Thursday, October 14, 2004

No More Bad Boys for President

Watching a tape later last night of the Presidential debate (Yes, I taped it. I must be bordering on election year junkie status. Time to turn off this stuff.), the thought occurred to me that it would be a great relief to once again have a mature, fully-formed adult in the White House.

The last actualized adult who held the Presidency was George H.W. Bush. You might not have agreed with his politics, but you knew he was a focused, mature leader and a seasoned statesman with good motives. We've elected two consecutive bad boys to the highest office in our land, and they've been exhausting, childish and foolishly wasteful. Major disappointments.

Bill Clinton will eternally exist in a narcissistic teenage boy mode, forever chasing women to disprove his internal "fat high school band boy" self-image. What angers me about Mr. Clinton is the wasted potential. He is a bright, charming, open-minded natural leader who wasted his opportunities and missed Osama bin Laden. He could have achieved much more, but spent his energies on skirt-chasing.

George Bush smirks, winks, postures and struts just like the party-hardy fraternity rush chairman he was in his undergraduate years. In contrast to 4 years ago, he again has the appearance of a man who imbibes now and then. He claims to be a man of remarkable and constant faith, yet never attends church, rarely evidences familiarity with the Bible, and ignores most core Christian teachings.

Bush has trashed our nation's good reputation and name, polarized our precious nation, and frittered a huge surplus to destroy his family's bitter rival, Saddam Hussein, and to give tax breaks to his wealthy friends and supporters.

It's time we stopped voting for bad boys. They may look like fun to hang with at a barbecue. They may provide the airwaves with memorable soundbites and colorful moments. But rebellious bad boys usually make unfaithful husbands, prodigal sons, horrible students and unreliable employees.

And failed leaders. I voted to put an adult back in the White House. Please consider doing the same.


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