The Longer The Better
What’s all the fuss about the Republican primary race being too long and drawn out? With a presidential race looming in November that’s probably as important as any in our lifetime, it seems appropriate that we learn as much as we can about people who might be leading our nation back from the brink.
I’m not a member of any political party, but being a conservative and a constitutionalist, I usually am forced to vote for a Republican as the lesser of two evils, thus it is of major interest to me to know as much as possible about a candidate that I’m voting for.
This is truly a crucial time in our country. As has been the case many times since our founding, we are again being challenged to give up our freedom and submit to a collective society that strives to bring everyone either up or down to a level of mediocrity that is equal for all and desirable for none. This President and his followers actually believe in this European style of Marxism and the Keynesian economics it espouses despite the failure they have suffered in every place they have been tried. He is not the incompetent, inexperienced political neophyte that is in over his head, as he is portrayed by some. This is the change he promised and he has actually achieved much more of his personal agenda than many imagine.
Despite having the opportunity to watch this failed model play out across Europe right before our eyes, we seem to be determined to slog on without any regard to consequences just to advance this wrong-headed doctrine that is such anathema to our what we stand for and the principles espoused by our Forefathers over 200 years ago.
We must stop this trend and change the direction of the country. We are not accustomed to living in this second rate welfare nation that we have become and we will not be satisfied until we have regained the respect we have enjoyed since our Founders established this extraordinary nation.
Although many of us have become so disenchanted with politics and politicians we tend to tune out the incessant cacophony inherent with the national discourse. We seem to tune out any hint of news pertaining to Washington and move on to other matters. But we need to change our thinking. We cannot afford this attitude. Ignorance and apathy elected this president and they will reelect him if we can’t make a strong indictment of his failed policies.
Being aware of the national political environment does not require one to join a political party, carry banners or go to rallies. What is necessary is acquiring a passing interest of who the players are, what they’re saying and what you can believe when you have heard and thought about both sides of an issue. Not only the candidates that are in the news but especially the hundreds of pundits and news people of every stripe who try extremely hard to prejudice the issues should be included in the evaluation. It is important to be acutely aware of who said what and how they are trying to sway the direction of the discourse.
Besides, there was a time when the political parties’ conventions were great entertainment. The candidates and their supporters went lobbied hard and their often some mystery as to who would prevail. And when the candidate that won accepted his nomination amidst great fanfare and celebration it kicked off the campaign and the actual presidential race began. Today this is not possible since President Obama has been campaigning since the day he was inaugurated in 2008, but more earnestly (and on our dollars) when he actually quit pretending with a speech in Osawatomie, KS last December.
Nonetheless, a good-old-fashion political contest will produce a candidate who has been stripped of most of his secrets, exposed of most of his warts and should go into the national engagement with a relative immunity to the late-breaking bombshells that nearly always are dropped as the election date nears.
If we spend a few minutes listening to some of the rhetoric or simply just not tuning them out all together we can determine for ourselves who would best serve our nation’s interest. We can be invested in the process.
Winston Churchill said “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.” I pray we still can be.
About the Author
Leonard Jackson As I prepare my “reentry” into the e-world of blogging, I am advised that I should provide my prospective audience with a brief biographical résumé covering my life’s work and future aspirations so that I, and my work, can be properly categorized and thus judged in the proper venue. Since I will be joining a new group in just a few short months, it came to my attention that for a quick summary I can cover my life span in 20 year segments that pretty well sum up the route that I took to get to where I am today. In December, the Lord willing, I will become a member of that esteemed group known as Octogenarians. . Now that may be a disturbing, even scary, pigeonhole for some folks to find themselves assigned to, but I’m beginning to realize some real benefits from being maturity advantaged. The first 20 years I grew up, was educated and began my married life and my career. Second period was about 20 years in the cotton business in Memphis, TN. Trading this commodity in the world’s largest inland cotton market. Third period was spent in the municipal bond industry in Memphis, Houston TX Chicago and finally to my present home in Kansas City, MO. The fourth 20 years I served as a registered investment adviser to a number of individual clients which I continue to do in a semi-retired capacity. In addition to all this, over all these years, I have been blessed with a loving wife of sixty years, four children, four grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and a menagerie of grand horses, dogs, cats and a donkey. Providentially, none of these, except of course my patient wife, are still living in the family home. And now the fifth period will be consumed in my new career. For the first time in all the years I have an opportunity to share my opinions with the world. I can truly express my thoughts without regard to any extenuating conditions. I can just say how I feel about any subject. How liberating. Let the blogging begin!!!! By the way – what I do in the next period remains to be seen and depends on how well I do in the fifth period.
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