Waits and Measures

Crystal Laramore

Special editing by Deborah Martin and Cheryl Laramore

Waits and Measures(Ok, I meant to spell it that way…)

Do you ever get the feeling that finding that special someone is like voting for the right person for President? Is that person really out there?

Is it possible to really get to know someone before you cast that vote? (Hey, this is the only way I could figure out how to tie this article to dating. Sorry. It’s all I got.)

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of press coverage on Obama. Why? Well, I think I can honestly say that I already know what McCain stands for. So, before I cast a vote I also need to know what Obama stands for. How can one make an educated decision unless they know ALL the facts about EVERY candidate?

Sidebar: While I was in the Green Zone working at the U.S. Embassy I was fortunate enough to help run congressional delegations in and out of the Green Zone. One such delegation was the McCain/Clinton Delegation. McCain’s name was first b/c he is a Sr. Senator; having said that, McCain was essentially her peer. Snicker.

We (The Ambassador {John Negroponte}), The Chief of Protocol and myself along with some Iraqi staff members were standing ready to receive our distinguished guests when they arrived in their up-armored vehicles with plenty of pomp and stance. It was always such a thrill for me when dignitaries arrived. It was everything you’ve ever seen on television and then some (it was a war zone you know). Patriotic doesn’t begin to describe…

Anyway, Clinton came through the door first (McCain was a gentleman and let the lady go ahead of him-sexist or chivalrous?) and immediately began shaking hands. Layla was first then me. I begrudgingly un-clenched my hands from behind my back and gave her the politicians handshake. McCain was in an awful hurry and ignored us, all of us, and headed straight to the press room.

Umph. Well, that didn’t sit well with us. We were all staunch republicans standing about the place ready to shake hands with our hero and hopefully the next President of the United States and poof, just like that, the opportunity disappeared. The Chief of Protocol walked over to me later and said “Senator Clinton said she really liked my necklace”! While slapping her out of her Clinton induced semi-coma I was screaming “Snap out of it Dorothy, snap out of it Dorothy”, a thought struck me “Oh no, this is how some Americans make their decision on who to vote for”!

Thankfully, McCain recovered his hero status with us after the press conference when he shook all of our hands and snatched Clinton from her Face the Nation pedestal and yelled “It’s time to go!” She leapt up, grabbed her brief case and followed like a whipped puppy. Ahhh.

Now, back to Obama; if someone IS voting for him, I’d really like to know why. A few weeks ago I was watching Terry Moran from Nightline interview him in one of Sadam’s palaces in the Green Zone. It was like watching an interview take place in my own dining room. There he was where I sat many a time with some of the bravest men I’ve ever met. There he sat waiting and measuring. The man could barely answer a question for all the thought he put into each word. It was painful listening to him. And when he was finally capable of letting words pass through his lips: What? I was so frustrated I sent a friend of mine (former Army Ranger) a text message saying something to the effect of “What ARE the American people thinking? Are they asleep”?

The man has no clear, concise plan. No, he doesn’t. First he said “I do not believe we should use the strategic oil reserves at this time”, Then he says “We should sell 70 million barrels…from our strategic oil reserves…” now he’s saying it’s a shame to drill offshore… I’m telling you people, be astute in your voting. Know both candidates and decide wisely. Voting is a privilege, not a right. Vote responsibly.

And, before you vote for a bleeding heart liberal who has no plan other than to “provide free prescription drugs, free health care, free, free, and free; listen to me.

It is NOT free. I am paying for it. And while you may be poor and maybe even a friend of mine, I do not want to pay your way. It is not my responsibility to pay your way. Whose is it then? Well YOURS of course.

One day on the radio we were having this discussion and a caller called in and said that he needed more than the $900.00 he was getting a month from disability. I told him it was not my responsibility to pay him more. Why should I? Well, he said he was in a wheel chair; again, while I truly am sorry that he is in a wheel chair it is still not my responsibility to take care of him. And if you are in a similar situation is completely unfair for you to think the world owes you because…It is the responsibility of your family, your church, your friends and yourself to provide the necessities of life for you. Nothing is free. If we keep taxing those of us who work into a lose-win situation, we’re all gonna stop working. (See Atlas Shrugged), then where will you be? Uh?

Once upon a time my friend Richard got a divorce from Sophia. She didn’t work. Never did; drank a lot; partied a lot; slept around a lot. Well, they had two children so when he finally divorced her he got to pay child support. (That’s a WHOLE separate article…) Every year she would drag him to court to raise the child support. One day, he visited with his financial advisor and she told him that at the age of 45 he could retire; not in lavish lifestyle, but very comfortable. So he did. Now she barely gets any child support and America has lost a great mind to the technology world.

Whenever someone tells me they are voting for a liberal candidate I wonder if they have a job. I always ask them if they enjoy looking at how much they made then scrolling to how much they are actually taking home. Mostly, they say no. Then why on earth are you going to vote someone into office that is going to take more from you? What are you people thinking??????

Barack cannot spit out a complete thought based on his experience. He stutters, he thinks, he weighs every answer. That scares me. I want a leader that has so much knowledge about his subject (global economics, global peace, etc.) that he doesn’t have to rack his brain to give us an answer he thinks we are gonna like. Didn’t we already have eight years of that with the Clintons?

I am attaching a blurb I was sent that was read on the Walton & Johnson show in Houston, Texas and appeared in the Richmond Dispatch:

“Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30, I celebrate my independence day and on July 4, I celebrate America\'s. This year is special because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.

On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba, and a few months later I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.

I've thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950\'s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, and they were right. So when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at least receptive.

When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said \'Praise the Lord\'. And when the young leader said, ‘I will be for change and I'll bring you change’ everyone yelled, 'Viva Fidel'!

But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner's guns went silent the people's guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was
over more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the world, most fortunate Cubans. And, now, I'm back to the beginning of my story.

Luckily, we would never fall in America for a young leader who promised change without asking: What change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America?

Would we?”

So vote like you’re gonna be married to them for the next 8 years. You might as well be: that person is going to decide how much money you get to put in your pocket!