Happy Presidents Day

(Editors Note: The above painting is by the talented artist Jon McNaughton)

Regardless of what you may think about our current president I do firmly believe that President's day is extremely important. It is the day that I hope that all of us reflect upon the hardest job in the world and some of the remarkable men who have held the position. This person is responsible for the care and well being of the most formidable form of self-governance ever devised by man.

Thus, whoever is in the White House deserves our respect, at least for the office. That being said, the current occupant should give us pause and if nothing else a learning moment. I submit that all of us, this President's Day, should reflect on not only the incredible responsibility that office holds but what our responsibilities are to that office. It is incumbent on us to hold this person responsible for his deeds while in office. Like everyone else, we, the electorate, can make mistakes (read 2008 election). But it is important, not only for America, but for the rest of the world as well that we learn from our mistakes.

President Obama was elected on a wave of platitudes and anti-Bush sentiment (aided by a complicit media). The coming election is our chance to correct the mistake of 2008. Winston Churchill once said: "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter".

I both agree and disagree with this statement. Yes the electorate can make mistakes but we can also correct our mistakes as we did in 1980 by rejecting Carter in favor of Reagan. I believe in this country we are still right of center, however, with more folks on the dole this position has become more tenuous. This next election could very well be the defining point in this experiment we call America. Will we continue down the path of the European Union or will we re-discover what it means to be American?

My hope is that next President's Day we will be celebrating the current occupant's retirement.