Compassionate Conservatism for W

Here's an elephant in the room: what is going to happen to George Walker Bush in January? Will he go quietly into the night? Will he tour the country making stump speeches for Republican candidates in the years to come? Get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking engagements?

Not likely. George W. Bush stood by and helplessly watched his presidency walk out onto a gang plank. The biggest shock to this country as a result may very well happen after he is out of office.

Here's a man who has led a very difficult silver spoon life. Alcoholism is no joke. On top of that, his presidency has been dogged with one misstep after another, and now, in the waning days of his presidency, he is hated by many and dismissed by the rest. Some say he'll face war crimes. Some say he should have been impeached. Some claim he knew that the twin towers were going to be hit (and worse). Some say he just didn't have enough critical thinking skills to handle the job, and he let arrogant others run the Oval Office into the ground, standing by helplessly.

He has looked like a deer in headlights in front of the press during this economic crisis. Dick Cheney has all but disappeared from view. Oliver Stone has splashed all the painful reminders of W.'s personal life on the big screen for the world to see. The mood of the country is one of palpable relief that a new president - any new president - will take the reins from his helpless fingers.

George W. Bush is constantly being watched right now, by his staff, his wife, the Secret Service. They all know that it is very hard for any human to take the severe public criticism W. is under. It is especially hard for a former alcoholic. He likely feels worthless, numb, angry in lucid moments, frightened, and wishing it all were over.

In the days following the passing of the baton in January, it won't all be over. The criticism will be louder. The new administration will release documents formerly suppressed. Only George W. Bush knows the magnitude of inappropriate presidential actions that will be uncovered from his tenure. The fear, the worthlessness, the wishing for numbness will increase. He may sit at the edge of his bed, unable to get up and get dressed, unable to lay back down, frozen, with a drink back in his shaking hands, wishing it all would just go away.

When the spotlight is gone, when a new president is in place, when his cronies have all departed in their separate directions, the vigilance on George will need to increase, or we could very well see the first suicide of an American president.

We must remember that, for all his failings and however much he deserves his critics, George W. Bush also deserves compassion, however conservative we feel about giving it. His suicide would be a shock this country would not be able to take. The failed presidency is the fault of George W. Bush. His suicide would be the fault of an American public that elected him in the first place, gave this weak man a rope, and dared him to do it.

Glenn Beck, Bootstrapping, and Smaller Government

As a future President of the United States, I think it is important to listen to the pop culture of the day, so I can stay in tune with the public.

One of the icons, naturally, is Glenn Beck. Surprised? Well, in spite of my liberal leanings, I do have some conservative values. Glenn Beck speaks to those values. I do get offended, frequently, at some of his positions - (more oil drilling? are you kidding? do you really want to defer our energy problems and global warming to your kids to solve?) - but for all his wrong-headedness, there are times when he makes really valid points.

And, he is real. He was talking today about some of the truly tough spots he has been in - alcoholism, foreclosure, losing everything but his name, and even that he felt he had sold at one time.

You have to admire a man who can fall down and pick himself back up again, and be willing to speak about it. He is honest and forthcoming. Wrong on some of his positions, but if he should ever come to me, as President, requesting I seriously consider a policy change, I will certainly give him my full attention. It is not easy to listen to someone with whom you frequently disagree, but when that someone has the courage to make a mistake, admit it, and correct it, then he deserves respect and a fair opportunity to state his case.

Glenn Beck promotes a smaller government. On this, we agree. Our federal government was never intended to be this large. FDR expanded it greatly, creating jobs in a time when our country desperately needed them, but the result has been a dependence on government not just for jobs, but for everything.

America's principles originally were based on a bootstrap mentality. Every person who could work, did work, and raised families and built industry with their own two hands - not depending on government to shoulder their burdens. There was pride in that. Where did that go?

Well, it began with FDR. Not intentionally - he was a bootstrapper himself in many ways. I don't think he realized the long-term consequences of creating bigger government. And every presidency has added to the growing pile of agencies in some way, until now it is so bloated and inefficient that its debt has exceeded its ability to pay it down.

Under an Ameriga Columbus administration, government WILL become smaller. More power will go to the states, and along with it, more tax revenues. Tax revenues should not be taken and spent at the federal level - they should be passed through to the states and localities. Bootstrapping begins at home. For emergencies, we should all pitch in. Yup, for natural disasters, each state should put something in to help the one that's been hit, rather than depending on the feds to rush in to the rescue.

Interstate commerce, treasury, foreign policy, national security, postal services - these are federal. I'll take a close look at every other agency and see how much can be closed down and shifted to state responsibility. Most states have their own departments of health and energy and education, etc. It is duplicative to have them at the national level as well. If anything, the national level of those agencies should be focused on research: how does our education compare to other nations? how can we best support health research? what are our national and global energy projections? That kind of research can support the states to make good decisions on education and health, etc. Federal level agencies are best as clearinghouses of information, not as regulators and mandate enforcers.

I think Glenn Beck would applaud the reorganization and shrinking of federal government, and the corresponding reduction in taxes to everyone as a result. Not that I'm seeking his approval - he is completely wrong on energy policy - but he has made valid points about the way the feds spend taxpayer dollars and the bloated, inefficient nature of our federal government.

