The first thing CNN talks about on a daily basis is the state of the presidential primaries, and more specifically the Democratic primaries. The one thing we can be sure of is that George W. Bush will not be in the Oval Office for a third term – the heavens open up, the choir sings and the people rejoice! However, there is one way Bush’s legacy can carry into 2009: if John McCain is elected.
Over the past eight years this country has fallen into a state it has not seen since the 1920s and 1930s. You could argue that the economy is in bad shape due to the massive job losses. Or you could argue the economy is in bad shape due to the current recession. But this argument is made easiest by stating that for the first time in history, the U.S. dollar has less value than the Canadian monetary unit, and for those of you who don’t know what the Canadian dollar is called, that would be the Loonie. Yep, that’s right, the Loonie gets more bang for its buck these days.
I could stop right here and I think people would agree that the U.S. is not doing very well, but I think I am going to keep going. Our current foreign stance toward nations we consider “our enemies” can be best compared to the type of drama commonly seen in relationships. Both people involved in the relationship are having some communication problems, and a third party asks them what is wrong, prompting the response of “I really just don’t want to talk about it right now.” When put into this simple analogy, it is easy to see how ludicrous the policy of not talking to our enemies appears.
Our country is involved in a costly war in which American soldiers are losing their lives on a daily basis, but I am sure you already know about that, so I won’t spend the next 20 pages discussing Bush’s many decision blunders.
When it comes to the 2008 Presidential Election it is quite apparent that we, the American people, cannot afford another four years of the same policies. It is time to elect someone who is not only qualified for the position, but who will bring our great country back to the prominence we once held in the global community.
Unfortunately, once Barack Obama is elected president on November 4th, there will be many doubters who in four years will not be able to see the progress made, due to the massive hole we are in now, both economically and in foreign relations, because of the Bush administration.
Unless everything goes smoothly during Obama’s first term, his presidency could be considered a failure, and the Republicans will blame him and not Bush, who ultimately is to blame.
Change is the defining word for the Obama campaign, and his policies would definitely lead to a change in direction for our country. One of the proposed changes that would have the biggest impact on the country is that of universal health care. This would allow all the American people the ability to get appropriate treatment in a timely fashion, as well as diminish the influence that medical insurance companies hold on physicians and hospitals.
When this is enacted during Obama’s first term, the overall health of the nation should rise because physicians have to treat everyone, not allowing them to refuse treatment due to the possibility of not getting paid.
When it comes to foreign policy, Obama’s stance is quite clear. In regard to the war in Iraq, Obama would begin sending troops home in large groups by the end of 2009, and more importantly, the amount of money being poured into Iraq on a daily basis would begin to decrease.
Many people disregard the amount of money spent in Iraq, and I want to put it into perspective. The amount of money that goes into Iraq each week is more money than what goes to all the countries in Latin America for the entire year. Can you just imagine what a week’s worth of money from the Iraq War could have done to help Louisiana after Katrina or California with the massive fires earlier in the year?
Another foreign policy change from the Bush administration would be to end the concept of not talking to our enemies and engage in diplomacy once again, like that of every other president. This diplomacy would have preconditions of course, but it is vital to be able to have diplomatic relations with all countries, both friends and enemies. There are many other policy changes that would help end our economic recession and dependence on foreign oil as well as many environmental changes to better our environment.
There is a strong possibility that many Republicans, come 2012, will not see Obama’s first term as a success because the strides made in this country are going to be gradual.
It will be great for this country if during Obama’s first term universal health care is signed into law, all of our troops are out of Iraq and back home, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries’ attitudes toward us is one that is non-hostile, and we are less oil dependent and have developed alternate energy sources.
The reality of the situation is that we are currently in such a bad position in the world that it is going to be tough to see immediate progress on any of these fronts. There will definitely be progress made in all areas, but it is going to be the progress that will pay off in years to come.
Our position in the international community will be more respectable, the economy will be growing and Americans will begin to see the impact of universal health care. These positive changes will only be completely effective if Obama, or at least another Democrat, is elected in 2012 to continue working toward change.
Unfortunately for the Democrats, the Republicans have caused such a mess over the past eight years that it is almost inevitable that the Republicans will view the next four years as a failure and will use that to campaign in 2012.
Come 2012 we will be looking at another presidential race, and if for some reason a Republican gets elected, all the gains from the previous four years will be moot, and the country will be back in the same position that we are in today. And as many Americans, including some Republicans, would agree, it is not a favorable one in any aspect.
Garrett Landry is a junior majoring in political science. He can be reached at glandry@smu.edu.
