Monday, September 1, 2008

PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS

The democrats have held their convention and the republicans will do so this week. Obama’s choice for veep is Joe Biden and McCain’s choice is Sarah Palin. I have been asked by a number of people my opinion of these choices. With this writing I hope to offer some commentary on that question as well as other matters we face as the election draws near.

The office of Vice President is mostly a ceremonial office with little importance or function up until it becomes the most important office in the free world. That, of course, is if or when the President becomes incapacitated or worse yet dead. The Vice President must be able to step in and be the President.

Let’s examine what it takes to be the President. I am not talking about the constitutional requirements of age or citizenship, I’m talking about their preparedness for the job. As a sidebar, if a draft dodging, womanizing, redneck from Arkansas can be President, anyone can. We survived him and we will survive anyone America chooses. That having been said, we all have our preferences. Sometimes, however, good has to be sacrificed for just good enough. That’s called compromise. We make our choice for elective office from among the choices available to us. Obviously not voting is also a choice. While that may make you feel better, it only serves to force others to make the choice for you. You may or may not be happy with the result.

Barak Obama is a young inexperienced fellow from who knows where. His total resume is that of a “community organizer”, and a one term U. S. Senator. His total time in the Senate however has been spent running for President. So he brings us nothing but good speech making. Joe, me too, Biden is a lifer politician who has always been running for the presidency. The democrats continue to offer very little to America in the way of leadership.

John McCain is a war veteran, some might say hero, who has spent many years in politics. He also has been running for President forever. He has sponsored some questionable legislation but for the most part has been a good soldier. Sarah Palin is a first term Governor from Alaska who was previously the mayor of Wasilla, AK. She is an avid moose hunter, ice fisherman, and a life long member of the NRA. She is a strong advocate for the second amendment. While those qualities do not qualify her for leadership of the free world, they do make her special to me. She also apparently is a very honest person who is a thorn in the side of the political establishment of Alaska with all their iffy practices.

There isn’t much else to report. These will be our choices. How will you vote? What is important to you? With your kind permission, I will offer my thoughts.

First and foremost our President must be ready to protect and defend this country. Sometimes that means bombing and killing. It also could mean using diplomacy, sitting down and having conversation but only if that has a positive end result. You can’t match wits with an unarmed person. I suspect the morons who have decided to be our enemies are not given to too much compromise.

Secondly, our President must select the Supreme Court Judges who are supposed to interpret our Constitution. Since the Constitution is not a living document, it does not need to be re-written every time some idiot doesn’t like what it has to say. Laws are made by our elected representatives, not by the judges.

Finally our President should preside over the country and promote the general welfare. Everything we need for life in this country is guaranteed by the Constitution. Presidents do not spend treasure. That is the province of the Congress. Granted the President can veto bills, but the Congress can also override that veto. Historically Presidents have been given credit for things and been blamed for things that they do not have any power over. Most of our financial messes originate in the hallowed halls of the Congress.

We have some awesome challenges facing the next administration among which are energy, terrorism, wars, and the economy. They are all inter-related. If it wasn’t such a dangerous world, it would be fun for me to watch the democrats deal with it. But it is a very dangerous world so I will choose John McCain and Sarah Palin. I encourage you to do the same.

Ron Scarbro September 1. 2008

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would rather pick "a draft dodging, womanizing, redneck from Arkansas" over a president that experiments with the english language...

Ron Scarbro said...

I appreciate the comment from anonymous. I would have much preferred they identify themselves. But of course that is their choice. I hope anonymous will continue to read my blog and comment any time they are so moved to do so.
Ron
Sept 2, 2008

Anonymous said...

Some how I have missed the point of "a president that experiments with the english language". Where does that come from? Is that a reference to Bush? If so, one should realize that not all are great speach makers or talkers. I, for one, have trouble with my native language partly because of a short between the brain and tonuge, and partly because I was raised all over this country and the various dialects keep trying to come out. So, Mr. Anonymous,until you have walked in Pres. Bush's and my shoes and struggled with speaking, use some common sense and understand that we all stuggle with something. I would much rather have a president that stumbles over his words once in a while than a lying "draft dodging, womanizing, redneck from Arkansas"