When Speaker Pelosi announced Democrats' intentions of bailing out the auto industry, this signaled a significant direction for the Obama era. They have every intention of bailing out an automobile industry that has been less fuel-efficient, lower quality, less inspiring and more expensive than the automobiles of foreign-owned competitors.
During the primary campaign, Mitt Romney said that if he became president, these lost automobile jobs would return to Michigan within six months. McCain said that these jobs are not coming back to Michigan and displaced employees need to retrain and retool. Without giving specifics, Obama gave these unemployed workers HOPE that the jobs were going to return when he became president.
History will show that McCain was right. The textile mills did not return to New England and the steel mills did not return to Western Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately, presidential candidates do not win elections by being candid. The voters of Michigan and the UAW supported Obama overwhelmingly. Now the new administration must pay its due bill. While there is no rational reason to believe that automobile jobs will ever permanently return to Michigan, the new administration will squander taxpayer money on subsidies to the Big Three to give unemployed automobile workers hope in the impossible dream.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A Desperate Vote in Desperate Times
In the end, the 2008 presidential election was never really about race or age or gender. And never — despite both campaigns’ efforts to prove otherwise — was it about experience.
This election was about one thing: change. Our country needed a desperate change of direction — so the crux of the campaign, the key to this election, was who would bring about the most radical change and who would benefit the most from that change. Clearly, most Americans felt that Barack Obama provided the potential for the change they desperately sought.
After eight turbulent years under President Bush, citizens everywhere are yearning for new leadership. Our citizens watched their portfolios get ripped to shreds and retirements dwindle away and endured the sight of our brave soldiers fighting and dying for strangers in a foreign land. They witnessed firsthand oil becoming an idol and jobs becoming a rarity. They watched helplessly as their healthcare disappeared and our children's schools disengaged.
The achievements and successes of yesterday have long been forgotten because, well, there are just too many obstacles, problems and dilemmas in front of us today. Everyday Americans refused to sit idly by and accept and support the status quo. And that's why Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fell short and Obama thrived. Neither Obama's race nor McCain's age nor Sarah Palin's gender had an ounce of effect on the final verdict.
This election was about one thing: change. Our country needed a desperate change of direction — so the crux of the campaign, the key to this election, was who would bring about the most radical change and who would benefit the most from that change. Clearly, most Americans felt that Barack Obama provided the potential for the change they desperately sought.
After eight turbulent years under President Bush, citizens everywhere are yearning for new leadership. Our citizens watched their portfolios get ripped to shreds and retirements dwindle away and endured the sight of our brave soldiers fighting and dying for strangers in a foreign land. They witnessed firsthand oil becoming an idol and jobs becoming a rarity. They watched helplessly as their healthcare disappeared and our children's schools disengaged.
The achievements and successes of yesterday have long been forgotten because, well, there are just too many obstacles, problems and dilemmas in front of us today. Everyday Americans refused to sit idly by and accept and support the status quo. And that's why Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fell short and Obama thrived. Neither Obama's race nor McCain's age nor Sarah Palin's gender had an ounce of effect on the final verdict.
Sarah Palin — The Republican Scapegoat?
How pathetic it is for the McCain camp to lay the blame for its slaughter on Tuesday at the feet of Gov. Palin.
The Republican brand has been suffering over the last few years, and the consistent scandals within its own ranks have only made matters worse. Gov. Palin did not lobby the McCain campaign to be his running mate. The party went to Alaska and sought her out in desperation of a running mate at the last hour.
It was all well and good when this fresh face and high-spirited voice spoke at the Republican National Convention and brought the supporters and the party's base to their feet. Before the economic tsunami hit, many thought that the party had a decent chance of winning the White House. Now that McCain has conceded the presidency to Barack Obama, the blame herein lies with Sarah Palin.
Oh, but does it? There are strong rumors that this absurdity is coming from Mitt Romney supporters, who are threatened by the credibility and name value that the governor has established over the past several months.
