When I first heard the soaring rhetoric of Senator Obama I was not only impressed but I was starting to be convinced that he should be the next President. Until last night. Once he got past the historical implications of his running and into the heart of his speech I was reminded why I was proud to be a Republican. I not only disagreed with much he said but I actually felt disenfranchised. That not only did I not belong with the Democrat Party but that they thought I was radioactive and wouldn’t take me even if I wanted to join them.
My whole career has been spent climbing the corporate ladder. I got pretty far and am damn proud of it. In fact I would give anything to be back there and only a serious health problem could have taken me out of the life I loved, the corporate life. But to a Democrat, according to Obama, I felt as if I were anathema to the thousands there last night. As if I were that mean old Mr. Potter to Obama’s George Bailey.
Perhaps it was no mistake, even 60+ years ago, that nasty Mr. Potter owned a bank and foreclosed on homes. For here we are again, half a century later and Obama is talking about yet another mortgage crisis and people losing their homes. Having worked in the banking industry I can tell you that most of the employees are nice, not mean, but the banks did make some really stupid decisions. Not only did they offer loans to high risk customers, but then they began to keep much less in their loan loss provision in order to artificially inflate their profits.
But what gets me is that when I went house hunting, I recognized that I had a budget; that I couldn’t afford my “dream” home or take on a monthly payment that would be a stretch. I purchased a more modest house that was within my budget. So why should I now be asked to help pay the outrageous mortgage of someone who bought a house they couldn’t afford in the first place? That just doesn’t seem right.
I also wonder if Obama does tax the big corporations, well, after more than 25 years working for them, I know what they will do. Part of the increased expense will come from increasing the prices of their products, but a big portion will come from salary freezes or even layoffs. Thanks Obama.
Perhaps I sound as cold hearted as Mr. Potter or as awful as the epitome of the mean business person, Scrooge. Yet I have to agree with Scrooge when he said, “Don’t I pay taxes?” We pay a hell of a lot more taxes now than back then and still it isn’t enough to help the poor and underprivileged. I guess the root of it is I don’t mind helping someone if they are also trying to help themselves. I often gave a helping hand to people climbing the corporate ladder by boosting them up another rung through training and education. I had a young single mother working for me and each year I often gave her bonuses and high pay raises not because of her personal situation but because she worked hard and deserved it. But none of that seems to count according to the Democrats.
Am I a Scrooge or another Mr. Potter? I don’t know. But thanks to Obama, I remember now why I am a proud Republican. I believe in rewarding people based on their hard work and effort. Not simply because they have their hand out and never because they have a knife to your back demanding that you pay them.
My whole career has been spent climbing the corporate ladder. I got pretty far and am damn proud of it. In fact I would give anything to be back there and only a serious health problem could have taken me out of the life I loved, the corporate life. But to a Democrat, according to Obama, I felt as if I were anathema to the thousands there last night. As if I were that mean old Mr. Potter to Obama’s George Bailey.
Perhaps it was no mistake, even 60+ years ago, that nasty Mr. Potter owned a bank and foreclosed on homes. For here we are again, half a century later and Obama is talking about yet another mortgage crisis and people losing their homes. Having worked in the banking industry I can tell you that most of the employees are nice, not mean, but the banks did make some really stupid decisions. Not only did they offer loans to high risk customers, but then they began to keep much less in their loan loss provision in order to artificially inflate their profits.
But what gets me is that when I went house hunting, I recognized that I had a budget; that I couldn’t afford my “dream” home or take on a monthly payment that would be a stretch. I purchased a more modest house that was within my budget. So why should I now be asked to help pay the outrageous mortgage of someone who bought a house they couldn’t afford in the first place? That just doesn’t seem right.
I also wonder if Obama does tax the big corporations, well, after more than 25 years working for them, I know what they will do. Part of the increased expense will come from increasing the prices of their products, but a big portion will come from salary freezes or even layoffs. Thanks Obama.
Perhaps I sound as cold hearted as Mr. Potter or as awful as the epitome of the mean business person, Scrooge. Yet I have to agree with Scrooge when he said, “Don’t I pay taxes?” We pay a hell of a lot more taxes now than back then and still it isn’t enough to help the poor and underprivileged. I guess the root of it is I don’t mind helping someone if they are also trying to help themselves. I often gave a helping hand to people climbing the corporate ladder by boosting them up another rung through training and education. I had a young single mother working for me and each year I often gave her bonuses and high pay raises not because of her personal situation but because she worked hard and deserved it. But none of that seems to count according to the Democrats.
Am I a Scrooge or another Mr. Potter? I don’t know. But thanks to Obama, I remember now why I am a proud Republican. I believe in rewarding people based on their hard work and effort. Not simply because they have their hand out and never because they have a knife to your back demanding that you pay them.
I don’t buy into Obama’s and Al Gore’s unrelenting diatribes about how awful everything is and that we are faced with never ending doom and gloom. I truly believe this is still a land of opportunity. And with the first African American running as President against a senior war hero and a woman VP, how can you not be inspired by the greatness of this country and the unending possibilities?
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