MONROE - Over the past couple of weeks we've seen major problems on Wall Street, problems that have been compared to the worst for the United States economy since the Great Depression. People have lost millions of dollars in investments.
The economic experts don't expect the financial situation to change overnight. It could take months or years before things get straightened out on Wall Street.
Add that problem to the growing list of issues our country faces. We're still trying to figure out a way to claim victory in Iraq so we can begin to pull our troops out. Other issues include increasing home foreclosures, global warming and the effects of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.These are serious times.
During the Republican convention, while Hurricane Gustav was hitting Louisiana, Republicans said they would take off their "Republican hats" and put on their "American hats." They said they wanted to think of America first before they thought of their political party.
I think it's time John McCain and Barack Obama do the same.
Serious times call for a unified effort to solve the problems facing the country. No one political party has all the answers, nor is one party solely to blame for everything. These problems have been going on for years, and it's gotten worse because of the petty bickering that goes on in Washington.
But McCain and Obama can change that. They can show their fellow Americans, and the world, that the United States can put principle over party, voters above the electoral college and challenges ahead of personal ambition.
Both would have to ask their running mates to step down.
They can join together by announcing that whomever wins the most votes will be president, and the man who comes in second will be vice president.
Either man then could go on to work with the Congress in a bipartisan way to solve the economic and foreign policy crises that must be addressed by the next president. Both parties would have a vested interest in seeing that problems are solved, because neither party would want to be accused of standing in the way of progress. Obstructionists from either side would face the risk of damaging their own political leader.
I know this isn't how we're used to seeing government work. We've had political parties throughout our nation's history. The first time, and the last time, two men from opposing parties served as president and vice president was from 1796 to 1800. President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson didn't agree on much, and it wasn't the best solution.
I think this time it would work, because both McCain and Obama realize how important it is to solve our problems and both realize how dangerous it would be for our country if these problems aren't solved.
- Brian Gray is a reporter at
The Monroe Times.He can be reached at bgray@themonroetimes.com
The economic experts don't expect the financial situation to change overnight. It could take months or years before things get straightened out on Wall Street.
Add that problem to the growing list of issues our country faces. We're still trying to figure out a way to claim victory in Iraq so we can begin to pull our troops out. Other issues include increasing home foreclosures, global warming and the effects of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.These are serious times.
During the Republican convention, while Hurricane Gustav was hitting Louisiana, Republicans said they would take off their "Republican hats" and put on their "American hats." They said they wanted to think of America first before they thought of their political party.
I think it's time John McCain and Barack Obama do the same.
Serious times call for a unified effort to solve the problems facing the country. No one political party has all the answers, nor is one party solely to blame for everything. These problems have been going on for years, and it's gotten worse because of the petty bickering that goes on in Washington.
But McCain and Obama can change that. They can show their fellow Americans, and the world, that the United States can put principle over party, voters above the electoral college and challenges ahead of personal ambition.
Both would have to ask their running mates to step down.
They can join together by announcing that whomever wins the most votes will be president, and the man who comes in second will be vice president.
Either man then could go on to work with the Congress in a bipartisan way to solve the economic and foreign policy crises that must be addressed by the next president. Both parties would have a vested interest in seeing that problems are solved, because neither party would want to be accused of standing in the way of progress. Obstructionists from either side would face the risk of damaging their own political leader.
I know this isn't how we're used to seeing government work. We've had political parties throughout our nation's history. The first time, and the last time, two men from opposing parties served as president and vice president was from 1796 to 1800. President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson didn't agree on much, and it wasn't the best solution.
I think this time it would work, because both McCain and Obama realize how important it is to solve our problems and both realize how dangerous it would be for our country if these problems aren't solved.
- Brian Gray is a reporter at
The Monroe Times.He can be reached at bgray@themonroetimes.com
