The Sarah Palin Aftermath...

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I continue to be amazed at the continued spin about Sarah Palin and her "15 minutes of fame" as the Republican VP nominee. I agree with many of the pundits who say that while Palin initially gave McCain a post convention "uptick", in the end I think she cost him many independent votes he needed with her obvious lack of intellect, international knowledge and abuse of the English language. It is not at all about her sex or class...but to think she was the smartest, brightest of Republican candidates McCain could call on as his VP is a scary proposition to me and I think called into question his judgment to lead the federal government.

Dick Cavett put it best in his column this week...

November 14, 2008, 10:00 pm
By Dick Cavett
The Wild Wordsmith of Wasilla

Electronic devices dislike me. There is never a day when something isn’t ailing. Three out of these five implements — answering machine, fax machine, printer, phone and electric can-opener — all dropped dead on me in the past few days.

Now something has gone wrong with all three television sets. They will only get Sarah Palin.

I can play a kind of Alaskan roulette. Any random channel clicked on by the remote brings up that eager face, with its continuing assaults on the English Lang.

There she is with Larry and Matt and just about everyone else but Dr. Phil (so far). If she is not yet on “Judge Judy,” I suspect it can’t be for lack of trying.

What have we done to deserve this, this media blitz that the astute Andrea Mitchell has labeled “The Victory Tour”?

I suppose it will be recorded as among political history’s ironies that Palin was brought in to help John McCain. I can’t blame feminists who might draw amusement from the fact that a woman managed to both cripple the male she was supposed to help while gleaning an almost Elvis-sized following for herself. Mac loses, Sarah wins big-time was the gist of headlines.

I feel a little sorry for John. He aimed low and missed.

What will ambitious politicos learn from this? That frayed syntax, bungled grammar and run-on sentences that ramble on long after thought has given out completely are a candidate’s valuable traits?

And how much more of all that lies in our future if God points her to those open-a-crack doors she refers to? The ones she resolves to splinter and bulldoze her way through upon glimpsing the opportunities, revealed from on high.

What on earth are our underpaid teachers, laboring in the vineyards of education, supposed to tell students about the following sentence, committed by the serial syntax-killer from Wasilla High and gleaned by my colleague Maureen Dowd for preservation for those who ask, “How was it she talked?”

My concern has been the atrocities there in Darfur and the relevance to me with that issue as we spoke about Africa and some of the countries there that were kind of the people succumbing to the dictators and the corruption of some collapsed governments on the continent, the relevance was Alaska’s investment in Darfur with some of our permanent fund dollars.

And, she concluded, “never, ever did I talk about, well, gee, is it a country or a continent, I just don’t know about this issue.”

It’s admittedly a rare gift to produce a paragraph in which whole clumps of words could be removed without noticeably affecting the sense, if any.

(A cynic might wonder if Wasilla High School’s English and geography departments are draped in black.)

(How many contradictory and lying answers about The Empress’s New Clothes have you collected? I’ve got, so far, only four. Your additional ones welcome.)

Matt Lauer asked her about her daughter’s pregnancy and what went into the decision about how to handle it. Her “answer” did not contain the words “daughter,” “pregnancy,” “what to do about it” or, in fact, any two consecutive words related to Lauer’s query.

I saw this as a brief clip, so I don’t know whether Lauer recovered sufficiently to follow up, or could only sit there, covered in disbelief. If it happens again, Matt, I bequeath you what I heard myself say once to an elusive guest who stiffed me that way: “Were you able to hear any part of my question?”

At the risk of offending, well, you, for example, I worry about just what it is her hollering fans see in her that makes her the ideal choice to deal with the world’s problems: collapsed economies, global warming, hostile enemies and our current and far-flung twin battlefronts, either of which may prove to be the world’s second “30 Years’ War.”

Has there been a poll to see if the Sarah-ites are numbered among that baffling 26 percent of our population who, despite everything, still maintain that President George has done a heckuva job?

A woman in one of Palin’s crowds praised her for being “a mom like me … who thinks the way I do” and added, for ill measure, “That’s what I want in the White House.” Fine, but in what capacity?

Do this lady’s like-minded folk wonder how, say, Jefferson, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, et al (add your own favorites) managed so well without being soccer moms? Without being whizzes in the kitchen, whipping up moose soufflés? Without executing and wounding wolves from the air and without promoting that sad, threadbare hoax — sexual abstinence — as the answer to the sizzling loins of the young?

