Is this the best we can do?

Well, it's election season and once again I'm plagued with dismay.  Remember, the last Presidential election?  Like most, I was among the disenchanted; having enthusiastically voted for Obama in round one I was receptive to a change in round 2... but Mitt Romney?  Really?  Who's idea was that?  At times, I get to feeling that King Obama is a bit aloof and out of touch, but when it comes to assessing which of the two were more in touch with the average American I don't think they could of handed President Obama a better contrast.  So, the best I could do was vote for Obama, again.


There's a governor's race in the Empire State this year and as it seems to follow, we seem to have a royal dynasty once again firmly entrenched.  Ironically, it was a Republican, 2 wars too many Bush, who drove me to the Democratic camp naively thinking that maybe if I could vote in a meaningful primary I could make a difference.  Well, I tried and joined the upstate mutiny to cast a vote for Teachout.  Mario overstayed his welcome and I was hopeful we had seen the last of the Cuomo clan when I saw young Andy pandering among Federal elites to land a big job as HUD Secretary.  I could be wrong on the finer points, but my recollection is of Andrew Cuomo hovering in the wings of the lynching party of Governor Paterson.  I was delighted to see Chris Churchill of the Times Union eloquently describe my sentiments regarding Andrew's arrogance.  So New York, we are now center stage to a mud slinging contest between Andrew Cuomo and Ron Astorino.  Are they the best we can do?

Fortunately, I'm not in the 21st Congressional District and will not be forced between charm school dropout, Elise Stefanik or the downstate carpet bagger, Aaron Woolf.  Unfortunately, I'm close enough to the district to have to suffer through their incessant mudslinging.  I bet my northern neighbors are asking, "Is this the best we can do?"

In keeping with my theme, it seems that New York is now enamored with the idea of opening more Casinos to bring jobs and revenue (or so they say).  I recall about 15 years back when many expressed to me how wonderful Off Track Betting (OTB) was for New York and how it contributed so much money for education.  I was a bit mystified why, with all this money rolling in (and with New York state running this gambling monopoly), there was a need to "bail out" OTB.  I'd be curious to learn who determined that there is all this pent up demand for gambling in New York.  Are they figuring all the displaced gamblers will migrate north from New Jersey to find an open casino?  I have no doubt that our fearless leaders will plunder ahead with their alternate version of reality.

I suspect we are destined to perpetually wonder, is this the best we can do?