Posted on 12/18/2008 6:55:42 PM PST by NCjim
On election night, hope was palpable. A sort of jittery excitement filled the air at the Catoosa Democratic Headquarters in Ringgold, Ga. A year ago, the local party was lucky to have 20 people at a breakfast meeting. Now, giddy Obama supporters edged past each other in the crowded banquet hall, sharing smiles and ogling the vast array of T-shirts and buttons. “Your grandparents were right,” read one sticker, “Vote Democratic.”
For decades, this area has been Democratic. That’s the reason we are known for having some of the best public schools around. It’s the reason we have a fabulous library, and a learning center that not only rescues individual educations, but actually boosts the local economy by increasing wages so that it brings in more revenue than it costs taxpayers. Nationally, Democratic values have brought us the social security program that supports the elderly, a public education system that ensures every child in America has the right and responsibility to go to school, help for the mentally ill, assistance for the impoverished and health care for poor children.
Curiously, the Republican Party has managed over time to misconstrue the notion of family values. Somehow a number of Christian voters have been convinced that Christianity is about denying rights to people who don’t believe like we do. Jesus was never into that. Jesus came to heal the sick, bind up the broken hearted and preach good news to the poor.
As the hours passed and the soft drinks disappeared at the election party, it became apparent that Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States. Our excitement was tempered by the memories of the 2000 election. It was not until the election was called with a wide margin that the true celebration began. White Democrats clapped and laughed and danced in the streets, vaguely wondering why the black Democrats had slipped away early. Then the sound of church bells pealed through the chilly air.
For days, the reality of what had taken place was still sinking in. “I can’t stop crying every time I think about it,” wrote my friend in New York, sounding so much like another friend in Hawaii and another in Canada. Suddenly a nation known for its racial divide had leaped from prejudice redneck status to multiculturalism, becoming an inspiration for reconciliation advocates in Europe and all over the world.
Not one to bask long in the glory of a moment, Barack Obama immediately got back to work. Less than one month from the election, he has already chosen most of his officials and cabinet members, including Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State and former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker as top economic advisor. Obama’s choices have thus far proven to be centrists and have sometimes crossed party lines (case in point, keeping Robert Gates as defense chief.)
The task that lies before the president-elect is not an easy one. If the election was hard-won, economic and foreign policy success will be more difficult still. Some have even suggested that the Republicans were relieved not to win this cycle. After all, who wants to shoulder responsibility for the mess that Bush has made? The ship of state is not easy to turn around. It may take a decade or more to recover from the economic devastation of the Bush economy and quagmire in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Then again, maybe it is all easier than it sounds. It doesn’t take a genius to do better than Bush; Obama is probably overqualified. How does one undo eight years of stupid? A lazy but clean solution would be simply to make a list of every policy Bush in enacted, and reverse it. The Patriot Act is a good place to start.
The problems Obama is inheriting are no more daunting than those faced by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. We love and revere FDR because he took on leadership at a time when the nation was utterly devastated. Through creative strokes of genius, FDR not only salvaged the economy; he used the crisis as an opportunity to build infrastructure, spur innovation and strengthen American ideals.
George W. Bush’s legacy as the worst president in history presents an opportunity to the next president. If Barack Obama acts timidly and only tweaks the failed Bush policies, he can expect to be caught in the same quicksand that has brought us to this point. If Obama acts boldly, he can create a legacy as a leader who brought the United States out of depression and war, into a time of peace and prosperity. On the heels of “the worst president ever,” Obama can be the best president yet.
It is very important to not merely defend President Bush by saying he is not the worst.
Saying that President Bush is the greatest President is a symbolic show of defiance that we refuse to allow the Media, Academia, and other cultural hegemons to dictate reality. Anyone publicly admiring President Bush is ridiculed and torn down. Until that tearing down establishment knows that it confronts fearless opponents, the reactionary annihilation of conservative thought will continue in this nation.
It is a terrible shame that so many conservatives have jumped on the hate Bush bandwagon.
Like most braying jackasses, when her logic fails, she resorts to buzzword bingo.
The "right" to kill unwanted progeny comes to mind.
Just cause I disagree with the moonbats doesn’t mean I have to lose sense of my own sanity in the process ...
Sent to the editor:
Surely a writer of your experience realizes that it is not the President who is largely responsible for most of the problems this nation faces. The financial crisis rests at the feet of Democratic senators Dodd, Frank and Pelosi who enacted regulation forcing banks to lend to people with no credit and then had the gall to blame it on Republican deregulation. The unpopular war has removed a cruel dictator from the world and has liberated a nation- who denies this is a benefit to mankind? It is Congress that has prevented the only proven, reliable green energy program- Nuclear energy- from being implemented. Was the largest entitlement in 40 years (the medicare RX benefit) a Bush mistake? How about the Education Bill Bush championed that was authored by Kennedy? Or the Hundred Billion dollars to fight AIDS in Africa? History will prove that Bush had the most difficult 2 terms of any recent president that saw the biggest act of terrorism and destruction on our shores in history, several natural disasters (of which FEMA was expected to do be first responder for the first time in hstory), and complete and utter contempt from the media and academia. An uncomplicated man, with a direct approach, he remains gracious- even to his greatest enemies.
Regarding Obama:
If you really believe that a 2 year senator from one of the most politically corrupt cities in the US,who claims his summer vacations as foreign policy experience, who claims he didn’t know his pastor of 20 years was a racist, who bought a house with the help of a felon, who got started in politics with the help of a former terrorist, who authored not a single piece of meaningful legislation, who voted present 98 times, who lied about how he would receive campaign finances, who accepted money anonymously over the net, who refuses to release his actual birth certificate or college thesis, or how he paid for college, who has already broken nearly all of his campaign promises.....You need your head examined.
Frank F.
Houston, TX
It's paramount that Obama ensures all the illegals become US citizens on a “road-map to citizenship” (I'm sure the media will sell this for him with lots of sob stories). This ensures that his voter base grows not only by the 12 million illegals that now can vote, but also the already existing Hispanic voters.
This gals babbling in cliche and has nothing other than opinions without any substance. Don't even attempt to confront or debate anything with someone like that. They are a waste of time.
Totally. These multikulti, "Love'EmUp, Love'EmAllUp" Christians also need to recognize that
13 ... wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
--Matthew, Chapter 7
Are you sure the Bible doesn’t actually say: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need?”
You must be reading the old Bible, not the one taught in public schools, universities......
Awesome letter...
What I find amazing about people like this woman is that they can so easily make the claim, “Worst President in History” without so much as a scintilla of evidence that backs up their claims. I challenge anyone to find me a President in our nation’s History that has faced as many natural and man-made disasters as President Bush and still managed to keep the economy going for most of his Presidency while preventing any further terrorist attacks against our nation on our soil.
Thanks!
Very well written response to their insanity - unfortunately, they will not objectively consider your many valid points.
There’s an old saying here in Ga.
“She’s not from around here is she?” God save our state from the likes of her.
This is what Republicans get for “cooperating” with Democrats.
And I guess we just going to go back to having stuff blow up now and then in the U.S. to avoid any more “quagmires”
I find it interesting that the schools are 67% black, considering the fact that da Burgh is only about 20% black TOPS (maybe a little less), and that parochial schools are probably closing there like they are everywhere else.
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