It's About The Issues, Stupid

Way back in the not so distant past it was: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Today it’s not about anything. At least that’s what our great mass media system tells us. The only thing that matters is who is ahead in the horse race. I don’t care who is ahead at this point. I do care about who is coming in last, because it’s the American people and American democracy. I want to vote for a candidate who is outraged by what has happened to America. I want to vote for a candidate who is outraged that our Constitution is being shredded. I can’t find that candidate.

Bruce Jacobs over at alias Bruce has an excellent post that expresses some of what I feel about the wimpiness of our possible presidential wannabe’s. I especially like what he wrote about Barack Obama:

Nor am I an Obamamaniac. Who is this guy, anyway? All we really know is that he is a former real-life Chicago community organizer (yes, we like that) who orates like a champ but whose actual policy ideas have wilted in direct proportion to his ascension through the political filtration system known as campaign finance (no, we don't like that. At all.). Where is his principled willingness to declare the practical necessity to immediately bring American troops home from Iraq and to craft the only realistic security solution for that devastated country: a truly international peacekeeping force in which the United States and our oil- and power-hungry interests are not in charge? (Remove the U.S. from leadership of the Iraq "security" project, and watch the incentives for insurgence dissipate and our formerly recalcitrant industrial allies sit up straight and listen to an American president.) Where is Obama's readiness to call for true, comprehensive government-backed universal health care in the face of the insurance lobby? Where is Obama on the need to hold the predatory mortgage industry accountable instead of hedging (as he has) with whimpers about the culpability of homeowners? Where is he on effective (as opposed to easily sold) public policy on drug addiction and related crime? Where is he on the catastrophically bloated military budget, besides supporting it?

The entire post is very good. It is called Hello, Hillary? So pop on over and give Bruce a visit. I’m sure he won’t mind.