Safe Haven

Since my withdrawal of the endorsement for John McCain, I have endeavored to maintain (at least officially) a certain level demeanor about the whole thing. If I have an ideological point to make, I'll make it. But I think people who don't know me intimately could only guess for whom I'll vote. You'll pardon me then while I speak bluntly about Obama's nomination acceptance speech Thursday night in Denver: I hated it. And darn near every second of it. I felt alienated; I felt the crushing weight of impending statism. I felt that important discussions about the market economy (and the rationale for a decidedly free one) were being sidestepped or minimized. I also felt that profound moral questions were likewise minimized, with little thought to the weight or validity of opposing arguments. (Abortion is by far Obama's biggest weakness.) The criticism of John McCain was fairly harsh and personal, especially for one who claims to desire a new kind of politics. I would...

As It Was I saw it for what it was, After so long a mosaic surprise. Hidden like the forgotten key Under the flower-pot. What it adds And what is gained Cannot be lost. There is no pretending That what is seen Is not seen; No, That will not do. Say what we see; What is before us? Yes, us. Shall we not study it together? If not, Then we ourselves Must cease. But we may not ignore beauty, And we may not lie. As for me, I saw the glory in the picture. I saw that you saw. And I will not go back.