Friends,
Unfortunately, the nation has chosen the scariest person possible to become our next president. I’m not so much bitter as I am very concerned about the direction Pres.-elect Barack Obama might take our country. I’m writing this commentary before reading my usually conservative blogs, news sources and commentaries.
The main stream media has proclaimed the election as historic because a black man (not really African-American) was elected. Was this election, then, really about race? It’s no doubt that many voted for Obama simply because he is black, ignoring his divisive issue positions. Does that make people racist? Only if they voted for McCain simply because he is white. Real change will come when people decide to vote their values and not for partisan, racial or vague ("he will unify the country" "he’ll bring change") reasoning.
It is interesting to read some of the endorsements and comments from newspaper editorials. They all call upon Obama to do something that he has never done, end the Washington partisanship. They call upon him to govern "from the center," to find "common ground," to form a bi-partisan administration and an apolitical management of government; something he never promised to do.
If Obama follows his promise to unify this country, he will have to compromise his far-left, socialist policies and work with conservatives and Republicans (there are differences) to solve some of our problems. However, if he and the Democrats decide this election is a mandate to force their liberal economic and social agenda on the rest of the country, we will see our country take a great fall.
If Obama pushes his agenda:
First, on "family" and "social" issues, we can expect the nationalization of same-sex marriage. It will be accomplished either by the courts (Obama will be nominating liberal, big government, Supreme Court and other judges) or through the Congress. This will happen in business, churches and in the military. We can expect the expansion of "gay" rights and the repression of the "religious" rights of those who oppose homosexuality. We will see, as a result, the decline in the family structure in our culture, as is happening in Europe. And we will see the elimination of abortion restrictions in the states that have them, as the U.S. Supreme Court or Congress overrules state’s rights. And we will witness the censorship of the conservative voice, especially on talk radio, by the passing of the "Fairness Doctrine" (even though this concept was previously ruled unconstitutional) which will be approved by Obama’s Supreme Court.
Second: the economy. Obama’s plan has been compared to former Pres. Jimmy Carter. His presidency was an economic disaster, with sky-rocketing inflation and unemployment. He left the office is a virtual disgrace. It may be "fair" but it discourages investments, the very thing that is needed to create job growth. Businesses create jobs, not the government. To "share the wealth" we need to create economic opportunities (jobs) for the middle class, and not punish those who create the jobs. Using the government to "spread the wealth" is socialism.
Third: one of the biggest factors on the downturn of our economy is the cost of energy. Obama’s plan makes us more dependent upon foreign oil because he opposed the domestic production of oil (and apparently coal, too.). He also opposes nuclear energy. There’s only so much wind and solar power can take us. He "global warming" solutions will drive up the cost of energy even more. He wants us to conserve energy, which may be fine, but we can’t do that and grow our economy at the same time. If Obama and the Democrats push their environmental/energy agenda, $4 to $5 a gallon gas prices will seem like a bargain.
Fourth: Foreign affairs: Obama faces the threat of the very existence of our loyal ally Israel. He faces the continuous threat of a determined Islamist extremist movement, including the Taliban and Al- Quida. He will face challenges from nations that support terrorists and nations that oppose our freedoms (Iran, Venezuela, North Korea and others). As he has no foreign-affairs experience, he will have to tap the expertise of others when dealing with these situations. I believe that directly negotiating with these nations, without having a position of strength, will be fruitless, and lend more credibility to these nations in the eyes of the world.
Fifth: The war against terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and abroad: If Obama pulls out of Iraq before it is able to defend itself from threats within and without, he will negate the sacrifices of the thousands of men and women who fought for the security of our nation and the freedom of Iraq. Because of the success of the "surge" we are withdrawing troops. Casualties are at all-time lows. The Iraqi people are now experiencing a more peaceful existence. An early withdrawal puts all this progress at risk. He promises to pursue bin Laden in Afghanistan until he is captured and to eliminate the terrorist threat that is growing there. This is good and noble, but won’t happen if the Democrats carry through with their threat to cut the defense budget by 25%.
Government growth: Obama has pledged spending programs that exceed the $700B bailout package. He claims to reduce spending in other area, yet offered no concrete plans. Obama opposed renewing the so-called "Bush tax cuts," which means that, unless Congress reverses itself, we will all experience a tax increase in 2010. More taxes and more government spending will increase the burden on our economy even more.
Medical care: If Obama pursues his big government medical insurance proposals, it will compromise our quality of medical care, and jeopardize the access to it. Not that it won’t be more affordable, there may not be enough medical care providers to meet the demands, as in Canada, England and other "universal" health care countries.
Supreme Court: Obama will appoint activist judges who will continue to impose law, and their personal opinions, upon the people, contrary to the prescribed role outlined in the Constitution. As with our state (Connecticut) we may soon be able to do away with the legislature (Congress) and simply allow the wise and almighty judges to rule our land.
In short, if Obama pushes his agenda upon the American people, he will further divide, not unify our country. Despite of his overwhelming campaign advantage - both in the media and financially, he only won 51% of the vote, certainly no record to boast for someone who alleges to unify our country.
Obama, hopefully, will humble himself and seek God’s help and our prayers as he leads our nation over the next 4 years. Our nation needs us to pray, more than any time in our recent history.
