Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Fear, Anxiety, and Anticipation

By Alan Caruba

I will watch the next and last presidential debate, but only reluctantly. It is the job of pundits to keep informed, but I have been suffering from an overload of information about Barack Obama since before he was elected and all of it suggested he would do a lot of damage before he left office.
The fact is we are all stuck with him through January 20, 2013 when—and if—Mitt Romney takes the oath of office. One can only ponder how much more damage Obama could do between November 7, the day after the election and then?
And, of course, one hopes the election results will not end up with the kind of situation that occurred when Bush defeated Gore, but not until the Supreme Court ruled. I keep seeing signs and indications that it may not be a close election insofar that significant numbers of Democrats—many of whom may be out of work or know someone who is—will vote for Romney.
It’s the waiting that is weighing on my mind and spirit. The first debate lifted my spirit and that of many others, but the second has been deemed a tie of sorts. For me it was just a cascade of more lies from Obama who is so crazy he actually believes what he is saying or so sly he doesn’t care.
There is a school of thought that Obama really doesn’t want a second term and the more I watch him, I am leaning toward that theory. I know he is raising money, appearing on late night talk shows, giving speeches in key swing states, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t just doing it to avoid the stigma of throwing the presidency away in favor of a life less rigorous.
One former White House aide to both Clinton and Obama has said Obama “doesn’t like people.” That is an odd trait for a politician, but not odd when you consider that he rather absently referred to the killings of our Benghazi diplomats as “bumps in the road.” It astounds me that liberals keep saying he loves the common people, but he surely does not comport himself like one of them.
It is, of course, the waiting that is beginning to wear on my nerves. Just about the only thing my fellow pundit-friends are writing about these days are analyses and jeremiads concerning Obama’s lies and lack of qualifications, failed policies, and such. Listening to the chattering class on Fox and other news channels is an endless dissection of polling data, most of which seems to be dubious at best, wrong at worst.
I confess that, having voted since the age of 21, starting with John F. Kennedy in 1960, I have never feared so much for the future of the nation, dependent on the election of a candidate. And I was a Democrat right up to Reagan’s campaign and have voted Republican ever since. My late Mother, a Democrat her entire life, changed her registration status after Clinton’s first term in office. She was in her 90s by then, but better late than never.
Put simply, another Obama presidency for four years terrifies me. He doesn’t like America.

That may sound simplistic, but no other President heaped so much publi debt on the books. From Washington through Bush43, Obama has managed to add more debt than all of his predecessors combined.
Beyond our shores, an America that stood strong against the former Soviet Union for over 45 years until it collapsed has a President who reassures the present leaders in the Kremlin that he can be “more flexible” if and when he’s reelected. I don’t like the sound of that, do you?
All positions of power attract a legion of sycophants and, in our system of government, supporters who seek access to that power—often through “bundling” campaign funds—or who have just concluded they like him.
It remains a mystery to me that the polls show how closely divided the nation is between Obama’s supporters and detractors. I doubt it has ever been this divided since just before the Civil War.
And that is what worries me the most. It’s those people who just don’t hear his lies or even know he’s lying.
It’s the mainstream media that has always been liberal, but which now sees its job as protecting Obama against the truth that everyone can see on countless outlets for information, including of course Fox News that often seems fair and unbalanced given the liberal puppets that spout more lies.
I am compelled to do what every republic expects. I am compelled to wait on the will of the people as expressed through the electoral system. It makes me anxious. It makes me fearful.
© Alan Caruba, 2012

12 comments:

Longstreet said...

I share your anxiety, Alan. If I could grab America by the shoulders, I'd give her a good shake and demand that she get a grip and actually LOOK at what has happened to our country and what is BOUND to happen if we return Mr. Obama to the Oval Office.

The last time this country was split this bad ... it cost the lives of 700,000 Americans ... and the scars are still tender 151 years later.

Let us not go there again.

May God, once again, save this undeserving land.

J. D. Longstreet

Lime Lite said...

Alan, the debate did nothing to convince people that Obama had a plan. The opposite in fact as any substance on his 'policies' was lacking, and that's hopefully what the Independents will see and remember. Just because he strung a few sentences together and spoke loudly this time didn't make him any more believable to non-committed voters. All it did was make the true-blue Dems and the MSM excited that he actually showed up this time. They'd already decided he was the winner before the debate. They had to. All anyone is talking about today though is how a supposed unbiased media moderator crossed a line to protect a candidate. She has managed to show just how biased the media really is. She also brought to the front the exact talking point Obama has been trying to hide - Benghazi. Romney needs to hammer his lying hide to the mast at the next debate and bring up how he's bowed in apology all across the globe; ask what he meant when he said to the Russians he'd be more 'flexible'; how he's treated Israel; how he's backed every radical Muslim Brotherhood outfit, but refused to help the Iranian people when they cried out for help; how the ME is a mess after his interference, etc. Romney has a lot of material to hammer him with and I think Romney will do a great job, as once again, Obama has nothing to say in his defense.

TexasFred said...

I am pretty confident that Obama will be defeated, I have to wonder what kind of act of Congress it will take to remove him and his wife from OUR House...

