Why I Would Make a Lousy President, and Why I Voted for Obama

As we get close to tomorrow's election, it has become increasingly clear that its all coming down to Ohio.  More-so, its looking like Obama is going to win Ohio, and the reason Obama is going to win is the auto bailout way back in 2009.

Here's what I wrote about the auto bailout way back then.

If I thought a bailout would actually prevent the inevitable collapse of GM and Chrysler (Ford may still survive--maybe), I would support it.  As a long-time resident of Michigan, I do not believe the auto executives can do it.  There is nothing in the Big 3s proposals that suggests anything other than more of the same (layoffs, closing factories, cars nobody wants to buy).  The collapse of the big three will be devastating to the midwest.  But if it is inevitable, why throw good money after bad.  This will be tragic for most of the midwest--but the tragedy is coming either way.  Its even more frustrating that it might be the republicans who prevent this awful legislation from becoming law (for all the wrong reasons, I know).

At this point, the best thing we can do for autoworkers is get a national healthcare system in place and start preparing the nation to take over the Big 3s retirement obligations.  The big three will become, at best, the smallish 1 in few years no matter what we do now.

Christ was I wrong.  I was wrong on everything.  I was wrong when I said it couldn't work (it did).  I was wrong about throwing good money after bad (all the money is getting paid back).  More-so, I was clearly heartless about the impact of mass layoffs in the midwest.  It would have been hell, and likely pulled the rest of the US economy down with it...spreading unimaginable pain far and wide.  

So, I was wrong, way wrong, completely wrong.

Obama is likely going to win this election because of his decision on the auto bailout.  For that reason many of us will credit Obama with being a smart politician--and that is true.

But the reason (OK, actually one of many reasons) I voted for Obama is that he made the right choice, the moral choice, and the hard choice.  It was unpopular back then, in part because of assholes like me.  But he did it...he saved the car companies, the auto unions, and much of the midwest. This not only shows that Obama is smarter than me, he is also a better judge of right and wrong.

For that, Obama has my vote.