Who I'm Voting For...

I really hate the way this election has devolved, once again, into an chicken pecking contest. We are no longer discussing substantive issues like the economy, national security, education, our needy, health care but rather discussing whether Biden told a cripple to stand or Palin had a clear opinion on the Bush Doctrine (does he have a doctrine?)

The Market meltdown last week was scary as hell but reinforced one of my core beliefs which is that it's not as important who we elect to be our next President but rather who that President appoints to his/her Cabinet. Notice how completely absent both Mc Cain and Obama are right now in the face of this financial crisis. All either of them can do right now is jump up and say "yeah, me too!" The truth is that neither of them have the ability to get us out of this mess without a team of very intelligent, experienced people. Simply put, Obama does not have the experience to be our next President and Mc Cain does not have the intelligence. So, who they pick to be part of their team is going to make my decision for me.


I am not ready to jump on the Hollywood-driven bandwagon of Bush haters. Being an amateurish student of history, I can't help but think that there are a couple good things to come from these past 8 years (Africa, Peak Oil, etc). However, one thing I think History will remember clearly is that Bush consistently made bad Staffing decisions. Let me list some obvious examples:

• Greenspan. I understand that at the time, he was globally recognized as the greatest Fed Chairman that ever lived but just take a look around.
• Head of EPA. He basically drove Whitman out at a time when the EPA needed to play a key role in transforming our country from a selfish, resource-hoarding nation to a nation who cares deeply about the precious resources we have been given.
• FEMA. Katrina, need I say more?
• SEC. The Bush administration has overseen two major Market meltdowns and underlying both has been wild speculation, lack of any kind of oversight and just plain greed. I think it's fair to say the SEC has seriously let us down.
• Ethics oversight. The whole Republican party has morphed from a party that used to represent values and morals to the party seemingly on the take.
• Iraq. From the original guy who bungled the transitional government to the lack of oversight on the $ Billions sent over to Iraq to the way that contracts were awarded without any kind of fair bidding process, the whole Iraq war has been a neon sign of poor staffing decisions.
• FDA. How many cases of poisoned food and poisoned toys have surfaced in the past 8 years?

I could go on and on but you get my point. The only government agency that has done anything in the past 8 years has been the FCC and they mainly have been Nazi-like in their abolition of nudity on TV. Frankly, that's the one agency I wouldn't mind failing. I would rather have nudity on TV than a financial meltdown...but that's just my opinion.

In conclusion, I am waiting anxiously to see who Mc Cain and Obama nominate for their Cabinet. When I see intelligent, seasoned, cross-party candidates being nominated, I will vote for that presidential candidate. That is how you will get this Independent's vote.