Wouldn't It Be Nice...

People seem to be looking for a knight in shining armor to rescue the U.S. There must be a presidential candidate who will provide the leadership and answers we need. Unemployment and jobs are top subjects in the news. People have lost confidence in the government as their investment in their biggest asset, their home, looks like it will never bounce back to where it was in 2007.

All of the would-be knights running for the highest office in the land are promising that they will improve things if elected. I am waiting for a real candidate to speak the truth, but of course, he/she would never be elected. Imagine a candidate speaking the truth during a campaign speech. It would go something like this:

There is little I can do to impact the economy in a direct and meaningful way. I cannot push a button and create jobs. I cannot push the price of gasoline down to $2/gallon. I cannot make it possible for everyone to stay in their homes. I cannot continue to spend on everyone's favorite program while fixing the national balance sheet.

I cannot pass legislation. All of that is really the responsibility of Congress, and they cannot make things better quickly either. Sure, they can do things to get the economy moving in the right direction. They can also make things worse. Either way it takes longer than the two-year election cycle. So please don't give me the credit as president when things go well and please don't blame me when they don't.

I have a feeling that the electability of our honest candidate is about nil. We vote for knights who will magically make things better, but the magic just is not there.