As it turns out, the entire debate comes down to how you view the world. Either you view the world as a cold system in which you’re relegated to a “position” assigned at birth, or you view the world as a place full of endless opportunity to make yourself better. Either you think you’re entitled to happiness or you think you’re entitled to the pursuit thereof. Either you look for a hand-out or you look for a hand up. Either you want that fish for a day or the ability to provide yourself all the fish you could need for a lifetime. 

This election presents many contrasts, but the most stark is that between American exceptionalism and socialism. That’s it! Senator Obama has played to the human tendency towards class envy and continues to tell people that they can count on him to take from the successful and “spread the wealth around.” It occurs to me that in America that should be the end of the story and that the source of such idiocy should be laughed out of this race, but sadly, many Americans today would rather have everything handed to them than invest the sweat and tears sometimes necessary for survival. What happened to American exceptionalism? What happened to the American drive to succeed? What happened to a pride in one’s ability to take a lemon and make from it sweet lemonade? 

When did America become a nation of whiners looking for someone to ride in and solve their problems? That is not the spirit that has made America great? We come from a long line of down-and-outers who wanted more – they wanted better, but they didn’t want more and better at someone else’s expense. They worked their fingers to the bone and paid the price to provide a brighter tomorrow for themselves and a future for their families. They understood the satisfaction that comes from making it happen for themselves.

Obama can promise the moon and punish the prosperous to pay for it, but in so doing he will deeply wound if not kill a vital element of Americanism – that spirit of self reliance. He is telling us to ignore the fact that he and millions of other successful Americans came from humble beginnings but worked hard and have done quite well for themselves despite them. He is telling us that we are not capable of doing the same for ourselves but rather should look to him and to the nanny state he would create for our well being. After all, we’re drawing breath and as such are entitled to happiness and prosperity packaged in a neat box wrapped in festive jackass paper and a big blue bow, deposited on our doorsteps courtesy of the DNC and their socialist comrades.   

What’s so wrong with America? For far too long I and many other Americans have silently listened and watched as the Democrat party and their leaders rant and rave against this country that I love. They claim to be embarrassed by our loss of standing throughout the world, but I ask you, is there another nation on this earth to which millions of people flock annually to find a new start and their very own shot at prosperity? Has anyone else noticed that we have a problem with people crossing our borders illegally to take advantage of the American dream?

What’s so wrong with America? We have the premier healthcare system in the world yet there are those who, out of political expediency, demean and belittle our system claiming it is intrinsically broken.

What’s so wrong with America? We have rushed to the aid of nations in peril for decades now, yet there are those who say we are a “downright mean” country. We have, at great expense of blood and treasure, liberated nations, assisted victims of natural disaster and fed the starving across the world, but one candidate claims that he will bring “change” by re-establishing our standing in the world. Maybe I’m missing something, but among those in the world who love freedom, our standing couldn't be better. 

What’s so wrong with America? Only here can a nobody born to a Kenyan goat herder rise to a seat in the Senate, serve there for a few months before beginning his campaign for the presidency, ultimately gaining his party’s nomination to be leader of the free world. One would think such an unlikely success story would inspire gratitude and loyalty, but in this case it has only fostered bitterness and an apparent loathing for what has made this land of opportunity so great. 

What’s so wrong with America? I contend that there is no greater nation on this earth! I contend that God has seen fit to bless America beyond measure and I can only pray that He will continue to do so. I pray that God will, in His infinite wisdom, spare us from the likes of Barack Hussein Obama and raise up Godly leaders who will seek His face and walk humbly with Him. 

God bless America!

What ever happened to our representative democracy? Do you feel represented? I certainly don’t. I, like many other conservatives with whom I interact, feel like my representatives pandered to me and mine just sufficiently enough to get elected and sent on their merry way to Washington D.C. where they promptly checked their shared values – and in many cases their common sense - at the door.

Perhaps I’ve grown cynical, but I only hear any concern for constituents’ views when an elected official is defending his or her use of earmarks. Do they even care what we, the constituents, want? No. The truth of the matter is that they do not represent us or our values. Rather they begin the endless re-election campaign as soon as they gain office at the expense of the tax-paying public who sent them to D.C. to begin with. 

What is the solution? How can we fix the broken system? Simply put, we must have term limits. While it seems unlikely that the House or Senate will ever see great value in voting themselves out of the gigs they hold, we, as a collective whole, still do have a voice - albeit a stifled, fading voice. 

We must issue a call for one hundred percent turnover in Washington D.C.! A new generation of true representatives who would rise up and contract with conservative Americans to go to Washington on our behalf could win back the hearts of a disheartened electorate! Part of that contract must be a concerted effort towards term limits. Perhaps, with a defined window of time during which they could seek the will of their constituents and fight on their behalf, they could remain focused on the true work at hand rather than their own political ambitions. Congress should not be a lifetime appointment! Firmly ensconced institutions on the hill cannot be effective representatives of the people who elected them. By virtue of the fact that they are in Washington D.C., they lose touch with their electorate. They maintain offices in their home districts and they welcome the input of the voters, but if they hear, they certainly do not listen. 

Have you ever called your congressman or senator? If so, have you spoken with him or her? I dare say that precious few of you have. Rather, you talk with a pleasant enough voice that promises to pass on your concerns but informs you that “the Senator is not available by phone.” Are you kidding me? I pay the taxes that pay your way but you can’t take the time to talk to me on the phone? I understand the impracticality of a these folks spending their days with their ears to a telephone, but I want to be heard. I want more than a form letter in response to my e-mail and letters. I want representation!