Warning

    "America is slipping into disarray and oblivion, the same way ancient Rome did," the presidential candidate for the democratic party said forcefully.



    "Like the politicians of ancient Rome, the politicians of today, and this administration, in particular, has so confused and muddied the workings of government that the problems that they were elected to correct are not being addressed with all the attention and urgency that they demand."



    "In some instances, they are totally ignored.  when these men and women finally get around to addressing problems of national interest, they do nothing but study and debate the merits and demerits of all the possible solutions util it is time to either retire from public service or seek re-election.  Little, if anything ever gets done.  Little if anything has been done during this present administration.  I say it is time this comes to an end.."



    The presidential candidate was answered by thunderous applause from the audience.  I myself felt like standing up in the privacy of my living room to cheer for the man.



    "It is time to cast off the chains of this bureaucracy that has woven itself so tightly around the capital and this country.  These chains restrain, and destroy those who are serious about their duties. I am a serious public servant and have been since first being elected as your representative. I refuse to be beaten by this system.  I refuse to be restrained in my duties by this administration.  this president.  I will fulfill my promises and carry out my duties regardless of the cost as I have already done during my time as your representative.  I call upon other elected officials to do no less."



  Again there was much applause.



    "I call upon representatives and Senators to fully address, and to do something about the really important issues that face this country and the world."



    "It is time elected officials to come out from behind their locked doors and take bold decisive actions.  To answer the cries of their constituents."



  "Time for this country to free itself from a do-nothing philosophy and bureaucratic mumble-jumble that has stifled imagination, creativity, and progress that this great country is still capable of achieving.  the time has come for this country to once again truly lead the way to a better life."



    It is time this administration stopped trying to rule this country by committee and concentrate on doing its job stewarding this country's resources and caring for it's less fortunate people."



    Yet again, the presidential candidate's speech was interrupted by thunderous applause.  As he left the podium it was clear that his speech had ended.



  The television news coverage stayed with the applauding crowd. It did not cut away to someone to make a comment on the candidate's speech.  I knew I could not have.  the presidential candidate had just showed the whole country why he led in the polls.  he clearly had fired up the audience where he was speaking.  I know he succeeded in firing me up.  I wanted to do more than I was doing in my living room watching the television.



    When the crowd failed to settle down in accordance with the moderator's demands, the candidate returned to the podium.



    "One man can not do it alone.  The president can undo decades of mismanagement.  The president needs the support and clear mandate from the people to energize, guide, inspire, symbolize, and force open te floodgates of change."



    Again there was great applause.  People in the audience began calling his name.



    "The President must be free to do what the people elected him to do.  He must have the authority to take what measures he deems necessary, without having to worry about Congress or the press second guessing him.  Preventing him from doing what must be done for the good of the country.  It's people and this country's standing in the world."



    This was great



    "The president must be free to address the issues and problems that this country and this world face without having to worry about a Congress that only wants to sit around and rule by committee.  it can not be done.  It will not be done.  It is time for bold action.  It is time to move forward, not to stay in place.  With me as your president and other serious Democrats, this country can and will move forward."



    The candidate ended his speech.  it then took the  authorities there a good fifteen minutes to quite down.  The cameras showed a number of people being escorted from the building as everything possible were being done to get the debate on its proper course.



    As I watched the television and laughed at what was going on, I thought about what I had just heard.  The words thrilled me and made me want to do whatever I could to get this man elected, but at the same time, there was something fearful stirring in me.  What the man had said was all true.  This country was going downhill.  It was going down hill quite fast.  Problems facing the country were endless, and ranged from the national debt, inflation, crime, to unemployment, national defense, welfare, and healthcare.  There seemed to be little accountability anywhere as far as the money spent on the issues were concerned.



What the candidate said made sense, but there was something he wasn't saying that made me feel uncomfortable.  I could not quite figure what it was.



"I agree with my worthy opponent," the President said as he took the podium.  "However, I must disagree with him on the methods of turning this country around.  When you people go to the polls, you are not electing just one man or one party.  Your vote tells people in Washington, and the world, the direction you want this country to go in."



    "It tells them, you want responsible people in power, deciding not only your fate but their fate as well."



    "It tells them you want people in power who will vote for proposals you would vote for, or against."



    "It tells them that you do not want these people to make hasty decisions that only look good on paper, or sound good to the ear, but ones that will actually make a difference."



    "It tells them you want people in power who will carefully look at the problem from all possible solutions and create laws that if they do not correct the problem, will, at least, begin the process of change."



    The president paused waiting for some response that did not come except certain members of his own party.



    "Some of the problems this country faces, and that we have addressed date back to the founding of this country, over 2000 years ago.  Our forefathers knew that they could not solve every problem, so they left some to those who would  follow.  They knew that as this country grew and developed it would find answers.  it would correct the mistakes they made and solve the problems that they could not."



    There was more applause, this time,  and some laughter.  Somehow the speaker was winning the audience over.  At least, everyone was listening, including me.



    "Now is not the time to say change can not me made immediately.  our system of government also allows for that  It allows for dynamic and dramatic change when the existing course of action fails to address existing problems, or does not meet the dreams and aspirations of its people."



    "Today, this election will herald in a period of change for this country, in this world, no matter who is elected."



    Thunderous applause sprang up.



    "There is little escaping the need for change. This country, as a nation and as a people, has wandered far from the course our forefathers set before it.  We have taken for granted the rich resources we have been blessed with.  We have squandered and ill-used the wealth of talent, intelligence, and a vast variety of people we have become."



    "We have been too busy telling everyone else in the world to live that we have forgotten where we came from, and how we got to where we are.  We have forgotten how far we have yet to go to meet the ideals we have set before ourselves."



    In his own way, the man was making sense, but he didn't seem to be talking about the changes he would make.  changes he had promised four years ago.  Promises he was making us once again."



    "I and my staff have come a long way ourselves.  through trial and error, through debates and controversy, we have learned and fashioned programs that will turn this country around."



    Some applause sprang up to interrupt the president.



    "These programs and proposals for change are ready and have been ready to be made into laws.  repeatedly we have put these bills before Congress in whole and in part.  Congress, dominated by special interests and political egos, have repeatedly killed every one of our bills."



    There was some booing from the crowd, but it did not seem to be aimed at the president.



    "Yet...yet they have yet to come up with any real proposals of their own that have any reasonable chance of working as efficiently, and economically fair as ours."



    The President was on the attack.



    "This system will work.  We will make it work. We will work with these special interest groups.  We will win them over till we have fashioned and passed laws that are fair and workable.  laws that will allow change to occur."



    Applause.



    "Now, it is one thing to talk about change when you are in a position of challenging those in power, and quite another to bring it about when you hold power and seek to bring about change through the framework of the government you represent.  A democratic form of government that is respected and admired throughout the world."



    Applause.



    "I agree with my opponent that it is time for a change in our country, and in our government.  I and those around me are ready for that change.  We are ready to take the gloves off and really push for legislation that we have been fighting for over the last four years."



    Applause marked the end of the President's speech.