The Ugly Season of Politics

I doubt if there are many people who haven't embellished an old story when trying to impress a crowd or a group of friends. Most of us have done it at one time or another, but most of us don't have the vultures representing the fourth estate to deal with. Nor do we have to deal with video footage of what actually transpired.

I'm pretty sure that most of us would remember quite vividly if we had been shot at. We'd also know the kind of man our pastor is after twenty-some years of regular church attendance.

I don't know too many people who call themselves conservatives/traditionalists who are ready to embrace a "League of Democracies" so we can make Europe love us again either.

The kowtowing, promises, butt-kissing and lies that these candidates are willing to endure are truly incredible, but certainly not unique in the history of American politics. What is unique is the state of communications and our seeming inability to focus on what is important.

I certainly find Hillary's lie to be just that, not a slip of the tongue. I don't believe that Senator Obama had no idea of the type of racism and lunacy his minister spouted, and I think Senator McCain is out of his cotton-picking-mind proposing a "League of Democracies". We have enough problems with our own judges without having some European court decide what we can or can't do. When you're the big dog, act like it - not just militarily, but in bringing aid and comfort anywhere in the world that it's needed. This is a great country, capable of doing a lot of good in the world, and it behooves us to meet the challenge.

In order for those who enjoy leaving a comment, which have never been edited to this point (thank you), here are the issues that most concern me - this should give you ample opportunity to tell me how whacked I am:

1.) SECURITY: For that segment that believes we are NOT at war, this should set you off immediately. However, if our borders are not secured and a program designed to help those here illegally find a path to citizenship, all of our other problems could easily disappear in the flash and electromagnetic discharge of a nuclear weapon. Lest you fear I'm "fear mongering", there are a lot of other catastrophes they can rain down upon us as well, the implications of which we can only guess at - especially with the current fragile state of the economy.

2.) ECONOMY: In a speech yesterday, Hillary told the crowd that those awful oil companies, insurance companies, drug companies, bankers and their ilk will be sadly disappointed when she's President, because she's going to represent the people. I wonder just who she thinks are the backbone of all these evil corporations? There will always be the Ken Lay's of the world, but I can attest from my years dealing with people all over this state that the vast majority of us always try to do what's right. Let's stop this class warfare garbage, stick the envy and jealousy aside, and start working towards Oil Independence! If we attacked our oil dependence as if it were a sworn enemy, maybe we keep Al Gore and his fantasy off of the world stage for a while.

3.) OUR CHILDREN: That covers a wide range of issues, but education is at the forefront of my thoughts. We have been graduating functional illiterates incapable of writing a lucid paragraph. We seem to want to stuff them full of useless information, instead of preparing them for the world that they have to face. As a product of the Baby Boom, education at that time did much the same as far as stuffing you full of facts, but you were expected to write legibly and coherently, and we weren't faced with the myriad of distractions that kids have now. As our math and science scores continue to drop compared to the rest of the world, maybe it's time to instill a little more discipline and direction - which should always start at home. Making a college education accessible and affordable for any citizen who wants it should be a priority.

The top three should offer sufficient fodder for all of you who would like to chime in - everyone is welcome.