If this party were smart, it would further expand and build the base with the Palin momentum, not destroy it. This is a time for the party to unite within itself and solidly behind the president-elect of the United States to show the American people that it cares more about the progress of the country than its own hidden agenda. It would be wise to give Mr. Obama the honeymoon he deserves and be prepared to seize the moment when his proposals and ideas flatly fail and cause more turmoil in our domestic and global economy.
In 2006, the Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate, and since that time the party has continued to spin out of control with no consistent message that everyday Americans could embrace and support. Too many good and honorable Republicans in the House and Senate have suffered unnecessary defeat because of the party's woes.
The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate became the star attraction of the Republican ticket when she drew far larger crowds than McCain. Many of her gaffes made during broadcast interviews raised serious questions about her competence and readiness. But make no mistake: This governor is a Republican star on the move, and we definitely have not seen or heard the last of Sarah Palin.
The Republican brand has been suffering over the last few years, and the consistent scandals within its own ranks have only made matters worse. Gov. Palin did not lobby the McCain campaign to be his running mate. The party went to Alaska and sought her out in desperation of a running mate at the last hour.
It was all well and good when this fresh face and high-spirited voice spoke at the Republican National Convention and brought the supporters and the party's base to their feet. Before the economic tsunami hit, many thought that the party had a decent chance of winning the White House. Now that McCain has conceded the presidency to Barack Obama, the blame herein lies with Sarah Palin.
Oh, but does it? There are strong rumors that this absurdity is coming from Mitt Romney supporters, who are threatened by the credibility and name value that the governor has established over the past several months.
If this party were smart, it would further expand and build the base with the Palin momentum, not destroy it. This is a time for the party to unite within itself and solidly behind the president-elect of the United States to show the American people that it cares more about the progress of the country than its own hidden agenda. It would be wise to give Mr. Obama the honeymoon he deserves and be prepared to seize the moment when his proposals and ideas flatly fail and cause more turmoil in our domestic and global economy.
In 2006, the Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate, and since that time the party has continued to spin out of control with no consistent message that everyday Americans could embrace and support. Too many good and honorable Republicans in the House and Senate have suffered unnecessary defeat because of the party's woes.
The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate became the star attraction of the Republican ticket when she drew far larger crowds than McCain. Many of her gaffes made during broadcast interviews raised serious questions about her competence and readiness. But make no mistake: This governor is a Republican star on the move, and we definitely have not seen or heard the last of Sarah Palin.
The Country is Ready for an American Black President
I was thinking the other day of what this election means to me from a personal perspective, all ideology aside.
From the day Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) announced his candidacy, I’ve always felt the sense of history and what a seminal moment his candidacy represented.
You certainly heard it echoed in the stories that were written, and you see it today in the record turnouts of voters. But even though this election says so much about the past eight years, what went right and what went wrong, and who is better prepared to lead us into the next decade, what is even more pronounced is that this country is ready for an American black to become president.
Think about that for a second. Think about what that means, and the rebuke it sends to every hate-filled organization that tried to foment and stir the bowels of fear and anger.
They have failed. And that is a success for this country. No, it doesn’t mean that racism is dead. But what it does signal is that our institutions of government and service are more sensitive to race, and the stain that hate left on our fabric of society for so long is gradually being wiped away.
We are turning a corner, America. And we as a nation should be proud of that. Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter. Those parties’ majorities will ebb and flow for generations. But this moment — here and now — is a testament before God and man of how far we have come on the issue of race — to the point where an American black man can stand as our nation’s leader and not have his skin color the first issue on the minds of the voters.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton couldn’t do it, for all their flaws and mistakes. On top of that, the country wasn’t ready. But it is today, win or lose. It is today.
From the day Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) announced his candidacy, I’ve always felt the sense of history and what a seminal moment his candidacy represented.
