Our Next President

I figured I'd better go ahead and post this before Super Tuesday, so it'll be more believable (just want to be able to say, "I told you so"). Since mid-December 2007, I have been predicting that the Republican nominee will be Mitt Romney and that he would probably choose John McCain as his Vice President, and that the Democratic nominee would be Barack Obama who would possibly choose John Edwards as his Vice Presidential candidate. I believe that in the end, the Obama/Edwards ticket squeaks by to win the White House.

My feeling was that Thompson was done from the beginning because he was essentially disinterested, Huckabee would lag because of his strong religious values and the lack of a presidential "look", and Guliani would just flame out because of way too much baggage. I also felt that Edwards is just too smooth and untrustworthy, and Clinton has way too many negatives.

Unfortunately, the first time I actually published this on the Internet, to some scepticism I might add, was on December 31, 2007 on Ned Williams' WisdomIsVindicated blog, and on January 4, 2008 on Newscoma's blog. However, it is interesting to see how things are developing.

Thompson has dropped out, and Guliani is sure to follow shortly. McCain and Romney are neck and neck, but ultimately, I believe it will be Romney who will take the lead because of perceived strength of leadership and age.

On the "progressives" side - though Clinton is still ahead as far as delegates are concerned, Obama is moving up quickly and will surpass her. The excitement he creates with his message, youth, and honesty resonates well with a populace that is tired, confused, angry, and seeking hope and change. She is definitely in defensive mode and feels that she is quickly losing her grip on the nomination as has been evidenced over the past few days.

Though I am not ready to vote for a Democrat, I've got to be honest, Obama does inspire and excite something deep inside me. Let's see what happens. What do you think?

The Bhutto Assassination and Pakistan as an Ally

As one whose family has been intimately involved with international politics involving the US, the UN, Lebanon, and France (1 ambassador, 2 Parliamentary members, 1 national level minister and cabinet member, 1 Chief Justice, 2 assassinations, 1 attempted assassination, etc…), and as a 10 year US Army Special Forces combat veteran, I have maintained more than a keen interest in international relations and foreign policy.

Though I agree with Senator Bob Corker, Congressman Jim Cooper, and Mr. Kevin Doherty on many points, I must respectfully and strongly disagree with several of their statements and positions.

President Musharraf is dangerous and ultimately untrustworthy. Make no mistake, he is a dictator, is hostile to US interests, and has little support within his own country. Regardless of what we are told by our government, he is at most an ally of convenience and necessity in the most dangerous country in the world as far as US foreign policy is concerned.

As our State Department knows well, he is at high risk of being assassinated in the near future. Pakistan will then be run by Islamic extremists who are sympathetic to Al Queda and Taliban proponents who will have control over Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. We are one man away from a very serious problem unlike any we have ever seen. Should he be assassinated, we will be forced to ally with Iran in order to try to keep Pakistan in check as we try to prevent a hostile nuclear Pakistan from falling into terrorist hands. Russia is ahead of us here, and is likewise very concerned.

Just 3 weeks ago I spoke with Gail Sheehy who was the last journalist granted an interview with Benazir Bhutto just before she was assassinated (published in this month’s Parade magazine). Bhutto told her “I am what the terrorists most fear”. She was a force for democratic reform; however, though better than Musharraf, even she was tainted with corruption, impropriety, and less than ideal US values.

Contrary to Mr. Cooper’s opinion, we do have many Arabists - and very good ones. The problem is that this administration does not truly listen to them. Focus groups meet, people take notes, experts are consulted; but ultimately, their advice goes unheeded as we instead arrogantly proceed with our Americanized worldview devoid of other cultural paradigms and perspectives. We seem to want to colonize instead of convince by winning hearts and minds.

I agree we do need a fresh new approach that includes Palestinian autonomy (the real reason behind the Iraq war and much of the worldwide tension we now see). However, complete military disengagement “from the entire region” is a very foolish choice. It goes without saying, we do not need a “one country solution”, but need a deliberate, intentional, well thought out approach to how we interact on a global scale. Military intervention is a tool, and a powerful one – when used appropriately. We have recklessly abused it and are paying the price.

I'm Back!!

Well, as you've undoubtedly noticed, I haven't been blogging for a while. I've been awfully busy over the past few months as I transitioned out of my job at HCA into a new job at Pfizer, prepared for Christmas, attended Renaissance Weekend, went to NYC twice, and on and on.

But now I'm back. I've got a ton to blog about and am very excited to get started with some great topics - a fresh view on the REAL reason we are in Iraq; the broken healthcare system and what we must do to fix it; the upcoming summer war in Lebanon/Syria/Israel; the assasination of Benazir Buhtto and what that means for Musharraf, the US, Iran, and the entire Central Asia and MidEast regions; the United Nations and its influence on world affairs; my predictions on who will win each party's nomination and who will eventually win the Presidency; HCA's evil empire and why it's bad for the future of true healthcare reform; President Bush's legacy; religion in America and how we can live in unity while maintaining our Christian heritage; living a healthy and prosperous life; eight steps to effective evangelism and giving our lives away; expanding and focusing our worldview; etc...

Please come back - I'm interested in what you have to say.