One of the good things about the U.S. election was the long campaign. Even if it bored most of us to changing the TV channel.
It gave us a chance to take a long, lingering look at the candidates.
It was so exhausting over a year and a half, it was a test in itself, to see who held up the longest with the mostest.
Just in case folk here think they've nailed my bias in favor of Obama, I have to agree with Ray Otton that more experience might have eased my concerns.
Like Jack Kennedy, he had the minimum. But anyone that can rise from nobody in Chicago politics has to be one smart and tough S.O.B. The home of the Daley machine isn't kind to dummies.
You can only get so much political experience and still be as young as he is.
And, like I said, the long campaign proved Barak O. had the cool determination to get through a little rough handling and throat slicing by the press and opponents alike. To say nothing about being able to raise tons of money--the Mother's Milk of Politics.
Poor John McCain was all over the place looking to land a "Rocky" knockout blow instead of sticking with his own principles. Let's hope he got bad advice and didn't believe all that crap. Not comforting in a proposed president.
Some good men (and good women) just didn't make the cut in this lengthy trial. Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico was a good level-headed guy I thought would be a decent Prez. But he didn't have the organizing ability, the money, or backing of a lot of sharp support team members. No charisma, in other words.
Ditto for Mike Huckabee of the Republicans. Another sharp, level-headed guy with no backing. But he would have given Obama a run for the money given the chance.
Forgive my maleness, but Hilliary Clinton just never twanged my guitar. Experience she had.
On the other hand, Sarah Palin was terrific. Too bad she just didn't know very much--but I'll bet she learns a lot in the next four years.
Now, there's a scary case of needing experience, Ray.
You know, Allen, I agree from the gitgo that George W. Bush was an arrogant (and probably ignorant) man who misled us into an unjust war. I sure as hell hope he didn't know what he was doing, because we're stuck now.
His team was worse. They stuck us with bad policies on war conduct and torture of prisoners, on spending us from surplus into bankruptcy with the military/industrial complex, on political appointments that couldn't respond to a real emergency like Hurricane Katrina, on letting the financial industry strip the public down to its shorts on housing and go wild in other ways, and generally screwing up a good country. Luckily, he lost on getting Social Security tied to the stock market.
You can't fool everyone all of the time, George. But you can always fool yourself.
Lately, though, he sounds like he really cares. Treasury Secretary Henry Poulson may have led us into Fascism with government buy-ins and bailouts for the financial and stock industry (a kind of Socialist Welfare for the Rich). But at least it's a quick response that includes other nations finances and their concerns. And it might work.
So I have a little sympathy for him, if not approval of his Administration.
Looking toward the future-------
We could sure use some of the British Parliamentary traditions here in the U.S. Like frequent "Question Time" sessions between the Prez and Congress.
We could also use a "No Confidence" vote, rather than having to try the Prez for "high crimes and misdemeanors" to get rid of him-- or her.
