Thoughts for a Sunday Afternoon

The Phoenix Suns won a big game today at home against their nemesis, the reigning World Champion San Antonio Spurs. The Suns have been less than overwhelming since the Shaquille O'Neal trade, going 3-6, and descending from the best record in the Western Conference to sixth place. The entire team seems to have been in a funk, the defense has been atrocious, Shawn Marion has obviously been missed, and the team had not been able to smoothly incorporate Shaq into the offense. Going into today's game, the team had lost 4 out of the last 5 and three in a row at home. The Spurs, of course, are the team that eliminated the Suns last year in the playoffs, after a controversial foul where Robert Horry decked Steve Nash into the scorer's table, prompting Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw to rush the floor. Both players were suspended for a game, and the Spurs were able to turn the tables and beat the Suns. No one who lives here in the Phoenix area has been able to let that go. Obviously, this was a big time game for the Suns. And, for the first time in about two weeks, they stepped up big. They limited the Spurs to a total of 87 points, but more importantly, only two in the last four minutes. The Suns erased a five point deficit and won by seven by going on a 14-2 run in the last five minutes of the game. Steve Nash played with passion and defensive intensity, Amare Stoudemire was a stud as usual, and Shaq easily played his best game as a Sun, with double figures in points and rebounds, several big-time blocks, and excellent defense on Tim Duncan. No, he is not the great Shaq of the past, but for today, he was clearly enough. If the Suns can build on this win and finish the season strong, and Shaq can continue to play like he did today, the Suns will be tough to beat in the playoffs. This was probably the biggest win of the year for the Suns, all things considered.

The Arizona Wildcats, on the other hand, are in deep trouble. For the first time since Lute Olson's very first season (83-84), the Wildcats finished the regular season with a losing record in the Pac 10 conference, 8-10. That finish was good enough for seventh place in the conference, which before this weekend was completely unfathomable. The Wildcats are clearly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and need to win at least one, and probably two games in the Pac 10 Tournament to make it to the Big Dance. Obviously, it's been a frustrating and difficult season for this once proud program. Lute Olson has been on a leave of absence all year, and he either needs to retire with dignity or come back and lead his team. The uncertainty has been emotionally devestating for the team, and has been a major factor in the team's performance. Injuries have also played their part, but previous Wildcat teams have played through injuries, and it's been disappointing, to say the least, to see this team underachieve all year. We'll see what these players, injury-free for the first time since December, have in them when the Conference tournament begins on Wednesday.

John McCain was at the Suns game today, and I firmly believe that he will be our next President. While he should be an improvement over W (which is not saying a whole lot), I have a great deal of fear about a McCain presidency. He has not done a whole lot of good things for the State of Arizona during his tenure in the Senate, and he is definitely a loose cannon. He has said things like the Iraq War will drag on for a hundred years, and I fear that he will bring back the draft. We are edging deeper and deeper toward a recession, or worse, and I have no faith that McCain has any clue what to do to bring us out of it. As senator, he supported and allowed the unbridled growth that took place in Arizona in the last five years, without any limits or controls. Now, that policy has completely backfired, as the housing industry has collapsed, many newly-built homes remain empty, and future projects which have been given the go-ahead have been stalled. Many people in Arizona stand to be ruined by the complete reversal of the home-building boom.

And, of course, let's not forget the impending oil crisis. Gas prices have risen about 35 cents per gallon in the last two weeks, and our state is pitifully prepared to offer alternatives to driving. For example, I work 37 miles from my home, in a different county, and there is no alternative to driving my vehicle to and from work. Most Arizonans are in the same boat. The bus system in Phoenix and Tucson are mediocre, at best. Phoenix is building a light rail system, but it is still about a year away from completion. I can't help but feel that disaster is looming ahead.

As for the Democrats, there is no doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton is completely unelectable. While she has taken states like Texas and Ohio in the primaries, there is no way she can win those states in the general election. For the most part, Hillary is despised and mistrusted. She would be trounced by McCain. As far as Barack Obama is concerned, he stands a better chance than Hillary, although I won't believe this country is ready to elect a black man as President until it actually happens. Sorry, but I live in an area of the country where racial prejudice (both subtle and not-so-subtle) is very much alive and well. Obama would lose big in the South and the West (including California, in my humble opinion) and I just don't believe he will be able to defeat McCain.

And even if either of the Democratic candidates could actually beat out McCain, would it make that much of a difference? Would either one have the strength or fortitude to bring our troops back home from Iraq, if that is even possible at this point? Would they be able to steer us out of the impending economic disaster? What about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, and the recent upsurge in violence in that region? Can any one of the trilogy of McCain, Clinton or Obama do anything to avoid further bloodshed and disaster in that corner of the world? It's all pretty scary, when you stop and think about it. And I haven't even mentioned the subject of terrorism.

When we get to November, I will vote for whomever the Democrats select, Clinton or Obama. In my opinion, the Republicans have done nothing less than get us into another Vietnam situation and bring us to the brink of economic disaster. When you add to that the fact that they are the party which supports the repeal of legal abortion, mandatory school prayer (which as a non-Christian, I find reprehensible), mandatory term limits (which would pretty much make irrelevant such political stalwarts as Morris Udall), and the agenda of the Religious Right (which again I find reprehensible and anathema to what the Constitution stands for), the choice seems pretty simple to me. I am ready for change, and I will be voting Democratic in November. I want a Democratic President choosing future Supreme Court justices and leading this nation, and hopefully making a real difference in Washington. The Republicans have had their chance, and they have screwed things up royally. It's time for a change.