"The Only Thing We Have To Fear....."

By any reasonable measure, the presidency of Barack Obama, at this writing, deserves no better than a grade of C.

That grade was determined by emulating the time honored fashion of knocking both the high and the low score off to find what passes for an honest rating.

In other words, that grade is less a designation of "average" as it is a finding the center line between those that still think he is a superstar and those who would like to send him packing back to his birthplace.

Kenya or Hawaii, your call.

If you will concede, if only for the sake of discussion, that C is fair, then let me run this past ya...

If the election were held today, I believe that he would be re-elected, if only by a thin margin.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with his accomplishments or lack thereof, as the case may be.

It has to do with the other guys are offering as alternative.

Another "evil" for us to choose the lesser of.

And, more insidiously, an invitation to subscribe to, and/or endorse, the politics of fear.

At this writing, Mitt Romney leads the field of prospective candidates.

But just like Ricky Bobby appearing in Jean Girard's rear view, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and  Texas Gov. Rick Perry are moving up on Mitt.

And, so far, it looks, and sounds, like both Bachmann and Perry are card carrying members of the "be afraid, be very afraid" school of political presentation.

• Both are expressly pro-hetero, and for all appearances, anti-homo, sexual, don't even get them started on gay marriage.
• Both are on record as believing there is no credible evidence to accept global warming is real, Bachmann, in fact, going so far as to call it a hoax.
• Perry endorsed a resolution calling for "state sovereignty" which many believe was a thinly veiled endorsement of the idea that Texas should secede from the Union.
• Bachmann has voted against financing higher education and lowering student loan interest rates, in one case, opposing a bill that was later signed by George W.

The list, as it does, obviously, for anyone and everyone, goes on.

Here's some reference resources for you to check out for yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Bachmann

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Perry

No one, of any political persuasion, can deny that Joe and Jane Six Pack are tired of the same old, same old when it comes to American politics and, in tough economic times, that fatigue often manifests itself as outright resentment and/or hostility.

In the heat of that anger, the last thing people usually want to hear is platitudes and homilies about "the best parts of our humanity" or "how we can, together, realize the dream of a greater nation and world".

Yada, yada.

But, once cooler heads prevail (and inevitably they do or we wouldn't have made it this far, would we?), we all start looking for that person who is going to inspire us, motivate us, make us want to be better than we are and set the bar to a height that we will work to clear.

Motivation is born out of inspiration.

Not intimidation.

And the politics of fear is the politics that keeps injecting into our collective blood stream, the virus of intolerance and hatred and prejudice.

Not a campaign that lifts us back up to a place where we believe we can overcome challenges and obstacles together, but one that warns us of the dire consequences of not endorsing exclusion and separation.

A campaign that offers not "ask what you can do for your country' but one that warns "vote for me or pay the piper".

History is littered with the names of "leaders" who fear mongered their way to power.

And the end result has always been the same.

Barack Obama has, admittedly, not accomplished what fervent followers expected.

But I think if the choice had to be made today, a majority of voters would choose another dance with the devil they know.

Because, he has,to this point, not asked us to continue believing in him lest we realize our worst fears.

With the exception of Romney, that seems, so far, to be the strategy of the other leading Republican candidates.

And millions of Americans seem to be buying it.

Now that's scary.