Since you are the (self-proclaimed) ‘Master Seer and Soothsayer’, why didn’t you warn us of other things that surely a man of your ‘all-knowing’ and ‘all-seeing’ talents should have seen coming? For instance, why didn’t you foretell the disaster that the ill-conceived Iraqi War would become? . . . many others did predict this disaster from the very start, including myself, in writing, in this very newspaper. Why didn’t you predict the massive  budget deficits and our near total financial collapse? Why didn’t you warn us in advance that Osama bin Ladin would STILL be alive and well in the mountains of Pakistan (our ally in the War on Terror?), and still making and distributing videos calling for our destruction 7+ years after 9/11? Why didn’t you tell us of the rise of Iran as a major power and dangerous influence in the Middle East and Iraq, mostly made possible by the afore-mentioned ill-conceived invasion of Iraq? Etc. etc. etc.? ? Need I list more Mr. Downey? I can easily list many more failures of your severely ‘cracked’ Crystal Ball.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ve been a bit distracted. Maybe you and your Party were too busy viciously spewing your narrow-minded right-wing venom, attempting to assassinate the character of Democrats, Independents, or anyone who dared to disagree with your beliefs, as well as throwing around dangerous and false accusations and labels such as ‘Terrorist’, ‘Socialists’, ‘Muslim’, etc. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Downey, you were simply too caught up in judging others and you failed to recognize reality when it slapped you in the face. That reality being that the Bush Administration has been an abject failure! A failure to the American public, and to the World. So far, Mr. Downey, by my calculations you have only ever gotten one of your predictions correct. That prediction being one of your latest, that Barak Obama will be the next President of the United States. But unfortunately for you, it’s a little late to predict “that one” and get any credit for it. It’s now almost definite that Obama will win. Ironically enough, I personally predicted to you two years ago that Obama would win. And equally ironic is that you, and others like you, are solely to blame (or thank). You and your Party’s policies of deception and an insatiable hunger for total power and control have caused this ‘tide of change’ to sweep over this country.

The Bush/Cheney Administration (or should I say The Cheney/Bush Admin.), and their so-called Compassionate Conservative approach was neither. It was neither compassionate nor conservative, and far from it, if not the exact opposite. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines ‘compassionate’ as follows: 1) having or showing compassion. 2) granted because of unusual distressing circumstances affecting an individual - used of some military privileges such as leave. (another bit of irony) The same dictionary defines ‘conservative’ as follows: 1) marked by moderation or caution. 2) marked by a relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style or manners. Please feel free to try to apply those definitions to even one of the failed policies of the current administration over the last 8 years.

Mr. Downey, if I were you, I would get out of the ‘prediction/prophecy business.’ Honestly, you’re just not very good at it. If you were a baseball player, your lowly batting average would have long ago landed you on the bench permanently, or gotten you re-assigned to a new job . . . Waterboy. Maybe, just maybe, you could get a job with Rush Limbaugh as an understudy. Or maybe, just maybe, you would try applying the same amount of time and energy to helping pull this Great Nation and ALL of it’s people together, instead of endeavoring to divide us even further. But if that is the direction you chose, you have an immense amount of work to do, and many many credit hours to earn in ‘Charm School.’ Your’s and your Party’s concepts, strategies, and hateful propaganda have now been rejected out-right by the American people, and the World. It is time for you and your party to humbly and quietly drop back 10 yards. .. and Punt. Your worn out and ridiculous predictions of the Obama government is a lie. It is just you and your party’s last desperate attempts at hate and fear-mongering. But nobody is buying it anymore.

Mr. Downey, the people have spoken and it’s time for change. As a start, that change will include a U.S. President who has truly  mastered the English language and basic communication skills. A fluent, highly intelligent and charismatic leader who can communicate with our allies as well as our enemies, and who can correctly pronounce very basic and important words. . such as ‘Nuclear.’ In today’s dangerous world, change is not only good, but mandatory for our very survival. Mr. Downey, what I pray for is Peace. I must assume you are praying for your own wisdom. I will certainly join you in that endeavor.

Jim Pierce

Bismarck