Do You Hate 2008 Presidential Politics?
If you hate politics, you aren’t alone. In his book The American Lie: Government by the People and Other Political Fables (Paradigm Publishers, July 2007), Johns Hopkins political scientist Benjamin Ginsberg suggests that embracing one’s inner cynic is important for keeping political rhetoric at bay.
Politics is not about truth, justice and principle, Ginsberg asserts. Rather, he says, it’s about money, power and status. Ginsberg argues that politicians pretend to fight for principle in order to conceal their true selfish motives. Ginsberg encourages citizens to become “realistically cynical” in their participation in the 2008 election process, to think outside the ballot box and find new ways to act on behalf of their own individual interests and the greater public good. And if voters do make it to the polls, Ginsberg’s advice is, “When in doubt, vote them out.”
Racial tolerance is still an issue in America as we are discovering this year as Michelle Obama is attacked by the far right. Racial tolerance in America has increased steadily over the years but there are still manifestations of discrimination as evidenced by voters comments in a number of primary states exit polls and by attacking the wife of an African American candidate. I don’t think that the US as a whole is too far away from overcoming it, though, and Obama’s strong and positive showing is unquestionably speeding the process up and is encouraging.
America has blue states, red states and all kinds of divisions, but we need someone to bring them all together. America must return to it’s principles, or it will fail. If you believe this is the last you’ll hear of Ron Paul, you are mistaken. Ron Paul, who recently suspended his campaign, was the only candidate who really understands how far America has slipped away from its principals and has some ideas about how to repair the damage. Unfortunately, Americans are too dumb and set in their brainwashed ways to vote for freedom via a non-major party candidate.
Bush was elected to a four-year term, to serve as president until January 20, 2009. The Constitution makes him Commander in Chief of the armed forces and also grants him the power to veto any legislation the Congress passes. Bush, who captured Florida and its electoral votes after a divided Supreme Court ended the Bush/Gore re-count of ballots. Since then, Al Gore has made combating global warming his signature issue, and has been recognized worldwide for his effort - from an Academy Award to the Nobel Prize. Now that Obama has safely captured the Democratic Party’s nomination Gore has given Obama his endorsement.
Bush, who all along said he was listening to his generals, sacked generals Casey and Abizaid, who had plans to reduce troop levels over one year ago, and who opposed more American soldiers in Iraqi neighborhoods. Not only that but the Head of Centcom, Admiral William J. Fallon, was forced into an early retirement because he openly stated that he thought talking to Iran was a wiser course of action than starting a war with them.
John Negroponte, a specialist in the black arts of counterintelligence, became the State Department’s point man on Baghdad. Condo Rice has pretty much faded into the background as being irrelevant. The Bush legacy seems sure to be that he was the worse president and headed up the worse administration in the history of the United States.
After Bush America drastically needs the change that Obama is talking about. But what does the man really have in mind and how does he hope to accomplish it, whatever it may be? Perhaps a few details will emerge in the general election campaign.
John McCain seems to be a man whose ambition has consumed his principals. He is weak on the facts surrounding major issues, like Iraq, and can’t seem to keep the major players in the region straight as to who is in conflict with whom. Not only that but the man reportedly doesn’t know how to even turn on a computer, much less use one. I find that as compelling a case as can possibly be made that the man is still living in the very distant past.
I fear that the poor quality of leadership shown by the Bush administration will carry over into the next administration no matter who wins the 2008 election. So far the petty bickering between Obama and McCain as they square off in the general election campaign is enough to make anyone concerned about the future of America hate the 2008 presidential campaign. Change is promised by both candidates but remains a vague word more than a well thought out plan.
Where is that visionary statesman or stateswoman that America desperately needs? Sadly, I don’t see it in either Obama or McCain.
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