A few thoughts on the election….

I voted for McCain, but mostly against Obama. I was mostly concerned about 1- his proposal to increase taxes on producers while we are teetering on the edge of a serious recession, and 2- I was concerned about his relationships with Reverend Wright and others. Without much of a record of serious accomplishments I had nothing else to go on.

I am not depressed or hostile that Obama won. I am excited that America showed the tolerance to look beyond his skin and his name. I am pleased that more people feel they have true representation, as shown by the record turnout. I hope he can live up to even a portion of the public’s expectations.

While McCain had the burden of being tied to an unpopular president and the financial meltdown (unfairly in my opinion), he lost the election with a poor and unfocused campaign. He kept pushing buttons and wasting precious campaign funds that did not work, such as the tiresome ties to Bill Ayers. As soon as he saw that he would be drastically outspent, he should have focused his message like a laser. He did not.

Sarah Palin is not as dumb as the press made her out to be, but she did not seem up to the task either. While intellectual depth is not enough to be president (or close to it), it is important to be able to justify your principles with some understanding if not experience. Without the ability to intellectually understand your principles one can be easily distracted by the crisis de jour. Without some level of intellectual understanding you just become a mindless populist.

I am a little concerned that the worldwide euphoria over Obama’s victory will come back to haunt him. He will be faced with many of the same tough decisions faced by his predecessors and he will make many similar actions that will not be popular in the court of world opinion. I predict he will get more criticism from the hard left than from the hard right.

Obama ended the option of public financing for elections that was championed by McCain Feingold. After he betrayed his pledge to take public funds and raised a fortune to defeat McCain, any one would be a fool to restrict themselves as McCain did. I would like to see a push for more disclosure even on small amounts, something Obama avoided in this election.

Many supporters answered my concerns about Obama’s policy proposals with “Oh he will surround himself with smart people”. I find that very unsatisfying especially in light of his past relationships. It was as if we should hope he will betray his pledges and promises and still vote for him.

I too hope he will betray many of his policy proposals. Isn’t that audacious?

print