Reloading for the Desert Eagle (.50AE)

Specs on the gun for which I'm making these loads:

Gun: Magnum Research Desert Eagle Mark XIX
Chambering: .50AE
Barrel: 6"
Weight 4lbs

Earlier I wrote a review of the Desert Eagle for which I did the following load testing. It can be found here .

What prompted me to start reloading for .50AE was the price of cartridges. The going rate is about $2/shot so I figured I could make cheaper hand loads of equal or greater quality for less money. As it turns out, I was right! The following loads will take you down from $2/shot to about $0.38/shot and give favorable results.

When using the following recipes, be sure to put a healthy taper crimp on the finished round. Failure to do this will result in feeding problems and difficulty in loading the magazine. Also, use this data at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any injuries or damages that may result. As always with hand loading, be careful!

Load 1:
This is what I originally used in the pistol before coming up with the other recipes.
1) 33.5gr of W296 powder (I'm told H110 can be used as a substitute for this)
2) Speer 300gr GDHP bullet
3) Winchester Large Pistol Primer
4) COL: 1.575"

This yielded an average muzzle velocity of about 1500fps and somewhat abrasive recoil, but it could be managed. The barrel in my pistol wasn't quite long enough so there was some wasted gasses. While this translates to loss of velocity and energy, the resulting muzzle flash and fireball was impressive to say the least! Accuracy was acceptable and yielded groups of about 8" at 50yds, but someone better than me could probably improve upon this. MOA of whitetail deer to be sure.

Load 2
CAUTION, for experienced shooters (or for those wanting to watch their dumb buddies shit themselves) only!
1) 34.5gr of W296 powder (as before, perhaps H110 could be used, but I've never tested this)
2) Speer 300gr GDHP bullet
3) Winchester Large Pistol Primer
4) COL: 1.575"

This load yeilded an average muzzle velocity of around 1600fps and extreme recoil that resulted in flinching. Needless to say, there was also a lot of wasted gas here, too. The muzzle flash that resulted was colossal, to put it mildly and produced a "ring of fire" that traveled down range and lit up everything around it. I was unable to fire a decent group with this load. Probably best used to demonstrate what the pistol is capable of to onlookers. I personally have no other use for this particular recipe.

Load 3
My personal favorite.
1) 29.7gr W296
2) Speer 325gr UCHP bullet
3) CCI Large Magnum Pistol Primer
4) COL: 1.575"

Recoil is mild and controllable. There is some upwards twisting, but this is easily overcome with practice. Muzzle flash is fairly low, but present. Muzzle velocities averaged around 1300fps, about like a hot .44 mag. However, I've never seen a .44 mag pistol produce those kinds of velocities with a 325gr bullet! Accuracy is about 4" at 50yds, but could probably be improved by someone who is a better pistol shot than myself!

So there you have it! Three loads to try in your .50AE desert eagle! Don't let this small guide limit your own load development; there are hundreds of possibilities for your own hand loads that fall within the parameters set by SAAMI. I've just mentioned a few different loads that I have some experience with and would be worth trying out for yourself. Again, as always with hand loads, be careful and follow all safety guidelines, and have fun!

The following can kiss my ass

Anti-pesticide fuck wads. A hate filled rant is currently in the works for sheisseblog

Minivan drivers

New country music

Obongo, all his staff, and apologists

My foreman- excuse me, forewoman because gender neutral nouns aren't good enough for her

Fuds

Shotgun snobs

Rap music

Ewing, Indiana

Guys who drink wine coolers

Hipsters

Nazareth

Stix

Led Zeppelin

Bono

Obongo

The National Firearms Act

ACLU

NAMBLA

Michael Moore

RINOs

Al Franken

Indiana University

4th St. in Louisville, Ky

Your great great grandmother.


There, I feel better.

Review of the Marlin 1894

Make: Marlin
Model: 1894
Chambering: .44 rem mag/.44 special
Optics tested: irons/Nikon Buckmaster
Ammunition tested: Magtech 240gr soft flat nose
Price: $545 new

Those wanting to skip the story and get to the review, skip to paragraph 4.