(In passing, has anyone observed that hunting animals with high-powered guns could only be defined as sport if both sides were equally armed?)

I’d love to hear what you think has caused such an alarming number of our fellow Americans to fall into the Sarah Swoon.

Could the willingness to crown one who seems to have no first language have anything to do with the oft-lamented fact that we seem to be alone among nations in having made the word “intellectual” an insult? (And yet…and yet…we did elect Obama. Surely not despite his brains.)

Sorry about all of the foregoing, as if you didn’t get enough of the lady every day in every medium but smoke signals.

I do not wish her ill. But I also don’t wish us ill. I hope she continues to find happiness in Alaska.

May I confess that upon first seeing her, I liked her looks? With the sound off, she presents a not uncomely frontal appearance.

But now, as the Brits say, “I’ll be glad to see the back of her.”
**********

IF the USA and China Work Together...

We MIGHT have a chance to turn around the ever increasing pollution and global climate changes that are bringing disease and destruction to the world's masses...IF the USA and China could only work together on the problem.

There was a very interesting article in October's "Foreign Affairs" magazine by Richard Holbrooke, former US Ambassador to the United Nations, on "The Next President" in which he compares the issues and positions between then candidates Obama and McCain. Since then the American people have voted and elected their new President, which to me tweaked the relevance of this overview of issues that face our next President-elect.

While it is obvious that many imperatives face the new leader of the free world, I continue to focus and believe in highly prioritizing development of renewable energy sources and getting our system weened off of fossil fuel addictions which are making our whole population sick and in addition making historical enemies of freedom and democracy hugely rich through the transfer of wealth from our productive system to their iconoclastic, Islamic system which holds almost monopolistic control over much of the world's energy supplies. I truly think...and hope...that President-elect Obama understands the danger of this dependency and will do something about it. The lack of action on this has been my greatest disappointment with modern Republican leadership in the USA. For the sake of their future relevancy, I hope the Republicans quickly get on the right side of some of these fundamental issues our country is facing. We can't afford to have our collective heads in the sands of ignorance any longer.

Though the article gives a reasonable overview to the myriad of issues confronting our leadership, I couldn't help but focus on the energy part and the lights really went on regarding the potential, and responsibility, that the USA and China have on solving this major crisis together. The following quotes bear repeating in support of my theme:

Obama has a far more comprehensive plan, with an ambitious goal for emissions reduction, a market-based mechanism that has broad support among economists on the left and the right, and substantially greater investments than McCain's plan in technologies that will help achieve these goals. McCain stresses removing environmental restraints on domestic and offshore drilling. This is hardly a serious long-term solution to anything; even if major new fields were found, they would have no effect on supply for at least a decade, and they would do nothing for climate change or conservation.

The search for effective energy and climate-change policies will require a national consensus on the seriousness of the situation and an action plan entailing compromises and sacrifices on everyone's part, sacrifices normally associated with war -- all without undermining economic growth. As a cautionary tale, it is worth recalling President Jimmy Carter's fervent but unsuccessful attempt to rally the nation in a prime-time televised speech in April 1977. Wearing a much-mocked cardigan sweater, he said that his energy-independence project would be the "moral equivalent of war." When someone pointed out that the initials of that phrase spelled "meow," the press had a field day, ignoring the substance of Carter's proposals. A true national debate was deferred for 30 years. One of Ronald Reagan's first acts as president was to remove from the White House roof the solar panels Carter had had installed.

The twin challenges of energy dependence and climate change offer an opportunity for a breakthrough between the two most important nations in the world today, which also happen to be the world's top two polluters. Together, China and the United States produce almost 50 percent of the world's carbon emissions. In the last year, China has passed the United States as the world's largest polluter. In 2007, two-thirds of the worldwide growth in global greenhouse gas emissions came from China, according to the Netherlands Environmental Association, which estimates that China now emits 14percent more climate-warming gases than the United States does. On a per capita basis, however, it is still not even close -- as every Chinese points out. The United States produces 19.4 tons of carbon dioxide per person per year; China (5.1 tons) trails not only the United States but also Russia (11.8 tons) and the countries of Western Europe (8.6 tons). India checks in at only 1.8 tons per capita.

