By Dr. BRIAN K. CLARDY

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am a moderate Democrat. More to the point, I have cast four ballots for Barack Obama (Illinois U.S. Senate and presidential primary and general elections). And more than likely, I will cast a similar set of votes for him in 2012. I am a dyed in the wool Obama Democrat and will probably remain one for life.

But, I do believe that some conservative principles can and do work well. And unlike many Democrats, I am not so quick to poo poo the legacy of Ronald Reagan.   Yes I believe he was a great president. And I am also a political and diplomatic historian, and I see some trends with this new administration that if they are not reversed (and quickly) then the country is headed for even greater and more severe economic challenges. And if Obama isn’t careful in his approaches, it is certain that he will become a one-term president.

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