Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The "War on Women" and other BS

It's Convention time - enthusiastic delegates with colorful hats, hours of tedious votes to elect the nominee, and speeches...and speeches...and speeches. 

The Republicans have it easy; talk about Obama's performance - over 8 % unemployment for 3 ½ years, 23 million unemployed or underemployed,  a federal debt approaching $16 trillion, massive new government regulations, and 100 million receiving some form of government assistance (not including Medicare and Social Security). And...Obamacare; a socialized medical system a majority of Americans do not want. Now the Republican's job is to convince voters how they plan to solve these problems. 

Republicans will be bringing out their top guns for key speeches - John Kasic, Scott Walker, Bob McDonald, Condaleeza Rice, Chris Christy, Marco Rubio, Mrs Romney talking about the personal side of her husband, and of course Paul Ryan, and then Mitt Romney will make his speech introducing himself to the country. This will be politics in full bloom and for those of us that are political junkies, worth watching.

The Democrats don't have it so easy; do they get up and brag about their performance the past 3 1/2 years?  I don't think so. But they don't have to introduce their candidate; everyone knows Barack Obama and his messianic rise to the presidency. He also has a Vice President that has provided more material for talk show hosts and late night comedians than any politician in history. So by now they are both well known to all Americans. 

With such a poor record what can be the theme of their convention? "Smoke and mirrors", diversion, and fear: "Republicans will repeal Obamacare, they will end Medicare, they will 'deregulate' the environment resulting in dirty air and water, they will cut social programs like welfare and food stamps, they will make abortion illegal, they will lower taxes on the rich, etc., etc." We have heard these talking points before, and they DO work for a segment of the voters,

Democrats believe a key voting demographic for Obama are women, and their convention will focus on the Republican's so-called "War on Women". Speakers will include NARAL president Andrea Miller to remind us of women's right to choose, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards to remind everyone how much Republicans hate women.  And then they will bring in the "big guns" - Sandra Fluke, the 30 year old graduate student activist who achieved her 15 minutes of fame by demanding the government pay her $10/month bill for birth control pills. She would have been a 'nobody' had not Rush Limbaugh (with his audience of 23 million), made fun of her and now she speaks at the Democratic Convention. And after her, another heavy weight - Eva Longoria, formally a "Desperate Housewife" and now a stalwart democratic operative. Where do the Democrats get this talent?

So we have two weeks of political posturing, then two months of what will be a tidal wave of television ads, personal attacks, debates and then the election on November 6th. 

When Ronald Reagan ran against Jimmy Carter in 1979 many of us can remember the sad state of affairs due to the socialistic policies of the Carter administration. During the final debate Reagan asked this question: "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" Many thought it was the turning point in that election.

And here we are in a similar, and even more serious situation. Maybe in the final debate Romney should ask: "Is this country better off now than it was four years ago?"

I believe we all know the answer to that question.