A Job I Do Not Want

I'm as apt to criticize the President of the United States as anyone. Though I'd rather moan about the status the House of Reps or the Senate.

However, I realized today, after reading the headline story in The Wall Street Journal ("New Economic Ills Will Force Winner's Hand" - seen here), I realized I should probably keep my mouth shut.

In high school and college, economics bored me to tears. Now, nearly a decade after entering corporate America, I find it fascinating. I love figuring out how futures, markets, hedge funds, short sells, naked short sells, etc. work. I like macro economic theory. I particularly find the nuances of real estate finance on both the corporate/bank and consumer side fascinating. Not surprising to anyone who has known me for more than 30 seconds, I have opinions on everything.

It doesn't mean I would want to (or necessarily know how to) deal with the huge drop in auto sales and factory output, the credit freeze, the bailout or ridiculous executives at the helm of the likes of AIG (since forcing them to relocate to Siberia in the dead of night is more than slightly illegal and reeks of Stalinism). On top of that there is the big "What to Do" about Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Kenya, North Korea, Russia, Georgia (the country, not the state), Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and several handfuls of other countries bordering on the brink of insanity, instability, and odd behaviors. Not to mention the collapse of economies from Western Europe to the Far East. What to do? Who knows, exactly?

It is a job I do not want. I voted today and did a little happy dance that A) I got to vote for someone ELSE to worry about it and B) there are NO MORE ELECTION COMMERCIALS. After 22 months of campaign nonsense, I'm not sure which felt better.

All in all, voting today gave me warm fuzzies. A short line, a nice chat with the neighbors and a lovely walk to my polling place just as the sun was rising (and the rain was falling).

Tomorrow, one of the candidates will wake up, turn to his spouse and say, "Honey, what on earth were we thinking!?"

Because sometimes reality isn't nearly as cool as the anticipation.