11/9/08
Like most people I want to be right. Right about my personal choices. Right abut my politics. Right about everything. Some people are obsessed about being right, especially in relationships.
For at least the last 25 years my politics have been to the right and, living in Northern California, that means I almost always vote differently than most others. And, when people do vote to the right in California they are usually voting as a reaction to something else, and I am not necessarily in line with them about those items. One example is California term limits which I thought was too strict and would have negative unintended consequences. Unfortunately I was right.
Sometimes people appear to be right about something, but it is not for the reason they state. I always say I would rather be lucky than good. One example of this is Bill Clinton. He made a lot of bad choices at the beginning of his presidency (raising taxes and health care) and was going nowhere. The economy wasn't growing much if at all. The stock market was in the doldrums. Most individuals were very unhappy with Bill, Hillary and their proposed takeover of the American health care system. Then the Republicans took control of the House and Senate, and the stock market started strengthening. Also, PC's were becoming more prevalent and real efficiency gains were starting to be seen from them that positively affected the economy. Also, in Clinton's second term, the dotcom bubble started and international trade started booming. Both of these really drove the economy up. In all of these positive events (at least they were positive in Clinton's presidency) there is little that Clinton had to do with but he could crow about how his policies early in his presidency (like raising taxes ~ which was really a strain on the economy) was creating all the prosperity being seen. I have always called him "Lucky Bill".
This brings me to our new President Obama. I was against him for may reasons. He has no real executive experience, except for shaking down banks for money to fund the loans now part of or subprime mess. He was wrong about Iraq. He has not real understanding of international events - he speaks very naively. He will probably stop work on the US Mexico border fence which has proved to be successful. He will want to give illegals drivers licenses. He will try to kill off nuclear energy and offshore oil drilling - our only real short term hopes for energy relief.
He wants to tax, tax, tax. And don't believe that it is only the rich he will tax.
But the fact remains that he is very popular internationally and has charisma ~ these are worth a lot. And, I would rather have a lucky president than not.
So, I wish Obama good luck. He and us need it. No matter where you live.
