On Conversations with an American

A vendor I work with from time to time is from one of the blood red states of the west. I think Idaho or maybe Wyoming. Anyway we recently had a little email exchange, she knows I am a dyed to wool leftist pinko commie.

From: Sherri
Sent: October-14-08 12:58 PM
To: Michael
Subject: US Political Race

Hi Michael,
Hope things are well. Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?
With things heating up and just 3 weeks to go before Americans head to the polls...I was curious to know your thoughts on the whole race and the 2 candidates!
Sherri

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From: Michael
Sent: October 14, 2008 1:21 PM
To: Sherri
Subject: RE: US Political Race

One of my wife's co-workers is an Ex-pat from Tennessee. He was going to vote for Clinton before the primaries, but just confided to someone else that he voted for McCain in the advance poll because McCain's a white guy.

(That other person repeated that conversation to my wife.)

Here is what McCain has going for him:

1. He's white
2. He's probably got more of the K street lobby behind him than George Walker Bush
3. He is willing to put politics before nation every time, a-la Sarah Palin.
4. His foreign policy is not incompetent, it is not dangerous, it is dangerously incompetent!
5. He isn't an economist (he said that himself)
6. He is prone to moments of anger and spews venom that could kill a moose faster than his running mate.

There aren't two candidates, there is one candidate and a scary old guy who came in, what last? or second to last? in his class at Annapolis. (Sorry but I want the most powerful person in the world to have an intellect and curiosity, not make sudden brash decisions based on hairs on the back of their neck or whatever else.) Is it too much to ask that POTUS be inspiring and commanding, while intelligent? Both Roosevelt's had it, Truman had it, Ike lacked the inspiring part but at least he had the command and intellect down, Kennedy did it, I didn't much like him but Regan gave the appearance of doing it, even Clinton in a pinch could pull it off. McCain, could have but something happened around 2006, he took the low road, I hope enough people see that in 21 days.

Michael

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From: Sherri
Sent: November-12-08 3:51 PM
To: Michael
Subject: RE: US Political Race

Hi Michael,

So I assume you are celebrating Obama's victory?

Sherri

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From: Michael
Sent: November 13, 2008 9:54 AM
To: Sherri
Subject: RE: US Political Race

To my way of thinking this isn't just President Elect Obama's victory, nor is it a victory for just liberals or Democrats. It is a victory not just for all American's but for all people, everywhere. The World needs a strong vibrant United States open to new ideas and new people. (That is what made the country great in the 20'th century that is what will allow her to achieve new heights this century.) The alternative is something between what happened to Great Britain after World War Two or worse, Rome in 410 CE.

Clichéd? Yes, but there's a lot of truth in clichés.

Michael