If Barack Obama who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps may be labeled "elitist" then the Clintons who liquidated their blind trust of nearly $50 million amassed during their years in public office may similarly be labeled "crooks."
Hillary Clinton says she once shot a duck in Arkansas. The Clintons have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to take liberties with the facts and to place themselves above the law. It would be interesting to know whether Arkansas state records show that Hillary Clinton ever had a hunting license or duck stamp.
Hillary Clinton says her economic policies will restore the economic policies of her husband's administration. However as the sub prime housing loans and dot com investment bubbles were created and pandered during her husband's administration, Hillary and her husband ignored Alan Greenspan's warnings of the irrational exuberance in these markets and both supported China's entry into the World Trade Organization without any conditions such as protecting the environment or labor and property rights to levels that are comparable to western standards.
The U.S. government surplus (generated by taxes raised from the housing and investment bubbles) evaporated once the housing and investment bubbles burst.
Furthermore, China today is not only a leading contributor to environmental pollution and global warming (thank you very much Mr. Nobel Laureate, Al Gore), it's also pushing up oil and other commodity prices, taking our jobs and stealing our intellectual property.
Like the Roaring Twenties decade that preceded the Great Depression, the Irrational Nineties that preceded our current decade were both golden ages for technology, scandal-plagued politicians, corporate greed, and unrestrained personal debt and speculation.
As the global economy teeters on the brink of economic meltdown not unlike the Great Depression, America doesn't need finger pointing and fear mongering, America needs a president whose economic policies are based on confidence, unity and reason. America needs Barack Obama.
When political and military judgment mattered most to U.S. military personnel and the American people, John McCain and Hillary Clinton failed as U.S. Senators to demonstrate any commander-in-chief qualities when without competent questioning, they both accepted the faulty intelligence used to justify the Iraq war and misjudged the Bush administration's competencies to lead the war.
Barack Obama on the other hand demonstrated his superior judgment and commander-in-chief qualities when he took an unpopular position and cautioned that without clear rationale an invasion of Iraq would encourage the worst impulses of the Arab world and strengthen Al Qaeda's recruitment.
Now, John McCain advocates maintaining U.S. troops in Iraq indefinitely which does little to incentivize the Iraqi government to deliver the political reforms needed to promote civil unity whereas Barack Obama's threat to withdraw U.S. troops does more to incentivize the Iraqi government to deliver the necessary reforms.
As the threat of global terrorism persists, neither John McCain or Hillary Clinton have demonstrated any understanding of the complexities of building and maintaining global alliances to confront this common enemy. America needs a president with demonstrated commander in chief qualities, leadership and judgment. America needs Barack Obama.
For too long fear, division and rancor have been used as instruments to maintain power and position in Washington.
Why are the Clintons' traditional adversaries Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity now embracing Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Party's nominee? Because both the Clintons and John McCain are willing sparring partners in the fear mongering arena, whereas Barack Obama's means of governing through confidence, unity and reason threatens the wealth, power and position of these fear mongers.
It's refreshingly nice to see the better angels of America's character prevailing as voters reject the racial, religious and ethnic slurs being spewed by the divisive surrogates of the Clintons, Limbaugh and Hannity.
Voters in Pennsylvania now have an opportunity to change the direction of America's policies, economy and foreign relations for the better by voting for Barack Obama and rejecting the fear mongers.
As a Republican-leaning independent, I will vote for the Democratic nominee if it is Barack Obama but I will not vote for the Party's nominee if Hillary Clinton is on the ticket. America needs Barack Obama.
