Well, we’re now fully into election 2008. Obama vs. McCain. And I’ve already about had it with the fairytale expectations of the electorate. Especially the over-thirty-somethings who should have a little firmer grasp on reality. I cannot believe the number of people who are buying into the slogans and political promises like they really believe that one man can wave some sort of magic wand and make everything all sunshine and roses. They should know better. The world isn’t going to wake up on January 22, 2009 and suddenly the price of gasoline will be $1.00 a gallon, the mortgage crisis will be a distant memory, the Middle East will again be the Garden of Eden, and all mankind will sit around a metaphorical campfire singing Kumbaya.<\/p>\n
No matter who is elected President, the world on January 22 will be exactly the same as it will be on November 4. This isn’t to say that things won’t change after the new president is inaugurated. For certainly they will. If the majority of voters put more faith in “Hope” than “Stark Raving Reality” things will change – but not for the better. <\/p>\n
I remember a really cute picture calendar from several years ago. It had a picture of an absolutely adorable little golden kitten sitting in a dresser drawer, a sock hanging precipitously over the edge. The text read, “Here I am inside your drawer, I’ve thrown your socks out on the floor, And now I’m waiting patiently, for you to come and rescue me.”<\/p>\n
That’s the attitude that seems to pervade the mentality of the American voter right now. We’ve made a mess and we’re waiting for some sort of Prince Charming to ride in on a white horse so we can all live happily ever after. <\/p>\n
Earth to Voters!!!!! When you head for the polls this fall, I suggest you have a pretty realistic idea of what you want the world to look like in 2012 before you mark your ballot for president. The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy were casualties of the last economic downturn – and the Messiah has already come and gone. We have to get ourselves out of this mess in a realistic, honest, and pragmatic way. Allowing ourselves to be deluded by artful fantasies of what we want to believe will just make the next four years a nightmare. This election should not be about the Audacity of Hope. What we need is the Boldness of Purpose<\/strong>. Not just “Yes, We Can”, but “By God, We Will”<\/strong>. Because we are responsible for our own endings – happy or not.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Well, we’re now fully into election 2008. Obama vs. McCain. And I’ve already about had it with the fairytale expectations of the electorate. Especially the over-thirty-somethings who should have a little firmer grasp on reality. I cannot believe the number … Continue reading