The effort to produce a new international climate-change treaty to supplant the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, is getting nowhere fast. A new agreement is supposed to be finished and ready to be signed in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. Do not count on it. With neither China nor the United States playing a leading role in the negotiations, many members of Congress are warning that there is no greater possibility of Senate ratification for the Copenhagen agreement next year than there was for the Kyoto Protocol in the 1990s (in other words, none) -- unless at least Brazil, China, India, and Indonesia agree to limits on their carbon emissions. And without China and the United States, the value of the treaty, although still real, would be limited.

Here is a seemingly insoluble Catch-22: the major emerging economies will not agree to any treaty containing meaningful limits on their emissions, and the U.S. Senate will not ratify an agreement that does not include them. There is, however, another approach that should be considered, without abandoning the Copenhagen process: multiple agreements in which various combinations of nations address specific parts of the larger problem. In such a collection of agreements, there would be a greater opportunity for genuine U.S.-Chinese cooperation. In particular, the two nations could reach bilateral agreements for joint projects on energy-saving, climate-change-friendly technology. The mutually beneficial goal would be an increase in energy efficiency and a reduction in carbon emissions in both countries. (Japan, the world's most efficient energy consumer -- and an indispensable ally of the United States -- could participate in such arrangements; it has much to teach both nations, and it already has bilateral technology-exchange agreements with China.) From carbon capture to clean coal to solar and wind energy, there is vast untapped potential in joint projects and technology sharing -- but no institutionalized U.S.-Chinese framework to encourage them.

I hope "we the people" will get active and encourage our government leaders to pursue agreements with China and other large and powerful nations to cooperate in development of cleaner and cheaper renewable energy sources. It is too big of a problem for any one country to get a grip on alone. In particular, with the current global downsizing of the economy and consumerism, this joint effort could provide jobs and income far surpassing those lost in the current downsizing of manufacturing/consumer based industries in both countries.

This could be the moment to take advantage of current cultural swings and ratify more trade and joint ventures towards these global macro issues instead of just bailing out antiquated, curve-lagging industries in both countries who have missed the mark on planning for current market needs. Let the next multi-millionaires come from renewable energy IPOs instead of “happy go lucky” oil drillers. And I also continue to hold the belief that countries that do business together, stay together. The more powerful nations become connected in business and trade, the less likely they will make war on each other and will defend each other's interests. Based on our global conflicts with Muslim extremists and other dictatorships that would rather see democracy and free trade destroyed, it would be a very prudent time for the USA to have a growing partnership with China...arguably the NEXT superpower of the globe both economically and otherwise.

Immortal Music...

Last night after arriving home late, I was scanning the endless range of cable stations for something to "lull" me to sleep. Suddenly on EWTN, the Catholic religious network that I have to say I normally avoid, was this huge sounding symphony of Beethoven's "Misa Solemnis" which I had listened to decades ago but suddenly found myself newly enthralled at this masterpiece of musical genius. Having my musician's background and experience in producing musical groups and writing music to a certain extent, I just can't imagine the genius of Beethoven who intertwined so many layers of music and voice into this long expression of passion and spirituality. Here was the Bavarian Chorus and Symphony of a couple hundred musicians and a tremendously talented "Quartet" of singers, performing this huge composition so perfectly together that it brought tears to my eyes.

I couldn't find the same version I saw last night on TV as performed by the Bavarian Radio Choral and Symphony so I will look to buy the DVD somewhere online. I did find Bernstein's series of recordings of this mass on YouTube and share one of the video links above at the head of this blog. It isn’t as quality of a recording or perfectly balanced performance as I witnessed last night, but it still gives a pretty good illustration of what I am expressing today.

Even though this “Misa”...Latin for “Mass”… is written and performed in Latin...the universal passion and combinations of moods created by clashing dissonances, eerie harmonies, heavy percussion, varied tempos, and amazing control over so many artists to produce the lightest solo line to the heaviest combinations of all instruments and vocalists giving 100% simultaneously. Once can't help but make some life comparisons to this symphonic symbol of genius ideas and creativity.

To hear the wonderful quartet parts in this symphony is to marvel at the combined individual talents, singing in counterpoints yet all in beautiful harmonies and controlled tones, ending up on the same chord eventually bar after bar, staff after staff...is a testament to individual talents/styles that when combined in a common direction of the symphony make total sense and complete productive effect. World collective efforts could use some of this process in advancing the human race in the many causes we share.

