You Know What Really Grinds My Gears (or Rob Gets Political)

We don't normally jump too far into the political world here. For one thing, my political passion has flamed out slightly. I - like so many of you - am so disenchanted with all politicians that I want to get rid of them and start over.

I listen to the behavior of my colleagues in the media and I get sick. Ted Kennedy becomes George Washington upon his death. The left can do no wrong and the right can do no...uh...right. The most-recent election and inauguration was the lowest point in the history of American media.

I've veering off the road here but my point stands. I was born into a Republican family, yet I've always been much more towards the middle and sometimes, yes this is true, I feel myself shifting slightly...left.

I said it. Fine. I hate the war, am sick of the deaths, the economic problems, health care, gas prices, foreclosures, blah-frickin-la-dee-dah-blah.

Yet the reason I'm here tonight is about the education speech that President Obama is to make tomorrow. Right-wing parents and educators are prepared to keep their kids home or not show the speech. Left-wing parents are dancing the happy dance.

I'm here - in the middle - and I won't even hesitate to send Sean to school. Folks, let's talk about respect for the Office, first of all. I took note of my first Presidential election when I was seven and remember it well. Now we can get into the semantics of things like Bill Clinton or George W. Bush not respecting the office that they held, and so be it. But I'm talking from the citizens' point of view. Sean should respect President Obama, just as I do. He's my President - election be damned - and that's that. And if he kick-starts our economy, gets health care under control (it's bad, folks), and makes our quality of life better, then the man can have my hanging chad in '12. That's democracy.

I don't work with the right or left side of the aisle. I deal with the middle - the correct "side", where one doesn't take sides. I know people who vote purely on party lines - will somebody please tell me what good that is? So you're telling me if the GOP decides that it wants the country to go to war with Italy because they didn't like the pizza that they had delivered while waiting out a filibuster one night, the dittoheads will just nod and go "oh yeah sure because after all, that crust was too thin?"

Really? Come on. I can see where some raise an eyebrow at the President doing something for political motivation but for the love of Thomas Jefferson-meets-Socrates (that would be some movie, no?), hasn't every politician? I mean, my God (one Nation under), that's Chuck-freaking-Schumer in a nutshell. The man has no political value otherwise, except camera-hogging.

At face value, at least to the younger children, can we take this as a gesture of good will from our Commander in Chief to students, wishing them a successful school year, and imploring them to go to class? Is it really that bad? Am I missing something?

The text of the speech is here.

Let's try a little common sense here, shall we?