Many people are truly worried about the future of our nation and I understand their concerns. The huge deficit and growing debt are staggering, yet Congress wants to spend more. Locked-door deals to create 2,000-page health care bills that no one in Congress reads or understands, but most of us understand that if they can't get a flu vaccine to Americans within two months of when they promised, they probably won't be that great at taking over the entire health care system.
There are serious and legitimate concerns from small business owners about the impact of increased taxes and regulations for cap-and-trade and pay for more government pork in the name of stimulus, even thought the $787 billion spent so far has done nothing to curb job losses and the efforts to tout jobs saved or created has been revealed to have been a big fraud; thousands of non-existent jobs created in non-existent congressional districts.
It might be good if we could eliminate some of the jobs in Congress next year. Let the members of Congress largely responsible for job losses through bone-headed policies pound the pavement to find work.
But while it would be understandable to be worried sick about the future of our country, I'm actually optimistic and let me tell you why. For the past three weeks, I've traveled to 64 cities in 22 states signing copies of my Christmas book, "A Simple Christmas," and have looked into the faces of literally thousands of my fellow Americans.
I've seen people in wheelchairs and on crutches and walkers; I've met people who are in their teens and people in their nineties. I've met couples, widows, single moms, business people and students. I've talked to doctors, lawyers and accountants, heavy machinery operators, flight attendants, firefighters and teachers. I've met people wearing Yankees caps and those who wore Cubs gear. In Florida, they were wearing shorts and in Grand Rapids, they had overcoats.
I looked into every face as I signed their books and I came away from it all with hope. Not because I thought the administration and Congress were getting better, but because I thought the people still showed the resilience and strength to overcome.
Those faces I saw when I looked across a table to sign a book gave me confidence that we're a nation that might be traveling uphill, but still a nation that knows how to climb uphill. I met people who believe that God still hears the prayers of His people when they repent, pray and seek Him. You might not know their names because they aren't famous to you, but God knows them and hears them. And I'm thankful for them. And believe in them. And because of them, I still believe in America and its future.
While I came to your cities to introduce you to my Christmas stories, you introduced me to your children and grandchildren that you will fight for. And you give me hope.
That's my view, I welcome yours. E-mail your comments to: huckmail@foxnews.com
Go to mikehuckabee.com and click on to FOX News feedback — let me know your thoughts about this week's show. You can also find all the information for my 'A Simple Christmas' book tour at mikehuckabee.com.
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