Yes, we can change it back
Like most Americans, I'm more than hoping for a change on Tuesday. I'm expecting the beginning of the end of liberal Democrat mismanagement of America.
By that, I mean that the House will go Republican, Nancy Pelosi will no longer be second in the line of succession to the presidency and a tight roadblock will be in place to stop President Obama's wild deficit-spending and debt-growing policies.
Though less likely, the Senate could also flip and end the career of Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. All polls last week had his heretofore little-known opponent, Sharron Angle, surging to a 4-point lead. Barring a Truman-Dewey deal, this looks like the end for another politician who lost sight of the voters he signed up to represent.
But the big news Tuesday won't come from the fate of any one member of Congress. The news will be in the wave of conservative Americans -- Republican, Democrat and independent -- standing up together and putting President Obama on notice. Stop deficit spending. Pay down debt. Fix the economy. Prosecute the war on terror. Stop selling America short. Start governing with grace and dignity.
Look, when Mr. Obama was sworn in as president, most Americans were proud. He not only was our first African-American president, he talked of racial harmony, building political bridges, prosperity, enhancing America's status worldwide, etc.
What we came to find out rather quickly, however, is that this president was not only incapable of delivering on those lofty promises, he was also over his head in routine matters. When pushed, be became aloof and divisive. In a crisis, he reacted like a deer in headlights. He seemed more comfortable apologizing to the world for America's power instead of standing tall and extolling our many virtues.
The inspiring rhetoric of 2008 stopped, and the petty, highly partisan politics started. Consider the lack of stature our president has displayed in just the last few days.
On the campaign trail, he said Republicans were responsible for the bad economy but that he has made progress in pulling the "car from the ditch" adding, "We can't have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle-class families up in the front. We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in the back."
Well, thanks for that Rosa Parks moment, Mr. President. Could you get any smaller?
As a matter of fact, he could.
He told a Hispanic radio station that brown voters must go to the polls to "punish our enemies and reward our friends."
Punish our enemies?
To punctuate the point, consider President Obama's appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" last week. Gone was the "cool" guy who wooed young and old on the campaign trail. Instead, along came Obama The Grump.
Comedian Jon Stewart gave President Obama a mildly tough time about the economy and hiring Larry Summers as his top economic adviser.
The president got all defensive with Stewart and told him "Larry Summers did a heckuva job."
To which Stewart fired back: "You don't want to use that phrase, dude." Dude?
And there you have it. The president has devolved before our very eyes. He went from "hip" to "dip" in one quip.
They say that a person's character emerges in a pinch. I think we're seeing the real Obama now. When Tuesday's election results become known, the dude and his crew will have nobody to blame but themselves.
Sherman Frederick (sfrederick@ reviewjournal.com) is publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and president of Stephens Media.