Beethoven's melodies are lilting and lifting, whether sung with lyric or simply tones played superbly by one of the symphony instrumentalists. To think Beethoven wrote this masterpiece in his later stages in life when completely deaf is another testament to man's ability to overcome adversity to express his innermost passions and ideas. These are the true miracles we observe in life where one excels even in the midst of their most trying times. There is something in the human spirit that challenges us to overcome our failures and difficulties...to make the self immortal even in our physical mortality. For those of us who have learned music, to master an instrument, or to simply understand the disciplines of composing such musical ideas...this is an experience that I think knows no other comparison. To have these hundreds of great talents both in the chorus, symphony and quartet tied together by a great Director to perform the genius creations of a composer who lived 200 years ago is a truly astonishing feat and again, symbolic of how our world could function together if we all were free to develop our talents and intelligence anywhere near our capacities.

Personally, I think our world could use more exposure to these fine arts and expressions of achievements in harmony and cohesive ideas...that could be replicated in all other aspects of our lives...from politics to religion to corporate productivity. Music is truly the universal language and how sad to me that the world is much more focused on sports and wars both real and economic than on "making beautiful music together". I am newly challenged to expose as many people in my own little world to the "symphonic world". Whether young or old, rich or poor...with a little understanding, experience and an open mind...I think anyone could understand the power and potential of these artistic expressions. At least I am currently optimistic of this possibility during times of great pessimism.

New Technologies...Hope for the Future

In the midst of all the world's bad economic and environmental news, I have been looking for "good news" lately to get me up in the morning with a better, more positive perspective for the future. I am happy to report that if we look for it, there are many new discoveries and technologies that will over time bring significant improvements to life for MILLIONS of humanity. Let's look at just three varied ideas and or businesses that can have significant impact when fully developed and marketed.

New Solar energy technologies show great hope for bringing cheaper and cleaner energy sources to the masses. Wired News brings a report of advances in "Solar Ring" technology which can make ice in the middle of the desert from simple solar energy. The solar ice maker is an attractive technology. Clean, portable and relatively cheap, solar ice makers could make the storage of high-value perishable items a reality in hot, poor regions. Refrigeration technology throughout the world is one of the biggest "polluters" of our globe. The emissions from Freon and combustible engines that run most refrigeration trucks and buildings is tremendously hard on the global environment. Like so many things in life, the technologies we rely on to help us survive heat and cool our drinks and living space also contribute tremendously to the cancers and other diseases our environment brings us. This new technology alone can significantly help offset the costs to our health and pocketbooks when we demand cold carbonated drinks and frosty living environments in tropical climates.

I also loved the next story on Wired about the "rental goats" being used to clear unwanted vegetation from fire-prone slopes and polluted landfills...without the use of harmful chemicals or lawnmowers. They even consume and digest certain waste products like paper trash. We see these same affects on our development project here in Panama on Lake Gatun. We have a few head of cattle and horses who keep almost 100 acres of open tropical grassy land mowed down to a very traversable level even at the height of rainy season. They provide natures best fertilizer all self contained on the property. I love observing God's natural order in motion to solve some of the simplest problems modern day man encounters. I'm thinking about buying into a herd of goats now since their milk and cheese products are apparently very high in nutrients and protein needed for a healthy human diet. Thank God Noah put a couple of these creatures on the Ark.

Finally, I loved the idea of the "Inflatable House" that can provide temporary shelter during a catastrophe. This mini inflatable world provides a bed, couch, freeze-dried food, a 50 gallon water bladder, a first-aid kit, radio and a cook stove. A fully livable "home" for less than $3,900! This was another American business idea and I can think of many applications for this genius creation. I'm sure it is a much cheaper and more humane solution than has been previously implemented during disasters such as Katrina and the various increasing devastation we are seeing caused by global weather changes.

So today I am encouraged and motivated by seeing progress on so many fronts in meeting our global challenges of clean and inexpensive energy creation, and humane and ingenious solutions for easing the human condition on planet earth. May all who push these envelopes be successful, rich, and encouraged to keep on their paths of intelligent living.

Obama’s Biggest Challenge…Who He is Going To Listen To

In the aftermath of President-elect Barack Obama's election win, the euphoria has quickly moved into all kinds of speculations over who will be in his inner circle, which he will choose to be at the helms of many crucial government posts. While we know the new President will have a daunting task finding solutions to the significant crisis of the economy, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and potential boiling over of Middle East conflicts...my greatest fear is how he will handle some of the extreme Liberals in his own party who currently lead Congress. Specifically, I hope he can control/bridle Nancy Pelosi, George Miller and Charley Rangel. Let's look at each of these individuals as examples of Democratic Liberals to understand why we should be concerned.

