the Centrist

The USS New York City – made entirely from scraps of the Twin Towers

My favorite philosophers once judged his society with this statement: ‘Weep not that our society is decadent, weep that it is paltry” (S. Kierkegaard). And over 100 years later, that is as apt a description of our society as it was of 19th century Europe. If the presidential debate proved anything, it proved we have lost, as comedian Mike Myers might say, our ‘mojo’.
I had researched and was prepared to write an article about ACORN, not the nut, the nuts. According to columnist Michelle Malkin: “If you don’t know what ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is all about, you better bone up … This left-wing group takes in 40 percent of its revenues from American taxpayers … some of which have been implicated in perpetuating illegal immigration and encouraging voter fraud. But, I digress, more on ACORN in my next article. On Friday evening Marilyn and I were the guest of close friends for dinner. One of those friends had just recovered from serious surgery and although he is not 100% physically, he is as sharp and confrontational as ever. It was an ideal night; there I was with seven of our closest friends ready to do battle for my candidate. The meal and ambiance were exquisite, the fellowship unparallel, and the people diverse. Marilyn and I looked forward to the fervor after the debate almost as much as the evening itself (okay, not Marilyn but surely I). You could say we were evenly divided, moderates, liberals, and conservatives. It looked to be a lively environment for heated discussion, and nothing has ever been more entertaining to this Italian American that a good hardy emotional debate.
The issues in front of the candidates were as important as any in my lifetime. The topics demanded the candidates be inspiring and animated. But I think it must have been a leftist plot, I swear somebody put thorazine in their water. About 45 minutes into the debate, everybody but one, and he sleeping in front of the television, had left the debate to discuss other things. Sorry folks, to this opinionated political junky that debate was simply boring.

How could we be in the middle of this massive economic meltdown, fighting two foreign wars, and in an energy crisis, and neither candidate show a sign of passion? Were I present I would have rushed the stage with defibrillation paddles to revive both of them.

How could we be in the middle of this massive economic meltdown, fighting two foreign wars, and in an energy crisis, and neither candidate show a sign of passion? Were I present I would have rushed the stage with defibrillation paddles to revive both of them.
Where was the rage over the fact that sub-prime mortgages, and the repackaging of them, were created by the very folks that claim they can fix this problem (Congress)? Rather than politicians pointing their finger at capitalism, why not admit it was their brand of socialism that enabled the subprime fiasco? Moreover, why was the only solution, until McCain enable the House Republicans, yet another burden on burdening the taxpayer? Most of us pay our mortgage, taxes, and bills on time. Have we ever had a ‘bailout’ when times got tough? Yet we must dig into our pockets and spend our taxes so that those with houses to rich for their budgets and the robber barons may escape with golden parachutes. Why should we the people have to be punished for their failed policies?
Where was their outcry that inflation has been caused by the increase in oil prices, when this nation holds more oil reserves than any nation in the world? Why couldn’t either candidate connect the dots between increased oil and food prices, with the inability for many to pay their mortgages? What happened to energy independence by the ‘drill here and drill now’ practical solution, while we continue to develop alternative sources?

Where was their indignation that we stand by while the Chicoms put a man in space (with American technology gifted them via the Clinton Administration – Laurel commerce deal) and threaten the order of the world with their Russian, Venezuelan, and Middle East comrades, while they hold America for ransom by the unpatrolled lending they have been ‘granted’ by our leadership? Why do we think it is a ‘good idea’ that China is ‘allowed’ to drill less than 100 miles off the Florida coast or Russia claiming all of the oil under the North Pole, without attention to environmental standards, while our Congress forbids America oil exploration within 100 miles of our shores? I would have hoped that the debate could have been raised to at least the level of ‘righteous indignation’ since the southern states are now suffering the greatest fuel shortage since the Carter Administration. Still, no outrage by either candidate, even though Congress has tied America’s hands allowing them only to ‘drill where the oil isn’t’, in order to appease the environmentalists.

Where was the inquiry that while all we hear from the left is the tired rhetoric that Republicans had ‘their chance’ with a Republican Congress (with the slim one vote majority in the Senate)? Yet these same Democrats refuse to pass their bailout venture into socialism, without the cover a measly 100 Republicans in the House, even though they have complete control of both Houses. Is it because they are afraid to go back to ‘main street’ and campaign without the juvenile cover of ‘the Republicans voted for it too”? Perhaps it is because the bailout package, before the Republicans in the House forced a compromise, according to several media outlets including Fox News, contained a clause to give 20% of the eventual payback to radical groups such as ACORN.

To look at the debate highlight clips one might get the impression that it was actually contentious, but I maintain it was ‘paltry’. Try as he may, not even commentator Jim Lehrer, who handled this even handedly and professionally, could get them to do anything but droll on and on. The result was that even political junkies like me, simply tuned out, and wondered, are these the two best candidates America could produce?