It took a few days outside of the country to figure out what was really going on inside the country this week.
After giving way too much money to the Icelanders for a week, I was shocked while trying to get through the customs warehouse at JFK Airport as to what’s going on for the 2012 presidential election. Bleary eyed and brained from the flight, I was stumbling through the carpeted maze toward to too-friendly immigration cops when I was nearly overcome by the most annoying game show host I had ever heard. If you’ve ever been to this third circle of hell in New York, it’s a cavernous place where they’ve set up a host of giant-screen TVs blaring the day’s news to all those who either just lost their vacation savings abroad, or who are just about to lose them here in the United States.
Just trying to figure out which line to get into and which one to avoid is about all anyone can muster as they worry whether that can of Lava Beer will make it through customs.
The game show host kept on blathering in a syrupy, condescending voice that offered up less credibility than Richard Dawson. I wasn’t sure who it was, but it was easy to tell he was just spitting back lines off a card. Daytime TV still sucks.
As I turned a corner to face a TV, I was shocked to find out that the man pretty much offering folks something behind curtain No. 2 was Mitt Romney. Now this is a guy I’ve heard go on endlessly, endless times before. I’ve heard what he said, but I never really made the effort to listen to how he said it.
He was asking some blank-faced people somewhere whether they were better off now than four years ago.
Seriously? That’s like asking someone three years into their chemo and cancer treatment whether they’re better off than they were before they found out they had cancer. Dude, I don’t know what planet you’ve been on, but we came way too close to having a head-on collision with Comet Depression. Four years ago, we all thought we were dead. In fact, it ain’t over yet.
Romney sounded like he was going to break into a song from Oklahoma at any minute. It was lame. It was reminiscent of when Bush was running for president.
I’ve got a long list of things I don’t like about what the Obama Administration has or hasn’t done in the past few years, including providing for real health-care reform, real immigration reform and real budget reform, but I can tell you for certain that I am NOT better off than I was four years ago, but that I am just glad I don’t live in some kind of Hooverville, which could have been entirely possible.
I was hoping that Romney would present a credible alternative to Obama, forcing the president to get off his rhetoric and make for some real changes. Unless Romney gives up his smarmy snake-oil side show, the election’s already over, and Obama can do as little as wants during the next four years.
It sounds as if you (‘swarmy snake-oil side show’) already made up your mind, and are trying your best to achieve this decision for others also.
Have you ever listened to the lies (‘my father served in WWII) you guy tells? Have you ever listened to the rhetoric and preaching to the choir he commits every time he opens his mouth? I actually heard him say ‘I haven’t added to the deficit, I’m only paying bills made by Bush” he actually said that! Listen to both sides, and stop the name calling, stick to the facts, you’re an editor, not an occupier, or are you?
Right on Gofastgo; Instead of making vote decision on verbal gaffe’s (or that meda says) folks should do a bit of of research. Facts: Gov. Mitt Romney was sworned in as Mass governor in 2003. Faced Sen. Kennedy (D) and Sen. Kerry (D), and 10 Democratic Representatives at federal level. In state he had 34 (D) 6 (R) Senators, and 137 (D) with 21 (R), and 2 vacancies. Only 13% of residents were Republican, 49% were unenrolled (independents elsewhere). First 2 years all of his vetoes were overridden. And Massachuesetts (dubbed Romneycare) only passed because Sen. Kennedy screwed up his chance of being governor or president by his “junior aged” activities. But Sen Kenedy wanted universal healthcare in Massachusetts, so supported Romney. Romney vetoed 8 parts of that bill, and all 8 were overridden by state legislators. That bill should have been entitled “Kennedy Healthcare”. Those are the facts. One other item Romney (Bain Capital) made 77% of failing companies stronger, while 22% were sold off. And they used their own money.
hey, Frank — wonder what happened to the people where 22% of the businesses
were “sold off.” wonder how much Bain made and how much the public lost.
Of course, some people aren’t concerned about that.
When is Romney going to tell the voting public exactly what HE would do to create
jobs? He created about 240,000 jobs while Governor. President Obama has
created over 4.2 million.
What’s Romney position on immigration. . .on Equal Pay for Women. . .the
Lilly Ledbedder Act. . . We know what his position is on Social Security and
Medicare. He thinks Paul Ryan’s plan is marvelous. The plan that puts social
security money in the stock market, and his marvelous plan to give vouchers
to seniors on medicare so they can buy their own insurance. Bet you are on
medicare now as well as social security. How does that sound to you?
Romney can’t just campaign AGAINST President Obama. He’s got to come up with some basic policy positions. He has flip flopped more than any candidate running for anything ever.
So I would suggest that when defending Romney, try defending his positions.
Good luck with that.