It's been a while since I bought a firearm with the purpose of hunting as a primary use. In fact, the last time I bought a "fud gun" as some may call them, was in 2004. But this year, I decided that I needed a new rifle for deer hunting since Indiana has allowed a select few cartridges for hunting whitetails. My muzzleloader had served me well since I was 13, but now that some rifles are allowed, the advantage in range and accuracy I had with it is no more as magnum pistol rounds fired through a rifle replicate and exceed the ballistics of my muzzleloader without the heavy fouling and maintenance. Oh, and did I mention the superior accuracy? Yes, there's that too.

My search for the a rifle was pretty short. I knew what I wanted. The rifle had to be chambered in something larger than .357 magnum, capable of at least 4MOA, and not be made by Ruger. I considered getting an AR-15 upper in .50AE or .458 SOCOM but didn't because of price concerns. That left me with two options: a single shot or a lever action. Since I wouldn't be able to live with myself for buying a single shot rifle, that left me with a lever action. And as far as pistol caliber lever actions go, there is only one that I could ever consider owning: the Marlin 1894. So with my mind made up on the rifle, I had to decide on the cartridge next. Since the '94 is only offered in .44 rem mag/.44 spc, that part was easy. However, there is a conversion offered by Forkin for .50AE... albeit at a considerable price.

With my mind made up, I went out in search of a rifle. Luckily, my hometown has its share of deer hunters so finding a "deer rifle" wasn't the least bit difficult. I found mine at a local gun store for $545 plus $210 for a scope. Excited with my purchase, I hurried home.

The first thing I noticed about the rifle was how naturally it fell into my shoulder, much like fine shotgun. The second thing I noticed was the front sight and how obtrusive it was. Clearly, iron sights on this are meant for 50yds and closer. What impressed me the most, though, was the trigger. I've shot many lever actions from Winchesters to Henry's to Savages and all them had one thing in common: a notoriously hard trigger pull. But the trigger on the Marlin was incredibly light and crisp. It felt very similar to the old JP single stage I used to use in my competition AR, but with even less creep! I estimated the trigger pull to be around 3 1/2 pounds, but Marlin claims it to be around 4 1/2. After I was done fondling the rifle, I took it outside to do some sighting in.

I decided to try the irons out first since it would be a shame not to shoot a rifle with the sights it was designed to use. The irons are the buckhorn variety rear and beaded front sight. The bead makes sight acquisition easier, but ruins any appreciable accuracy past 100yds. It would cover a deer's entire chest at that range. The sights also do not come adjustable for windage. I fired 10 shots prone and 10 shots offhand at 50yds. My prone shots were all almost touching and were just a little under 1" in size. My offhand shots measured just a little over 2". As expected, recoil was very manageable with some muzzle flip. It felt about like shooting a .410 shotgun. Impressed, I added a scope and took my shooting out to 100 and 150yds.

At 100yds, the rifle revealed itself as a 2MOA gun and exhibited no shift in windage after sighting the scope at 50yds. In other words, nothing turned up that I hadn't expected.

At 150yds, things got a little interesting. First, while firing my test targets, I could distinctly hear the bullet impact the target almost 1/2 sec after taking the shot. Group sizes did not track with the previous groups and were about 5" in size and 6" low. There was also the occasional flyer that I couldn't account for. It was still enough to strike a deer's vitals every time, but the bullet was moving slow enough that this is probably the furthest I could comfortably shoot a deer. I was hoping to group a little better at that range, but it was still about 1" better than my muzzleloader so I was satisfied, more or less. I packed up my shooting gear and called it a day.

Pros:
-Excellent trigger
-More than acceptable accuracy
-Mild recoil
-Widespread ammo availability
-100% reliable after over 100 shots
-Ease of handling/ease of maintenance
-Quality of workmanship

Cons:
-Front sight is obscenely large
-Effective range a little disappointing
-Limited selection of factory chamberings

In conclusion, the rifle will suit the hunter well for deer under 150yds or black bear under 100. However, those in states that allow most rifle cartridges for use, there probably isn't a practical reason to own this over a .30-30. Accuracy is respectable especially considering the ammunition used during the testing of the rifle. Handling also gets top marks. The front sight presents a problem, but its overcome with a scope that most hunters will add anyway. All in all, Marlin continues to give us a sound package in the 1894 and one that this hunter will hopefully use to take a nice whitetail this November!

Has Country Music Died?

