I hadn't planned on writing anything today, but I feel flattered, if not humbled, regarding Clay's request. I've also come to realize that this ship has sailed. After today's election, there may not be a need any longer for The Obama White House Diaries. If true, allow me to honor Clay's request and share my parting thoughts. I'm full of mixed emotions on this election day in 2012 On the one hand, it's disheartening to come to the realization that so many Americans continue to support this president after all that's been exposed, including his troublesome upbringing, radical associations, lack of experience, narcissism, pettiness, thin skin, dishonesty, poor performance, poor judgment, poor work ethic, divisiveness and his contempt for the Constitution and rule of law. On the other hand, I find it uplifting that so many others are smart enough to recognize this man for who he is and the very real threat he poses to this nation. Like myself, they have taken the time to learn the facts. That is no small job, in part because of the enormous variety and depth of topics to be absorbed in order to get an accurate picture of this administration's agenda. And perhaps that's just too much work for some people who still support Obama. Still, there may be another more plausible explanation. The same explanation that drives the psychology of stock market - fear and greed. Think about that for a moment. If you can distill the basic underlying message coming from Obama mouth, it is that you should be afraid to live your life on your own terms, using your own initiative and resources. Fear. You should also be entitled to the assets earned by others, and when they are not enough, you should also be entitled to the future assets not yet earned by your children and grandchildren. Greed. Of course, fear and greed have a price. It's the loss of freedom. But unfortunately some of my friends have privately told me that they deliberately suppress their political views for fear of losing personal relationships or perhaps even losing their job. I also know liberals who are obsessed with the prosperity of others, never taking into consideration the work ethic, talent, skill, discipline, risk and judgment required to build that prosperity from scratch. So here's my advice. If you want to keep your freedom, then be prepared to speak up against those who would take it from you. On balance, conservatives have been less vocal and less aggressive than their liberal counterparts. That has to change. Take every opportunity to confront and challenge progressivism. Don't accept their framing of the issues and arguments. Don't accept their slander of your intelligence, education, compassion, ethics, religion, upbringing or personality. And especially today, don't accept their choice for President of the United States.  11/6/2012 14:09:42 Clay "Thank you for your time, effort and intellect that you have contributed to all of us for the past 4 years. They are all greatly appreciated and, no matter the outcome of tonight's election results, your work will be cherished by, at the very least, this reader. Take care and as Winston Churchill said, ""never, never...never give in."" CAJ" 11/6/2012 14:16:29 KK "That's a great commentary to a well fought fight." 11/6/2012 14:59:02 Craig Salvucci "In a way, I'm going to miss reading Craig's posts. But, if it goes away, it's because sanity has returned. Thanks for the reads!" |