Give me a choice between Diet Pepsi and anything else, and I’ll choose anything else. Nothing against PepsiCo, but as a loyal Diet Coke consumer, I cannot nor will not tolerate any Diet Pepsi in my system. I will not drink it in a box. I will not drink it with a fox. I do not like Diet Pepsi.
Just as I approach PepsiCo, most of us evaluate people and politicos from a similar perspective. Our loyalty to one brand often blinds our ability to see rightly in regard to another. It tilts our perspective, often making us very black and white. (Ahem... ask any Ohio State or University of Michigan football fan.) We can then become unknowingly self-focused... ignorant of the strengths of another or the weaknesses of our own.
Loyal Democrats praise the change President Obama now offers our country. Have we not realized that he promised earmark reform on the campaign trail, but his very first budget proposal includes over 9,000 earmarks? That is not change.
Loyal Republicans scream about the unethical use of those hidden earmarks. Have we not realized that they are responsible for 40% of the pet projects? That is not responsible governing.
Democrats and Republicans alike blame President Bush and Obama respectively for the stock market’s free fall. Have we not realized that the market is driven by consumer confidence, and the market has been sliding under both of them? That is not confidence.
And arguably my current favorite, changing gears somewhat... Loyal ABC “Bachelor” enthusiasts cry foul when Melissa is chosen over Molly... or was it Molly over Melissa? Or wait... will that single father please make up his mind?? Maybe we should just quit watching that show. That is not reality.
That’s the problem. Because we are passionate, we become confused as to what reality actually is. Our emotions get in the way of thinking and seeing rightly. If we could actually see - and not allow our perspective to be blurred by passion - we would ask the above to do the following:
(1) Remove the earmarks.
(2) Govern responsibly.
(3) Stop the selfish thinking.
As for me, I’m going back to my Diet Coke. I hate Diet Pepsi.
AR
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6 comments:
Totally agree with your post. Let's all be honest and not sugar coat results. Just because my favorite candidate does something it doesn't mean it is done well. I need to look realistically at politics and realize no one party has all the right answers. Enough with the selective memory too!
I'm a Coke girl, myself.
We don't give a D@#% about the whole state of Michigan. The whole state of Michigan ...
Now that's an example of what not to do. I never really sing that song.
I hate diet Pepsi, too. You raise valid points in this post, however, I would like you to swing on over to
www.factcheck.org and navigate to the article "GOP stimulus myths". I think it gives some valuable insight into how some of the purported "earmarks" aren't actually mentioned in the stimulus package. And it also does a fantastic job of breaking down the package and explaining what the money is actually going towards. A much better job then I would do at explaining such a thing. Just trying to keep you sharp!
The TBox and Jules have great comments... Also, Jules direction to www.factcheck.org is a great suggestion! Also, in order to clarify: the earmarks I referred to in this posting are those included in the current budget proposal as opposed to the previously approved stimulus package.
I love Diet Pepsi. And have you tried the new Pepsi Max?? Awesome. However, I do have Diet Coke on hand for those who come for a visit. :-)
I don’t know about Melissa or Molly but I do know reality in my house. My wife stops for a fountain Diet Coke 364 days a year (McDonalds isn’t open on Christmas) and if the restaurant we stop at serves Diet Pepsi, we are movin on to the next location. And Jules, thanks for factcheck. I'll be back there.
I personally like to have variety, so I like both Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke with lime. I do like the new Diet Pepsi Max right now. As you know, I support President Obama, and let's keep in mind he took office a mere 60 days ago. FYI, the stock market started to go south around December 2007, if not before. I can attest to that looking at my 401K statements... President Obama has a good head on his shoulders, and he's one of the smartest Presidents we've had in recent years. I firmly believe he knows what he's doing, and everyone needs to give him a chance. I wonder what President Obama's preference is: Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi or neither?
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