I can remember a time when driving (or riding) around in a company truck I listened to country radio almost exclusively. Sure when a group like Rascall Flatts or the Dixie Chix came on, I'd switch over to one of the rock stations but that was uncommon. There wasn't anything against the rock stations, I just preferred listening to country. This was the case almost up to last summer. That's when I heard these words come over my favorite country station:

"I got a friend livin' in the hip-hop world
He goes by E-Diddy but his name is Earl"

-"Holler Back" by The Lost Trailers

At that point, I thought, "nah, couldn't be. Surely the CMA hasn't stooped so low as to include this into the spectrum of country music." So I shrugged it off, dismissed this as a fluke, and changed the station. A few weeks later, the song was in the top ten country songs on Billboard's country charts.

But awful songs have been there before and they've just been oddities. There were many good hits to follow them. Case in point: "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chix. So I didn't worry about it. But then came the onslaught of poor song writing marketed towards high school girls and pseudo-country redneck wannabes.

"Little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
Pair of jeans that fit just right"

--"Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band

"Insert lyrics to Randy Houser's 'Boots On' here because I refuse to reprint them."

"Bob that head!"

-"Bob that Head" by Rascall flatts

I feel like those three songs describe just about every country song that's come out lately. The Zac Brown Band's song is representative of the "Americana" image that has been done and done again by country. Don't get me wrong, I feel those songs have a place but how about something new? It's like they took every country cliche and rolled into one radio-ready snoozefest.

Randy Houser's song is another exercise in why people hate country music. It's a song about being an ignorant hick and proud of it. And before I get flamed for this let me clarify my position. There is a difference between being in abject poverty and being a hick or a redneck and acting like one just because one thinks its "cool." Trust me, no one forced to live a life of rural poverty is singing about how great it is.

"Bob That Head" is perhaps the worst of them all. It's a nonsensical song about a guy who buys a stereo set for his truck and drives around town bobbing his head. Rascal Flatts could have scored some innuendo points with me for this song, but the double entendre simply isn't there. Instead, what you get is a song written by country music's boy band expressly for country music's lowest common denominator: the high school (or drunken sorority) girl. I feel this song is representative of the majority of the other far more boring drivel that gets put out today.

So why all the bad music recently? Has country music run out of things to write about? Is there just so little interest in country music that any record label is willing to take up any two bit yokel who can sing a chorus line? Or is it that the CMA just decided to target a different fan base?

It's been said that country music has just run out of things to say. I, for one, do not buy this. Country hasn't run out of decent songs to write any more than any other genre of music. All songs come back to one common theme: love. People never get tired of hearing them. Don't believe me? Think about your favorite song, love will manifest itself in some way within the lyrics. Bottom line: as long as people love things/other people no genre, including country, will run out of things to write about.

In the past decade, there's been a resurgence of the hip-hop/rap genres of music and a decline in the popularity of traditional country. Some could say the interest simply isn't there. One trip to Nashville or a county fair proves that country is, in fact, alive and well with the budding artist crowd. So there's no problem with finding new artists who can sing traditional country music.

That leaves one option: the CMA and its record labels intentionally sell bad music to the public. I used to wonder what happened to the greats like Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, and George Jones. I figured they had just gotten old and retired. Nope! They still record material. So why don't they get airtime?

The bottom line is the country, at one time, appealed to the thirty and older crowd. The songs dealt with divorce (perhaps most famously Tammy Wynette's D-I-V-O-R-C-E), alcoholism, sex, cheating, and financial problems just to name a few of the more popular topics. But then the CMA decided to reinvent itself and to gave country music a younger, more vibrant feel. Was it because they felt country music was alienating a larger demographic? Or was it because they felt there was more money to be made with the younger crowd from live shows? It was probably both, but no one is talking on this.

Whatever the reason, I see it as a detriment to the genre. There was a time when country meant something. A song written for/by a country artist could not be written for any other medium, easily. Imagine hearing "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" being sung by Aerosmith, for example or Soulja Boy doing a cover of an old George Strait song. It just doesn't bode well. And not only has country become pop music, watered down for the masses, the song writing has gotten weaker, lyrically. Compare the previous excerpts I mentioned previously to some of the lyrics that came from earlier music such as this one:

"Long legged shadows, Mississippi sunset
She was standing like a candle that hadn't been burned yet
The wind was blowing clouds like ashes
Had my hand in my pocket, reaching for my matches
I can see those cotton sheets a dancin'
On her mama's clothesline in my head
From my lips a lucky strike was danglin'
The day was dying in a sea of red"-- Tommy Shane Steiner's "Then Came the Night"

