Advice to a President-elect

Before anything else, I need to say thank you to all veterans for the sacrifices made for this country. My Dad is a veteran of WWII and Korea. A Marine for 25 years, he gave so much of himself and lost many, many friends in those awful wars. He came home and made a life for himself, his family, and his country, giving us more than I can say. He did it quietly, with dignity, strength and love. He embodies what I consider to be the definition of the word “hero”.

God bless all veterans and those men and women in harms way today.


Now to advice…

The election is less than a week behind us and things are moving fast. Very fast. Already, just about every newspaper, political commentator and/or blogger and news service is telling us what the new president-elect needs to be and/or should be doing.

They all talk/blog/write about how he should move on the economic disaster the current administration is leaving this country. They also have the solutions for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the environment, education, and whatever else takes their fancy. On top of that, they seem to know who Barack Obama should pick for every cabinet post, as his advisors and even just good buds. They know why it should be done as they say, too.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m sure many, if not most, of them have very good solutions backed up by experience, sage counseling by their peers, wisdom and insider knowledge. I’m sure they also have all the best intentions, as well.

However (another word for the big “but”), I would think that President-elect Obama is a pretty smart cookie and has a fair bit of it already figured out. He seems to have done well putting together a team who engineered the most remarkable political campaign in the history of this country, if not the world. He knows how to surround himself with intelligent, hard working people that give him good advice from varied perspectives. Most of all, he knows how to listen to that advice and make intelligent, well considered decisions.

Barack Obama seems to know how to get it done. We just need to have the patience and wisdom to let him do it.



Hey, do you think John McCain will cough up his plan to capture Osama Bin Laden now? Or, was that just another lie?

Holy Crap!

Figuratively speaking, I have held my breath for along time. As I said in a previous post or two, I did not think Barack Obama was the right candidate for the Democrats. To be very honest, I didn’t think he had a hope in hell. His inexperience was the major reason. They secondary was that I really did not believe this country, in its seemingly infinite conservativeness, would not elect an African-American as president. Mayors, governors, senators, yes. President, no.

I am so incredibly happy to be wrong. I am so happy we finally had enough of the darkness in our lives to want change and then go after it.

One of the most gratifying things I have heard from the pundits and commentators on the TV is the credit they are giving to Hillary Clinton. They have actually realized that her tough campaign during the primaries was exactly what President-elect Obama needed for the truly difficult and downright vile campaign thrown at him by the Republicans and its minions. He grew and learned and proved that he can deal with long, long hours under the highest stress.

He sure as hell won me over. I think, no believe, that we actually have a chance at cleaning up the toxic waste being left by the Bush administration. We have a chance at giving our children a country worth having and a planet that will thrive.

President-elect Obama is giving his victory speech as I write this. He is a wonderful speaker. He is intelligent, articulate and generous. He is hopeful, inclusive and eloquent. Who would have believed America would elect him? Holy crap!

Joe who?

I have been struck by how Joe the Plumber has become John McCain’s poster boy in the late days of the campaign. Why would anyone wanting to be President of the United States pick a man that purported to be something he wasn’t as their role model? Why would McCain call him an American hero?

Excuse me, but Joe the Plumber is not a licensed plumber and never had the money or any real prospect to buy his employer’s business. He was a guy trying to make a living and under a misconception about Barack Obama’s tax plan. He apparently did not listen or understand when the senator explained it to him. It didn’t matter.

Joe is happy to give uninformed and off the cuff responses to questions. He’s doesn’t seem to care whether he has the knowledge to speak about the serious issues facing the country today. He’s enjoying the limelight and the prospect of earning big bucks from his story. Joe is savvy enough to know he can cash in with a press and nation that loves the lowest common denominator on far too many occasions.

Sound familiar? Sound a little like a certain Vice Presidential candidate? John McCain seems to love to pick up people that will give him big press coverage and lots of diversion from what should be discussed and covered. Combined with continuing to push what he knows to be lies about his opponent, it proves McCain is no longer the honorable man he once was. It is chilling to think that he is willing to go to such extremes to win an election. And, too many people in this country seem to be swayed by these tactics. I’m very scared.