Epic Fail.

I am ashamed of my country.

On Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, Americans proved yet again that credentials don’t matter. Americans proved yet again that style matters over substance. And most of all, they proved that this is a nation of blind followers. By electing Barack Hussein Obama, the single most inexperienced candidate ever, to the most powerful position of the most powerful country in the world, Americans have helped this nation lose even more favor with those who once had faith in her.

It is a mystery to any rational mind why Obama gained such huge popularity with the American majority to begin with. It stands to reason that he had won the black vote and the liberal vote before he was even the nominee, just like it stands to reason McCain won Texas before he announced he was running. What is more of a mystery is the American people’s apparent lack of appreciation for rationality. Style over substance – that has become a norm for a nation that watches Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. Admittedly, the days of Republicans like Reagan are gone. When he ran for re-election, Mondale won Minnesota and Reagan took the other 49. On election day 2008, Obama won all the states that John McCain should have. Pennsylvania, a red state until 2004, went overwhelmingly to Obama. Virginia, a major battleground state, was in McCain’s favor until the big city precincts starting reporting in and tilted it in Obama’s favor. All we can say now is “What happened?”

John McCain made several mistakes during his campaign. Among them were the selection of Sarah Palin as a VP candidate and his endorsement of Bush’s $700 billion government bailout of private firms (which he later retracted). However, this isn’t why he lost. The American people have already proven that they don’t care about facts. Why did Obama win? To the casual observer, he is just an eloquent speaker, a rare far-left Christian, an ideologue, and also a black man. To those who look beyond the skin-deep curb appeal of his speeches, Obama is the holder of a voting record more liberal than a self-avowed Socialist, a master of pork-barrel spending, a young and inexperienced ideologue, and a Senator who has never had his name attached to a passed Bill.

I cannot imagine how the next four years are going to progress. By any account, Obama’s plans should help people like me. I have already had some people say “But Jimmy, since you have a low income, why aren’t you glad for his tax cuts?” My income over the next four years will be so low I’ll barely pay taxes anyway. I am more concerned for people like my parents, high tax bracket individuals sending four kids to elite private schools and promising they’ll send one to college in the scarily near future. Obama has said he wants to return taxes to where they were under Reagan. The highest tax bracket under Reagan was 39%. Under Bush it’s been 35%. So that’s an increase of $15,000. $15,000 that we earn for ourselves. $15,000 that we need.

But according to Obama, it’s okay. Because in his acceptance speech, he told America that all his big lofty plans for America aren’t likely to get done within one term. So you know what, America? It’s not his fault he has no idea how to go about pushing a liberal agenda through a liberal Congress, and it’s not his fault he can’t deliver on the promises he made you. It’s your fault, America. It’s your fault for not seeing the plans behind the man and it’s your fault for placing no value on experience and policy. It’s your fault I have lost my faith in this country.