I will change all that. Not yet - it's going to be Barack Obama's turn beginning January 2009 - but he can't be President for more than two terms. I'll be here, celebrating and challenging him as the case may be.

Onward and upward,
Ameriga

America Wins in Iowa!

I am happy to concede Iowa to the two candidates who resoundingly proved yesterday that Americans are awake, empowered, and flat aren't going to take it any longer!

Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama swept aside Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton in spite of money, race, and experience.

What does this mean for Americans? It means that our unfair, unprincipled, failed campaign contribution system cannot impede the power of voters to choose who they believe is the best candidate. Mitt Romney spent and spent and spent in Iowa, but the Evangelicals came out in droves to say God is more important than money.

If they can do it, so can you. So can every voting American. YES, you do have power. YES, your one vote is meaningful and makes a difference.

Campaign finance is not as invisible an elephant in the room as it used to be, so let's take out the other elephant in Iowa - race.

Iowa is over 90% white and the black candidate won the majority of their votes in the Democratic Caucuses, hands down. This is a huge victory for America. It proves that the color of skin is less important than skill, intelligence, passion, experience, ideas, and character. It proves that this black man has what it takes to win in primarily white (although that is quickly changing) America. It proves that Americans have the capacity to accept people for who they are on the inside. I am so relieved to have lost my own candidacy to this important message that I have to pause for a moment and breathe into a paper bag...

Whew! I'm back and breathing again. To lose for lack of money would be frustrating. To lose for the opportunity of a better future for race relations - I am delighted to bow out gracefully for that significant hope.

So, who specifically voted for Obama? He won women and he won voters between 18 and 45 years of age. He didn't take the seniors and won only a handful of babyboomers. It was the youth and sandwich generation (caring for both children and parents), especially those who were too young to fall under the spell of the Clinton era, who carried the day. It was the women who want change, who feel Hillary will be too divisive on Capitol Hill, who carried the day.

And guess what? Both of those demographics exist in large numbers in just about every state in the union. Huckabee's supporters are Evangelicals who believe that religion is the most important issue in the country, and unfortunately for Huckabee, their numbers are small nationwide compared to those who will turn out to vote for jobs, healthcare, Iraq, etc. before religion.

Yesterday set the stage for the very real possibility that Americans will have their first black President ever in 2009.

(quick pause while I dance on the tabletops here at Panera's)

Whew - that felt good. We all should be dancing on tabletops - this is joyous news!

Why is it so important we have a black President? Didn't I just say that the issues are more important than skin color?

Yes, I did. But I ain't stupid enough to ignore the impact of color. Nope - this is huge! Consider this:

• Foreign Policy: White Presidents have stepped into nations of color to emphasize freedom - Iraq, Pakistan, Korea, etc. - yet haven't fixed the problems of restricted freedoms for our own people of color! The hypocrisy has hurt us badly in the Middle East, no question. A black President will open doors with much more success than Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, or even Colin Powell and Condeleeza Rice in their Secretary of State roles - especially if Obama wins by a landslide, securing the people's mandate. Remember, his parents are from Kenya and Kansas. He bridges better than any other candidate the connection between the U.S. and the world. The impact of an Obama presidency on foreign policy will shake the world with hope and energy.
  
• Internal National Security: Racism is alive and well in the U.S. No question. Should Obama win the day, I have no doubt security will need to be doubled for him. There are Americans waking up to the news this morning, polishing their shotguns and muttering that only over their dead bodies will a black man lead this country. And if they can't reach Obama, they might turn to their neighbors to vent their spleen. Do you doubt it? Look at our national response to New Orleans compared to California's wildfires. It's shameful. And it's real. Does this mean all people of color should dive for bomb shelters or get gun permits if Obama is elected? No, of course not. I'm not advocating paranoia here. I'm simply exposing the elephant that MUST be discussed openly, without fear, and in a solutions-oriented fashion. Remember, the suitcase bomber can only win in a nation of ostriches.
  
• Domestic Race Relations: There will be an impact on race relations in this country if Obama is chosen as the Democratic candidate - whether he ultimately wins or loses, there will be a lasting impact. He is a very different candidate than Jesse Jackson. He is not playing the race card. He is not playing the religion or moral/value mandate cards. He is simply a man who truly believes everything he speaks - he feels the needs of this nation to his very bones. He has taken the time to educate himself on the issues, to volunteer, to run for office and serve his country. He's not asking for the "black vote." He's asking for the American vote. He's asking Americans to vote for change, for hope, for faith that they are more than peons in a system - empowering them to take back this country and put it in the hands who can build it best - ourselves. He is calling for personal responsibility without preaching. And personal responsiblity is the key to solving the racial crisis that exists in this country. Indeed, it is the only hope for healing.

I realize Obama's platform is bigger than this, but I'm not here to convince you to vote for him. It is up to you to decide which Candidate will best address your biggest concerns for this country. However, while you are making that decision, don't forget to peer in the corners of every room for elephants. You'll feel better about your vote if you take elephants into account.

Ultimately, America won yesterday. Money lost. Racism lost. The power of the individual voter is real. Your power is real. Congratulations, America! What a way to kick off the New Year!