What it really boils down to

I know I promised to plagiarize more of the Tom Dickinson article that lays out why one more rich white guy shouldn't be president, but I'm tired of playing the game of arguing over things as presented by the two party system that most Americans actually agree over about 99% of the time between elections.

So here it is: I want a president who is thoughtful, intellectually curious, even-tempered, firm in resolve, but not afraid to admit he (or she) doesn't know everything and who is not ruled strictly by ideology or party politics. That's it. I'll deal with just about everything else... party, issues stance, you name it. I just want someone who can and has made sound decisions as opposed to someone who fancies himself "the decider."

Given those requirements, I obviously have to be willing to accept things about that president that I may not agree with. I'm OK with that. I guess that's the liberal in me. But it's worth it to me to buy off on a few issues in exchange for someone who considers more than one option before stubbornly choosing a path the rest of us must follow... and pay for.

There's only one candidate in this race who fits that description. His past performance is a long list of evidence of this mild mannered curiosity both in his personal and public lives and he's demonstrated it throughout the campaign as well. His opponent, on the contrary, has made of career of just the opposite, which, contrary to his claims, makes him exactly like the president we've lived under for that past two terms. How's that workin' for ya. But this post isn't about him.

I wonder if being a self-made man (or woman), acquiring one's wealth and fame (or notoriety) in one's own generation, by one's own efforts is what makes this kind of candidate? Now that I think about it, Bubba Clinton fits that part of the description. Few other candidates have. Most rich white guys that we elect come from legacies they didn't have to earn. In fact, the most recent, if left to their own decisions, would likely have squandered those legacies guaranteeing that no good came of them and that their offspring didn't get the benefit of them.

Barack Obama knows better. He's made his own way. He knows that this nation provided him the opportunities he's taken full advantage of by his own efforts - the definition of the American dream. If he were a Republican, I'd vote for him. If he were pro-life, I'd vote for him. I think too much has been made of his faith, but I'm going to vote for him.

I like the fact that his financial support comes largely in $10 - $100 amounts. Sure, he has the same big contributors that all candidates of his stature have these days, but he's got more grass roots, small contributors than anyone in our era. He's won hearts and wallets one citizen at a time. That may not mean much to everyone, but to me, it means he's beholden to citizens from all walks, not just the big time contributors. He's kind of like the NPR of candidates. They've got their big sponsors, but they can't survive without the little guys too, and they deliver based on that understanding.

I expect the same of my president. Four years from now, we'll check in and see how things went, but I'll put my money on the thinking man (or woman) any time.

Luth
Out