A dose of reality

Here in northern Indiana, Congressman Joe Donnelly's endorsement of Barack Obama was a big deal. Donnelly is a conservative Democrat, and is very well-liked in the area, partly because of his engagement with his constituents and his tireless efforts to meet with any and all who want to bend his ear a bit.

An even bigger deal came today as Senator Obama campaigned in Michigan, although the cat was out of the bag well before the rally: John Edwards gave his endorsement of Obama. He is one of the SUPER superdelegates, with maybe only Nancy Pelosi and Al Gore even more...superer.

With Hillary's campaign over $20 million in debt, one has to wonder at the logic of continuing a doomed campaign, and while some may not want to read the writing on the wall, her campaign is a dead man walking, and I enjoy mixing my metaphors. Is she holding out in hopes of a huge scandal that will torpedo Obama's bid for the White House? Does she know something that we don't? I honestly don't know, but I wonder where the $20 million debt payoff will come from. Will the Clintons pay it out of their own bank account? Or, as I've heard some speculate, will the Obama campaign pay off the debt in the interest of party unity?

C'mon...seriously?! <sigh> Sometimes I just don't get it.

Ken and I were talking recently about how we are realistic, practical, and extremely pragmatic. That's probably one of the reasons we get along so well. I just don't get what kind of logic would indicate that continuing to spend millions on a losing endeavor is sound and viable. It's just not...practical.

Aristotle's words are pertinent for everyone and for every age, and the recent campaign, as well as various day-to-day experiences, has made me think about how reality, for some, is nothing but a vague concept. I'm not picking on Hillary here, it's really made me ponder why some just..don't..understand their strengths and their weaknesses.

Since I began by talking about Obama, I'll use him as an example of having a goal, having the means, and then adjusting to achieve his goals. He graduated from Harvard, and he did very well there, because he had the intelligence and ability to succeed at such an elite school. What I don't understand is why some people don't get that not everyone is cut out for Harvard or other elite universities. Both Ken and I went to state universities (University of Illinois for Ken, and Ball State University for me) and I think we did pretty well with that. I don't know if Ken applied elsewhere and got accepted, but I also applied at the University of Georgia and was accepted there. I chose to stay in my home state, and I'm happy with my decision. I received an application from Notre Dame, but even at the tender age of 17, I was a pragmatist and knew that A) my grades weren't good enough--a 3.8 or thereabouts wouldn't cut it at Notre Dame; B) my parents didn't have the money to pay for that kind of tuition; and C) I didn't have the connections that are usually necessary to get into such a place. I didn't spend the $50 (this was in 1979) to send in an application, because what was the point?

I'm such a realist.

There comes a time when parents need to stop telling their kids that they can do whatever they want to do, because sometimes they just can't. Thinking that you can sing does not make you the next American Idol. Being a star football player in high school does not make you an automatic NFL draft pick. Being an average student does not make you eligible for Harvard or Notre Dame, and frankly, in this competitive day and age, it does not even guarantee you a free ride, let alone an automatic admittance, to one of your state schools.

There is nothing wrong with setting goals and dreaming about your future. But having goals without the means and having dreams without wisdom is simply unrealistic. I know that's not easy to hear, and I remember times in my past when someone threw a proverbial glass of cold water in my face and on my aspirations. I didn't appreciate it at the time, it pissed me off, and it ended up...being reality. I will never be the person that tells someone, "You can't do that," but I will also never be the person to say, "You can do anything you want to do." That is NOT reality. Decide what you want to do, figure out if you can do it (and be honest), and do what you need to do to get there.

Aristotle was pretty damn smart.

Tags: Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Donnelly