Notice how much tighter the lyrics are? This song has strong imagery and metaphore as well as a few other literary devices that seem to be completely lacking from any country song in the past year or two. Need another example? How about:

"The desert's quiet"
And Cleveland's cold
So the story ends, we're told
Pancho needs your prayers, it's true
But save a few for Lefty, too
He only did what he had to do
And now he's growing old." -- Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho and Lefty" (Performed by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard)

This is perhaps the greatest story song ever written with an interesting moral question interwoven in its lyrics. The discussion of this is beyond the scope of this entry, however, so if you really want to find out, give it a listen. But I think I've made my point. Song writing such as this is scarce these days.

Sure, there are a few artists lately who have really impressed me. Hootie and The Blowfish's Darius Ruck is the best example. A man from a rock background doing country better than any of the new guys who started out playing the honky tonk scene is certainly impressive. However, he probably only receives airtime because of his previously established singing record. Both Dierks Bently and Josh turner had great first and second albums in the past couple years but they, too, have started turning out more and more crap (Firecracker and Sideways come to mind). This leads me to another point I'd like to make.

Even the greats of the 90's and late 80's (Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, and Trace Adkins to name a few) shed their signature sounds in about 2005 for the more uptempo music that appeals to country music's lowest common denominator. Meanwhile, the real greats (at least the one's who are alive and still recording new material) are having a hard time getting their songs to even get air time. Even Johnny Cash died with his most recent material, including the stellar "American" series of albums receiving little attention.

So to answer my question, no, country music did not die. It just changed audiences. Those of us who prefer country music as it originated will just have to make to with old recordings or scrimp and search for new songs from our old favorites until the CMA decides it's had enough with the lackluster music that's being produced. But until that day comes, when I'm riding around in my company truck hopping from job to job, I'll be listening to the likes of Van Halen and Bob Seger on rock radio.

As a post scipt, I might not have such a problem with new country music if it was called something else besides country. If that means dividing country up like rock, then so be it. Heck I wouldn't be opposed if we even just called it country pop. But don't lump it together with the greats. That would be like comparing me to David Tubb- for all you who follow NRA Highpower!

My Review of the Desert Eagle Mark XIX

Specs
Make: Magnum Research Inc.
Model: Desert Eagle Mark XIX
Caliber: .50 Action Express
Weight: 4lbs unloaded
Trigger: 2 stage adjustable, mine feels like it's about 7lbs, single action only
Finish: Bright Nickel with 24K Gold Appointments
Price: $1200 V.Good condition used, ~$2000 new

This originally appeared on my old website, ForrestTheMarksman

First, this is the first "magnum" handgun I've fired since I was ten so keep this in mind. Having said that, I want to address recoil second. It seems no matter where one goes, there are people talking about how hard the Desert Eagle in .50AE kicks. I'm here to tell you that it's not that bad. Granted, it's much harder than say a .45ACP in a 1911 frame, but its nothing to be scared of. The gas operating system and sheer weight of the pistol take care of much of the recoil. Now, it still has a fair amount of recoil, but it's fairly easy to shoot. The people around the shooter actually suffer the most. This is because of the extreme muzzle blast. Hearing protection is always recommended when shooting firearms, but I'd say it's requisite with this one. It literally shakes the ground. And with good reason! Factory loads from Speer launch a 325gr bullet over 1400fps with around 1400 ft/lb of energy. Ballistically its the same thing as my .50 cal muzzle loader with 80gr of pyrodex only this measurement was taken from a 6" barrel and my muzzle loader's barrel is 20".

While we're on the topic of shooting, let me address some of the points of shooting a Desert Eagle. First, a solid stance is very important with magnum handgun cartridges. I would recommend using a modified weaver stance where you push forward on the grips with your trigger hand and pull back with your support hand; effectively balancing the handgun. "Limp wristing" a Desert Eagle in .50AE could have you wind up like this poor lady: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJjaj7pXsA . Lock your elbows and lean into the shot so your shoulders take the recoil and not your wrists. If you aren't firmly (but comfortably) holding the pistol, it will "roll back" and in all probability put a searing hot brass into your forehead. Letting the pistol "roll back" will also impact the effectiveness of the pistol's timing mechanizim and will probably cause a jam. Using cheap .50 AE cartridges will also cause jamming. To use a terrible metaphore, this gun is that high maintenance hot girl you dated back in college. Unlike her, you won't be trading out any time soon as these pistols are incredible shooters once you've figured them out.

