The Inevitable Reaction
I'm going to try to keep this somewhat brief, but you all know how that usually turns out. Quite frankly, I'm stunned. Floored, even. This morning at about 04:50, when I saw the news, I lost what little remaining confidence that I had in the intelligence of the American people.
I've heard at least one moron on conservative talk radio whining once again about how lousy a candidate Senator McCain was, and that is, of course, completely and totally incorrect. Senator McCain was the best candidate for the job. He had the most experience and the most impressive accomplishments of anyone running. He would have put a solid check on the universally loathed Democrat majority Congress (who, despite their abysmal approval rating, still picked up seats in both houses), he would have ended the energy crisis, he would have completed the victory in Iraq, continued and possibly completed the fight in Afghanistan... The list could go on. Senator McCain was right on all of the social, economic, and political issues, and his values reflected those of the Founders.
Senator Obama is a socialist. He's said everything short of "I'm a socialist." He wants to surrender in Iraq on the eve of victory, he has literally no concept of foreign policy, he's promised to punish the successful by raising their taxes and redistributing to the chronic failures, as if throwing someone else's money at the problem will solve it. He also may not be a Muslim (anymore), but he's certainly not a Christian. This ought to be obvious to anyone who's actually read the Bible and compared it to his policies, voting record, and rhetoric. What's worse, even though he did a lousy job of hiding the fact that he's essentially bereft of any legitimate religious faith, people still bought it. Also, contrary to the popular belief that Barack Obama is something new and different, he and his policies are complete and total retreads of the abysmally worthless policies of the equally worthless Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. And yet, because he looked younger than Senator McCain, because he reads well from a teleprompter, and because he has a voice that some seem to enjoy, he's going to be the President of the United States of America.
So, what have I learned from this election?
First, I learned that, due to the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, citizens who receive from this nation without investing anything into it can swing an election in favor of whichever candidate will promise them the most free goodies. I know what some would be tempted to say, and let me make it quite clear: I'm not talking specifically about black people. There are people of all races and backgrounds who mooch off of the system and shouldn't be voting. This isn't a black problem, it isn't a white problem, it's an American problem. It's one that the Founders obviously foresaw, and the idiots obviously ignored when #24 was enacted in the sixties.
Second, I learned that public education isn't an investment, it's a money pit. History classes? Worthless, because history classes would have taught voters that the party that ended slavery and segregation started with an "R", not a "D". Proper history classes would have taught voters the dividends that they could expect from the policies of the three aforementioned presidential failures: military failure, sluggish economic conditions, and a morally bankrupt society. Economics classes would have taught the end result of ramping up unbridled spending on social welfare programs without having any way to pay for it. Nope, it would appear that the Founders' requirement of an informed electorate has completely failed due to the ineptness of America's public schools. It's time to stop wasting money on an investment that doesn't pay back.
Third, I learned that substance is rightfully trumped by an overzealous, biased media and millions of dollars. Phrases such as "worst economy since the Great Depression", "eight years of failed policies", and "the failure in Iraq" are true as long as the almighty media says that they're true - facts be damned! After all, it's okay to run story after story about how wonderful and perfect and messianic the Democrat candidate is, just so long as you run an equal amount of stories on how evil and inept the Republican candidate is. Now that's journalism!
Fourth, I learned that qualifications and experience don't matter. Are you a charlatan? Can you lie about your personal background? Have you avoided any sort of service to your country, in any way, shape, or form? Do you associate with people who are so politically extreme, they could accurately be described as America-hating or even seditionist? You can - no, you deserve - to be President!
Fifth, I learned that legitimacy isn't important. Are you an illegal alien? Are you a convicted felon? Homeless? Crazy? Cartoon character? Dead? It doesn't matter, you can, should, and will vote! Multiple times, even! Whether you realize it or not!
I'm sure there are more lessons, but to be honest, I'm disgusted and I'm exhausted. I love my country, I love the values that it was founded on, and yesterday those values were ignored and desecrated by nearly seventy-three million of my fellow citizens. I spoke with several of them before the election, asking for any explanation whatsoever as to why this complete and total fraud was so close to being elected. None of them could give me a single tangible reason - to include the guy whose intelligence, discernment, and integrity I respected so much that I ran a radio talk show with him in college. Hell, that guy even admitted that Obama had no substance, and waved it off by claiming that politicians weren't expected to do anything more than talk and write anyway. When nearly sixty-four million people vote for a candidate whose qualifications can't be discerned, described, or substantiated, that's terrifying.
So, here we are. I'm predictably worried about the next four years. The complete collapse of America? Exceptionally doubtful. A further weakening of our position abroad, a further weakening of the fundamental structure of our economy, and a fundamental weakening of governmental protections for the social values that have made us so successful for the past several centuries? I don't think there's any question of that.
Now that I've gotten this out of my system, I'm through with politics for a while. I may write up something about the direction that the Republican party ought to go from here on out, but beyond that, this is it for quite a while. I was the same way in 2004 - it's over now, and while there are Congressional races in 2010 and the next general election in 2012, right now is the time to rest. Also, given that the next several days of news coverage will likely be completely and totally dedicated to fawning over The One, I probably won't be looking at the news, which means that I probably won't be posting much until some time next week. Maybe I can finally start working on my novels again.
