Imagine what could have been

    Imagine where we would be today if a black man had not been elected President of the United States in 2008.
    Imagine what we would be debating if the black man had not been a Democrat. Or branded as a liberal.
   Would we really be holding up a treaty with the Russians that every country in the world says we need if a white, conservative, male had been elected to head the nation?
    Is it possible to be truly a patriot, with the best interests of the nation in mind, and still hold hostage two million families whose unemployment benefits are running out? Or is that the work of a partisan more interested in running the upstart black Chicago liberal out of Washington after only one term?
    How can rich conservatives retain any credibility when they argue on one hand that the budget deficits are job number one and then turn around and insist that the wealthiest Americans continue to get tax breaks that make the deficit worse?
     Or are they just pushing back against Democrats that they think are on the defensive?
     Do we really believe that they care more about everyday citizens than they do about expanding their numbers and their power in political office?
     What if our political actions, words, deeds, reflected the real ideals that we say we value:  Equal opportunity and  limited government?
     Can anyone make the argument that the obstructionism and disingenousness we see among partisans today meets the standard for limited government?
     What if this nation had celebrated the milestone of the election of a black man only 140 years after people of his race had been slaves? What if we really worked for compromise and the general well-being of all, to govern democratically within the structure of a republic, instead of competing among ourselves for power and domination?
     What if we were motivated by altruism, instead of greed, fear and ignorance?
     That would require that we face the truth, instead of hiding in hypocrisy.