The Tipping Point

So I've reached my tipping point.

I have been sitting back and watching the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaign unfold, with all of its debates and sound bites, and I have yet to see someone identify a common thread. It's not complicated at all, though: it was the economy in 1992, and it's definitely the economy in 2008.

We can take any number of important issues and reduce them to the thing that matters most to all Americans, regardless of our political affiliations: our wallets.

• Saving Social Security is all about having a nest egg to retire with
  
• Providing Health Care Coverage to more Americans helps us reserve that money for other purposes
• Reducing Education Costs provides equal opportunities for everyone to achieve the American Dream

Regardless of political affiliations, the above three should be the top of mind for all Americans. Everything else relates to these in some way, and that will be what I explore in this blog. Whether it's restoring our status in the global economy in the wake of a weak U.S. dollar, reducing deficit spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, or taking care of our Middle Class right here in America, It's Still the Economy, Stupid!

My aim is to provide an anchor for folks to come back to when we see issues boil over in the mass media and mass society. Let's not be fooled by hardball politics, the politics of distraction, or especially the related tactic of avoiding the elephant in the living room that no one is talking about. Ask yourself, "What does this mean to my own bottom line?" when you are trying to sift through the rhetoric.

We should demand answers to our questions, and we should understand all the candidates' positions on economic issues. When we're on the fence we should ask for clarification on economic issues instead of being swayed by social issues that may be important but are exaggerated in their relevance to the most important issues we face every day.

Balancing the budget and distributing the wealth of this great nation should be the top priorities for the candidate we ultimately choose. They are difficult tasks, but we should expect that level of excellence from someone we deem worthy to be President of the United States.