Character and Judgment

Dear Editor,


Tired of racism and desiring to live ‘all together’ in peace, most of us would like to appoint a Black president, evidencing we matured as a society and left behind a terrible part of our history, but it has to be the right person.

We can’t chose a Candidate based on what he/she promises, because as political campaigns go, anyone will promise whatever they think will get them elected. Circumstances will ‘change’ later, so we can’t hold them to their promises. We need to chose a president based on character and judgment as evidenced by their record, not by what or how they say it.

Past performance is the best indicator of future conduct. With so many communication specialists, social scientists and others telling the candidates what to say, how to move, how to dress, etc. there is very little of the actual Candidate that we get to see or hear. What they can’t customize tough, is what they did: let the record speak for them!

Barack Obama ran for office and took the chair of someone who could have been actively involved in creating new legislation, but he voted ‘present’ more times than others, missing on opportunities to contribute his intellect. Barack showed no interest in visiting our soldiers and warzones, until invited by McCain. Still, he never visited south of our border any county in Latin-America. Barack took more money from Fanny and Freddy, and opposed regulating them; in fact he was part of the influence on those two companies to give mortgages to people who could not (and did not) repay them. Barack surrounded himself with Reverent Wright, Bill Ayers, Rezko and Acorn would indicate (at least) poor judgment if not something sinister. The bottom line is that Barack showed poor judgment on his choice of friends. Since his mistakes helped him (at least initially) propel his political career and buy a house that he could not otherwise afford, we find hard to trust his judgment and even shadows his character. Barack has a record of voting ‘present’ (a wasted seat in the Senate) or strictly along party lines. These are not real basis to select him as our next President.

John McCain chose to stay with his troops, for 5 years of tortures in a Vietnamese jail, out of sheer character. He was put to a test that most of us would not pass, and he aced it. He was given the choice to walk out of jail, free as a result of his privileged position being a son and grandson of admirals. He would not leave unless his troops were let go with, so they all stayed in jail. This is one of the highest moral standards I ever hear off: we was put to the test in a situation as real as it gets, and he passed. McCain is an independent, he votes his consciousness and he teams up with anyone from any party, to follow his ideals. He voted against his fellow Republicans and along with Democrats.

The differences in judgment, if not character, are all too obvious. If we find Barack compelling because of his impeccable speech, wide smile and command of the microphone, we need to remember that no successful sham was ever pulled by anybody who does not meet that exact description: anyone else could not con anybody. Barack also comes from a minority (he is half white, but he sees himself only as a black person), adding to our shared feeling of supporting the underprivileged and the underdog. As an immigrant myself, I know first-hand of the generosity and openness of this great Nation to welcome and help immigrants and minorities. We are a good nation because we sympathize and want to help those who need it the most, but again, this is not enough reason to appoint somebody as our President.

Obama supporters, wish against reason, voting with their hearts that he is the right person for the job, regardless of his record and known associates. The value of Obama is not on what he did or even what he says, but how he says it. He is a masterful speaker and extraordinary communicator. Are those qualities enough to be the President?

As for 'spread the wealth around' socialistic doctrine, Barack’s' 1,5M mansion could be a good start. He should lead by example. His follower Warren Buffet could shed his last billions to the benefit of the poor as well, as he still has more billions that he can spend.

If we love America, we need to accept and embrace the principles that made America what it is today. That includes the encouragement of individual initiative and the repulsion of socialistic principles. As a President put it ‘when you give something for free to someone, you are killing their spirit’. That is what America is all about, and if you love it, do not tamper with it. By his actions and associations, Barack is a socialist in (poor) disguise. His closest associates: his reverend, his wife and his friend Ayers, they all vocalized their disdain and contempt for America. Why are we to believe that he is any different?

If we chose our President, the Commander in Chief of the world’s last superpower and the leader of the free world, based on irrational ‘thinking’, there will be hell to pay. We will destroy the basis of what made America what it is, and will extinguish the beacon America is to the desperate, oppressed, tyrannized people in four corners of the world.

Yes, we do want to put racism behind and show it to the world. We do want a Black president, but this one is not it, or not yet.