The
worst thing with having to suffer through presidential elections is
the quadrennial reminder of just how much hooey the American electorate
is ready to swallow in the name of political partisanship.
John Kerry's Humble Origins
April 4, 2004
The
worst thing with having to suffer through presidential elections is
the quadrennial reminder of just how much hooey the American electorate
is ready to swallow in the name of political partisanship.
I am a conservative. I am also a registered Republican. That is mainly because I don't ever want Democrats in a position to appoint liberal judges, that being the fallout that lasts long after the politicians are home collecting their pensions. However, being a Republican doesn't mean I think George W. Bush walks on water. I don't happen to favor his spending excesses or his blatant pandering to President Fox and the illegal aliens in hopes of garnering Hispanic votes. It means that I think the president's main job is national and international security. I think Bush has the right approach to Islamic terrorism, whereas I don't believe it is a high priority issue with either Edwards or Kerry, just as it wasn't with Clinton.
What kills me about the Democrats is that one day, they're acting as if manic Howard Dean is the answer to a maiden's prayer, and the very next day they're treating him like a leper and carrying on as if John Kerry is the Second Coming. The same party that is anti-military, and looks upon the Pentagon as the enemy camp, is swooning over the senator as if he were a combination of Sgt. York, Audie Murphy and Rambo.
In
short, the same shameless crowd that used to spit on Vietnam veterans
is now orgasmic because Kerry is, of all things, a Vietnam vet.
It all calls into question the qualifications a President should have. Oddly enough, in an election year, the things that are emphasized tend to be stamina and debating skills. Which happen to be two of the very things that he'll have the least call for if elected. I mean, there's nothing wrong with having stamina, just as there's nothing wrong with the president's having nice breath. But the fellow in the Oval Office is pretty much in charge of his own schedule. He can usually go to bed as early as he likes and wake up whenever he pleases. He's the one who decides when to meet with his cabinet and he's the one who decides if and when he wants to take a call from Kafi Annan.
As for debating prowess, unless your post-high school plans involve running for president, it's a totally inconsequential skill. Actually, one is better prepared for adult life if one has spent those formative years mastering the accordion.
But what really gets me about the Democrats is the amount of sheer nonsense they are prepared to add to their usual daily diet. It's one thing, after all, if you want to vote for a senator with a more liberal voting record than Ted Kennedy or Hillary Clinton, and don't mind people knowing about it. It doesn't make you a bad person. We Americans, need you be reminded, are free to vote for any addlepated ignoramus on the ballot.
However, as I write this, the primary elections are still taking place. And when I see the Democrats trying to decide whether the guy who's married to the Heinz heiress or the guy who's pocketed $25 million as a personal injury lawyer better represents the common man, I have to laugh.
It reminds me of the old days when the Democrats used to describe Republican populist Wendell Willkie as the barefoot boy from Wall Street. I don't know about you, but anytime I hear a Democratic candidate boasting about his humble origins, I grab my wallet and head for the hills.
If you liked this article, perhaps you'll also like Burt's collection from Scorched Earth Press, "Conservatives Are From Mars, Liberals Are From San Francisco." Order your autographed copy now from BurtPrelutsky.com.
©2004 Burt Prelutsky
DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE IN THE FORUM!
