Who are you really hurting...

Tonight in Denver Hillary Clinton gave one of the greatest speeches in support of Barack Obama that has been heard. She also refurbished her somewhat tarnished reputations as a sore loser. It was a moving speech filled with political zinger for the McCain campaign like, "no way, no how, no McCain". She challenged her supporters to answer the question, were they in this political fight for her or for what she stands for. Meanwhile, in a beautiful park in Denver on a picture perfect summer evening, a group of her supporters and passers by watched her speech on a big screen TV that was set up in an open air theater. They were for the most part unmoved. When I interviewed them they were literally hostel towards Barack Obama. Many of them said they would vote for John McCain. Their love of Hillary Clinton boarded on obsession. For them the love they feel for Hillary was not transferable. Not by a speech, not by persuasion. Hillary Clinton had become a cause bigger than herself. She was a symbol of their lives. Of their success and failures. Their anger and resentment over how they perceived she was treated during the primaries was real and unrelenting. They look at Barack Obama as less experienced and arrogant. Everyone wants to make history. If Barack had lost in the primaries do you think the reaction among his supporters would have been any different? But to vote for McCain out of spite? To cut you nose off despite your face? When there will be more than one retirement on the Supreme Court within the next 4 years. When the economy for the middle class and the less fortunate is decenter grating. When unequal pay for women is still a common occurrence. Your going to cast your vote for a man that doesn't know how many houses he has. Worst yet, in the year that we celebrate the 88th anniversary of the women's right to vote, some are considering sitting out the election. Who are you really hurting?.

What Do You Really Want?

There was a time when congress worked together. They had to to pass things like the civil rights bill or even lowering the speed limit on federal highways to 55 mph If you were a Democrat you most likely have to compromise with a Republican to get what you wanted passed. And vise-verse. Politicians gained fame by getting bills passed. Getting things done.

Today's politician believes admitting that your opponent has a better or good idea is political poison. So in the end nothing gets done even when the issues are as universal as energy independence. Compromise is the sign of the weak. Working in a bi-partisan way is to compromise on your principles. Even if credible arguments are made against your idea you can't change or evolve on an issue.

So it was no surprise that when Obama compromised on off shore drilling, in announcing his energy policy, he was attacked. Barack said if that is what had to be added to get a comprehensive energy policy focused on, alternative energy done, then so be it. (Sidebar)-Does anyone wonder why the oil companies don't drill on the tens of thousands of acres that they already hold leases on? Why do they have to drill in Santa's rain deer coral? Bastards!!)

Barack Obama has said from the beginning of his campaign that the reason that things are not getting done in Washington is because the atmosphere is so hostel. You have to disagree and be disagreeable. No compromising. My way or the highway, "I'm shaving this dog's ass you just hold its tail"... Got the last one from my father, he was pretty funny.


The Republicans in general and John McCain in particular, made fun of Barack's energy plan. Calling him a flip flopper. Mocked him by giving out free tire pressure gauges to the traveling press. They were referring to an Obama answer to a woman's question at a town hall meeting who ask what ordinary Americans can do to make a difference in lowering our dependence on foreign oil. He replied that Americans can do simple things like making sure their tires are properly inflated. The Department of Energy(that's the Bush administration), estimates that keeping tires properly inflated can help improve gas mileage by about 3.3 percent. It's one step the agency recommends to reduce fuel costs, along with removing items from the trunk, replacing clogged air filters and getting regular tuneups. By the way, the estimated savings in gas consumption if we all followed these simple steps, would be around 800,000 barrels of oil.

Off shore oil drilling, according to every expert, will take at least 7 years before they produce any oil. Then that oil produced will go on the world market not in straight into American gas tanks. Yet polls say that some 75% of Americans are for off shore drilling. So John McCain switched his position on off shore oil drilling and its the center piece of his energy plan. He wants a pump in every yard, every city, every hamlet, every valley and mountain.

Obama found himself making a political mistake by not jumping on the gas propaganda bus so he has included the ludicrous idea of getting gas from the strategic oil supply. For the most part he has been contestant on this issue. That we have to think long term in regards to energy independence. Telling people that there is really not many short term answers other than checking your tire pressure, keeping your car tuned and driving less.

If you believe that more off shore drilling is the silver bullet ending our foreign oil dependency. If you believe that building more nuclear power plants without finding out how to get rid of the toxic waste they produce. If you believe that the oil companies will be hurt and have to raise prices by sharing some of their record profits with the country that help make them rich, maybe you want a politician that tells you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.

The Right Stuff..

I was watching a program on CNN hosted by that squinting Anderson Cooper, (I know, maybe he can't help it), called "Extreme Challenges". It was an interesting discussion about the..well, extreme challenges the next president will face when he takes office. The two experts former presidential advisor David Gurgin and Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek and CNN and a bunch of good books ie; "Post World America". They discussed everything from nukes in Iran to job creation as obstacles in the way next presidents success. All the tough choices he will have to make.

Among the things that the new president must do is get the American public to understand that not only is the United States in crisis economically but in order to turn it around is going to require sacrifice. Paying $4 and up for gas. More money for food and other basics. If everyone is to receive world class health care than the services offered will have to be rationed. No you can't get 6 MRI's maybe you can only get 2 or 3 a year.

Obviously politicians can't and most won't talk about sacrifice to a Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club society that we have become. Barack Obama has hinted at the notion of sacrifice but has not expanded too much. The Americans that brought us out of the depression and fought in WWII in shared sacrifice of a national causes are retired or dead. For a politician to ask their constituents to give something up in today's America is political suicide.

With 2 wars, the financial pressure of the deficit and the rise of the rest of the world economically and the nuke inevitably in Iran means that the next president will have to be able to get the world involved with global warming and shoring up the credit markets along with making sure the war on terror does not turn out like the American war on drugs.

So the next president will have to have the "right stuff". The ability to bring much need credibility and leadership back to the US. Because, believe it or not the world wants the United States to lead on issues like global warming. The cowboy, unilateral American diplomacy of the Bush administration has meant that the world is not looking for an American leader that knows how to win wars, as John McCain has so infamously said. But a president that has the ability to listen compromise and act as a partner in the world community.

I have pointed out in past blogs that I believe that Barack Obama, given his background and upbringing, is more connected and in tuned with the world community than any other candidate in this campaign. It takes more than being a black candidate to bring out 200,000 Germans waving American flags. Given the recent closeness in the polls here in the States it proves that maybe the Europeans are ahead of the US in more than alternative energy commuter trains and smaller servings sizes.