"The most significant threat to our national security is our debt," Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, August 27, 2010


Monday, December 5, 2011

The Great Pretender

 As we have infrequently pointed out, most everything we learned we learned by the age of seventeen through the lyrics of the wisdom of the music of the day.  Well, okay, with a little help from Mom and Dad and the family and the weird neighbors and the rest of the “community” with which we had encounters and discoveries.  Which brings us to today’s topic.

What a remarkable contrast.  A community organizer and a businessman.
One embraces self improvement through work and accomplishment.
One seeks improvement through the work and accomplishment of others.
One attends local schools and an all black college.
One attends private schools and the pinnacle University of the Eastern Progressive Movement.
One creates jobs. 
One chides others to create jobs and so heavily burdens the process that the opposite occurs.
One reads speeches written by others from a mechanical device.
One speaks from his heart; his mind; his gut.
One makes many mistakes which are overlooked.
One makes a few mistakes which are over blown.
One writes a book of meandering thought and is claimed a genius.
One writes a book chronicling hard work and basic beliefs and is called an opportunist.

One serves as an apprentice to the most corrupt set of politicians in the country.

The other seizes his playful opportunities with flirtatious antics in the private sector.
One pits one class/group/segment of American against another group/segment.
One says it’s time to lighten up a bit.  (Aside: Which one would you rather have a beer with?)
One signs legislation containing thousands of unread/ununderstood legalese.
One says the road to recovery is as simple as nine (9)/nine (9)/nine (9).
One has no list of accomplishments but receives global awards and recognitions.
One has tended to every basic responsibility in life and, like the rest of us, discovers that some good deeds do go unheralded.
One displaced the assumed to be standard bearer of the largest political party in the country.
One is closing in on displacing the assumed to be standard bearer of the second largest political party in the country. (Yes, we know, it is way too early to even suggest this outcome but we’re having a hard time embracing the pretty boy at the top or the chunky fellow who has been around just a tad too long.)

One thinks everyone should pay at least something to fund the public purse.
One thinks many should pay nothing but be major recipients of the public purse.

What is wrong with those who conclude that the one is better than the other?  What set of measurement standards could possibly conclude that one deserves the job and the other is a pretender?  Of the several contrasts described above we are left pondering these questions: 
Which one deserves the job?
Which one earned the job?
Which one is the pretender?
So, what to make of all this?  Well, here’s what we make of it.  Back to our youth when the lessons were fundamental.  Listen to this wonderful song by clicking on



We humbly suggest that one of the candidates adopt this song for his coming reelection campaign.

In the meantime, Herman can take some comfort from the lyrics of this old favorite:




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