Politics and the Art of Naivete

This article is about a people and the place that they live. It is about a people and the things that they believe. It is about us. America the Beautiful, as the old song goes, is quickly becoming a land of childish naivete and nasty supposition.

For a very long time Americans have been told by politicians "Trust us, and we'll take care of you". They have preached the principles of Robin Hood and tried valliantly to make us believe that it is okay to take from one and give to another in the name of common good. They have told us that there are some that would steal our money or hurt our children because of our color or our choices. They have made us believe that this is the rule rather than the exception. And they have made us afraid.

This election is an election of fear. How many times have we been told that Barack Obama will cure our ills, fix our economy, and level the economic playing field? How many times have we been told of the glorious change he will bring if only we will give him the chance? What he isn't telling us is how he intends to do that. "Trust me, and I'll take care of you" are the unspoken words of every day democratic politics and people believe it.Because they want it so badly they believe that this man can manufacture the resources from thin air to cure the ills of the world. But it isn't that easy.

Health care is expensive and doctors, nurses and hospitals have to be paid. When the medical profession is no longer profitable people will pursue other fields. When hospitals, drug companies and other medical supppliers can't make a reasonable return on their investments, they will find other investments. Quality health care will become scarce, and we will have ourselves to blame.

Bankers, brokers and politicians have long been known for playing fast and loose with the rules and we know that. In times past, when someone committed fraud, they were prosecuted, but no more, now we bail them out. It was a noble and democratic idea to help the poor and disenfranchised to buy homes, but we have to wonder how the politicians that initiated these policies thought they were going to pay for them. Did they care? Or was it another way to get votes from the hopeful? I wonder how hopeful they are now? How fair is it for those that have struggled to first to buy a home and then make the payments to have the added burden of paying (through taxes) for other people's houses? It isn't, but life isn't fair no matter how we wish it, and no politician , no matter what he tells you, is going to make it fair. Ask yourself who created these programs, who ran these programs and who defended them, and I think you'll find that many of Senator Obama's close associates and allies left a distinct footprint. Ask yourself why Senator Obama was the top recipient of Freddie and Fanny monies. Ask yourself why Barney Frank told us they were in good shape mere months ago. Did he lie, or was he just not capable of the job he is supposed to be doing?

We're told that if Barack Obama loses the election it will be because of race. If he wins, will that also be because of race? I have to wonder, because reality dictates that what could cause you to win an election could also cause you to lose it. What exactly does race have to do with the Presidency? Does it make you more or less qualified? As Martin Luther King said, it isn't about color it is about character,.Maybe we have forgotten that.

What the election comes down to is the ability of Americans to evaluate the experience, the intelligence and most of all, the character of the candidates. We need to stop listening to the grandiose promises and shopworn accusations of the candidates and look at what they have actually done. Check the Senate records and look at the votes and know who you are voting for. Look at the lives they lead and the people that they listen to and from that you can assess their judgement. Ask yourself if you really believe that there is something for nothing and you'll see that there isn't.

Ask yourself why one candidate would feel the need to take from one and give to another. Is it about getting votes? Maybe he just thinks that you are too stupid or lazy or incompetent to take care of yourself. Why else would he offer entitlement rather than opportunity? He knows how naive we are.