You certainly heard it echoed in the stories that were written, and you see it today in the record turnouts of voters. But even though this election says so much about the past eight years, what went right and what went wrong, and who is better prepared to lead us into the next decade, what is even more pronounced is that this country is ready for an American black to become president.
Think about that for a second. Think about what that means, and the rebuke it sends to every hate-filled organization that tried to foment and stir the bowels of fear and anger.
They have failed. And that is a success for this country. No, it doesn’t mean that racism is dead. But what it does signal is that our institutions of government and service are more sensitive to race, and the stain that hate left on our fabric of society for so long is gradually being wiped away.
We are turning a corner, America. And we as a nation should be proud of that. Republican or Democrat, it doesn’t matter. Those parties’ majorities will ebb and flow for generations. But this moment — here and now — is a testament before God and man of how far we have come on the issue of race — to the point where an American black man can stand as our nation’s leader and not have his skin color the first issue on the minds of the voters.
Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton couldn’t do it, for all their flaws and mistakes. On top of that, the country wasn’t ready. But it is today, win or lose. It is today.
President Obama
The fact that America can have a black president with a Muslim-sounding name makes us proud that this can happen in our country. One of the reasons Barack Obama is so successful is that he's transcended the race issue. His upbringing left him unencumbered by many of the issues in this country that many American blacks feel handicapped by. When he first started his campaign, the Civil Rights establishment wasn't with him and was thus backing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Many black politicians in the beginning saw that Sen. Obama was biologically an African-American, but culturally he had little or nothing in common with the black experience. This is why, initially, the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, along with many elected black figures, were not head-over-heels enamored with his candidacy. During that time he was challenged and taken to task on many issues that have just somehow disappeared over the last several months.
Have we as a country gone soft on Obama once more? Look, I’m all for achievement and history, but this guy is wrong, wrong, wrong on the issues. He’s inexperienced, and there will be crises and situations from which his media protectors can’t insulate him — Iran, to name one. I'm convinced that he could be the wrong man at the wrong time — and I take no racial pride in that. Many across the board feel that Sen. Obama is bringing full-circle the black experience in America, from slavery to the Civil Rights movement. In this process they feel that he represents the hope of America's promise, that we are all created equal under the law and that we've finally healed our wounds from the stain of slavery.
A deeper and more meaningful question remains for us all. Do we really mean to compare the struggles of Southern-born and many American blacks with the experience of the son of a Kenyan bigamist who was raised outside the continental United States?
Have we as a country gone soft on Obama once more? Look, I’m all for achievement and history, but this guy is wrong, wrong, wrong on the issues. He’s inexperienced, and there will be crises and situations from which his media protectors can’t insulate him — Iran, to name one. I'm convinced that he could be the wrong man at the wrong time — and I take no racial pride in that. Many across the board feel that Sen. Obama is bringing full-circle the black experience in America, from slavery to the Civil Rights movement. In this process they feel that he represents the hope of America's promise, that we are all created equal under the law and that we've finally healed our wounds from the stain of slavery.
A deeper and more meaningful question remains for us all. Do we really mean to compare the struggles of Southern-born and many American blacks with the experience of the son of a Kenyan bigamist who was raised outside the continental United States?
An Emotional Vote Ahead
There are four short days before the historic presidential election, but it may be in the shadow of a crippled economy and skeptical voters — aka consumers — who are still trying to digest how they are benefiting from the recent $700 billion bailout.
There is no question that the rescue plan received a lackluster response from Main Street and had a rather muted effect on the economy. It should be no surprise that consumer confidence is at one of the lowest levels in recent history and that the American people are tapped out and exhausted by the financial beating they have endured.
Who is to say how the presidential race would have been different had the sentiment of the American people been more upbeat? As it stands, however, when voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, their votes will reflect the discouragement of recent months and fear of what lies ahead in the years to come.
It is never good to make such important decisions with this kind of mindset, especially when there are so many more issues at stake than the economy. And change for the sake of change isn’t good, either.