Nancy Pelosi...as speaker of the House of Representative, is next in line after the Vice President of the USA to ascend the Presidency should the President and Vice President be incapacitated. This makes her the most power politician outside of the executive office. She also is the first woman in history to attain that position. While her power and advancements are commendable in that modern day America now allows minorities from women to blacks to rise to these levels of power and responsibility without the historical bigotry and prejudice that previously precluded them, I still have to wonder why and how THIS woman rose to this level over many other potential leaders. She is from one of the most extreme liberal districts in the country in the San Francisco area. She first attained office by being named by the dying representative in 1987. She then narrowly won her first election in a runoff...and has now been in office over 22 years...my definition of a lifelong politician.

My observations of Pelosi are that she is ultra liberal and for those 22 years has voted WITH her party 98.3% of the time...which to me points to a total lack of individuality or centrist capability. Everything I have read or seen on the news shows her as the most partisan Speaker of the House in my lifetime. While the media and pundits have been heaping all the blame of our country's economic woes and deficits on President Bush and the executive office, in reality it is CONGRESS that controls the purse strings of our federal government. How is it that they can duck a considerable amount of the blame for federal deficits, debt and lack of oversight on government bureaucracies? In my mind they are no less guilty than Bush and his cronies on economic issues. All I saw them do during the recent panic of Wall Street was show up as "Democrats United" with their "deer in the headlights" image, and fingers pointing at the Republicans on this matter. They then simply proposed the infamous $700 BILLION bailout of Wall Street with your and my tax dollars. How will Obama deal with this issue?

George Miller...is like Pelosi's twin brother, also from California. He is another long term representative since 1975 from that same region. He is hard core LEFT of left! He is labors biggest "pro-union" congressman which to me equates him with going socialistic with USA industry in a day and age when we are losing competitively to much of the rest of the globe in labor and business. My fear is that in teaming up with Pelosi and others, they will think with Obama in the White House that they have an open mandate for taking the liberal pendulum to another dimension Left than we already are. That would do nothing for my personal beliefs in smaller, constitutional based government along with a requirement for a balanced federal budget. It also in my opinion would further destroy the US business economy in the long run.

Charlie Rangel...is the other lifelong politician in the culprit category. While he has been one of the minority leaders in the federal government to push for equality and diversity in America, he also is one of the most liberal of the Democrats. In addition, he is now chairman of the House and Ways and Means Committee, which means he presides over approvals of the federal government budgets. If you want to watch what our government does with your tax dollars, this is the committee...and chairman...you want to watch over. His committee can thumbs up or down most any federal government program or incentive. Problem is, he has recently been under a lot of pressure over profiting from subsidized rent programs in New York on properties he shouldn't have anything to do with. While he had the power to get those charges put to rest apparently, I have never liked the guy’s politics or his personal ethics. Why we have a guy going on his 80s in this powerful position in our government is a very interesting question. He is in a position to be a big pain if Obama and other government leaders want to go centrist or moderate in their approach to our nation’s problems. He strikes me as the dealmaker who is always going to be asking “what’s in this for me?”

It’s going to be very interesting after January 20th how much we see these three Democratic leaders interacting with President Obama. I hope for all our sakes that Obama will be able to reason and bring these people some balance in their thinking...and pursue the non-partisan politics he has advocated. Problem is...if he does that...I think he is going to have a battle with these three Democratic leaders in congress. Let's wait and see.

Dance...Dedicated to Overcoming Adversity

My friend Ruth sent this video to me today and I couldn't help but be inspired and affected by it.

We all have been through ups and downs in life and experienced adversity from time to time. Every person reacts differently it seems when faced with adversity or hardship. Some of us get depressed, some angry, and it is easy to be cynical or embittered by circumstances that cause us stress or discomfort. This dance of the one legged man yells out to me the beauty and triumph possible if one chooses to overcome adversity and excel no matter what circumstances confront us.

