Donald K. Allen for President

Top of the Week

July 21, 2008

   On July 18 Fox News interviewed T. Boone Pickens regarding his energy plan.  Fox asked Mr. Pickens whom he was supporting in this Presidential election, and he said, “McCain.”  When asked why, he replied, “Because I’m a Republican.”  Now here is a very intelligent, very successful American, and the only reason he could use to justify his vote is that he is a loyal party supporter.  Not that McCain has a better economic plan, or energy plan, or plan to end the Iraq war, but simply, “Because I’m a Republican.” 

Throughout America people know who they are going to vote for even if they don’t know that person’s name.  They are voting party.  Ask them what it means to be a Democrat, and they’ll probably not be able to give you a sound example.  They may say, “Because I’m liberal,” but won’t be able to define that term.  Does it mean they like to spend money?  Does it mean they like to be taxed a lot?  Does it mean they care about poor people?  Then there are the Republicans.  What does that mean?  “I’m conservative?”  You mean you save money?  You dress differently – no loud clothes?

You might think that Americans are going to be electing the next President of the United States of America.  You’re wrong.  A 19th Century Russian will decide who will be next in the White House.  Ivan Pavlov discovered the phenomenon of classical or respondent conditioning over a century ago, and his studies have not been lost on our national media.  You will hear the names “Obama” and “McCain” at a ration of 3:2 or 2:1, respectively, every day from now until Nov. 4.  Many, many Americans will step into the booth and vote in those ratios on Election Day.  Many others will just vote for their party’s candidate, like Mr. Pickens, without any clear knowledge of what their candidate will truly do when in power.  Like picking a captain for your ship without ever seeing him sail one, but hearing his stories in a pub.  There are mighty Rocks and Shoals ahead, Matey.  Ready the lifeboats!

Senator Obama is in Iraq and Afghanistan seeing firsthand the situation on the ground in those battle zones.  Now that the leaders of Iraq are calling for a timetable for withdrawal, it is good to think that this may be the beginning of the end of our involvement there.  Our government, however, should not set the dates.  This timetable should be determined by our military leaders, Iraq’s military leaders, and their government.  They are intimately involved in the day-to-day realities of the dangers inherent in the recovery and rebuilding of that nation, and our politicians thousands of miles away are essentially clueless.  When politicians run a war, we lose more troops.  Let the professionals determine how we will extract from Iraq, and when we can do so while leaving the Iraqis in a good measure of safety.  The sooner, the better.  We need to relieve the pressure on our military forces overall and focus them more on the situation in Afghanistan in their battle against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. 

I met people in New Orleans this weekend who are very disappointed in their government.  They are angry that things are moving so slowly in rebuilding the city and homes that were devastated by Hurricane Katrina Aug. 29, 2005.  People with homeowners insurance may be getting by, but there are many things lost in a disaster like this that insurance doesn’t cover.  Then there are the people who didn’t have insurance.  Does the rest of the Nation have an obligation to help them rebuild?  Why not, if Congress is sending billions overseas to build and rebuild in countries that really don’t like the USA?  If the people of New Orleans think things are going slow, what about the People of New York?  The World Trade Center was destroyed Nov. 11, 2001, and it has not been rebuilt.  What’s going on here?  Does Congress have its priorities backward?  Do you believe things will change with another company man in the White House?  Isn’t it time for truly new leadership?  If you are an independent voter, this is the election year you need to vote your conscience and vote independent.

But no matter how bad things may seem, we are still living in the country with the greatest hope for the future and with people who can make our future bright and prosperous for us all.  God does still bless America.