How Obama Turned Me into a Conservative

I tried for a long time to be a liberal. In my idealistic 20’s and 30’s, I supported the panoply of environmental causes. I was in favor of “alternative” energy sources. I even believed that governments could be benevolent caretakers of those in need.

As I got into my 40’s and 50’s, things began to change. As environmental extremists became environmental terrorists, I realized that something was not quite right about the “Save the Earth” movement. Environmental and alternative energy groups morphed into well funded cabals. They lobbied for extreme and sometimes ridiculous governmental regulation. Incredibly, they usually succeeded.

Government service became a massive entitlement program. Those “in power” made sure to legislate towards staying in power, and of course to continue their entitlements. At this point, I suppose I became a moderate something-or-other, not quite liberal, not quite conservative. As partisan bickering began to overshadow legitimate national concerns, I wondered “Where’s the benevolence here?”

Enter Obama. He looked good, sounded good, and appeared to have presidential qualities. Some raised warning flags concerning Obama’s past associations, the “Chicago-style” organizing, and his cadre of hangers-on who had shadowy affiliations.

Most of this was dismissed as racial bias, and Barrack Obama was elected as our 44th President.

I had been circling the drop zone, until November, 2008, when Obama declared his desire to use Cap and Trade to “bankrupt them” … “them” being anyone who owns a coal powered plant. By extension that would include any traditional energy user or producer. That statement pushed me out of the plane, and I dropped squarely into the Conservative camp.

Two years later, we have a shaky financial sector, nearly double-digit unemployment, and an insane runaway deficit. This administration has taken over some private institutions, or dictated conditions as to command-structure, salaries and bonuses, and has disrupted domestic petroleum production.

So, it should be no wonder that my idealism (“These people are working for the common good”) has been replaced by stark realism (“These people are working to destroy the American Identity.”) I do not wish this great nation to become a mediocre clone of someplace else. We have to get off this destructive path and get back to the high road.