If you read yesterday’s entry and my comments about CNN’s Lou Dobbs you may think I dislike him or disrespect him, but that is not the case. I respect Lou Dobbs for being a man who is not afraid to state his opinions, and in this country, a country that stands for freedom of speech and freedom of the press, I stand behind his right to do so, and respect his intelligence and eloquence . However I also have a right to my opinions, and agree with very little of what he says. I often respond to Dobbs’ broadcast tirades quite vehemently despite the fact that I know he can’t hear me. My wife hears me though, and she just shakes her head and smiles. After over twenty years of marriage, she’s accustomed to my frequent television outbursts, and I know for her, they are still a source of amusement.
Lou Dobbs insists he is an independent, but what does that really mean? Being an Independent must mean more than perpetual negativity or it ends up being an exercise in futility.
He is extremely critical of George W. Bush, and that’s an easy call. Bush is arguably one of the worst Presidents in modern times, as well as a President whose legacy will be as the President who has sold out this country to his special interest millionaire and billionaire friends, regardless of the literal and sociological costs to the American people.
Dobbs is also very critical of Congress as a whole. However if an individual legislator shares his view on the issue of illegal immigrants, one of Dobbs’ pet peeves, he or she is sure to be spoken of very highly and will probably end up being a guest on the program. Again, being critical of Congress is a no-brainer, if for no other reason, than the fact that if there is anything bi-partisan about Congress, it’s that they agree to disagree and accomplish very little. Sometimes the stalemate is the result of heated and intelligent debate, but more often than not, it is the result of political posturing which derives from the need and desire to continue their political careers. Even more damaging to our nation, is how our lawmakers act out their dramatic stranglehold on America, as they cater to special interest lobbyists, who seem to collectively have more power than those we’ve elected, and are historically the true puppet masters of the United States.
Finally, he takes great pleasure in lambasting our two presumptive nominees for President, and it is here I take issue with Dobbs. Whether we like it or not, we are stuck with the two choices the Two Party system has given us, and that’s it. We have to make a choice between them, because when it comes to voting for President, voting Independent literally means flushing your vote down the toilet. Sure, there is a certain statement to be made by voting Nader, voting Green, voting Libertarian, or voting for any declared Independent candidate, but in reality, you may as well stay home, and save the gas you’ll waste driving your SUV to the polls, because in the end, your vote will mean absolutely nothing.
It’s easy for Dobbs to berate every move, statement, position and political maneuvering Obama and McCain make, but that is the nature of the beast, partially created by the very media of which he is a part. And unless he can come up with an workable idea better than the political system that has evolved since the likes of Washington, Jefferson, Adams and Madison created it for us, then we must work within it if we have any hope of progressing. I agree that we must be aware of the negatives both candidates present, but there comes a time, and we’re just a little more than 3 months away, when we must make the most intelligent choice we possibly can. I am not asking Lou Dobbs to endorse a candidate as that would be counter-productive to the interests and format of his show. I would only ask him to find some positive in someone, and to maybe use those positives to point his viewers in the direction of whatever candidate he sees as someone who can do more good than harm as the next President of the United States. And if there is someone Dobbs feels is more qualified to be one of the two primary presidential candidates for a future race, first convince them to run, stand behind that man or woman, and use the incredible power the medium of television gives him, to help create a grassroots movement for the election in 2012.
As far as this election goes though, this humble blog entry is posted as a plea to the American people, to go to the polls in November and vote for either the Republican or Democratic candidate for President, because we are truly at a crossroads that will shape the history of this country through this century and beyond. And please do not jump on Lou Dobb’s Independent bandwagon, not now, and not for the office of President, because every vote is important, and a vote to merely make a statement of displeasure or as a declaration as an Independent is a wasted vote which this country cannot afford.
William S. James, Stuck in the middle
