Race and Economics in Politics

Ok, folks. Here's the deal. We are one week away from the presidential election. Every four years we hear the mantra that "this is the most important election of our lifetime." And every four years I kind of laugh at that proposition, although I would say that the last two presidential elections have been extremely important in light of the terrorist attacks of 9-11.

This election cycle has brought with it the same declarations from both presidential campaigns. But this year I am not scoffing or laughing at the assertion that this presidential election is critical. In my humble opinion, this IS the most important election in my lifetime. This is not the first time our nation has been challenged both from within or from without. We have gone through the Great Depression, two world wars, and the Cold War with all the proxy conflicts that came with it. Our nation has had to deal with economic challenges in the last thirty years. What makes this election so critical is that we have all these challenges before us and the front runner, Senator Obama, is the least experienced and most controversial candidate for president in our history.

His views on the economy, foreign policy, and race are of great concern and even offensive.

One of the things I find most offensive about the Obama campaign is (1) that it tried to use some of Rush Limbaugh's comments to portray him as a racist, and (2) that it attempted to link him to the McCain campaign, thus portraying McCain as a racist. I have been listening to Rush since 1993 and have never, I say again, never heard him say anything racist. Has he commented on race? Sure. Has he satirized racial issues over the years? Yes. But that does not make him a racist. Ironically, comedians Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are truly derogatory about blacks, much like Carlos Mencia is about hispanics and just about every other racial and ethnic group. They are not even criticized for reinforcing negative stereotypes about minorities. The fact that the Obama campaign tried to portray Rush as racist is an insult to my intelligence and that of anyone, of whatever ethnicity or race who has ever listened to or read anything by Rush.

The second reason why I find the Obama campaign use of Rush's comments offensive is because even if Rush were a racist, Rush has been very critical of Senator McCain over the years, especially over immigration law. And rightfully so, in my opinion. Rush has supported more stringent requirements for immigration and tougher security measures along our southern border, while McCain has been much "softer" on such matters. I ask: what was the purpose of linking Rush "the racist" to McCain, who is opposed by Rush on immigration? Again, I am convinced that the Obama campaign tried to use racial divisions in our country to their advantage. Why else would they link these two individuals in such a manner? Using racial divisions, real or imagined, for political gain is one of the most egregious practices in politics anywhere and certainly in the United States. Shame on you, Senator Obama.

Another thing that concerns me is Senator Obama's views on the economy. He is very articulate and an able politician. An an orator, Bill Clinton may be his only equal in modern American politics. But if you listen carefully when he speaks about economic issues, there is a recurring theme about taking money from the rich and giving it to the poor. He talks about the federal government guaranteeing everyone has access to medical care. Now the government is in the business of guaranteeing people keep houses they cannot afford to pay. Folks, that is the very definition of socialism. What's next? The government's intervention to make sure we all have access to the same food products? Then we'll hear about people needing access to similar vehicles? That's how the now-defunct ( "Thank you, Ronald Reagan.") Soviet Union ran their society and the only ones who were better off were high-ranking politicians, high-level bureaucrats, and military officers.

For those of us whose parents came to America so we could have better opportunities for success, government intervention is the worst political and economic development aside from deportation or genocide. When the government "gives" you anything, it can turn around and take it right back. And the worse part is that you and I will have no recourse. Every bureaucrat, every health provider will be protected by Big Government. We complain about the IRS now. Can you imagine the authority and power of the IRS when dealing with medical care for your children? If you vote for Obama, you won't have to imagine that situation.

People need to wake up. Senator Obama is the greatest threat to our economic prosperiy. In the current environment, we can lose all our investment money. Our businesses can go broke. But our capitalist system provides you and I with an almost unlimited menu of opportunities. You and I can fail but we can recover and take another shot at economic success. If Senator Obama becomes president, he and the Democrat majority in Congress will at best stifle our economic freedom or at worst negate those opportunities. In an Obama presidency your hard work will not determine success...judges and/or bureaucrats will.

Senator Obama's tendency for relationships with individuals with such anti-American sentiments such as Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and others is very disconcerting to say the least. If Senator Obama joined the Uniformed Services of this country, which he did not, he could not get a security clearance for a number of critical jobs within the military because of those associations. And yet, if elected president, he'll have access to every military secret used to protect our nation, not just the technical know-how in one specific area. Ladies and gentlemen, as a Soldier Barak Obama could be disciplined for association with and participation in "extremist organizations." If you don't believe me, try to get a hold of the Army's regulation which covers command policy and equal opportunity. I am not kidding.

If the latest polls are correct and Senator Obama wins the election, your economic success is in jeopardy. His lack of experience and his warmth toward anti-American wackos pose a threat to the security of this nation.

But there's still time to prove the pollsters wrong.