Election Day

Mornin' All,

This morning is very important, in fact the whole day is, election day. I have been alive for many presidential elections now, going back to very bare memories of the end President Truman's time. However, my first real recognition of the presidency is of "Ike," who seemed in my childhood innocence, a nice, and grandfatherly man. I was old enough to adore the image and promise of Kennedy during his short tenure. Even LBJ, in retrospect, seems a much better president than I thought at the time. His "war" stinks, but he did not start it. Those roots go back to Ike and Kennedy. Nixon, Ford, Carter, Regan, and Bush#1 are forgetable to me, even though some were nice men. In my opinion, Nixon and Regan did the most damage with the roots of today's problems squarely in their court.

Then, there is Clinton and "W." The former a personally flawed man but bright and a good president from the point of view of the economy and social programs. "W" has been disaster. Not since possibly U.S. Grant have we had so much corruption and downright "selling" of our country down the river to the rich and influencial. Grant a good soldier let profiteering carpetbaggers run his government, while Bush in his "bullheaded" effort to show his father his worthiness led us into an unecessary war followed by the economic collapse of the country. His henchman and VP, Cheney was by far the worst of the lot, engineering the taking away of our personal freedoms in the guise of the "Patriot Act." The best I can say about "W" is that he probably meant well.

This election we cannot elect another "goof" on the assumption that "he is just like us." I don't want a President who is "just like me." I want a bright and intelligent person, someone above the "Average Joe." I think Obama is that person and I voted for him a few weeks ago before heading to California. Although he was not my first choice when this process began, he is now.

I have voted for McCain as a senator in one election (even though a democrat). There is no way I would now. He has shown that he will change his stripes too quickly to be president. And his choice for VP illustrates his lack of judgement. I could not ever support him again, even though he was a "Maverick" amongst repubicans for awhile. He is not now. Besides, it is time for a new generation to take charge.

I will not say, as many ads have, that you should get out and vote no matter for whom. That is a mistake. Get out and vote for Obama! Those are my last words on the subject!