A One Term President

There are a number of issues that the new president is going to meet after they take the oath next January. The new President has to deal with economic issues. The President will need to make decisions regarding health care. The President will need to decide how they will deal with Iraq and the war on terror. We have got three speech-makers that are contending for the top job, and so America gets to see if they’ve got the fortitude to handle the leadership for which they have been chosen. Regardless of America’s choices, I believe we are looking at the new President being a one term President.

I think the Long War, the war on terror, will be a stumbling block for all three. The democrats say they will pull our military out of Iraq immediately. Once they get into office and reality hits them, they will disappoint their base by leaving those troops in there. Actually, their base will develop another strain of Bush Derangement Syndrome and rage against their own candidate. McCain will probably stay in the and get the job done. Where McCain will stumble along with the democrats is our border security. Truth be told, none of them care about it. And yes, border security is part of the war.

The economic difficulties we face didn’t come overnight and won’t be corrected overnight. Difficulties with our fuel supply will mostly be corrected by the market. What would make an improvement is relieving the burden of ethanol on the gas supply. It has proven to hurt our food supply, doesn’t reduce “greenhouse gases”, and takes more energy to make than refined gasoline. Second, reduce or remove the gas tax. Third, open up ANWR and other areas to drilling. Unfortunately none of the candidates will do anything but offer some government program or more regulation or something other than getting government out of the way.

Health care, well what do I say? All the democrats have to offer are the same failed programs from Canada and the UK. McCain could and ought to do something about it other than just putting off socialized medicine, but he won’t.

I think that Americans will be just as unhappy with their leaders four years from now as they are now. The President’s approvals will be low. Congress will remain right where it is now, low. The only thing that might reduce the misery will be a revolution in 2010 like there was in 1994. More than likely there will be primaries in both parties in 2012. If the sitting President isn’t taken out in the primary, he or she will go down in the general election.