Lemons

Americans seem to have a special talent for picking lemons when it comes to whom they vote for President. The last election was especially troubling when America decided to vote in George W. Bush for another term. There seems to be a consensus among pundits and pollsters that Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States of America. I, like everyone else, admire his communication skills and ability to inspire, but I am less convinced about his honesty, voting record as a Senator, friends, and so on... As usual, right after the election there will be the fanfare, dancing in the streets and a new hope for the future of the country. No doubt, Barack Obama will get up and make lofty speeches that will continue to seduce Americans and for a few minutes they will feel good again. I like Senator McCain and think he was a better candidate because, quite frankly, he's a better man. He proved it in Vietnam and proved it again when he defied his own party, time after time. He doesn't have the orator skills Obama possesses and his health/age is also a concern, but as a POW he showed an ability to look death in the eye and didn't back down. Those character traits are going to be more useful in the next four years than getting behind a podium and making flowery speeches. No doubt, McCain says dumb stuff, but so did Ronald Reagan (don't get me started on George Bush.) There is a honesty there that I feel the other candidate lacks. When McCain said America might be fighting a war in Iraq for the next 100 years, he was being brutally honest, albeit ill-advised to mention it in a campaign. I'm no fan of the war and never was, but the fact of the matter is America is there now and they better finish it properly. As usual, America picks the wrong guy.