OMT Countdown to Glory: 77 days until Bush is gone
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Well, here it is. The day we’ve all been waiting for.
The challenges facing America in the wake of George W. Bush are very nearly insurmountable.
A wrecked economy that’s likely to take years to set right.
Two open-ended wars of choice costing us billions of dollars a month being fought by a decimated, under-supplied military and an industrial complex making money hand over fist.
An educational system that is unable to churn out the world-class doctors, engineers, and scientists that will allow America to compete in an increasingly competitive world.
A health care system that permits insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and so-called “non-profit” hospital conglomerates to reap obscene profits while delivering health-care that compares favorably with that of third-world countries. And that’s if you have health insurance at all, which over 40% of American’s don’t. A percentage which will be increasing if corporations continue to send jobs overseas.
A justice department that has been staffed by ideologues who are more concerned with putting political “enemies” behind bars than they are real criminals.
A federal bureaucracy also overrun with political appointees whose only concern is their fat government paychecks, and to hell with their department and its responsibilities.
The growing ranks of the poor, while the middle class shrinks because corporations are sending jobs overseas in droves (see above) while enjoying tax breaks, even as the very people they “downsize” are paying more in taxes than they are.
And there’s more, of course. Much more.
But before we get off this topic, we’d like to remind you one last time of that unique treasure of American culture that was allowed to rot in its own foul sewage in the wake of hurricane Katrina, and is still to this very day in a state of ruin in many parts of the city.
The choices for moving forward are clear.
In Barack Obama, we have a man of high intelligence, of great compassion and empathy, of sophistication and wit, and with a serious, steady hand that will serve this country well at this time of uncertainty. A man who has put forth thoughtful, intelligent proposals to help set this country on the right path. Along his side will be Joe Biden, another man of great intelligence, seriousness and commitment, with foreign policy credentials that would be an invaluable asset to Obama even if Obama were another Henry Kissinger, which thank god he’s not.
In John McCain, we have a once-honorable man who has cashed in all of his integrity chips just to get the nomination from a party that wanted little to do with him. A man, who instead of detailing how he proposes to solve this country’s problems, engaged in belittling the proposals of his opponent, freely using in lies and distortions along the way. A man who fluttered back and forth between one position and another as the economy was tanking during the past two months, never quite sure what to say out of fear that his opponent might say something better (which he did, over and over again). Who answers complex questions about complex issues with things like, “I know how to do that”, “I’ve been there”, “I understand that”, as if just saying it will make it so. Who latches onto so-called buzz words and phrases and still keeps chanting them long after they’ve lost any meaning they might have had.
And, of course, we must devote a separate paragraph to his reckless, impetuous choice for the Vice Presidency of a person who is so monstrously unqualified, probably even for the office that she’s currently holding, that it completely put to rest any specious arguments that the Republicans may have had about Obama’s readiness. Today, on election day, after having gotten to know this Alaska Governor for the past couple of months, no one in their right mind can still be convinced that this person should be anywhere near a position with any kind of responsibility, let alone the Presidency of the United States, for christsake.
This borderline insane decision by John McCain in and of itself utterly disqualifies him for the office of President. If he thinks so little about national security that he would put our country at the risk of being run by the likes of Sarah Palin, then he deserves to lose by the overwhelming margin that we are sure that the voters are going to deliver to him later today.
And so he will.
Barack Obama is fit to be President.
John McCain is not.
Vote accordingly.
