The Problems With Barack Obama

The long, drawn-out Democratic nomination process is (hopefully) over. Barack Obama limped across the line in what will be remembered as the ultimate war of attrition and the campaign that put American politics firmly in the gutter. Although Hillary hasn't yet conceded, Obama is playing it as if he's the nominee and now it's time to decipher what exactly it means.

America by and large is a right-of-center leaning nation and always has been. Yes, we've had liberals hold the highest office such as FDR, JFK and LBJ but they were social liberals, not national defense liberals. Plus, they had all earned their position through experience with Roosevelt running a state, JFK serving in the military and Senate and LBJ living a lifetime of rough and tumble Texas and national politics.

The only time we ventured into the realm of electing a social and national defense liberal was when we elected Jimmy Carter in 1976. It worked out so poorly that we got rid of the peanut farmer from Plains, GA as soon as the opportunity presented itself. I'm not sure if it was the inflation, fuel prices, feeling of hopelessness, his brother Billy, him saying he'd consult on grave issues with his young daughter, the resurgence of the Soviet Union, the cow tailing to the Iranians while they held our citizens for 444 days or a mixture of all of the above but we weren't exactly happy about it and voted Reagan in with huge numbers.

Now we are on the verge of electing a man so liberal he makes Carter look like Lee Atwater.

Due to the length of the campaign and Obama's dearth of actual ideas, he has promised everything to everyone and all the promises will cost us. He's promised to end NAFTA, retreat from Iraq, talk with America's enemies with no preconditions, institute nationalized health care, shut down Gitmo, sign Kyoto or some other hair-brained derivative and myriad other detrimental things. He'll have a compliant Congress that will never have the guts to go against the first (real) black president and a minority party that will lack even the ability to override a veto.

In the next four years, we will have the following incidents to deal with: A reinvigorated Russia, a rapidly militarizing China, Iranian plans for Mideast dominance, failing Social Security, the resurgence of terrorism against US interests and Arab agression against Israel. That's just the knowns, the unknowns (think 9/11) will be just as troublesome. Can we really trust that a man with no military experience and a penchant for stumbling when quick thinking is required in such circumstances?

Yes, he's a novelty. Yes, he's the first minority presidential candidate. Yes, he's young and some would say attractive but Ahmadinejad and Kim John in NoKo are licking their lips in anticipation.

Suppose Iran invades Iraq or North Korea makes moves on South Korea, will Obama have the guts to act quickly and decisively? I'm sorry, I have serious doubts that he'll take the right actions, or worse, take the exact wrong actions.

While I don't agree with John McCain on some issues--illegal immigration being one--he's a proven leader and has shown that he's willing to make the tough decision when needed. I have no confidence that Obama will do the same and we can't afford this man in a very dangerous world.