Obama Railroaded To Washington

     President Elect Barack Obama has started out the first day of the inaugural celebrations by taking the train.  He is recreating the trip that President Lincoln took in 1861.  It is a 137 mile trip from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.   It is a deliberate attempt to rally the citizens of the United States.  Obama has called on the American public to rebuild this country and he called for a new declaration of independence.  He acknowledged the issues facing this country and said that we need to make a new declaration of independence not only in our country but also in our personal lives.  This day is a historic day in our nation and one that needs to be viewed as the kick off to a new beginning.

         The things that made this country great when it began can help us to regain it’s strength and pride of achievement if only we can get back to the basics and build upon those things that are the foundation of our country…namely perserverance and ideology according to President Elect Barack Obama. 

       The train stopped and picked up Sen. Joe Biden and his wife in Wilmington, Delaware with just a small misstep.  Joe tried to get on the train to greet Barack and Michelle Obama…but they were not in the caboose when he opened the door.  With a trademark self-effacing grin…he stepped back off of the train when informed that the Obama’s would step off the train to the platform for a meet and greet.  Slightly awkward…but very “real person-like” moment…not one overly rehearsed and performed like many public figure robots.

        Sen. Joe Biden also is acknowledged for his pledge to raise his boys in Wilmington, Delaware  after his first wife and daughter were killed in an accident.  He has a rich history of his dedication of riding the Amtrack train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington daily so that he could keep his commitment of raising his sons in his hometown.

     January 2oth is coming upon us.  There is excitement and hope…and an awareness of the work ahead that must be accomplished to put this country back on the right rails to greatness.

    

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DemoPublicans

        It may just be a bit presumptious to say so…but, i think that there are so many people who are dissatisfied with both the Republican and Democratic parties that we are going to see something that i tagged as a DemoPublican.  That is to say, that people’s value systems lie somewhere in the middle of these two parties that have become so out of touch with their constituents.  Alot of conversations that take a political turn tend to reflect the consensus that people are unhappy with the choices.  The reasons for that statement are varied.  Some don’t like the personality, or the past mistakes, or the perceived lack of experience…on and on.  That is not new to this particular election..that is always the case to a certain degree; people pick the person with who they consider will do the country the least amount of harm and promote the most positive changes possible.

         In this particularily historic Presidential election; people have  been trying to come to terms with issues that have plagued our country and tried to find the alignment within the party that they most closely associate themselves with.  That has become harder and harder to do with the economic reality that faces our nation; not to mention, constantly changing boundaries relating to levels of personal privacy as it has been invaded on the pretext of safeguarding our country in matters of national security.  Add into that mish-mash the polarization of voters applying personal religious belief systems towards determining which candidate to vote for.  Many people are conflicted on that issue; which candidate’s actions most closely reflect their own belief systems. 

          There are so many issues that have not even begun to be addressed by the candidates that it is a little worrisome.  Issues that demand addressing include things such as joblessness, homelessness, health care, education reform, addressing issues that impact the banking systems, transportation systems, homeland security, terrorism, how to provide and manage energy costs and concerns, etc.  These are the issues that people care about and base their votes on…not which celebrity gives them a personal endorsement or what music the candidate listens to; come on…get real and deal with the things that matter!

         Underneath those issues, runs a very heated debate about who should have been the Democratic nominee; experience or the lack of is important.  When Florida and Michigan delegate votes were discounted…this changed the course of the competition between Sen. Barack Obama.  There has been a strong battle between supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.  The split has been protracted and continues today…going into the Democratic National Convention this weekend.  Even some of the speakers have privately expressed unhappiness with the process; such as Bill Clinton, former President of the United States.  He says after the election he will speak his piece; of that, i have no doubt.  Sen. Hillary Clinton…now, I can’t even imagine how much pressure she is under.  She wanted to be in the place that Sen. Barack Obama is now standing; barring that…she, i am sure would have been happy to be his running mate…that did not happen. 

           How difficult it must be to stand up there and promote unity in the party when i am sure….that has to be the last thing she wants to do is encourage support for Mr. Obama.  Add into the drama, all of the “celebrity” endorsements that Sen. Obama is getting and it is turning into a bit of a 3 ring circus.  Today there was a report on a CNN research poll that said since picking Sen. Joe Biden… the run for the Presidency has become tied at 47% between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama…compared to percentages that showed Sen. Obama in the lead with 51%, just last month.

         Everyone has an opinion on how this will play out.  Some attempts have been made calling for unity in the Democratic party…but, there is great unhappiness still under the surface.  Those that thought Sen. Hillary Clinton should have been the front runner, then fully expected Sen. Barack Obama should give her due consideration for the position of his running mate.  When it became obvious that she was passed over; and, he chose Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate those who felt slighted have pledged to vote for Sen. Obama’s competitor Sen. John McCain. 

           The Republican party has to get out their position on the issues as well.  We dont need to see a few months of showboating by either of the candidates…we need to get down to the nitty gritty and quit wasting everyone’s time on surface nonsense.

          There is much work to do on both the Republican and the Democratic side to convince voters that the person that they choose to cast their vote for is deserving and capable.  In the meantime, DemoPublicans are going to be the deciding factor in this election…God help us all to make the correct choice, without compromising the things that are most important.

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