The scene is set. An unpopular president, an energy crisis, a troubled economy, threatening inflation and a desire for change. A great temptation for the American electorate to choose an untried candidate with a pleasing personality. Senator Barack Obama? No, Governor Jimmy Carter in 1976. We know what happened. The economy worsened. Our enemies (the Soviet Union and Iran) took advantage of us internationally. Inflation and interest rates skyrocketed. Carter blamed Americans and punished American Olympians. At least Carter blamed his country while speaking domestically. Senator Obama shows no such restraint.

   Senator Barack Obama’s policies vary little from Carter’s. He is President Carter in a better suit. Senator Obama proposes the best ideas of the 1970’s, higher taxes, spending, feckless “internationalism” and more. If the Democrats control all branches of government, history shows government spending will jump and the destruction to our economy will be as great. Senator Obama surpasses President Carter only in the packaging, designed to appeal to the fever swamps of Bush Derangement Syndrome. If the hordes of Obama supporters, who cannot explain why he should be president, want to vote for him, it is their right to do so. But please do not patronize the rest of us by telling us this represents “change,” much less “hope.” Carter’s ideas did not work then. Obama’s will not work now. He says he will raise taxes more slowly if the economy remains weak. Presumably when the economy strengthens, Senator Obama will give the green light to weaken it then. This reminds me of the church member who prayed, “Lord, if the spark of revival has hit our church, we pray that you would water that spark.”

   As most of us have noticed, the media, pundits and pollsters are all betting against Senator McCain right now. But as past history shows, most bets against him have been losing bets. Who would have bet on John McCain surviving his being shot down over Vietnam, outlasting his years of imprisonment, or his dead-in-the-water campaign in the summer of 2007? Not many. Let’s hope America wakes up by November 4th. We cannot afford the 1970’s repackaged as something new.

John Pendleton