The campaigns are starting to get down to the nitty gritty, so perhaps now is the time for a word of caution:  BUYER BEWARE!

I certainly don’t want to be the one to throw water on the flames of hope, but before this fire gets out of control we need to rein in our imaginations a little.  It’s wonderful to think that the election of a new president will immediately change the direction of our national future.  Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.

Headlines yesterday indicated that Barack Obama vowed to help struggling homeowners.  That’s a wonderfully lofty idea and I’m sure most of us would like to believe that he can do that.  But, let’s get real, people.  We are a more than a year away from a new face sitting in the oval office.  Even with the best of intentions, once he is elected, assuming that he would be for the point of this comment, what can he do on January 21, 2009?  We all know nothing will be done on the 20th because that’s the day the party will party. 

Ok, so let’s say that on January 21, 2009, Obama decides to start curing our homeowner financial woes.  What exactly can he do?  And, how long will it take?  The answer is simple.  He can do nothing without the support of Congress and we know how slow that move can and will be.  For the homeowners who are facing foreclosure today, tomorrow, or next November the help will come too late.  Perhaps, at best, he can get legislation passed to prevent the recurrence of this financial debacle, but what will be the benefit of that legislation to those who are packing up and moving out of their homes this year?

Mike Huckabee has stated that all the illegal immigrants must go home and start over.  That’s over 12 million people.  So, what is the probability of that really happening?  The idea of starving people out of the country is absurd.  Has no one thought that once the unemployment surges for illegal immigrants, in all probability the crime rate will rise?  I’m not indicating by any stretch of the imagination that the illegal immigrants who now work here are criminals.  I only ask that you imagine what an additional 12,000,000 unemployed people would do to our ecomony.  Forget the services we wouldn’t be getting.  Just imagine the desperation of millions of people.  A personal opinion is that they wouldn’t be heading home as Mike Huckabee suggests.

My intention is not to pick on Obama or Huckabee.  All the candidates have made statements of quick fixes that just aren’t probable or even possible.  Let’s not be lulled to sleep by the magic lullabies these candidates are singing.  There are no quick fixes.  It’s going to take time.  And, if there is one thing we have failed to look at… it’s not what they say they are going to do… it’s how they plan to do it.  That’s where the reality comes in.  It can be sobering.

Some time back, I was at a sales team rally.  There was lots of hip-hip-hoorah.  Everyone was highly motivated, cheering their future successes.  The team leader cheered and told everyone in the room they, too, could be a success and make large incomes, have the best cars, the biggest houses, send their kids to the best schools and vacation in Paradise.  Everyone became so excited that they stood and cheered, touting their future successes.  But, as we walked out the door, into the sunlight, one participant looked at me and asked, “I’m so excited.  We can make millions.”  Suddenly, his face lost its glow.  The smile faded.  “But, no one told us how to do it.”