Here's a video of me shooting the Desert Eagle I'm reviewing:

As for accuracy, I'm told it can shoot under 6" at 100yds and some can shoot the gun at 400yds, but I have not shot it past 25 yards. At 25 yards, I was able to shatter an 8" cinder block into roughly thirds and then shoot the thirds into fine dust, in four shots. I haven't shot it on paper yet, but at the rate it's going, the Desert Eagle outshoots my Beretta Px4 hands down. You'll want to get into reloading though. Good ammunition will run a hair under $40/box of twenty. You can reload quality .50AE at $0.30/round. Magnum Research recommends not doing this, but reloading is the only way you'll afford to shoot this monster.

Now, for a few words on maintenance. It's good practice to clean a firearm after every trip to the shooting range, but it is imperative with the Desert Eagle. I clean mine as often as I clean my competition service rifle which is every range trip regardless if I shot 1 round or 100. At the MINIMUM you'll want to clean it every 50 shots, but you'll probably start experiencing jams due to fouling after twenty or so shots. Magnum Research sells a cleaning kid for the Desert Eagle that works well for me (the 5 in 1 tool makes life easier in the take down). As for solvents, I use Hoppes No.9. DO NOT use WD-40 while cleaning the pistol; I'm told it can corrode the finish and since it evaporates, vapors can get into the gas operating system (remember this is one of those weird pistols that operates more like a rifle) and cause an expolosion when a round is fired. Disassembly and reassembly is easy and is made easier with the 5 in 1 tool availible from Magnum Research. I would also recommend replacing the factory plastic grips with some fingered grips by Hogue. They run about $50 and install in under two minutes. This will make shooting noticibly easier if you're sensitive to recoil.

In conclusion, this is not a pistol for everybody. It requires lots of maintenance and patience on the part of the shooter. Going for an average of $1500 in excellent used condition makes them one of the more expensive pistols on the market and with good ammunition going for $40/box of twenty, reloading will become necessary if one wants to do any volume of shooting with this gun (and trust me, you'll want to). Still, if you're up to the challenge of maintaining and learning to shoot a Desert Eagle, you'll be rewarded with great accuracy and a real attention getter at the range (or in my case, laughter for having a "pimp gun").

Here are some pictures of the gun. It's a Desert Eagle Mark XIX with a Bright Nickle finish and 24K Gold appointments:


Until next time

More Notes on the Desert Eagle: A Correlary to my review.

This can be read as a part two to my previous review on my Desert Eagle Mark XIX in .50AE from last October. These are just a few more things I'd like to add to that review and put down a few rumors and some misinformation I've seen floating around the internet. This will be in itemized format.

1) It seems there are two groups of people. There are those who love (and may be in love with) the desert eagle and those who absolutely hate it. Oddly enough, these two groups have something in common, they've probably never shot one.
a) Those who are in love with it have come up with a contraction for it, "deagle."
i) This got started because many computer games use this contraction when dealing with source files for
the desert eagle. In this sense, I find the phrase acceptable as programming is long enough as it is.
ii) If you use the phrase in conversation or internet communication, please quit reading my site. You are
a cretin. You wouldn't call the baby eagle a "beagle" or a lone eagle a "leagle." So why have you bastardized the the Desert Eagle's name? At least the other two are actual words. Using the "deagle" contraction makes you sound mentally impoverished.

b) Most fans of the Desert Eagle act retarded around the gun or just discussing the gun (refer to deagle).
i) This stems from a lack of experience which wouldn't be a big deal but they all act like experts on
it. It also stems from the glamorized image Hollywood gives the pistol.

c) Those who hate the pistol claim that it's useless, prone to break down, expensive, and inaccurate.
i) The pistol is great for hunting as it can take down anything in North America and a good chunk of
the African species within reason. It's also used as a 400yd target/competition handgun.
Useless? I think not.
ii) The pistol is no more prone to breaking down than any handgun but it does need to be cleaned
every 30-50 shots which is a good idea anyway. I clean mine after every range trip.
iii) The gun can be expensive, but like most things, you get what you pay for. The $1200 I paid for mine
was well worth it. It's a lot of fun to shoot and even more fun since I began hand loading for it.
iv) My Desert Eagle groups ~2" at 50yds but I'm not the world's best pistol shot. Again, some use this
for competition at 400yds- and win. The inaccuracy claim doesn't hold water, either.

