Anybody can grow up to be president in this country

The good thing about living in a country like the United States, we have been told since we were small children, is that anybody can grow up to be president, unlike countries ruled by monarchy, where you have to inherit the title of ruler of your country.

But as you begin to understand how the system works, you realize that yes, "anybody" can grow up to be president if you have very, very, very rich people who will spend billions of dollars helping you campaign. There ain't nobody comin' out of the woods any more (using "comin'" in honor of Sarah Palin's decision to eliminate ending gs from her words in an attempt to be folksy).

So you decide that you have rich friends and you really, really want to make a difference in the world. What then follows?

You never see your family.

You become the victim of attacks of the most heinous kind hurled at you every single day from all sorts of angles.

You are constantly on the hunt for more money.

But somehow you persevere through the months (or, in this case,years) of campaigning and you actually win the election, What then?

Well, whoever wins this election inherits a war that nobody likes, that the candidate has promised to end, whether by "victory" (whatever that means) or withdrawal (with whatever negative after effects that is going to cause). He inherits an economy that is in the toilet and a debt that is beyond the comprehension of those of us used to a "normal" paycheck. He inherits a reputation that is in the toilet around the world.

And he can be guaranteed the criticism of at least half of the population.

Why in the world would anybody want to be president?

As ugly as this race has become in previous months, it has entered a whole new arena, with Palin's speeches linking Obama to William Ayers, whom he has repeatedly denounced and whose "terrorist activities" occurred when Obama was eight years old. The New York Times article Palin proudly claimed to have read (proving that she does indeed read newspapers) actually says "the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called 'somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.'" I guess Palin doesn't read the whole article, but only the headlines.

Isn't it nice that McCain started this race saying that attack ads were a clearcut signal that you didn't have anything of substance to say to the American people and that he had no intention of engaging in attack ads? Mixed messages from the Straight Talk Express.

In a time when every "Hockey Mom" and "Joe Sixpack" (god, I hate those cutesy labels) is sitting around worrying if s/he is going to have a job, will be able to retire, will lose his/her life savings because of this whole Wall Street mess, what in God's name is the point of bringing up this paper thin connection between Obama and Ayers?

Or, for that matter, replying by reminding people about McCain's connection with the Keating 5?

It's all ancient history. What does it have to do with how either candidate would run the country in 2008 with all the messes we face?

Somehow all you have to do is say "terrorist" and think that the entire American population is going to quake in their boots and turn away from a candidate.

Even if in your wildest imagination you happen to believe that Obama has any connection whatsoever to terrorists...what do you suppose would happen should he become elected? Is he going to blow up the White House? Is he going to destroy major financial institutions in this country? Is he going to start waging war around the world? Is he going to make enemies of all the countries that used to think we were pretty good, in the days of Clinton and the Sainted Ronald Regan?

Oh right. It's already been done (well, except for blowing up the White House)

I got news for you...the Bush Administration has done more to destroy this country than the guys who ran the planes into the twin towers did.

I hate the whole thing. And I'm glad that it's almost, dear God, almost over. But personally, I think both McCain and Obama are nuts. You simply have to be crazy to willingly go into the swamp that is American politics...or to actually want to head up this nutty country with all its problems.

You know, if someone guaranteed me the presidency....if I had no opponents so I didn't have to raise billions of dollars, and nobody opposed my attempt to seek the highest office in the land, I would run so fast (well...fast, for me!) from the job. Ain't NO way I want to walk into the White House and become the boss.

You really have to be nuts to want that job.

"I don't WANT to be president"