Change we can believe in!

Yes we can!

Hope!

The chorus of support for Barack Obama, becoming more and more ridiculous and widespread over the past few weeks, sounds great. Who isn't against any of the 3 slogans above? But before Americans choose someone they want to be the leader of the free world, we must ask ourselves: what does he really mean?

I believe the support for Barack Obama is a religious, faith-based delusion. Somehow, a junior senator from Illinois is going to magically fix every problem this country has. Somehow, his mere presence will cause terrorists and foreign dictators to bow down to us and apologize, offering olive branches instead of bullets.

The problem with support for Obama is that it is not based in any logical thought process. When asked to name a legislative achievement by Barack by Chris Matthews, one of his campaign staffers couldn't! If a staffer can't, how can the millions who shout "yes we can" more fervently than terrorists shout "Allahu akbar"?

I was recently discussing this with a friend who supports Obama, and I expressed my doubts of his electability when I explained that liberalism is very unpopular in America. He says to me, "Liberalism isn't running though. Change is." So I asked him to define that change. He begins rattling off the typical clauses of universal health care, ending the war, re-initiating "diplomacy", and expanding social security/welfare. Then I proceeded to ask, "how is that not liberalism again?" Barack has voted with his party on 97% of votes in the Senate. That is higher than most of the Senate Democrats. The idea that he has (or will) "reach across the aisle" is unfounded. If you want someone who will work both parties, vote for John McCain, who has actually written major legislation with ranking Democrats such as Russ Feingold and Ted Kennedy.

Obama supporters can't be turned from him through logical argument because there is no logical explanation for their support. Somehow, Barack found himself on the crest of a movement, and his campaign has wisely decided to play along. He has no legislative success or any experience whatsoever to speak of. He is a liberal, but is very well-spoken and articulate and careful to avoid this. (In fact, he stated his opposition to being termed a "liberal" recently.) It is because he knows that through his words, he can fool voters into thinking he is a man of the people, when he really is just another liberal Democrat politician trying to install socialism on this country.

Will Barack win? I cannot say. He may still not even get the nomination. But his entire campaign and candidacy are completely delusional, and so are the majority of his supporters. Hope and change are not reasons to elect someone; issues are. And when it comes down to the general election, hopefully McCain can expose Obama for the uber-liberal and socialist he truly is. It will not be easy to overcome the image, but it can be done.