Much hoopla has been made about the first 100 days of the Obama administration, and frankly, I’m pretty tired of it. There is no particular significance to the first 100 days of any new administration, other than to give our 24 hour news media something to blather about. In historical terms, 100 days is a [...]
I am a frequent user of the greenways in and around Roanoke. By frequent, I mean that I walk an average of 5 miles per day along the Roanoke River, and I also take my son for regular rides in his bike trailer. I believe that the greenways are one of our most important recreational [...]
The so-called “economic stimulus” bill that is currently winding its way through Congress is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with our legislative process. Instead of focusing on timely, temporary and targeted programs that might actually have a chance of prodding our stalled economy, the package in its current form is nothing but [...]
One of the most depressing things about our political system is that new ideas and new faces are so few and far between. President Obama ran on a platform of change, but his administration is already filled with names and faces that are all too familiar to the American public. If change really is going [...]
Like many of my fellow Americans who voted against President Obama, I am skeptical, if not downright fearful, of the legislative proposals he put forward during the campaign. In spite of my lack of confidence in his policy prescriptions, I sincerely hope that he is able to successfully maneuver our nation through the difficult times [...]
I am not a sentimental person by most measures, but as our nation anticipates the inauguration of our first black president, I cannot help but be moved by the historic significance of the event. I was born the same year as Mr. Obama, and during our lifetimes we have witnessed a seismic shift in attitudes [...]
Even though I have voted Republican for my entire life, I’ve never really identified with the policy positions of either major party. While I have developed a more pragmatic view of government as I get older, my ideological leanings tend to be libertarian. My support for the Republican party to date has been based entirely [...]
Politicians from both major parties make a habit of claiming credit for any fortunate occurrence during their time in office, and of denying responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Since President Clinton had the good fortune to preside over a period of unprecedented prosperity, it’s only natural that the Democrats take credit for the strength [...]
It doesn’t take a crystal ball at this point to predict the outcome of tomorrows election. Absent a minor miracle, Senator Obama will become the next President of the United States. What his election really means in terms of the expressed political sentiment of the voters requires closer examination.
Even the most diehard GOP loyalists [...]
As we enter the final days of the longest presidential campaign season in history, polls indicate that the race is tightening. In spite of the last minute waffling of a handful of voters, the reality is that the GOP will need a miracle to pull off a victory. McCain’s projected defeat represents another lost opportunity [...]