The Lesser of Three Evils Still Shines

We have a republican president who is buried so deeply in corporate pockets that he has effectively turned this government over to boardroom CEO’s. He has told numerous lies. He has instigated an illegal war and used the American military to facilitate the financial rape of a sovereign nation for the benefit of his cronies. He has mocked the very foundation of our government through the abuse of executive privilege. He has perpetrated countless cover-ups to protect his closest friends from criminal prosecution.

We have a republican candidate for president who clearly has memory issues and has flip-flopped on issues so many times that no one really knows what he will do in any given situation. Here are some examples taken from Jonathan Martin’s post dated May 28, 2008:

1. McCain doesn't even know who is in charge in Iran.

2. Iraq/Iran, Sunni/Shia: McCain doesn't know the difference.

3. McCain still thinks Czechoslovakia (which split into two countries in 1993) exists.

4. McCain wrongly claimed that Baghdad was mostly normal.

5. McCain called Baghdad market safe.

6. McCain can't even remember how little he knows about the economy.

7. McCain falsely claimed he never requested pork.

8. McCain falsely claimed that tax cuts increased government revenues.

9. McCain's claim to be untainted by special interest money is false.

10. McCain wrongly claimed he never supported amnesty.

We have a democratic candidate for president who has told blatant, easily contradicted lies in order to bolster herself as the best candidate. She has a documented history of using smear tactics to attack her opponent while avoiding issues. Her desperate and deceitful actions reveal her contempt for the democratic process. She has become a plasticized political shark devoid of most human qualities that will stop at nothing to get what is in her best interest, even tossing DNC rules aside if it will benefit her. Her nasty, low-class, leave-no-prisoners demeanor is proof that she will not be an asset to the presidency.

We have another democratic candidate who, while not being an experienced leader as the media loves to point out inferring that he would not be ready to handle the task of presidency, does bring the ability to work across the aisle to pull people together in working towards solutions instead of participating in the historical partisanship that congress is famous for. He has more experience in public office (8 years in Illinois senate and 2+ in U.S. Senate) than Hillary (6+ as U.S. Senator from New York). But this type of experience does not guarantee a qualified leader. After all, Abraham Lincoln served only two years in the U.S. House. In spite of being constantly attacked for what others around him say, and having been threatened with physical harm because of his race, he refuses to descend to their level and continues to focus on his goal. He doesn’t become involved in the divisive and hateful rhetoric that his opponent uses and he is attracting followers from both parties. This proves he has leadership skills.

We have GOP personnel supporting Obama. We have seen Clinton backers drop her in favor of Obama. Clearly, since these people who are closer to the presidential race than the majority of voters are jumping ship to support another candidate then that candidate must have something to offer.

We have people who will vote for a candidate just because that candidate represents their party never taking into account whether the person is truly qualified for the office. These people do not have the nations best interests at heart.

This presidential race has become a circus. It continues only because we have a two-party system that requires the republicans have someone on their ticket. Since McCain (McBush) is the best they can come up with then they are truly floundering as a party and can not bring themselves to face the certainty of defeat. McCain has proven on many occasions that he cannot handle presidential responsibility. He will have to rely so heavily on advisors to both keep his facts straight for him and to clean up this messes after he speaks without consulting his advisors first that we as a nation will become a bigger laughing stock that we are while under Bush. Or, worse, his misspeaking could trigger an international incident. Why would anyone want this person representing our nation?

McCain, Clinton, and Obama are serving in a political arena that is famous for corrupting morally and ethically weak individuals with its promise of power and untold wealth. Clinton has forsaken her sense of civic duty, McCain has more than likely forgotten his. Obama has not yet been tainted by this process causing many people to label him as naïve. This new blood may be just what this nation needs. Our best hope in redirecting where this government is headed is to have someone who can stand up to corporate lobbyists and deny them any further access to the political process. He may not be the person to do it, then again he has the potential. McCain is certainly not going to do it. Clinton is too politically savvy to turn down special interest money so she probably will not do it. And that leaves us with Barack Obama.

If I may use the analogy of nature, whenever some major natural catastrophe strikes nature has the ability to counteract it with fresh new growth in an attempt to recover what was lost. We are being given a chance to combat the damage of the wholesale looting that George W Bush and his corporate robber barons have participated in throughout his term. I may be considered naïve myself to think that one person and his team can correct these past sins against our democracy but the alternatives are clearly worse.