On election night, I walked somberly through the Quad coming to terms with the results when I happened upon a mob of Obama supporters shouting and parading through campus. I appreciate the excitement; however, these energies must be directed not in a quasi-religious fervor but toward a better understanding of American government.
Interest in the political process is a virtue; hero-worship is not. The former allows for intelligent decision making and compromise while the latter polarizes the electorate and distorts reason. In a time when the average voter's political knowledge is little more than the regurgitation of 30-second ads, an informed electorate will be the greatest component of America's continued superiority in the world. Our elected officials provide easy scapegoats when government goes wrong but ultimately its failures lie in our unwillingness to become active components of the political process.
The forces in America that seek to transform our elections into propaganda-filled popularity contests are the foremost obstacle to prosperity. Though I adamantly oppose the policies of Barack Obama, years of witnessing the self-destructive and downright ridiculous behavior of Bush-haters has galvanized me against such ignorant presidential resentment. No president can be successful in such a hateful and unpatriotic environment.
I encourage all Republicans who witnessed the character assassination of George W. Bush by the media and liberal elites to engage in intelligent criticism of President-elect Obama while supporting him whole-heartedly as the Commander in Chief of the United States.
As for those of you who believe this election signals a mandate to our government, you are wrong. The financial crisis, the loving adoration of Obama by the "objective" media and the failures of previous Republican administrations created an environment in which America could elect a far-left candidate about whom they knew very little. A perfect storm if you will. This election in no way represents America's new-found desire to become a European-style socialist nation.
Most alarming is that Democrats will likely increase the capital gains tax to fund their increased spending. What they fail to realize is any increased revenue generated by raising the capital gains tax will be off-set by decreases in growth and production. Why? Put yourself in the shoes of an investor who is deciding whether to sell or ride it out. Under the Bush tax cuts, your capital gains will be subject to just a 15 percent tax rate while under Obama the rate could easily exceed 30 percent. Even a green-horn investor can see that Obama's proposed tax plan will have adverse effects on investment and slow economic growth.
We may have already seen this effect in the form of mass selling in the stock market after it became very likely Obama would win. Investors are thinking, "Get out now, before Obama starts spreading your wealth around," and sadly, their fears are legitimate.
Obama must show restraint in raising the capital gains tax if the United States is to successfully endure this financial crisis. This will be the great test of his presidency and an indicator of his ability to accept common sense over pressure from his party, the demands of interest groups and the ideological dogma of the left.
Although the monolithic campaign spending of Obama's campaign certainly represents an attempt to buy the election, the effectiveness of this method is debatable. However, Obama's campaign promises represent a more serious effort to buy the election by promising 95 percent Americans less taxes. The basic flaw of our democracy is that individuals, when faced with the choice between money and national well-being, will always choose money.
During the Revolutionary War the battle cry of the colonies rang, "No taxation without representation." More than 200 years later we have elected a president whose idea of fairness is to punish a minority of Americans by giving their money to people who pay no taxes. So now our battle cry should be, "No representation without taxation." Would you pay for a car so that someone else could drive it for free? No. If you're not paying for government services, should you be allowed to determine how government operates? I guess that's up to you to decide.
Otto von Bismarck once suggested that political genius lies in hearing the distant hoof beats of history and rising to catch the coat tails of the galloping horseman. So I ask my conservative brothers and sisters, do you hear the hoof beats? If the Republican party can effectively communicate free market economic ideas to voters it can rise anew. In the wake of Democratic policies that will encourage class warfare and the expansion of our inefficient government, Republicans will be the beacon of truth and common sense.
Stand behind us, stand with us and God bless you if you stand against us, for I promise that reason and freedom will always triumph over those who wish to subjugate personal liberty for their own skewed perception of fairness...or national security for that matter.
Steve Robinson is a member of the Class of 2011.