Up, Down and Around Our Town

Labor Day is behind us, the NFL season is upon us, the Cardinal season is essentially over and they're still talking of a Cubs/White Sox World Series. Yet, when you listen to what is being said on the streets, it still doesn't add up to the buzz that the political world has served up. Perhaps there are reasons and theories and perhaps there are just speculations. Who knows?

What we do have is an intriguing ticket. Simply no argument about that at all. A Black man raised by a single mother coupled with a Senator that loves to hear himself talk. That's team one. Team two involves a bona fide war hero who spent five years in a Viet Nam POW camp coupled with a certified hockey mom that no one had ever heard of two weeks ago. Put that combination in your political pipe and fire away. It is humorous to see how some of the pundits are spinning this thing. Let's put it all in perspective.

On of the reasons that this election has garnered so much attention is not what is on the ticket, but what isn't. For the first time since the election of Grover Cleveland (sic), there are no members of either the Bush or Clinton family telling us their version of what is good or bad with this country. Say what you want, but the absence of these predictable clans makes for a possible change in perception from the voters and that is exactly what we have.

Whereas Jeb Bush probably would have thrown his hat in the ring were it not for the dismal ratings of his brother and probably Hillary Clinton would be teeing it up for the Democrats if not for the risky reputation that was dug up by her husband. So, in the gap, out came some unknowns. Joe Biden and John McCain were no unknowns, but there were known as sparring Senators. But, putting a first-term Senator from Illinois and a Governor from Alaska on the ticket suddenly made this campaign worth paying attention towards. And that appears to be the focus that we now have. And it is a very good thing.

I like John McCain's story. I admire Barack Obama's legacy. The question is what special interest group will get the most money and the most voters out to support the ticket. In many ways, McCain's voting record is more liberal than Obama's, but the spector of the two political 3rd rails - abortion and gay rights - have found new meaning in a campaign that is looking a little different. Joe Biden was tapped to give a little credibility to a lacking foreign policy experience and Sarah Palin is right out of the Religious Right's playbook on reproductive rights. So - where's the beef?

Will voters who have supported Obama get in the privacy of the voting booth and at the last minute make that choice that a Black Man cannot be President? Will some who are touting McCain make the same decision on gender and further widen the gap? These are the real decisions. The issues? They're actually pretty simple.

Unemployment is over 6%. The bailing out of those who supported the shaky home loan businesses are being saved by the Federal Government. A gallon of gas is still hovering around the $3.50 level (and we think it is a bargain) in a country with no real energy policy. Plus, there is the continuing spector of the war in Iraq. A war that canno be won, a war that will go on for the next 2000 years regardless of the American slant. All of these are draining the life out of the economy and while there are many areas showing great strength, the long-term effect is anything but rosy.

Perhaps this will be the year that the petty differences are put aside. This may be the year when the staunch liberals and conservatives will continue to suppor their party, but with an eye towards the future. One thing is for sure. We'll either end up with the first Black President or the first Female Vice-President. One more learning module that must be considered.

The stakes are as high as I have ever seen. Voters, particularly those under 30, have to get in the game. The status quo will not work. I look at this through the eyes of my children and grandchildren and realize that this one is a big one. Here's hoping that others do too. My hero deserves nothing less.

Enjoy the fall preview, the great weather, the start of the NFL season and the election. It doesn't get much better than that. Till next week, and as always, I remain....