SoCo Magazine - May 2008 - (Page 10) I M P RESSIO NS V oters and non-voters alike are voicing their dissatisfaction with every level of government. From the ousting of select board and school committee incumbents to calls for the impeachment of governors and even the president himself, people of this nation are venting their frustration. For the first time in a very long time, we are faced with an uncertain future. The revolt, poised and fed by the media, has been spurred by an innocuous call for change; however, people who understand the principals of government and economics and can balance them within the framework of the Constitution are not hearing the echo. The right-wingers would have you believe that prying into your private affairs is justified because it aids the apprehension of terrorists. Yet, from what I’ve seen, the only catch thus far has been a zealot governor with a taste for young ladies. Since 9/11, the government has virtually had a free pass to look down your throat and…well, you know the rest. Our right to privacy has been all but stolen and may never be returned. We have a war going on, and regardless of whether or not you agree with it, we can’t leave on a moment’s notice. We are in for the long haul and it only makes sense to finish—but that is where the problem lies. What doesn’t our president understand this about issue? Fine, you went into Iraq and stopped a crazy dictator from killing and torturing millions of citizens, but isn’t it about time for those folks to get up and defend themselves? Enough is enough: get our soldiers home, give us a plan, and then give them the deadline. At least your legacy will include an effort to bring the troops home. And speaking of home, what a disaster the next presidential election looks to be, given the choices at this point in time. We have three out-of-touch liberals running for office. One of them should be on the American Idol stage instead of the national one. The other is a woman who will turn the clocks back to a prior administration, and we certainly don’t want or need a co-president. Finally, over at the center of the spectrum is a left-wing Republican. Now this makes for some interesting chatter. Practically every registered conservative is waiting to find out McCain’s choice for a running mate. If John McCain has any chance at the Oval Office, it will be because his running mate receives the support that pushes him over the finish line. While we are on the topic of not having a decent dog in the fight, what we citizens should be watching out for is our wallets. The word is out from the two Democrats, who are slamming each other for the nomination (of course, they attack each other in such a nice way), that they will be increasing your taxes. The inexperienced newcomer believes that the average American family can afford a 16% increase in federal taxes because they are actually rich. In addition, he seems to believe he can end the war in an afternoon. Meanwhile, his opponent is waiting up for a phone call at 3:00 a.m. but doesn’t have anything else to offer or that addresses accountability, the reduction of waste in government, and allowing families to keep more of their hard-earned money. And finally, we have a pseudo-conservative who must be on some heavy meds, because for a guy known to be a bastard, he seems to be competing for the title of Mr. Affable every time he’s onscreen. It’s hard to tell if he’s Mr. McCain or Mr. Rogers. It’s crazy! For those with a short memory, here is a Republican who teamed up with a senator (one who is so much to the left he’s considered outside his party) and created amnesty legislation that would grant full citizenship to lawbreakers, those entering our borders illegally or overstaying their visas. But it didn’t stop there. These two guys also wanted to invite another 50 to 60 million of their relatives over for a party of benefits and resources. Now that is a formula for successful and orderly immigration, don’t you think? Never in the last 20 or 30 years have we had an election with such poor candidates, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re a liberal, conservative, socialist, or constitutionalist—none of you have a decent horse in this race. You’re going to have to vote for the person you believe will do the least amount of damage until such time as a truly remarkable candidate presents his or herself to the public. In short time, each of the parties should have its candidate cleaned up and brushed off for the race that will be making headlines every single day. We believe that the gloves are going to be coming off sooner rather than later, and everything and everyone will be fair game. It isn’t going to be pretty. And in the end, we will be the ones paying for the right to watch the circus. It’s too bad that no matter who wins the next presidential race, the issues won’t be what make the difference. The result will be based on who is more attractive, who seems nicer. The average American won’t even know the candidates, the issues, or what effects their policies will have on daily life and the future of this country. O 10 | s o comagazi ne . i nfo | M ay 2 0 0 8 http://socomagazine.info
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