Barack Obama Mitt Romney
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While this may look good for the President, how quickly the political winds can change. Today's first rise in unemployment in 11 months to 8.2%, with the economy creating only 69,000 jobs, is bad news that couldn't come at a worse time. While 300,000 long term unemployed did re-enter the work force, this positive gets lost in the bad news headline. The President continues to hold leads in those demographics he dominated just a month ago, but has lost, in many cases, double digit advantages across the board.
In what is shaping up as a brutal campaign, fueled by individual billionaires taking full advantage of our post "Citizens United" election cycle, both campaigns are hitting hard and often. The major problem as I see it is that neither campaign is painting a vision for the future. The President and Democrats don't even bother in most cases, because they know Tea Party idealogs make any effort from the Left dead on arrival. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has no control over his caucus, so he couldn't make a deal on anything if he wanted to. The abuse of the filibuster, mainly on the Right, has maintained the gridlock Washington has come to expect. Since 2007 the Republicans have used the filibuster 370 times, that translates to about 1 every 5 days. Thus nothing gets done, while the Right hopes Obama gets the blame.
As for Mitt Romney, all he wants to be is the "alternative". His privileged upbringing and disconnect with the middle class? Doesn't want to talk about it.
His faith which many consider outside the mainstream of Christianity and is vital to evangelicals. Doesn't want to talk about it.
His record as Governor of Massachusetts, where he left the state in massive debt, and was 47th out of 50 in job creation, and brainchild of Obama Care. Doesn't want to talk about it.
The hallmark he touts as his brightest credential, his business experience, spotlights his vulture capitalism under Bain Capital that basically was a model to make money, not create jobs. Dive into the details, and you guessed it, doesn't want to talk about it.
He wants to eliminate tax loop holes, but won't tell us which ones?
He wants to repeal Obama Care, but doesn't tell us what he'll replace it with?
He keeps the press at arms length as much as he can, unless he runs to FOX to whack a few softballs.
As for the President, saying we can't go back to George W. Bush's economic policy sounds good, but what is your vision for the future? Think about it, aren't we still under the economic policies of the Bush Administration now? Republicans have blocked any attempt to change this policy, they even got an extension to the Bush Tax cuts, which after 10 years I think is safe to say don't work.
After a decade of wars, tax cuts for the rich, a Medicare prescription drug plan, all that went unpaid for on the nations credit card under Bush. Add an obstructionist Republican Congress that torpedo's any effort the President advances to attack these problems, and you have the situation we find ourselves in. Republicans consistently move to cut education, cut regulation, cut taxes for corporations and the rich, and cut environmental protections. They have declared war on women, gays, and voters, and all with a smile. In the meantime, our roads are crumbling, our bridges are falling down, our electrical grid is overloaded, our transportation system is antiquated and inefficient. The billions we have spent in a decade of conflicts and breaks for the rich, all came at the expense of our nations infrastructure, educational institutions, and middle class in general.
Think people, where does the majority of these problems lie? The public welfare has been undermined by a dogmatic battle cry from the Right to make President Obama a one term President at all costs, and sadly "we the people" are the ones who are suffering for it. As moderates continue to be run out of Washington on a rail, and Republicans who think compromise means bringing Democrats over to their point of view, brace yourself for more of the same no matter who wins the Presidency in November. Until we start throwing out these narrow minded dogmatic wing nuts who think its better to be right in their cause, than it is to work together to find solutions to all the problems this country faces, NOTHING is going to change.
