Unreasonable expectations

Biochemist parks divorcing
husband in 55 gallon drum of acid,
wants money, gets life without.

In a recent letter to the editor of our only major newspaper, a local man acknowledges that neither McCain or Clinton are worthwhile candidates for President, and then goes on to add that “he doesn’t trust Obama.” He doesn’t say why (pretty typical of such letters). I trust him. I believe he is entirely sincere when he says he wants to bring about change for the better. I believe he understands the problems and has ideas about how to go about fixing them. I believe he will appoint cabinet members and others who, unlike Bush appointees, will be appointed on the basis of their expertise rather than simply their loyalty. I think he will be open to the opinions of others and will not surround himself with a mob of sycophants. However, I worry about unrealistic expectations. Obama is not superman (oh, how I wish he was). He may not be able to bring about the changes we need very quickly. You know the pharmaceuticals, the insurance companies and banks, along with the military/industrial/political complex will not readily or easily give up their various super-lucrative rackets. They will oppose realistic changes with all their might, and their might, of course, is considerable. The problems Obama faces I think are unprecedented. No President in history will have confronted such a monumental disaster as the one Bush/Cheney are leaving behind. A “war” that, however endless it seems, cannot be won, and withdrawing from it will not be a simple matter. A military that is broken, not only in personnel but also in equipment, a national economy that is a shambles, the largest national debt ever recorded, infrastructure that is decaying before our eyes, global warming, a recession, and a nation that has become an international pariah, having been run by a gang of war criminals. However well-intentioned Obama may be, and I believe he is well-intentioned, He will be a mere mortal confronting problems that even the Gods would find potentially impossible. I know we will merely be able to give him our support and best wishes and be patient, very patient. I think he has the potential to be a great President, a potential certainly not shared by either Clinton or McCain, but that potential can only realize itself in an atmosphere of trust and good faith.

And speaking of McCain, does anyone think he truly has any chance of becoming President? I know the MSM keeps pretending that he is a serious candidate and may win, and all that, but, really, I don’t think so. How could anyone at the moment seriously run on the Bush/Cheney record? It has been eight years of unmitigated disaster. The illegal and unconstitutional “war,” torture, profiteering, war crimes, stealing from the taxpayers to give more and more wealth to those who don’t even need it, and feeding the greed of giant corporations that have no more regard for the citizens than a bunch of ants. This is the record McCain expects to win on? This has to be sheer fantasy. A third term for Bush? By any standards of reason or logic one would have to be surprised if McCain could win more than half a dozen states, if that. Of course reason and logic don’t often apply to the American electorate. But really, I’m surprised the Brafia is even allowing him to run. I think they know they will lose and he is just their political version of cannon-fodder. Even the Republican base doesn’t like him. I don’t worry about his age (after all, I’m older than he is), but I am a bit concerned with what I think are hints of senility

So listen up (whoever came up with that ridiculous phrase), Obama is going to be our candidate. And he is going to become our next President (barring some act of God or the Devil). Jokes about assassination are not funny. Huckabee is a jerk (and he’s certainly in good company).

LKBIQ:
“Do not trust all men, but trust men of worth, the former course is silly, the latter a mark of prudence.”
Democritus