Scary times

We are only a few days away from election day, and I have to be honest - I haven't been thrilled with either candidate. I've felt compelled lately to write this blog, though, and share my concerns, as I'm getting more worried about the direction of our country if we were to elect Barack Obama.

Listening to the mainstream media, everything sounds pretty great. He presents himself well and sounds really great, especially since he's talking about 95% of us getting money from the "rich people". But I keep looking for substance beneath the rhetoric and all I see is questionable associations, apologies for our great country, and scary economic ideas.

Life issues are huge for me - I don't think there's any good reason to kill a baby - but I'll even disregard that, for the sake of this argument. (Although let me say that Obama is more radical left on this issue than any other senator or representative in Congress.)

Let's start with apologizing for our country. I think we live in the greatest country in the world. Do we do everything right? Of course not. But we are a beacon for freedom-seeking people everywhere. In a speech in Berlin earlier in the year (July 2008), he was apologetic about America. Evidently he missed the irony that, without the US, a Nazi flag would be flying there today. He said, "I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions." Speaking this way to a foreign crowd does not inspire me to make him my president. But I'll bet the Dixie Chicks love him. Then he made fun of us, comparing us with Europeans: "It's embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is 'merci beaucoup!'" (July 2008) Did he miss the fact that English is the international language of business? Lots of Americans speak a second language (and I'm not just talking about Spanish), but what language should we ALL learn, French? German? Japanese? I have never understood this argument bashing Americans. It's just too bad that we "embarrass" him. What an elitist.

How about his view of our brave troops. Again, are we perfect? No. But our troops do not deserve a president who says that troops who died wasted their lives (Feb 2007), and that our troops are air-raiding villages and killing civilians (Aug 2007). How dare he paint our troops that way! Have civilians been killed? Have villages been struck in error? Yes. But what about the value our troops are bringing to the areas. It would be tough for me as a civilian to list, but it makes me so mad that the media paints everything terrible, yet the troops are energized by the gains, helping schools, helping the people be able to live without the fear they had under the Taliban. Anyway, Obama doesn't hide his view of the value of our forces. Other countries have cut their defense spending because they know the US is on watch, but who will protect us if Obama is president and cuts the legs out from under our generals and our troops? People hate us and want to kill us. Don't lay down and apologize for our country, we need to be strong!

Speaking of people hating us, so much of Europe is filled with people who have nothing but contempt for America. And these people want us to elect Barack Obama, probably because he lines up with their thoughts. America is bad and should feel more humble and apologetic. I don't need France telling me who my president should be.

How about his scary socialist tendencies? Socialism has never worked, look at the history books, yet people want socialized medicine (good luck getting operations or treatment that the government bureaucracy deems unnecessary or too expensive, or that you're too old), and no one is up in arms about Barack talking about "spreading the wealth around". Biden was even surprised to get a question about Obama having Marxist tendencies (to each according to his need, from each according to his ability). Obama said he wants to spread the wealth around, take from those who have (who earned it) and give to those who need (who maybe aren't doing anything to change their situation). After the interview with Biden, the Obama campaign said they would not grant any interviews to that station (in Florida, I believe). And look what's happening to Joe the plumber. This guy is in his yard, minding his own business, throwing the football around with his son, Obama goes by and Joe asks him a simple question - are you going to raise my taxes as a small business owner. Obama said, "It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody that is behind you, that they have a chance for success too." "I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." (October 2008). Unbelievable! And since then, they've dug into Joe's child support history, his real estate taxes, and Obama even derided him in one of his speeches, which I thought was disgusting. It's terrible! Heaven forbid you should ask a tough, challenging question of Obama or Biden - your personal life will be destroyed, or if you're a journalist, you'll be shut out. This will be some kind of scary presidency - sort of like Big Brother, George Orwell stuff.

Am I exaggerating? I've tried to get the facts right. This guy is scary and seems to have so much of the country enthralled. If we have to have a president picked by the Hollywood set, I'd rather have the black guy who played the president on one of the early seasons of 24 - the one who does the Allstate commercials. This is not about race and never has been (except for some kooks, and everyone knows kooks are kooks). Obama is the only one who ever mentions race, so as to intimate that if anyone is against him, it's because of his race. No, sir, there's plenty more to pick from. Your race is NOT an issue.

Oh, did you know that Obama's "tax cuts" for everyone but the rich means that the people who PAY NO INCOME TAX will get money "back"? You pay no tax - here's $500 of someone else's money. Talk about destroying the work ethic. Why should I try to get ahead if it's going to help someone else and not me? That's not a tax cut, that's welfare! Don't be so disingenuous. And it's funny, the definition of rich has even changed. It was people who made over $250,000. Then the other day he changed it to $200,000. To pay for his programs, it will have to include a large chunk of us who thought we were middle class. Small comfort then to know that we are "rich".

And don't think I don't care about other people. I give to charity, I tithe, I sponsor a child in Honduras. Until Obama decided to run for president, his charitable income was paltry! Practically nothing! I don't want to get it wrong so I won't quote it.

I just don't think socialized medicine and giving people handouts is the answer.

I got a call from a former foster daughter who is maybe 20 yrs old now. She takes medicine for her mental and physical health, but she is perfectly able to hold a job. She worked at Wal-Mart for quite awhile until her friend talked her into quitting. After she aged out of foster care, her aunt convinced her that she should apply for disability (because of her mental health? I never understood it). She called me this weekend just to keep in touch. I found out that she is now married to an ex-convict who threw her out, she's living with her sister, is 2 months pregnant, has no job, is on food stamps and still trying to get disability. I wanted to say to her, "Jessica, you know, when you get food stamps or disability, you're not really getting money from the government, you're getting money from me and the other people who work and pay taxes. And I'm not really happy about giving you food stamps and disability when I know you could go out and work and earn your own money. "

I know there are people with actual needs, but there are also a whole lot of other people who just won't get it together.

I'm sure she's voting for Obama. Why not? He's promising the world ($$$) and has no way to pay (there just aren't enough "rich" people in America to support the other 95%).

A quote that gives one pause: "a government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

Forgive me if my views don't line up with yours. I'm praying over this election.

Back to regularly scheduled blogging after this. God Bless America!