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Shame on us for voting Obama into office
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Shame on us for voting Obama into office
Sept. 17, 2011
Ramsey Fowler
Today’s America lies in the depth of economic despair. Our citizens struggle to make ends meet and we have been forced to take political “sides” because there is no true bipartisanship. The “Change” our country has endured has in no way been a change for the better. Although our president, Barack Obama, is the one many of us easily blame, I believe the real problem lies within the citizenry of the United States of America.
In the 2008 presidential election, Americans had two options at the polls. Our first choice was a man who served this country as a Captain in the United States Navy for 23 years, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for five and a half years and had 28 years of hands-on political experience. Our second choice was a man who had little experience in politics, no experience dealing with the real economy, a shady religious background, a questionable birth certificate and zero understanding of how our military functions.
But, wait, the second man was a bit more “hip.” He was younger and pretty darn good at reading teleprompters. So we chose him.
Please don’t tell me that you’re surprised with the way this country turned out. It’s not rocket science. If you put a man in office who has absolutely no idea what he’s doing and he alters the way our country operates, then things are going to change. That’s one promise Barack Hussein Obama kept. I’m not at all shocked by Obama’s spending sprees and failed military actions in Libya. America ordered one big plate of clueless, and now we are all tasting the flavors of Ramen noodles and food stamps.
I hate to have to remind some of the people of this country, but here it is. Elections are not fashion shows or beauty pageants. Our goal is not to elect the supposed “coolest person” with the most charisma. Our right to vote is the basis of what makes America the “Land of the free.” We have the right to cast our one vote for the candidate of our choice. Can we please start by reviewing the candidate’s political background, their ideas and plans to better this country and carefully examine their track record?
After the seventh GOP primary debate Monday, the field of Republican candidates is pretty much set. The candidates are very diverse and have different ideas on how to fix our downgraded nation.
I am personally not sold on one single candidate. Thus far, no one stands out to me as a clear choice to take on Obama in 2012.
The frontrunner, Rick Perry, is less than impressive to me. I know many conservatives have jumped on the Perry bandwagon, but I don’t think they know why. Rick Perry has a long, sketchy political history that includes supporting Al Gore’s 1988 campaign. He actually mandated a cervical cancer vaccine under executive order and has granted instate tuition for illegal immigrants. He has a history of inside dealings with drug companies and has resisted the securing of the border.
Rick Perry is what we conservatives call a “RINO,” which means he is a “Republican in name only.” Perry’s policies as governor often contradict the Republican Party platform. Perry claims he supports small government.
Really? Then why has he added 170,000 new state jobs as governor? Why did he impose a mandated vaccination? Why is he giving incentives to illegal aliens?
The seven other candidates asked Perry these same questions on Monday and I don’t think anyone was too impressed with his answers.
It is important that GOP members are not sheep conservatives. We cannot base our decisions simply by following the herd. If more Republicans knew the facts about Rick Perry, I don’t believe he’d be the frontrunner. I’m guessing maybe his Reagan hair gets the Republican masses excited.
America needs a candidate who has the education of Mitt Romney, the business experience of Herman Cain, the constitutionalist values of Ron Paul, the brains and wittiness of Newt Gingrich, the patriotic fire of Michelle Bachman, the emphasis on “Made in America” of Rick Santorum, the military service of Rick Perry and the great foreign relation skills of John Huntsman.
At the end of the day there is a common goal within the GOP field: to take back the presidency in 2012 in order to restore this country.
It seems only fair that we give the Republicans a turn to do what is necessary to get this nation back on track. Let them lower taxes, cut entitlements, balance the budget, reform Social Security and Medicare, reform the Federal Reserve and slash red tape for businesses across America. Republicans also need to win the presidency so Obama Care, the Dream Act and Dodd Frank can all be repealed.
When all is said and done, it is we, the citizens of the United States of America, who are held responsible for the leadership of this country. I cannot wait until Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. I will finally be 18 years old and a legal, registered voter.
I will carefully place my vote for the candidate who stands behind the U.S constitution, one that brings hope and light to this darkened country and supports a strong national defense.
I will not make my presidential selection by keeping score on who has the most charismatic speeches, the nicest suits, the shiniest tie or movie star good looks.
Unless, of course, it was 1980, then I would punch a hole as big as Texas for Mr. Ronald Reagan, knowing I was getting the whole package.
Ramsey Fowler is a senior at Lee’s Summit West High School. Write to him at government@lstribune.net.
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I find your essay as insulting as it is based in ignorance. I have been a voter for thirty years longer than you. I study issues carefully and reflect on the history of political courses of action. I proudly voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and look forward to canceling your first vote in 2012 by doing the same thing. Not because he is hip, popular or because he can read a teleprompter. It is because I have lived long enough to see the disastrous conservative policies run this country into the ground. I am not against conservatism, but I am against what is currently considered conservatism. You are too young, or you chose to ignore that the Clinton administration left this country with a budget surplus, before the disastrous Bush administration steered our nation down an unprecedented path by starting two unnecessary and expensive wars while granting an enormous tax cut on the wealthy. This enormous debt our nation carries was built on the foundation laid by the Bush administration. How much less would our debt be if we hadn't gone to war in Iraq? Even more importantly, tell me what it accomplished? Conservatives love to proclaim that tax cuts for "the job creators" (i.e. wealthy) stimulate the economy. If that is the case, please explain why after several years of the Bush tax cuts, our nation was falling off an economic cliff? Yes, this recession, nearly a depression, started during the Bush administration. You aren't going to rewrite history and blame Obama. Check your statistics. This country was already bleeding jobs before Obama took over.
I am glad you are interested in politics and that you are excited to cast your first vote. But I believe you may need a little more experience before you accuse half the nation of voting for someone because they are "hip." Perhaps we realized that McCain's policies were as old and tired as he was.