camp has some magic or dirty tricks ready, I can’t see Hilary getting the nomination at this point in time.  Barack Obama wasn’t my choice but I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to him and hope that once in office, he will attempt to do good things for the entire country.

The only bright spot in the political future is that Bush will be gone.  Unfortunately, we will be left with his legacy of foolish foreign affairs mishaps and an impotent domestic agenda.

McCain is an odd duck.  As a former warrior myself, yes I served with the 1st Ranger Battalion, I do not look forward to a future in which the United States is actively engaged in combat all over the world.  Time to bring the troops home, rebuild and rethink any future military actions and mend some fences.  Some people believe that words make us weak and only military action strengthens this country.  I disagree.

The current state of our military puts us in very real danger if a true threat to our country emerges.  Remember, no matter how you spin it, Iraq was never a direct threat to any of us.  Now, by wearing out our military in this fiasco if some up and coming tyrant wanted to launch a direct attack on the United States we would be hard pressed to defend against it.

Sure, this is not likely but it is possible.  I’m certain we could still defend ourselves but it would be a tremendous burden and after the fact it would take billions of dollars and even more years to recover.  Sorry folks, McCain is a hero and he has served this country honorably but his mind is not in a good place.

In November, it will be a turning point in our history.  We will be defining ourselves for the next several generations.  As always, I am imploring that regardless of who you cast your vote for please put some real thought into it.  Don’t listen to Fox News, the New York Times or anyone else.  Take the time and think about the future of our nation and make your own choice.

The Fat Lady Sings

Well folks, I must concede.  I called it wrong.

Hilary Clinton is out, Barack Obama is the Democratic victor.  Hilary just couldn’t exorcise those demons from the past and Barack Obama is the new savior.  I am not totally disappointed but I do have some fears that his lack of experience may create some hurdles.  I’ll remain optimistic and give him my support.

The Haunting of Hilary Clinton

I’ll have to admit this, Hilary Clinton is definitely haunted by an image that she is devious and immoral.  It doesn’t matter that there is nothing in her political past that would lend any legitimacy to this image yet there it is.

I just read a piece written by Dana Blanton of Fox News in which a recent poll states, “By a large margin, Clinton also comes out on top as most likely to “do anything — including something unethical — to win” the election.”

Shades of George W. Bush!

Interesting, yet as I have said before, this is simply propaganda aimed at Mrs. Clinton in an attempt to derail her candidacy.  Granted, I do not agree with everything she has to say nor do I support 100% of her ideas.  But I fully believe that she has the skills and ability to lead the country and move us all forward to a stronger future.

People need to understand that it takes more than fighting a war in Iraq or anywhere else for that matter, in order for us to be a strong nation.  Domestically we are suffering, plenty of ordinary people are still struggling to live day in and day out, children are not getting a decent education, college is still out of reach for a vast majority of people.  Health care and retirement are a pipe dream and even the notion of working steadily through our adult lives is questionable.

Is Hilary Clinton willing to do whatever it takes to become president?  I think not, I believe she will do whatever possible but nothing illegal or immoral.  However, look to the current office holder and you will see that for some people they can and will do whatever it takes.