Stuck In The Middle Review
columnist: Scott from Oregon

Topic: Political Literature
Just What In Tarnation Is Barack Obama Selling?

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"Yes We Can!" confounds those of us with a "Can Do" attitude...

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by Scott from Oregon
(Libertarian)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

I'm a "can do" kind of guy. If I see someone broken down on the side of the road, I almost always stop and stick my head under the hood and see if I can help. I carry a box of tools in the back of my truck for this. I like helping people out, and sometimes I make a difference.

Sometimes, though, I have to tell them, "There is nothing I can do. Your problems are too big for me. I am sorry for your loss."

As Clint Eastwood famously said, "A man's got to know his limitations."

I've been watching Barack Obama speechify for awhile now. After watching G.W. Bush murder the English language for seven years, it is refreshing to see a man who can wrap his tongue around the word "nuclear" and who doesn't smile everytime he gets through a sentence without bungling it. As Americans, we are all tired of our number one go-to-guy being the brunt of so many jokes about stupidity. Barack is a fresh breeze in this regard. Barack can really talk.

The trouble I am having is the disconnect between what is reality and what is not. "Hope" is not reality. Hope is wishful thinking. "Yes We Can!" is a slogan, folks. It doesn't mean you actually can. There is a disconnect here, and I just thought it prudent that I point it out.

Whenever the government inserts itself into the problems we Americans face, it almost always turns out poorly. We here in Oregon know the results of federal management of our forests- we've got sick and dying forests. Government intrusion in our schools- we've got weaker students, more disgruntled teachers, unhappy local communities.

Americans' problems are best resolved by Americans, not by Washington beauracrats whose first impulse to solving all issues is to take more money from somebody by force and threat of jail. Are we really THAT impressed with these people who go to Washington that we would CHOOSE this imposition? Are we not a culture of "can do" folks who can work most of this stuff out by ourselves? What happened to local government? State government? Why are we transfixed on Washington for all of our solutions? Why do we allow them to take this power from us?

Barack Obama tells me on a daily basis about all of his programs and plans that are going to fix America. He invites us all to join him in these plans. But the reality is, we are not going to be a participant. Not really. You will simply cough up more money and hand it over to a cabal in Washington- now run by a more eloquent man- and then you will be dictated to. When has it ever been any different? Why do you think it will suddenly be different with Barack in charge?

It won't.

More "programs", more "plans", all stemming from the federal government means one thing. Americans will be told how much more money the government wants, and then you'll be told what to do. Have you ever seen anything different?

I mean, really?

I don't know when the day was when Americans collectively decided that they were unable to govern themselves and solve their own problems. Whatever day that was, it was a sad day indeed.

Our "can do" greatness has been speechified away from us. We are told about what we need. And we are told about how someone else- the federal government- is going to give it to us.

Now, if you'll simply all open your wallets...

"Yes We Can!"

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2008 Scott from Oregon, all rights reserved.
Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Last modified: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

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