I've heard at least one moron on conservative talk radio whining once again about how lousy a candidate Senator McCain was, and that is, of course, completely and totally incorrect. Senator McCain was the best candidate for the job. He had the most experience and the most impressive accomplishments of anyone running. He would have put a solid check on the universally loathed Democrat majority Congress (who, despite their abysmal approval rating, still picked up seats in both houses), he would have ended the energy crisis, he would have completed the victory in Iraq, continued and possibly completed the fight in Afghanistan... The list could go on. Senator McCain was right on all of the social, economic, and political issues, and his values reflected those of the Founders.
Senator Obama is a socialist. He's said everything short of "I'm a socialist." He wants to surrender in Iraq on the eve of victory, he has literally no concept of foreign policy, he's promised to punish the successful by raising their taxes and redistributing to the chronic failures, as if throwing someone else's money at the problem will solve it. He also may not be a Muslim (anymore), but he's certainly not a Christian. This ought to be obvious to anyone who's actually read the Bible and compared it to his policies, voting record, and rhetoric. What's worse, even though he did a lousy job of hiding the fact that he's essentially bereft of any legitimate religious faith, people still bought it. Also, contrary to the popular belief that Barack Obama is something new and different, he and his policies are complete and total retreads of the abysmally worthless policies of the equally worthless Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. And yet, because he looked younger than Senator McCain, because he reads well from a teleprompter, and because he has a voice that some seem to enjoy, he's going to be the President of the United States of America.
So, what have I learned from this election?
First, I learned that, due to the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, citizens who receive from this nation without investing anything into it can swing an election in favor of whichever candidate will promise them the most free goodies. I know what some would be tempted to say, and let me make it quite clear: I'm not talking specifically about black people. There are people of all races and backgrounds who mooch off of the system and shouldn't be voting. This isn't a black problem, it isn't a white problem, it's an American problem. It's one that the Founders obviously foresaw, and the idiots obviously ignored when #24 was enacted in the sixties.
Second, I learned that public education isn't an investment, it's a money pit. History classes? Worthless, because history classes would have taught voters that the party that ended slavery and segregation started with an "R", not a "D". Proper history classes would have taught voters the dividends that they could expect from the policies of the three aforementioned presidential failures: military failure, sluggish economic conditions, and a morally bankrupt society. Economics classes would have taught the end result of ramping up unbridled spending on social welfare programs without having any way to pay for it. Nope, it would appear that the Founders' requirement of an informed electorate has completely failed due to the ineptness of America's public schools. It's time to stop wasting money on an investment that doesn't pay back.
Third, I learned that substance is rightfully trumped by an overzealous, biased media and millions of dollars. Phrases such as "worst economy since the Great Depression", "eight years of failed policies", and "the failure in Iraq" are true as long as the almighty media says that they're true - facts be damned! After all, it's okay to run story after story about how wonderful and perfect and messianic the Democrat candidate is, just so long as you run an equal amount of stories on how evil and inept the Republican candidate is. Now that's journalism!
Fourth, I learned that qualifications and experience don't matter. Are you a charlatan? Can you lie about your personal background? Have you avoided any sort of service to your country, in any way, shape, or form? Do you associate with people who are so politically extreme, they could accurately be described as America-hating or even seditionist? You can - no, you deserve - to be President!
Fifth, I learned that legitimacy isn't important. Are you an illegal alien? Are you a convicted felon? Homeless? Crazy? Cartoon character? Dead? It doesn't matter, you can, should, and will vote! Multiple times, even! Whether you realize it or not!
I'm sure there are more lessons, but to be honest, I'm disgusted and I'm exhausted. I love my country, I love the values that it was founded on, and yesterday those values were ignored and desecrated by nearly seventy-three million of my fellow citizens. I spoke with several of them before the election, asking for any explanation whatsoever as to why this complete and total fraud was so close to being elected. None of them could give me a single tangible reason - to include the guy whose intelligence, discernment, and integrity I respected so much that I ran a radio talk show with him in college. Hell, that guy even admitted that Obama had no substance, and waved it off by claiming that politicians weren't expected to do anything more than talk and write anyway. When nearly sixty-four million people vote for a candidate whose qualifications can't be discerned, described, or substantiated, that's terrifying.
So, here we are. I'm predictably worried about the next four years. The complete collapse of America? Exceptionally doubtful. A further weakening of our position abroad, a further weakening of the fundamental structure of our economy, and a fundamental weakening of governmental protections for the social values that have made us so successful for the past several centuries? I don't think there's any question of that.
Now that I've gotten this out of my system, I'm through with politics for a while. I may write up something about the direction that the Republican party ought to go from here on out, but beyond that, this is it for quite a while. I was the same way in 2004 - it's over now, and while there are Congressional races in 2010 and the next general election in 2012, right now is the time to rest. Also, given that the next several days of news coverage will likely be completely and totally dedicated to fawning over The One, I probably won't be looking at the news, which means that I probably won't be posting much until some time next week. Maybe I can finally start working on my novels again.
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