Hero worship and tyranny
And so, I'm hopeful, I'm cautiously optimistic, and I'm worried. All these kids wearing Obama shirts like he's a comic book hero scare the shit out of me. Like them, I too am relieved to have the option to vote for someone who doesn't make me want to scratch my own eyeballs out, but hero worship has no place in a citizen/presidential-candidate relationship. Even our best politicians must be kept in check by an informed, questioning, vigilant citizenry. So, you could argue [and I will], that if Obama wins this election, our greatest challenges are just beginning. This isn't just a bit of election season exaggeration by the way. An informed citizenry relentlessly questioning the intentions and actions of its government is the only way a democracy functions successfully. Thomas Jefferson told us, "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." Do you think the government fears a lazy, debt ridden people who can easily generate larger ratings for an episode of American Idol than it can the Democratic National Convention? Come on, let's get it together, make Thomas Jefferson proud, and scare the living shit out of our government. It'll be fun and rewarding. I promise.
Ryan Walsh, Why Obama