Campaign '08

Baby Mama? You have got to be kidding me, right? I'm not going to say what prestigious institutes this woman can claim as her Alma mater. The point that was so clear to me is that it is only June, and this the early stage of the campaign. It will only get worse. It's not that I feel sympathy for Obama, because this comes with the territory. It's due to his past affiliations that makes him an easier target, contrary to popular belief which says that a middle age White man is easier. No, it's easier to target him without controversy, which is also screwed up.

When I saw this headline, my initial thought was that this country is full of damn hypocrites. So someone tell me which is the greater evil: a man rules a country with an iron fist and discourages his opposition by murdering those that threaten his reign, or a country of people, who when faced by credible opposition, rather than clarify their points of view find ways to discredit and demean the opponent until he/she quits or becomes overwhelmed by popular opinion. If that was too long of a sentence for you: Saddam at any point in his life or the US Government in 2003. I'm not just talking out the side of my face either. Working for a retailer in a time of slow economic growth and growing up in Mississippi, I've learned a little about politics the old fashion way.

You have a worker, who is not performing to the standards that you deem essential, but they are performing. You have an outsider who may or may not be better. You begin to enforce rules that you've never enforced in an attempt to catch your employee messing up. Next, you give that employee task you would never ask anyone else to do. If that person is hourly, you cut back on hours. If salary, increase them. Somewhere that person will quit. That's siege and surrender.

I've heard that the greatness of the United States is that anyone can be a rags to riches story; to that I say if this country is so great, why are there people in rags? The opposition may point to the fact that some are lazy and others can't realize their actual potential. This may be the truth, but alas sometimes the easy way is the best option. Sometimes it is far better to take 9 to 5 at the lumber yard with no insurance when you are more than capable of obtaining an engineering degree.

Here's a better illustration of my point for those who may not understand. Take the Boston Marathon; each year contest participate in this run. There are those that know they can't win but will still run. There are others that believe they are unbeatable. Everyone has his/her opportunity to win; this is America. Not quite. Imagine another group of contestants similar to the first, put them 10 miles away from the start line with no directions to reach the starting line much less the finish. Instruct them that they must cross first to be winner but the race started an hour ago. Would you run?

I can't be mad at those that use tactics to discourage others; it's the nature of competition. For me to say that I've NEVER tried to attack someone in the name of winning would be an utter lie. Who concedes before anything is decided when he/she feels that no one else is better?

Hell, I can say that internally I've hated on a person when I knew I wasn't the best. That sickness of envy is contagious. I do my best to overcome it when I'm coming down with another spell. I'm glad there are those that tell me when I've went too far with envy. How many people at Fox News can say the same?