I talked to a young man last night who is 38 years old though he looks younger. He has all his faculties, reasonably good looks and a likeable personality. We had a pretty deep heart to heart conversation through which I found out he already had 3 failed marriages, was jobless and living at home with his mother. He could not get a clear vision of what he wanted to do in his life and was only focused on what could possibly make him the most money most quickly. When I asked him what he WANTED to do or what he has passion for...he couldn't really answer the question. This to me was the saddest point in the conversation. I wanted to share with him some of my interests/passions since I sometimes feel I have too many of them to pursue in this short lifetime. But, I have found you cannot impart passion in other people...they either have it/develop it, or they don't...and they often have a long list of "reasons" why they are helpless or victims.

As I ponder this subject, I can't help but think on what I know of President-elect Obama. Here is a young guy, not that much older than my friend last night, who overcame a background of being born to a mixed race couple in a time where it was a real stigma, grew up largely fatherless because of his parent's divorce and abandonment by his father, and from what we are to gather he did not grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Somehow, and I'm sure he had help along the way, he made it through Harvard Law School, was the first black editor of the "Harvard Law Review" as a highly unlikely candidate. I have only read overviews of his recent published books about his life experiences, but from what I have read it seems he struggled much with his identity regarding race and religion, his early exposure to multi-cultural living also presented many paradoxes to deal with I'm sure. He even did his share apparently of experimenting with drugs and partying without letting it take control of his life like so many do…going through some very low moments. Yet, somehow in a relatively short lifetime, he aspired to and accomplished becoming the first black President of the United States. Can you spell O-V-E-R-A-C-H-I-E-V-E-R?

Another recent example to me closer to home is my dear Aunt Nan. As recounted on another blog I wrote, she recently lost her partner of almost 60 years after a long bout with cancer and is in the midst of adjusting back to a more solitary life. If that wasn't enough challenge to deal with, just a couple weeks after my Uncle’s passing she became sick in the middle of the night and on her way to the bathroom passed out. She fell and broke one leg in two places and her kneecap on her other leg along with contusions to her head. They rushed her to the hospital and had to do almost immediate surgery on her broken leg which will require a long period of recovery. She spent well over a week after the hospital in a convalescent/recovery center with large amounts of painful daily therapy to get her walking again. She is now at home confined to a wheelchair and a long road to get back on her feet again. I talked to her the day after surgery and again today and through it all it is amazing how she retains her positive, hearty view on life. I know she's getting good family support, but I think the average person would have quite a bit of "poor me" syndrome during this combination of events. When you talk to my aunt, you only get the idea that she is looking forward, not backwards, and taking each day at a time as an overcomer.

As I consider these three examples of people today combined with viewing the one legged dance video, it reminds me that I have no excuse for not succeeding or achieving my dreams. I have many more advantages over the people mentioned above when it comes to background, experience, and even age. As I approach another birthday this next month I am reminded that the ticking clock waits for no one. How we think and act during every moment of our life determines what we will or won't achieve. Sure, some things in life are based on luck, but a majority is based on "pluck". As Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect".

So to summarize today's lesson my friends, the way to overcome adversity is to:

Look to the future, not the past.

You have to have a dream, goal or objective in order to steer your life in a positive direction.

We can't limit ourselves to our circumstances or accept barriers, whether interior or exterior, to reach our life objectives.

I'll encourage you if you encourage me. But...I will not wait for your encouragement.

So...how will YOU use today? Let’s dance!

President Obama...and What To Expect

I start writing this blog the day BEFORE election day. I think most of us already know, along with the pundits and pollsters, who the 44th President of the United States is going to be. Now that the hoopla of the campaign is winding down and we have to deal with reality...we might as well start looking at the pros and cons in anticipation of this daunting new day in American presidential politics.

As I have stated in earlier blogs, I did not vote for either of the two leading candidates. I voted my conscience and stand by that vote with the idea that until individual Americans start truly voting their consciences...or even developing one...they will always have the government they deserve. Still, I am the eternal optimist and here are some "positives" that I will try to look for and support in this current new American administration.

Personally I would have preferred a mature Colin Powell as the first minority leader of the free world. Yet, I cannot help but be a bit proud of our country that we have finally voted for a minority as our leader and that we had two significant political women strongly considered in this year's race in both main parties. America is truly a "melting pot" which has too long been controlled politically by a white male elite. Wealth from whatever race or nationality carries with it significant responsibilities, but for too long our political system has not evenly represented the varied demographics of our huge and changing population. By electing President Obama, I optimistically hope that his example of rising to the top against all odds serves as an encouragement to all minorities in our country that they too can have a voice and compete to be heard at the highest realms of public office and discourse. Hopefully a large number of young black boys looking for role models will now think and aspire to goals larger than just being the next multi million dollar sports star or "rapper". We have given too much credence and importance to high profile sports stars and entertainers in our society and not enough adulation or respect to business and political leaders who come from disadvantaged minority backgrounds.

