Am I better off today than I was 4 or 8 years ago?

A real good friend of mine and I were having some drinks last night. He is a liberal and a huge Barack Obama supporter. He decided to engage me in some political conversation, or debate for a better choice of words.

Anyways, my friend is aware that I am not a huge fan of John McCain or the Republican Party as a whole right now. I guess he figured maybe he could persuade me to jump across the aisle. I may have problems with Republicans, but that doesn’t make me a socialist!

As our debate progressed, I noticed a common themed question among Obama supporters I talk to. The question: Are you better off today than you were 4 or 8 years ago? Now there is no doubt the premise of this question is to imply if you are not better off it is somehow President Bush’s fault. After all, everything is his fault for those suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome.

My answer, absolutely I am better off than I was 4 years ago or 8 years ago. But what if I wasn’t better off than I was four or eight years ago? Would I truly have anyone to blame than myself? I don’t give credit to President Bush for being better off. I did it. I put myself in positions to make myself better off. The choices I make today will make or break my tomorrow. If I make choices that break it, then I have to fix it. I don’t turn to politicians or government to fix it for me.

Oh and guess what…. If Obama or McCain wins I will be better off in four years than I am today too. Just like I was better off four years after Bill Clinton.