Impending Doom

With only two days until the election, I feel that I need to speak my piece and then let it go. With the polls showing this weekend that John McCain is still trailing anywhere from 2-10 points, I truly do not know what to expect. However, I am expecting the worst.


I think it is truly possible that the most liberal, least experienced presidential candidate in history will become the 44th President of the United States. This possibility gives me a completely different shiver up my leg then the ones creeping up the legs of "reporters" over at MSNBC. I think it is unfortunate that our country has come to this point - so interested in teaching George W. Bush a lesson that it would prefer to put someone in the highest position possible that has only been in charge of one thing throughout his career, his presidential campaign.

Now I will not argue that Obama has not run a good campaign, because he certainly has. He has stayed on message, given extraoridary speeches, and he has "brought people together." I in no way wish to diminish what Obama has accomplished because I truly hope that his presidential bid, win or lose, will discontinue the conversation of race in this country. I hope that in 2012 we see many more diverse candidates and that it won't be considered historic, just the norm.

Here is what I expect from an Obama Presidency (and I truly hope I'm wrong):

1. His economic plans laid out during the election will become a distant memory quickly. As he becomes more informed of the economic status of this country, he will forget about lowering taxes for anyone and revert back to his liberal ways, which is raising taxes. Just like when he ran for the Senate on the basis of lowered taxes, those who voted for him to become a Senator are still wait to see a decrease in their taxes. He has never ONCE voted for lower taxes. Why anyone expects something different if he becomes President, I may never understand.

2. He will pull out of Iraq whether the war is won or not. Whether or not you think we should have gone into Iraq in the first place, we are there now. While McCain would be committed to finishing what we started, I think Obama will pull troops whether the war is won or not. The irony of the Iraq war is that the surge that McCain supported turned the tide in Iraq, making it a non-issue for the 2008 election. Because of McCain's wisdom, he managed to take the issue off the table that he has the most experience in - national security.

3. Universal Health Care will be implemented and throw this country into further debt. While Obama has campaigned that he will balance the budget, he will be much more interested in pushing through programs that are important to him while he has tne majority in the House and Senate. The additional $1 Trillion dollars in new spending he proposes will not be made up by the tax increases on the wealthy. This will mean more tax hikes for households with a lower income, and yes, that means those making less than $250,000 a year.

What will be good about an Obama presidency?

1. Obama will crack the ceiling for diverse political candidates and will hopefully take race off the table once and for all. If Obama is elected, I will feel proud that America has finally instituted a little colorblindness when it comes to our leadership.

2. The Republican Party will be forced, either way, to reorganize and strengthen. In 1992 Republicans decided that they had turned away from their core values and made a promise to the American public. in 1994, they went on to become the majority in the Senate once again and were successful until 2004, when they became cocky, turned against the public they were serving and began to overspend in every area. I believe that just like in 1992, the Republican party will reorganize and get back to basics. Back to responsible politics with conservative values and fiscal responsibility. I, as a Republican, am ready to be proud of my party again and I hope that this happens.

3. Maybe the arts will become a real priority in the White House. If Obama follows through with one thing, this is the one I hope he pulls through on.

4. With all of the hype and celebrity-like following, there is little chance that Obama will live up to the hype. As a liberal politician, he will show his true colors, lean more and more to the left, and make a 2012 republican presidency win more and more of a reality. Conservatives and those in the middle will realize that Obama is not who he said he was, that he does not relate to the everyday person, and that he promised a lot to become president that he did not deliver.

I have been a bad mood all day, and I think a lot of it is because I am worried about this election. I am worried about an Obama presidency and what the next four years will look like. However, Kevin made an interesting point today. He said that in 2000 and again in 2004, he noticed what sore losers the democrats were. In fact, I just read a NYTimes article today that characterized the last two elections as being STOLEN. It has been 8 years and they still can't let it go. So Kevin said that he is determined to not be a sore loser if Obama wins, and I agree. I will not pout, I will not throw a tantrum, and I will not wear black on Wednesday. What will be will be. And who knows, maybe we're all in for a surprise....but I'm not getting my hopes up.