I’m feeling quite intelligent today and since I don’t have a politician’s ego, I actually think about doing the right thing (trying to at least). As opposed to simply getting votes.

So it occurs to me that like many businesses, U.S. government at all levels, has made a classic operations mistake. It expanded its “business” beyond what it does and knows how to do best. Its core mission.

Isn’t the core mission of government to serve taxpayers? And by serve, wasn’t the intent things like police, fire, education, transportation, military? Those are the things government does best–better than private can do.

Yet somewhere along the line (and my guess it was during an election year) government stepped outside its core mission. Someone thought, we’re doing so well with all that, why not do more? And of course that person won said election and the push was on for all elected officials to expand government services and assure re-election.

Private businesses that expanded their business lines when the economy was booming, are scaling back now, returning to their core mission…to what they do best. Government must follow that example.

Is there a cost, a human cost to doing that? Absolutely! Votes will be lost. Some taxpayers will need to step up and meet their own needs. For those truly unable to provide for their needs, government can and should be there.

It’s clear there is no more revenue to be had for a while. Just as government is after private businesses to change their models, it must find ways to cut its costs and that means services outside the scope of government’s core mission. If it could do and did those things well, perhaps deficits and budget shortfalls would not scream at us from every corner.

We need today’s elected officials to be brave leaders. Leading means doing it right, and sometimes that means tough decisions. It requires visionaries who can see beyond today or tomorrow, and instead of slapping “band-aids” on the economic business, they force the rehab that keeps us “clean and sober” for generations to come.

In the short time the Obama administration has been at the helm, my fears about his total inexperience have only mounted. He and his bunch of tax-evading cronies do not seem to understand Economics 101.

Once upon a time, I might have said that people in pay grades much higher than me know better than me how to solve the current economic crisis. Given the current situation at the federal level and nearly every state level of government in America, I no longer believe that.

I think it’s pretty low-level economics to understand that if this president’s administration keeps spending trillions of dollars – seemingly every day – it won’t take long for the U.S. dollar to have absolutely zero value. We might as well all start printing our own money at home. Neither will have gold or other collateral backing them up but who cares!

I hope soon someone helps them recognize that this is not the way to fix things. We all need to follow basic financial principles: at home, in business and in government. In government, that sometimes mean cutting services because revenue, i.e., tax dollars, is down. At home it might mean cutting cable T.V. out of the family budget because Mom no longer has a job.

It’s not the 21st Century American way I know. But the model we closed the last century with, doesn’t work too well.

Did Mrs. Obama miss her husband’s announcement about open government? It went something like, “we are no long on the side of withholding information but making everything open.”

Apparently a new concept in federal government, but certainly not in many states, including Florida where “open government” reaches extremes. Where even state employees’ home addresses are available to anyone who asks, unless they have specific exemption under the law.

That aside, does she really believe as First Family they are “private citizens”? Sorry, Mrs. Obama, I believe you gave up that option back on Nov. 4, 2008. That means your daughters, too, are public sector…public servants, if you will.

I do not believe true professionals in media or other industries will exploit your children. There is no purpose or honor in that. Nor do I believe manufacturing dolls named after your daughters is anything but positive so I am disappointed in your comments to the media. (see link)

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/24/michelle-obama-inappropriate-to-use-daughters-to-sell-dolls/

In my opinion this is another way your family’s influence filters down to the people. Think of all the little girls playing “White House” with those dolls. Imagine the dreams for themselves that play will conjur. And as you well know, thoughts and dreams help create habits and actions that lead to achievement.

From www.foxnews.com:

“I was born in the civil rights time. To see this happening is unbelievable. We’ve got the first black president. A black president!” said Mike Louis, a 53-year-old black man who got teary-eyed as he watched the election results on a giant video board in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square. “It’s not cured now, but this is a step to curing this country of racism. This is a big, giant step toward getting this country together.” [emphasis added]

Mr. Louis, your optimism seems to point the wrong direction, I believe. I think the election results show that whites are not as racist as blacks want everyone to believe. Americans – black and white – banded together to elect Obama president.

So in another historic moment in America, blacks now need to let go of the perception of racism. This country is not about white against black, and really hasn’t been for quite some time. If you truly believe this is a step in curing racism, please believe that the responsibility now rests largely with blacks. Whites let it go some time ago.

Stop talking!

I am sooooo tired of hearing and seeing you every other minute on T.V. I know you’ve spent millions trying to win this campaign, ergo the continual advertising.

If it works for you, I will be devastated. Not only because you win, but because you will have bought the presidency. Here in the land of democracy that should not happen–and should not be allowed to happen.

