Losing the American Dream

Good morning again, Friends,

We're in the biggest political lull in months, with no major contest until New York next Tuesday. By political standards, that's nearly half a year.

Amidst the quiet, this morning The New York Daily News, that venerable middle-of-the-road tabloid, gave its endorsement to Hillary Clinton.

I understand their safe choice, but at the same time it left me feeling sad and empty.

Are we really in for another four years where I still will not realize the American dream?

Yes, I'm one of those tail-end baby boomers who've been affected most by America's boom/bust cycles and can honestly say that the fabled American Dream never really visited me.

Dreams were never made to come true. Didn't Aunt Hillary tell
you that?

I tried to do everything right. I worked hard for forty years, paid my bills and taxes, and played by the rules. But I seemed to be caught in every economic downturn that happened with near-predictable regularity.

Along with millions of others in my same boat, whenever the playing field tilted, it seemed that I was with them on the downhill end.

I'm not whining about it or complaining. Compared to the rest of the world, Americans in my boat are fantastically wealthy.

But what bothers me about the Daily News' endorsement is that it's just another turd in the punch bowl. We're being told to settle for the same old same old.

I don't want the dream to die. I'm an American dammit! I want to continue to believe this country can think big and inspire us.

As I see it, only two candidates can lay any claim to  being the agents of genuine change, and between them the choice is very clear.

One would be an American nightmare. The other personifies the true American Dream.