Okay, McCain and Palin aren't in the White House, and Democrats control the Congress.
3... 4...
President Obama gets 30 death threats a day, but you'd never know it by his public composure, and fearless acceptance of the enormous mess he inherited from the former regime.
5... 6...
The Establishment is quite heavy. Inertia is real. People are often irrational, fearful of change, and/or automatically opposed to anything their perceived enemies suggest. The right wingers are unhinged. They do not trust our President, and they fear that his rightful, peaceful, legitimate election is a signal that their world is coming to an end. The good thing about inertia is that it can work to our advantage once the hard work of getting things moving is done.
7...
The "public option" is not quite "single payer", but it's a move in the right direction. Corporate influence on our government is unfortunate, and unhealthy for democracy, but strong, nevertheless. We may have to hold our noses and deal with the devil in the short term to get what we want and need in the long run.
8... 9... 10...
America is a work in progress, with all the bugs and quandaries inherent in any feat of engineering, art, or politics. As a nation, we are still toddlers by comparison to others, and our experiment needs tweaking and reevaluation from time to time. Though it may be difficult for some to accept, what worked for the good of society in 1800 does not necessarily apply in the 21st century. But then, in 1800, and for most of the following 200 years, some Americans were not counted as full citizens, and equality was a concept reserved for the elite and powerful. Tradition fades slowly, and dies hard.
If our founding principles mean anything; if those who claim to protect and defend our Constitution are sincere; if our flag stands for something more than spilled blood, then reason and good must eventually prevail. To withstand the passing storm of hysteria, hyperbole, misinformation, malice, and deception, I must maintain faith in the basic decency of the American people, and the persistent ability of the next generation to right the wrongs of its fathers and mothers. While it seems impossible, at times, to penetrate ignorance and obstinance with mere truth, I have to believe that truth will eventually win. Otherwise, all is lost, and there is no point in carrying on.
Though I've been disappointed by some of his decisions and appointments, I still believe our President is doing the best he can, given the circumstances he's working under. No, he's not like those other guys on the 'dollar bills', and that's part of the reason I voted for him. I must not forget that desperate and ruthless people oppose him precisely because his election is a new benchmark in American history, and for no other rational reason.
Ex... hale...
Okay.