There is one other thing I am quite confident of; no matter how the election goes, the Black communities will erupt in violence, if he wins it will be because they fell empowered and protected, if he loses it will be because they feel Obama was cheated and beat by racists...

I am terribly serious in this!

Unknown said...

First, your illustrations add up to 12.8 trillion dollars but our debt is supposed to be over 16 trillion.
Second, so many things add up to make us fear what this man can, and probably will, do if given 4 more years make a lot of people feel the same way as you do, Alan. I have never seen so many people (those that don't like him) so intent he be limited to one term. Third, if Romney wins life will become a bit boring without Barak to complain about. I can go for that.

Dave's Daily Day Dream said...

You are right (come d'habitude).
It is the waiting that is getting to me, too. Observing the media lying and obfuscating any facts that come to fore, I want to just grab a media pundit and scream "why can't you demand an answer to these simple questions?"

jason said...

Alan - Some medicine to help alleviate your anxiety:

http://www.campusreform.org/blog/?ID=4435

Harry Dale Huffman said...

The immediate signs are now that Romney is pulling away from Obama (51% to 45% nationwide, in a Gallup poll, before the 2nd debate, which I believe will come to be seen as another Romney win, judging by the change in a group of undecideds presented on Fox news), and I believe that can only mean that Obama's lying has finally caught up to him in the minds of a majority of the voters. His rabid supporters, including the mainstream media, of course are in full denial mode, and therefore lying even to themselves, and causing the likes of you and me anxiety as they resolutely spout their lies to the public.

I believe it is too late for Obama to make up the ground he has lost (especially as he continues to refuse to tell the truth about the Benghazi attacks), and Romney will beat Obama by about 55% to 45%, perhaps more. No guarantees, but that is what I will be looking to see, just how badly Romney beats Obama. It is important for the health of the nation that a solid majority see the truth about Obama, and decisively remove him from office.

sdkar said...

From my observations, there are essentially two basic obama voters. Those of the same skin color and liberals/greens/progressives/socialists.

Those that will vote for obama will do so no matter what they see or hear about him. Anything bad will be viewed as racism and lies and anything good will be a lie exagerrated as truth.

obama could shoot the pope twice, kick a puppy, double the current debt, eat a baby, burn the Constitution on live TV while wearing a ballerina tutu, divorce moochelle, and announce he is gay and will marry a kangaroo, and his committed fans will still vote for him. They are willfully blind. To them, obama can do no wrong and his word is gospel.

Even if Romney wins, can America survive being as divided as we are? Can this be done without another civil war taking place?

If America was less divided before 1860 and civil war still broke out, what will happen in our near future?

Will riots break out after the election? What will the 47% do if their hero is fired from his job? I have heard of the threats of riots from many of obama's fans, but is this a majority view and do they really mean it? Can they even start a war?

For a group of people that claim to be tolerant, loving and caring, and believe in so called peaceful protest, they certainly have proven themselves to be very hateful and violent. The only thing I can say is thankfully, many of them do not believe in the 2nd amendment and do not own guns.

So, can America survive with such a divided population? obama loves to compare himself to Lincoln and I can only wonder if he would see another civil war as his opportunity to SAVE THE UNION and go down in the history books as teh ONE that saved America.

All I can do is hope that we have an honest election and Romney wins. Most of all, I hope that after the election, obama does nothing stupid before Romney is to be sworn in.

Another concern I have is with all of the Executive Orders obama has enacted. He has set things up that if someone in his position wanted to abuse his power, could make a decent go at it under the guise of having to remain in power in order to save America. I do hope I am simply being paranoid.
These are things that go through my mind that until just a few years ago, I would never have thought of. Thoughts that only a short time ago, I would have only thought possible from a person who was a raving conspiracy theory lunatic.

Luckily, I have faith in our soldiers and LEO's that even if obama tries to pull a fast one, he will not be successful. obama knows this and is why his only chance to remain in power is to run the dirtiest campaign ever and if he can get away with it, stuff the ballot boxes and revive dead voters and multi-voters as much as he and his team can.

I will consign myself to simply be happy if the day comes that I get to see obama ride off into the sunset this January, and be rid of once and for all. Only then, will I rest easy and once again, remain confident that America will survive. We will deal with the 47% once we dethrone their king. Hopefully, they will come around and join in the prosperity that is sure to come if Romney takes the reigns. Not that he is perfect, but we will deal with him once we get him in office. Until then, I remain cautious but hopeful.

Unknown said...

Excellent as always Alan you have described my feeling as well. All we can do is wait and pray. God help us all should Obama win.

Oz said...

I've considered early voting followed by a voluntary coma either medical or alcoholic (and I don't drink) just so I don't have to deal with the waiting.

Alan Caruba said...

Thanks to all of you for your comments. I value your feedback!

Ronbo said...

@Alan:

You know my long standing prediction of civil war regardless of who wins in November, as the Right will not accept Obama as president, and the Left will not accept Romney as president.

This is a rerun of American history 1860/61 in a general way - and if Romney gets elected he'd better be prepared to play Lincoln.