Unite and Forgive: Hays County Can Take The Lead In November

By Rocky Boschert

What is with this foolishness about Democrats voting for McCain should Obama get the nomination (or vice versa)? What’s the logic of this defeatist thinking?

Folks, the United States (and the world for that matter) cannot benefit from a “military solution” Republican in the White House for another four or eight years. If the Democrats lose this Presidential race after eight years of George W. Bush, the party should consider disbanding.

For starters, let’s look at the recent Republican record. Since the turn of the century, the Republicans (with the help of many shamefully acquiescent Democrats) have gotten us in another economically disastrous and soulfully painful war, with weapons makers, oil companies, mercenary corporations, and Cheney-affiliated subcontractors being the primary beneficiaries. Second, using tax cuts (mainly for the rich) as their mantra, they have gutted infrastructure funding in the United States and trashed education and emergency management agencies with their “privatization” extremism. Third, they have aborted the US Constitution and the rule of law with their domestic spying. And, ominously, the Republican war party has put American soldiers in harm’s way by justifying and instituting torture, disregarding and reinterpreting the Geneva Convention.

Moreover, if we elect McCain into the White House, he will surely have “lobbycrats” like ex-Senator Phil Gramm as one of his top advisors. Gramm, now one of McCain’s top campaign advisors, fashioned himself as a government “watchdog” when he was really a Senate-embedded lobbyist for special oil interests. As it turns out, McCain’s campaign staff has more lobbyists advising him than Dubya’s Cabinet. McCain is not Bush III. He is American League of Lobbyists II.

As for the Democrats, after “lock box” Al Gore and “reporting for duty” John Kerry, they finally have a Presidential candidate in Obama who is smart, cool, ethical, and ethnic. Hopefully the Dems won’t blow it again. Clearly, what Obama lacks in experience he can make up by picking a solid group of domestic and foreign policy advisors, who can help promote his intelligent vision of global peace and domestic economic sustainability. Yes, for where America is now, Obama is worth the risk.

And make no mistake about it. Hillary Clinton would easily be a better presidential choice for what America needs now than John McCain. But we don’t need to go back and re-create the dynastic days of Bill Clinton to help America recover from eight years of Bush necromancy. The 1990’s were good while they lasted but we now live in a more complicated world. Sadly, Hillary’s campaign has been exposed as old school politics, similar to the Republicans’, riddled with the dysfunctional influence of lobby money and political system deal making.

It is time for America to move on. Prior to the 60’s, Southerners were primarily Democrats. After passage of landmark Civil Rights legislation, the South sourly turned to the Republican Party. That message does not have to be a Southern legacy. Hays County at least would be wise to endorse and vote for Obama not just because he is the best choice, but also to show the rest of America that the South is not the racist bastion that it is perceived to be.

Local Democrats need to stop this “I’ll vote for MCain if Obama (or Hillary) gets the nomination” insanity. This type of destructive thinking is just another example of neoconservative brainwashing. Wimberley and Hays County can take the lead for Texas here.

Rocky Boschert has resided in Wimberley since 1993. He currently serves as board president of the Katherine Anne Porter School (KAPS) in Wimberley. Mr. Boschert owns and manages Arrowhead Asset Management.