Swinging?

I'd like to say a few words to those "undecided" voters, especially those in the so-called "swing states".  

I suspect that some of these voters are like my next door neighbor.  He's a nice guy, a life-long Democrat who finds himself faced with a dilemma.  He doesn't like Obama, but he doesn't care for Romney either.  What to do?

I didn't particularly like John McCain in 2008, but given the choice between him or Obama, I had to weigh which one I thought would be less damaging to the country, if not better for the country.  Sometimes that's the choice we have to make, one in which we don't wholeheartedly agree with or like a candidate, but one who's clearly the better of two mediocre choices.

If you supported Obama in 2008, but feeling disappointed in his performance as president, please consider a few things. Economically, President Obama has failed to cut the deficit as he promised he would, our debt is higher than ever, his policies have stifled energy production, and the unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high. This is the weakest "recovery" after a recession that this country has ever experienced. Sadly, Obama has divided this country along economic and racial lines. Obama has shown no inclination to change his policies or his beliefs, so why would another four years of the same thing give us different results?  

I would respectfully ask that you try to keep an open mind and take an objective look at what President Obama has actually done.  Don't listen to his rhetoric - this is a man who often says one thing and does another.  Just watch what he does.  

Isn't it time to give someone else - namely, Mitt Romney - a chance?

Maddening!!

I'm listening to the Michael Medved show as I work, and I'm both appalled and saddened at the stupidity and willful blindness of some of the callers to the show. 

Some of the things I've heard include the opinion that Obama is the only candidate who can bring us together.  Really??  We're more divided after four years of Barack Obama than we were when he took office.  If he hasn't united us so far, why should we expect anything different for another term?  

That great intellectual, Will.i.am, stated that the purpose of government is to guide us to do the right thing and give us a purpose in life.  I always thought that is the role of religion; I guess government is a religion for some people. 

One more stupid thing I've heard is that Obama will provide leadership for us. Mr. Obama is one of the weakest presidents in my lifetime.  A real leader would make courageous decisions, not just do what's politically expedient as the current president does.  He'd be out front and center, not bringing up the rear.  

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.  Four more years of an Obama presidency would be disastrous on so many levels and I pray every day that the majority of Americans will be wise enough to oust Barack Obama.  

Falling or Climbing?

Words have power:  the power to inform and the power to deceive.  The Obama administration is adept at using words to mislead.  Sometimes, they cross the line into outright lies.


As printed in the Wall Street Journal's main editorial today, the Obama campaign is running an ad "blitz" trumpeting that during Romney's tenure as governor, Massachusetts "fell" to 47th place in the country for job creation.  The truth is that when Mr. Romney became governor, Massachusetts was 50th in job creation, at the bottom of the barrel.  So, when Mitt Romney was governor, Massachusetts actually climbed to 47th place.  This is a distinction the Obama campaign doesn't want to make and, unfortunately, many people won't look any further to discern the truth.


Mr. Obama doesn't want to put his own record out there as justification for a second administration, so he's trying to make his opponent look bad, taking the focus off his own pathetic record.  So far, it hasn't seemed to work.  I think many people now know that Mr. Obama's figures are, at best, half-truths, if that. 

Where are You, Rick?

Newt Gingrich has ended his campaign and endorsed Romney, as he should.  Republicans seem to be coalescing behind Romney, although there are a few pockets of resistance.  

It's time to face reality, folks.  Romney is all but certain to be the Republican nominee and it's imperative that we rally behind him, even if he wasn't your first choice.

My question is:  where are Rick Santorum and Ron Paul?  Ron Paul is kind of like a foot fungus - you just can't seem to get rid of him.  Rick Santorum dropped out awhile ago, but has yet to voice support for Romney.  Still licking his wounds from the primary, I guess.  Hey, Rick - it's time to end your snit and encourage your supporters to get behind Mitt Romney.  The same is true for Ron Paul.  This country is more important than your personal grudges and beliefs and the reality is that Romney is the only one who has a chance to beat Obama in November.  Get off your high horses and encourage your supporters to vote for Romney.  

Panderer in Chief

After months of publicly and privately pressuring Israel to make unilateral concessions to advance the cause of peace, President Obama is now sounding much more hawkish on the subject of Iran.  In speaking at the policy conference of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) this past week, he assured the group that "I have Israel's back."  


As I'm sure Benjamin Netanyahu has noticed, this is a president who habitually says one thing and does another, a man who changes policy positions at the first whiff of criticism.  Many of these criticisms regarding Israel have come from prominent Democrats, among them New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez, Representative Steny Hoyer, Senator Harry Reid, Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator Charles Shumer.  To make matters worse, President Obama has yet to set foot in Israel and that is shameful.


In spite of all that the president has done to criticize and bully Israel, he now proclaims "I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more in terms of the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration", in speaking to a group of Jewish donors last October.  


Surely this is either the most delusional or the most egomaniacal president of my lifetime, or perhaps both.  I believe this is just election year rhetoric for Obama since he recognizes he has lost the support of many American Jews through his treatment of Israel.  He's shown us his true colors and if re-elected will be unencumbered by the need to court Jewish donors. Support for Israel will then fall by the wayside. The question is, however, will Jews vote for him en masse this year, or will they recognize that this is simple pandering?  

Positive vs. Negative

There are those who think Obama will be difficult to beat in 2012.  The field of GOP candidates is far from stellar, but what tack should the eventual candidate take in the campaign?

The economy is anemic and teetering, millions of people are unemployed and the  future doesn't look especially bright, which is exactly why the Republicans need to be upbeat, optimistic and encouraging.  Obama believes the United States is not an exceptional country and apparently has little faith in Americans.  He sees America as a country in permanent decline and thinks our best days are behind us.  If a Republican candidate will get up and speak of the exceptional nature of our great country and its people, offer a plan to get us back on track as the world leader we still are and bring hope to people, it will be a wonderful contrast to the pessimistic scolding of Barack Obama.  Don't focus on "shared sacrifice" or austerity; put the spotlight on how we can pull ourselves out of the doldrums in which we find ourselves.  Obama seems content to settle for living in those doldrums.  I, for one, am not.  

Obama's Campaign

Obama is swinging into campaign mode once again (I would argue that he's never really quit campaigning).  Speculation is that he will spend a record amount of money in his attempt to get re-elected.

I'm wondering if people will fall for his deceptions, as they did in 2008.  There are people in this country who will vote for him no matter what, and I've written them off as hopelessly and willfully ignorant.  I would plead with my fellow citizens:  don't fall for his rhetoric.  His tone may have changed and he may be acting slightly more hawkish, but at heart he's still the same left wing  ideologue that he always has been.  We need to move our country back toward the right if we hope to save it.