Regardless, the president-elect will be inheriting a slowing global economy and a skeptical, exhausted and fearful public. But one thing is for sure: Whoever is in office will certainly benefit from all the legislation that is now in place, because it is hard not to go up from rock bottom.
There is no question that the rescue plan received a lackluster response from Main Street and had a rather muted effect on the economy. It should be no surprise that consumer confidence is at one of the lowest levels in recent history and that the American people are tapped out and exhausted by the financial beating they have endured.
Who is to say how the presidential race would have been different had the sentiment of the American people been more upbeat? As it stands, however, when voters cast their ballots on Tuesday, their votes will reflect the discouragement of recent months and fear of what lies ahead in the years to come.
It is never good to make such important decisions with this kind of mindset, especially when there are so many more issues at stake than the economy. And change for the sake of change isn’t good, either.
Regardless, the president-elect will be inheriting a slowing global economy and a skeptical, exhausted and fearful public. But one thing is for sure: Whoever is in office will certainly benefit from all the legislation that is now in place, because it is hard not to go up from rock bottom.
Awakening a Sleepy Giant: We the People
Conventional economic wisdom holds that real economic growth occurs when workers become more efficient and therefore generate more value. But the truth is that much of the capital value created by major corporations in the past few years has come, not from efficiency gains on the part of the American workforce, but as a result of tax shelters, offshoring and outsourcing.
These quick-fix schemes have made corporate balance sheets glitter like a desert mirage, but the glare has masked a much bigger problem: America is living beyond its means, importing too much and producing too little to continue to be an economic powerhouse. A quick comparison to China reveals a nation with a real growth rate, in terms of actual volume of goods produced and sold, that dwarfs that of the U.S. in recent years.
We as Americans need to stop deluding ourselves, stop hiding behind our degrees and beleaguered assumptions, and wake up to the fact that this country is on the precipice of a major financial disaster. If we don’t voluntarily tighten our belts, hunker down and make provisions for the future, we might find ourselves lost in the storm on the horizon. And make no mistake, all the signs point to an imminent breakdown of the financial system in the near future.
The rules for tough times ahead call for common sense. No one needs to go see the Wizard of Oz to be blessed with the brains, heart and courage to succeed. Success comes from adherence to God-given virtues of faith, hard work, compassion and humility. These qualities, if upheld on a consistent daily basis, will lift us from this economic crisis of confidence that we now face.
Americans need to admit quickly that they're living beyond their means and place themselves on a financial diet that can begin the process of weathering this capital market crunch. There is nothing new under the sun. We are no different than past generations that found the courage to survive, made the sacrifices and returned a beleaguered nation to economic and military might.
These quick-fix schemes have made corporate balance sheets glitter like a desert mirage, but the glare has masked a much bigger problem: America is living beyond its means, importing too much and producing too little to continue to be an economic powerhouse. A quick comparison to China reveals a nation with a real growth rate, in terms of actual volume of goods produced and sold, that dwarfs that of the U.S. in recent years.
We as Americans need to stop deluding ourselves, stop hiding behind our degrees and beleaguered assumptions, and wake up to the fact that this country is on the precipice of a major financial disaster. If we don’t voluntarily tighten our belts, hunker down and make provisions for the future, we might find ourselves lost in the storm on the horizon. And make no mistake, all the signs point to an imminent breakdown of the financial system in the near future.
The rules for tough times ahead call for common sense. No one needs to go see the Wizard of Oz to be blessed with the brains, heart and courage to succeed. Success comes from adherence to God-given virtues of faith, hard work, compassion and humility. These qualities, if upheld on a consistent daily basis, will lift us from this economic crisis of confidence that we now face.
Americans need to admit quickly that they're living beyond their means and place themselves on a financial diet that can begin the process of weathering this capital market crunch. There is nothing new under the sun. We are no different than past generations that found the courage to survive, made the sacrifices and returned a beleaguered nation to economic and military might.
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