Anyone reading this who thinks that everyone in America has had equal opportunity all these years no matter what their race, gender or religion has been deluding themselves. I have seen the ugly face of racism many times in my life, and I truly hope that President Obama serves with intelligence, balance and effectiveness...for ALL Americans. I hope he lives up to his self hype of working with any reasonable leaders from all walks of life and all over the world to solve our many conflicts. I hope he CAN bring peace instead or war. I hope he CAN bring hope to financial markets and relief to the financially devastated. I hope he CAN reach across the political aisle and start some new processes in Washington that will bring progress and renewed positive energy to America at large. It is a tall order...and I hope to God he and his leadership around him will be up to the task of leading the USA away from its current abyss of decline.

Some have compared Obama's rise to preeminence to that of President John F. Kennedy. This comparison has been perpetuated further by the outspoken support Obama has received from JFK's survivors, especially Ted Kennedy and the former President's daughter, Caroline. To this day, JFK was the only Catholic elected as President and was the youngest ever to acheive the Presidency. Actually, I think JFK had significant advantages over Barack Obama. JFK had a powerful political family behind him in name and deed. He also had served much longer as a congressman than Barack Obama has. So, one could argue that Obama is the least experienced, freshest political face to ever enter the office. One has to wonder still how the current Republican leadership could lose this election...but reality is here.

While trying to be optimistic, I have some concerns. I think it highly evident that the economic woes in America and the Republican's lack of a cohesive, detailed plan to correct what has NOT happened the last eight years they were in office is what handed the office to the Democratic candidate. We now have to watch what the new President and his Democratic party with so much control over our combined government entities now will act on to turn our economics around. If they only take care of the "little guy", bail out the failures at the expense of the successful, and turn our whole country into some watered down experiment of "neo-socialism"...I think it will spell calamity for the long term health of our country and you will see capital spill OUT of the USA as fast as you can "whistle Dixie". The only chance America has for recooping its wealth and positive role as a democracy and mecca for free enterprise is to make itself more competitive for investment coming IN...better/fairer tax laws that compete with where capital could potentially flow out...and start REDUCING entitlements and government handouts we can no longer afford, and yes, substantial cost cutting at the federal government level. I will be all ears in hearing how this new administration will pay for its long promised "universal healthcare plan" and re-organizing the huge bad debts of both the citizens and the government at large. I am hoping that now this President will be able to plan and speak honestly about some of the "tough medicine" that will be required to make our country better.

I will also be watching who President Obama chooses to surround himself with in cabinet and other appointments. He needs balance and maturity in many areas where his experience and background lacks. Those key positions will determine if he can execute a viable plan for bringing America out of its current economic straights and successfully "handle" the many conflicts handed to him by our current leaders. Obama's most crucial actions may be about how he handles our "enemies" and how self sufficient he grows our economy and gets us over our addiction to foreign oil and other aid. Yes, we are getting huge financial "aid" from countries that have not traditionally supported or shared our values. You have to wonder about their motivations when you see that happening.

A couple faces I hope to see surrounding Obama are Warren Buffet for economics and Colin Powell for foreign affairs and policy. I hope he attracts some moderate Republicans that can help him stay fair and focused for ALL Americans. Republicans like Robert Kagan, a leading neoconservative and co-founder of the Project for the New American Century...and Republican moderate Chuck Hagel who just retired from the senate...should help him keep as centrist as possible on the political spectrum in representing as broad of interests as possible.

The real role of the President of the United States is to be an example and reflection of its people...both domestically and to the world at large. To that end, I do hope President Obama improves the image of intellect and depth the world wants to see in our leader. This man was elected in my opinion because he appealed to a broader spectrum of Americans, talked about the issues more than his opponents, and represented an image of hope and change that his competition seemed only able to mimic. I hope he continues with a positive message of change, propogated by balanced legislative actions based on realistic financial budgets. We didn't get into our present difficulties over night...and I think any rational person would agree we won't get out of our troubles overnight either. If this new administration simply starts the ball rolling the other direction...this President could end up as one of the greatest of all time. While I didn't vote for him, I truly wish him that success. For ALL our sakes...