But please, with less than 48 hours to go to election day 2008, stop talking!

Invest less than two minutes and watch this video, please. Before you vote!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Share this with as many people as you can because it tells us – on a very personal level – why we need to vote for John McCain for U.S. President.

If you like the freedom to vote how you want, say what you want, live where you want, buy what you want, worship as you want, we need to keep Barack Obama out of the White House. There are way too many unknowns with him and when the brave men and women who fight to preserve our freedoms don’t support him, the rest of us need to pay attention to their lead.

He may be a good president sometime down the line. But not now, not today. We don’t know enough about him and his affiliations. There are too many connections to terrorists to give me any peace of mind that he will protect our homeland security.

And while the economy matters, that matter very little if our country is not safe from terrorism. Remember 9-11, and watch the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Am I the only one tired of hearing Democrats whine about the money spent on clothes for Gov. Palin? Really…compared to what Sen. Obama is spending on advertising, that $150K (or less) is a drop in the bucket!

Let’s not even talk about the fact that he changed his mind about accepting all that money in the first place. Nothing like trying to buy your way into the White House.

BTW, Michelle, most of us average Americans can’t really afford to shop at JCrew either. I’m happy when I find something on the clearance rack at Target. So please don’t pretend that you are living just like the rest of us common folk. It ain’t so!

How many more stories do we need about Sen. Obama’s connections to questionable people throughout his career before we recognize his judgment is weak…perhaps even self-serving?

Now we hear that the LA Times is intentionally suppressing a video of Obama at a 2003 banquet where he spoke of his friendship with Rashid Khalidi, a leading Palestinian scholar and activist. Maybe the rumors about what’s on the tape are false; if so, then why not put it out for the public? Remember LA Times, you’re the media, self-proclaimed “watchdog of America.” You should be an open book to the public.

Let us see it, before election day, so we can all make informed decisions. Obama may be a great guy, maybe he’s changed his ways, but in my opinion he has certainly shown bad judgment over the years that say to me he is nowhere near ready to lead this great country.

And when I think about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, I know without question that I do not want a president in office who has even a hint of friendship with terrorist-types. And I am pretty sure most Americans, all of us “Joes,” do not want to experience another attack where thousands die. No single person can stop that, but someone with direct links to people who have done heinous things, should not gain the power the office of U.S. President holds.

Please Americans – do your research before you vote. Make informed decisions. Do not cast a vote simply based on color or age. We may need change, but we need wise, thoughtful change. Change simply for change sake may not be in our best interests.

I wish mainstream media understood that its total lack of regard for privacy is invasive and quite frankly, unpleasant. Unfortunately presidential candidates sometimes fuel the fire.

Case in point: “Joe the plumber.” This poor Ohioan wanted a straight answer from Barack Obama…which I don’t believe he ever got.

Instead McCain and Obama dropped the imposed nickname for Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher from Toledo countless times during the last 2008 presidential election debate, followed by reporters and cameras camped out on his lawn. Don’t know about the rest of you but that sort of makes me never want to ask a candidate a question.

In a democracy (which seems to be quickly melding into something else), shouldn’t the voters be able to pose questions to candidates? If not, then there is no need for them to spend millions of dollars on the campaign trail. But more importantly, how about the media stay out of our faces – the face of “Joe Public” – when we try to get straight answers.

Your attention, please, Senators McCain and Obama. In less than 30 days I need to cast my vote for one of you. Matter of fact, I could vote tomorrow because to save gas and time, I vote by absentee ballot.

Just one problem. Neither of you has convinced me you are the best choice. And because of that, I am thinking about not voting! I have voted religiously since I turned 18, which means 30 years. I do not take it lightly and value it as a privilege and a freedom of living in America.

So you should be afraid when I say I might not vote. Are there others out there like me? Regular voters. Voters who are moderately informed and want to make good choices. Voters who might decide that picking the lesser of two evils is just not worth the effort this time around.

Here’s the deal. You need to wow me. Not with political double-speak and non-answers. No PR spin or fluff. I want the real answer to one question.

On your watch as president, how will you respond if there is another terrorist attack on Americans–on American soil or abroad?

That’s all I really want to know. You by yourself cannot do anything about the economy, or health care, or taxes or energy. If you’re persuasive, you’ll convince Congress to work with you, but those are joint decisions.

But when attacked, as we were Sept. 11, 2001, the entire country – even the world - looked to a single man. The President of the United States.

If your turn comes to be in those shoes, how will you respond?