2) It is my opinion that some people don't so much hate the gun as they do its fans. I don't blame them for that. I hate most of them myself. Actually, I use my gun as a sort of cretin detector. If someone asks me to bring "my deagle" over, I will correct them. If they do it again, I don't won't talk to them again. If someone gets ridiculously excited over it (not just usual, oh cool, excited but OMGWTFBBQ!!!!11eleven!!!!! excited), I don't speak to them- again. Yes, it is a cool gun because its big, accurate, loud, gas operated, and well, that's enough. It's not cool because Hollywood says it is. Most of the time it gets used in a movie, it's in a role that's unsuitable for it unless it happens to be killing zombies.

3) The Desert Eagle is not a home defense gun. It's too big, noisy, and the muzzleflash would blind the shooter in the dark. There's also the overpenetration factor. Out of a 6" barrel, mine will shoot through 8" of treated wood at 50yds and leave a large, splintered hole where it exits. Yes, it will kill whatever you hit with it, but it might also shoot through a wall or three and hit one of your own family members, too. It's like I tell everyone. When it comes to home defense, stick to your 12ga shotgun and #4 buckshot.

4) The Desert Eagle is not standard issue to the Israel's Army nor does Israel's Army have intentions of adopting it. Like the HK USP, it's just too big and unweildy for troops to carry. Remember, it weighs 4lbs unloaded.

5) The Desert Eagle is a great hunting pistol. I used mine last November year to shoot an average sized deer from 20yds. It only made it a few steps before it succombed to the 300gr Speer GDHP.

6) .50AE is NOT the world's most powerful handgun caliber. Off the top of my head I know that at least .500S&W, .460S&W, and .454 Casull all have more hitting power and velocity.

7) Magnum Research no longer makes .440 Cor-bon Desert Eagles. Sorry, this disappoints me too.

8) You cannot fire .38spc ammunition through a .357mag Desert Eagle. There just isn't enough power there to actuate the gas system.

9) Even though Magnum Research says not to, you can produce your own handloads for your Desert Eagle. I'm currently using a 300gr Speer GDHP bullet powered by 33.7gr of Winchester 296 powder and a Winchester Large Pistol primer. Cost? About $0.38 per round compared to $2 per round at the store.

10) The gold Desert Eagle isn't really gold, it's just gold plating.

11) The Mark VII and Mark XIX Desert Eagles have interchangeable parts. The old Mark I is not compatible with these other two models.

I think that's everything but I might add more later on if I can think of anything.

Did You Know I'm a Racist?

Because, apparently, only a racist could possibly have any sort of problem with a "black" president. It's not really the fact that Obama is bailing out big businesses so the CEO's can take their nice bonus this year, lay off half their work forces, and drive up the unemployment rate. It's not really the fact that we have a president, who if elected for a second term, will most certainly try to push another asinine "assault weapons" ban (you know, that thing under Bush Sr and Clinton that didn't solve anything)- or worse. And it's not really for the fact Obama has given Great Britain, one of our better allies, a veritable slap in the face...twice!

It's my inherent racism that comes from me being white and somewhat republican that is the only logical explanation for my current disdain for our Commander in Chief. Surely, only a racist could have any sort of problem with Obama. He's charismatic, energetic, and depending on who you ask, he's black!

The left has wanted this for so long and now they have it. They've got someone in office with whom they can pull the race card. Don't like our guy? You're a racist! Now, I'm sure someone out there is saying, "But Forrest! Not all of us liberals think that blah, blah, blah..." Shut up! I know, trust me, I know. A few of my liberal friends are exceptions. But by and large (or at least on facebook), this is what I see.

So, please, get over yourselves and our president. Obama is not God, nor is he perfect. People are going to dislike him. Just because he is "black" it does not make him great- true greatness comes from something deeper than the skin tone a man is endowed with by his Creator. Take a look at him objectively. This is how he will be judged by history.

Until next time--

Forrest