America’s Impending Hangover: How it’s Love Affair with Obama Will Be Short-lived

As I stared in disbelief at the cheering crowds last night, I couldn’t help but think about how lost we are as a country. What was shown on television last night would lead one to believe that America is experiencing great prosperity as opposed to an ugly, looming recession on the horizon. No one was worried about the net worth of their life savings last night. What is more astounding is the blind faith so many have in one person who they believe will make America’s problems go away overnight – as if the President and federal government have solved so many problems in the past.

Change we can believe in! We are going to get change all right, but it won’t be for the better. Last night’s election was a blind vote for change coupled with a protest against George W. Bush. The country’s unfounded hatred for President Bush has caused America to cut its nose off to spite its face. We have now elected a candidate to be chief executive with less experience than most front-line managers. Barack Obama has never run anything besides a brilliant campaign well funded by Hollywood and the media with a slogan that was a sure winner. His work is non-existent in the private sector, yet we are expected to have faith in his belief in the free market. This presidential ticket has no military experience, yet we are to believe he will “use our military wisely.” His record in the state of Illinois does not amount to much – 129 “present” votes, and not a single piece of significant legislation that have improved the lives of Illinois residents. Although many in the IL General Assembly use the present vote, that vote will not be an option as Commander In Chief. These criticisms may be old news, but it’s mind-boggling how America has so much faith in a person with a resume that is almost a blank page.

Fellow conservatives whose disappointment I share, look no further than President Bush and the Republican Party for blame. I cannot remember a time where the GOP has governed so poorly – perhaps the days of Herbert Hoover. President Bush enjoyed a Republican majority for 6 of the 8 years of his Presidency. If one had been in a coma the past 8 years, they might wake and think that our national debt has shrunk greatly along with the size of government. Instead, the harsh reality is that the size of our government has more than doubled, and so has the size of our national debt. In addition, our current federal deficit is in excess of $400 billion.

The clear abandonment of conservative principles has led us to this point in time. When the GOP abandons its principles, it gives the media and the Democrats the opportunity to use party affiliation to pin blame of failed liberal policies on failed conservative principles. In other words, if it’s a Republican idea, it’s a conservative idea. We conservatives know better, but the masses don’t. Most people believe that we have been governed under conservative principles the last 8 years, and they have failed the nation. What they don’t know is that there hasn’t been a whisper of conservatism in the Bush administration. This will be one of the harshest lessons that an Obama presidency will teach the nation.

Because Republicans have failed the nation, Obama’s victory was inevitable. John McCain fought hard, but the mistakes and missed opportunities the campaign made showed that he wasn’t the right person for the job. His populist approach, his vote on the bailout and the fact he did not show up for the debates saved conservatives from having another President water down conservative principles. This is a fate worse than an Obama Presidency – America cannot afford to destroy conservative principles further.

We have been governing center-left for the past 8 years. When the American people realize this, they will see that Obama brings no change at all. One has to look no further than the Carter administration to see the results of America governed by the far left. If stagflation excites you, you may get to experience it again! My critics say I’m wrong and that he will govern from the center, but that is a pipe dream with Pelosi and Reid at the helm in Congress. The following is not governance from the center:

• Increased taxes on our biggest job providers with the proceeds distributed to those who pay little or no taxes. One has to ask if a $500 check is better than upward mobility in their career. Companies will continue to do more with less as they will be forced to cut employee overhead and continue to relocate to overseas environments that are more tax friendly.
• Expanding the role of government in healthcare. Haven’t Medicare and Medicaid done enough damage? This topic needs a separate blog, but it is an idealistic dream that the government will make healthcare affordable for people when it is the very body that has blown costs out of proportion. Not convinced? Look and see what other sectors the government is involved in (i.e. housing and education) and see how well costs are controlled.
• Over $1 trillion dollars in NEW spending. See what that does to the value of our dollar in the coming years. I balk at the fact our national debt could exceed 50% of our GDP in an Obama administration.

Government disappoints, so I ask the American people why they want more. Why do they believe one man can change government to be efficient? Why will history be wrong this time? Truth is; it won’t. If Obama governs from the far left as I predict he will, America is going to suffer from a tough 4-year hangover. Soon they will see Obama’s policies for what they are – resurrected failed policies of the New Deal and Great Society. The champaign toasts and dancing in the streets will soon give way to sheer discontentment. The cold, harsh reality of a real recession will be on the minds of Americans as they see their jobs dissipate and the value of their investments continues to shrink.

The 2006 election was about change as well. Currently congress has a lower approval rating than President Bush. Americans will soon learn the harsh lesson that congress really governs the country. If you like the way things have been going under Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid the past two years, you will no doubt be delighted with the new administration. How could Obama move the Congress in a new direction when he was one of the most partisan members of Congress? He’s never once taken a stand against his party, why would he do so as President?

In summary, to all the disappointed folks out there – don’t despair. Conservatism is not dead. Liberals make a case for conservatism just by being who they are. We are still a center-right nation. I have confidence that far left governance will make the strongest case for fiscal conservatism since 1980, and perhaps the GOP will consider a strong libertarian in 2012. Remember this election was not a vote against conservatism, but rather a vote against a President who temporarily subdued it.