Whatever happened to individual responsibility? Those used to be a Republican buzzwords, but they've faded from the lexicon lately.
The absence was even pronounced in John McCain's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night. According to the transcript , President Bush was never referred to by name. As amazing as this is, the candidate of the President's party running to succeed him in office wants change but has nothing whatsoever to say about the current office holder. Unless McCain is arguing that Bush actually made no decisions during the last eight years, a conspiracy theory I've heard advanced in other quarters (though generally as a joke), at some point the man has to be held accountable for his actions.
I had the same problem eight years ago when I decided not to vote for Gore because as an idealistic and new attorney, not to mention former federal law enforcement officer, I couldn't accept his refusal to publicly condemn President Clinton for his perjury. For this voter, some things just need to be said publicly. Gore needed to do it then, and McCain needed to do it Thursday.
McCain is now in a similarly awkward position, but one that I'd hoped his highly-touted ethics and maverick streak would have guided him through. He claims to be an agent of change, but in this speech couldn't or wouldn't renounce those individuals who brought us to this point. A campaign of change implies that things have gone wrong, but a refusal to identify the causes of the needs for change suggest a state of denial that make his pledge of change seem lukewarm at best.
michael valentine
from spring Valley
September 06, 2008 at 12:53 AM
For the last eight years the Republicans have put party over country. They provided no oversight of the worst Presidency ever.
Nan H. from coronado ca
September 06, 2008 at 04:28 AM
The News Hour @ 7:00 p.m. should be commended for an excellent broadcast Friday evening (9/05/08). It was interesting and unbiased - but that is the usual for the News Hour, isn't it?
The most telling comment was made by the Republician Pollster. She referred to the Democrats for being "stupid" for wanting to (and I'm "re-phrasing") raise taxes to take care of the citizens of America....
THIS is the CHANGE that needs to be made - instead of having government take care of the "buddies" of those in power, the government needs to be the government of ALL American citizens.
Neither party is perfect, but we need to have checks and balances, and we need to balance the state of the union by electing the Democratic Party simiply to counterbalance 8 years of the Repubican Party.
Robert Matousek
September 06, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Democracy only works when people demand accountability from their leaders. Democrat or republican, if they are not doing their job they must be thrown out of office.
