Sunday, February 10, 2008

How Texas Can Do Some Primary Penance

When I moved to Dallas two years ago, one of my reservations stemmed from the fact that Texas was Bush country. How could I live and work among the fine, proud Texans who had helped unleash the Decider upon the world?

But over the course of time, I noticed that my new neighbors were less and less proud of their association with Mein President. I began to see a hushing of the voice, a bowing of the head, when conversation turned to all things Dubya.

But a sense of vindication I did not feel. No, it was no fun to have been right about the contrived, illegal debacle going on overseas. Not when impeachment would prove to be "off the table". Not when Al Gore would sooner remove his own molars with a Swiss Army knife than run for office again. And not even now, when we've got a year left for George history-will judge-me Bush to push his agenda past a paraplegic Congress.

There is but one thing Texas can do to take responsibility for its part in this mess. That's to help elect someone who will get us out of it. I'm not just talking about ending the war. No newly elected POTUS is going to use his go-go-Gadget arm to yank every troop home by year's end. But it would be nice to elect the candidate who spoke out against this war from the start. As opposed to, say, someone who voted for it.

It would be nice for the Lone Star State to support the lone Democratic candidate who does not employ federal lobbyists or take money from special interests, who has released his tax returns to the public and made his earmark funding requests transparent.

It would behoove the now-penitent home state of G-Dub to bestow its votes upon Senator Barack Obama, who will begin to make up for our current President with his verbal acuity alone. Not to mention his respect for the Constitution, which all but hangs in tatters after eight years of misuse. Or shall we say disuse.

You and I haven't the time to recount the myriad abuses of the Bush years. But we do have time, between now and March 4th, to grab those bootstraps and pull Texas' good name out of the mud. Let's put those
Bush Wasn't Born In Texas bumper stickers to good use and elect his worst nightmare. That, friends and neighbors, is the stuff of our American dreams.

2 comments:

razor7 said...

Texas doesn't need to do Penance, FLA and Ohio do they put Bush in office both times.

The DNC alienated FLA, which voted Hillary and Ohio probably won't do Barack any favors either.

esther said...

Hey Raz, sorry I have been majorly sick and out of the loop. I'm back though!

Well, let's hear it for Ohio then! I don't know, the tide has turned. C'mon, you feel it don't you?

After 10 in a row, momentum ACTUALLY counts, seeing as Superdelegates are jumping ship from HRC.