Is The Devil You Know Really Better?

You know the old saying, “Better the devil you know.” But I wonder, do we really want to stick to the Devil we know when it comes to the President of the United States?

Like many Americans, I’m skeptical of all politicians, even politicians who say their stand on the issues is the same as mine. After all, the very nature of politics means that no one can really promise that they will remain true to their convictions. Compromises are the name of the game and, many times, something dear to your heart will be sacrificed in order to achieve something even more important to the politician.

We are being offered two candidates. We have Barack Obama, who promises some quite radical changes in the way the government is currently being run. Obama would be a new Devil in the office of President. He is offering dramatic changes in taxes, changes in education, changes in health care, changes in our energy policies and changes in foreign policy. In addition, Obama is offering changes in the way the government treats the Gay and Lesbian community and in the way the government handles issues of abortion and contraception.

These changes are welcome to some and very unwelcome to others. So, in attempting to implement these changes, Obama will have to make compromises. That is to be expected and must be accepted. In politics, you must compromise one thing in order to gain another.

In choosing Obama, you must decide if the changes he proposes are worth the compromises he will surely have to make.

We also have John McCain, who says he is also offering change. McCain’s changes include, in the forefront, changes in the way the government handles abortion and contraception – the very opposite of the changes that Obama offers. McCain offers changes in taxes and these changes are also quite different from the changes that Obama offers. The changes that McCain offers in health care, energy policies and foreign policy are also the opposite of what Obama offers.

In fact, the changes that John McCain is offering are not really changes. While Obama offers to eliminate corporate tax breaks and cut taxes for families making less than $250,000 per year, McCain is proposing to continue in the same direction that the current Bush administration has been going; McCain is just proposing to take those policies further than the current administration has taken them.

Instead of tax cuts for working families, McCain proposes further tax cuts for corporations; something the current Bush administration has already put in place. Instead of helping to guarantee a woman’s right to decide what she does with her body, McCain is proposing to completely outlaw abortion and to curtail contraceptive rights; something the current Bush administration is already working toward. Instead of focusing on renewable energy and greener energy, McCain is proposing to continue our dependence on oil with further domestic drilling; something the current Bush Administration is also pushing.

McCain is the old Devil.

While Obama, the new Devil, would encourage compromise regarding abortion, birth control and Gay rights, McCain, the old Devil, would attempt to completely dictate the sexual and procreation habits of the entire nation.

While Obama, the new Devil, would put money directly back into the taxpayer’s pockets through bona fide tax cuts, McCain, the old Devil, would put money back into the pockets of the corporations, hoping that some of those tax cuts might “trickle down” into the pockets of the working class.

While Obama, the new Devil, would make college more affordable and offer tax credits for students who complete community service, McCain, the old Devil, would push to add Christian religious doctrine into the classroom.

While Obama, the new Devil, would invest in renewable energy, McCain, the old Devil, would simply push for more domestic drilling, further endangering our environment and continuing our addiction to a resource that is rapidly disappearing.

While Obama, the new Devil, would expend greater effort on foreign diplomacy, working to foster better relations with foreign countries, McCain, the old Devil, would continue to focus on military actions, sending our young people into combat and continuing the enormous expenses associated with military action.

The new Devil or the old Devil? Different tactics or the same tactics? Is the Devil you know really better?