Our second night in Esterillos was one to remember. Kurt has been an outspoken proponent of a change from the incumbent, (incredibly) incompetent Republican leadership in the Executive Branch. Linda is less vocal, and more eloquent and moderate in her beliefs, but she too was primed for a historic election night. So, they threw a party.
Tyler and Taylor were house sitting while Kurt and Linda were in the states voting the week before, so they stayed a couple of extra nights to enjoy the party. They are very interesting people. They are programmers working for US companies, but living in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica. In a couple of months, they are moving to Kona, HI to run a gentleman-coffee-farm (4 acres; tractor, small barn, etc). Finishing out the guest list were Esterillos residents Kurt, Christy and Teana– warm, intellectually nimble, and thoughtful people. They arrived a little late, after the initial electoral votes were being posted on CNN, and before the cocktails started flowing.
It was a decidedly fed up crowd of people. Bush-Cheney bashers, if you will. Nobody had a major problem with McCain, but there were no Palin fans in attendance. As the cocktails flowed, and we bounced between CNN and Fox News, the mood was festive and the political discussion lively. We all were in favor of Obama winning the election, but the opinions stretched well beyond party lines, and to more profound and progressive ideas for solving national problems – financial bailout, Iraq war, healthcare, campaign reform (shortening the election timeline), foreign relations, trade relations, and too many others to list. What struck me as interesting was that the comments were insightful and knowledgeable, AND oh so funny, because everyone had a good sense of humor. It helped that CNN and Fox had some quirky, spotty reporting, the “funnel graph guy”, the “smart guy”, “choke woman”, a fleet of laptops, and a hologram.
The announcement that Obama had won the election sent chills up my spine. For me and Cat, it meant the end to what we think is the most horrendous administration in the history of the US. We defy anyone to find a worse record on practically every major area of the executive branch – economic policy, military policy, legal, corruption, foreign relations, domestic programs, deficit spending, tax policy, privacy, and constitutional law. The Bush Administration has been a train wreck. McCain is a good guy, and would have been a credible president (the jury is waaaay out on Palin…smile), but he was doomed to the Bush-effect from the start. The same is true of many of the GOP senators and congressmen. November 4th was pendulum day.
We can only hope that Obama-Biden Administration does not succumb to regressive ideas, and misuses the Democratic majority to push destructive new programs. Our fingers and toes are crossed, and our political activism is at the ready in the event our new leaders stray from moderate, progressive domestic legislation and foreign policy.
For our part, the ex-pats in Costa Rica were in a festive mood, and the champagne flowed. It was a historic night, and we were happy to see the smartest candidate win……for a change (you can believe in).
Matt’s Political Sidenote: A president has 2-3 years to get things done. After that, the reelection distraction kicks in. With the size and complexity of the US government, it is unrealistic to hope for sweeping changes in all aspects of the Executive Branch in 2-3 years. We live in the immediate/now era, but most people couldn’t fix there own lives in 2-3 years. Why, then, do most Americans expect the largest organization in the world to change in the first 100 days of an administration. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. It’s physically impossible. I believe that a new president should pick 3-5 things to get done in one administration. Obama’s campaign website has 26+ election platform issues that he will address as President. Some of them are interrelated, of course, so say 13+ issues. I sincerely hope he picks 3-5 pivotal issues to focus on, and gets positive, progressive legislation passed to address the issues, and focuses his 2-3 years of productive time on the IMPLEMENTATION (oversight, in his words) of the legislation. Not a bunch of new bills. A few good bills, and lots of follow-up energy and attention.
The “No Child Left Behind” legislation from the first Bush term was never funded or implemented, so practically every child was left behind. In business, the adage is, “if you focus on something, it will improve.” I hope Obama focuses his administration. Leadership does not mean being all things to all people. It’s about setting direction, and seeing that the direction gets followed.
No comments:
Post a Comment