Electing Minorities in America

In all the hoopla of this past week's Democratic Presidential campaign trail, something seems to have been forgotten.

Most people don't vote single issues, even when the issue is being a minority.

The Wall Street Journal had a long, glowing piece about Obama this weekend. It cited how many white voters believe he is beyond the race issues of the 1960s, and showed a bar graph demonstrating that Americans are now 'ready' for a black President.

Then we have Hillary, playing the gender card, after being roughed up in last weekend's debate. Her husband accused the other candidates of taking advantage of her gender, and 'Swift boating' her.

Peggy Noonan got this one right, in her weekend column in the Wall Street Journal. Contrasting Hillary with Margaret Thatcher, she pointed out that lots of people, men and women, simply don't trust Hillary's blind ambition.

Personally, I don't have any problem with the idea of a woman, or any particular ethnic group member becoming President. So long as they meet the requirements and have a genuine interest in America's long term welfare, their specific group membership is irrelevant.

What is surprising is how the media continues to behave as if gender or race is the only reason people wouldn't vote for Hillary or Obama.

I won't vote for Hillary because she's a largely inexperienced, power-hungry socialist. She's met few, if any, large, expensive governmental programs she doesn't like, and will tax anyone, except her wealthy contributors, to pay for them.

It has nothing to do with her gender. That merely clouds things, in my opinion. To not vote for Hillary is not to reject women candidates for President. Merely that woman candidate.

The same is true for Obama. He has nothing remotely resembling the experience one would like to see in a President. Again, the Journal article made it seem as if a vote against, or not for, Obama, is a racist vote.

But that's not true. It totally overlooks Obama's nearly-total absence of any legitimate experience which would prepare him to lead this country. He's had only two years in the Senate- which is composed of largely do-nothing legislators. Prior to that, he served in the Illinois state legislature.

You wonder if Obama knows how to do anything- anything at all.

As with Hillary, I'm not against Obama because he's black. I don't think he's qualified a qualified person, no conditionality, to be President.

To reject Obama is not to reject minority candidates. Only that minority candidate. Jesse Jackson wasn't elected, either. And not because he is black. He was totally ill prepared to be President- and still is.

What really bothers me is how easily the media turns these two candidates' campaigns into litmus tests on gender and race, thus obscuring their relative inexperience and lack of qualifications for the high office they seek.

This is the sort of coverage that results in false impressions that America isn't ready for a woman or minority President.

Of course we are. We just need to see some women or minorities who are actually capable of executing the office of the President effectively.

Perspectives on America- From Pakistan

The other day, I received a timely reminder of what is unique about America.

One of my friends, with whom I have played squash, is a Pakistani-born medical doctor living in the US. He still has family in Pakistan, and travels there periodically with his family.

I saw him Saturday morning, and asked but his feelings regarding the recent events in his homeland. Did it bother him? With whom were is allegiances? Does he have any family members now in prison?

He said, simply,

'The ruler there is like Castro. The people don't like him. But the lawyers being thrown in jail are paid by another politician, not Bhutto.'

That's why I'm here.'

His remarks made me think, after a week of seeing the dollar fall further in relative value among other currencies. And here some Chinese official remark that they will diversify out of dollars soon.

For all America's faults, someone like my friend, the Pakistani medical doctor, will choose to live here, rather than in his own country. He doesn't trust the political climate of the land where he was born.

For all we hear about Chinese coming here for education, then returning to China to compete against us, how many stay here, for our political freedoms?

It doesn't take much to see how China is viewed in the world. They manipulated Yahoo in order to identify and imprison a Chinese journalist. Who has forgotten Tienemman Square?

When people around the world look for one economic and moral haven, it's always the US. Our freedom of speech, despite Robert Redford's increasingly cantankerous and addled mumblings, remain second to none. In a crisis, our economy provides more safety and capacity for investment than any other one.

People from other countries battle to come here. Investors from other countries bid to buy our government's securities.

Things in America are not as bad as they might occasionally seem.

You could be living in Pakistan- or China.