President Obama, How do I
judge thee? Let me count the ways.
One -- Economy and Jobs: What’s more important? It’s quite a familiar narrative by now. Excluding last month’s job report numbers,
the unemployment rate towered above 8% since February of 2009 (Obama’s first month in
office) and for 40 straight months over
3 years. Hordes of Americans have quit
looking for work. No incumbent president
has ever won re-election with a scorecard like that. Ask Jimmy Carter! It’s 1980 all over
again. Case closed! But it gets worse…
There are fewer Americans at work today than in April of
2000, even though the population has grown by 31 million. More than 45 million people are on food
stamps, 15% of the population compared with 7.9% from 1970-2000. More than 11
million Americans are collecting federal disability checks, half of them
signing on since Obama took office.
There have been huge declines in personal net worth, much of
it coming from the fall in the value of home equity. A gallon of gas was $1.91 when Obama took
office…
These numbers have been recited ad nauseam but they are unchallengeable. How long can we blame the Bush
administration? What is the Presidents responsibility?
Where is his leadership?
His speeches have been about creating divisiveness and class
warfare and blaming the so-called “rich” for not paying their fare share of
income taxes. Baloney! Even the CBO
states ‘The share of
taxes paid by high-income groups exceeded their share of income because average
tax rates rise with income”.
No mas, Senor Obama… Adios
amigo! Our country is beginning to
resemble Europe and not for its charm but its social democracy.
As if this wasn’t enough to sink President Obama’s ship,
there is a litany of additional bad policy decisions. I’m just getting warmed up!
Two-- Obama care: The government
will take over our Health Care, an industry which equates to about 1/6 of the
economy. What could possibly go wrong?
It was passed in Congress without a single Republican vote. So much for being
bipartisan?
Three --The Debt: There used to be an expression coined
by the late Senator Everett Dirksen when he spoke about government programs, “A
billion here, a billion there and pretty soon you’re talking real money”. We
now have trillions – you can add five of those trillions to the deficit since
this President has been in office. “A trillion here, a trillion there… well,
you get the picture.
But let’s keep funding PBS and Planned Parenthood (over 300
million each). I realize it’s a pittance
in the big scheme of things, so why subsidize them with tax dollars we have to
borrow from China, as Governor Romney put it. Big Bird will do just fine
leaving the nest and Planned Parenthood can surely raise funds from their donor
base. After all, abortion rights are a staple of their party platform. How proud they should be to allow the killing
of unborn babies to take center stage at their convention.
Four—Social issues: The Obama campaign also put this “War on women”
trope front and center at their convention. It is a distraction, diversion and
a miscalculation that could backfire among professional women. Do women only
care about abortion and contraception?
It’s like the democrats are saying, “don’t worry your pretty little heads
about these men’s issues – the economy and foreign policy, worry about
contraception” (which has been a constitutional right for 47 years). How patronizing and condescending!! Don’t be fooled, ladies. Cast your vote on the
more substantive issues that affect your daily life—like a strong economy,
jobs/career and family.
Five—Foreign Policy: There is also no doubt we will see the President
front and center this week dealing with Hurricane Sandy. We are still waiting for him to explain what
happened during the hours our embassy was being attacked in Benghazi, Libya
that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. It’s an example of
shameful politics triumphing over national security interests.
Obama and his
administration went to great lengths to advance some charade that the attack
was in response to an anti-Islamic Internet video? The president likely feared
the reputation that his administration was ill-prepared to deal with a clear
terrorist threat on the anniversary of Sept. 11.
Outside of the success of capturing and killing Osama bin Laden,
his foreign policy record lacks a strong resolve of what Reagan labeled “peace
through strength”. Mr. Romney called him
out on it by accurately describing his initial trip to the Middle East
(conveniently skipping our ally Israel) as an “Apology Tour” thus capturing
this superficial rock star appeal that the media tends to promote. Note his appearances on Letterman, Leno, the
View and John Stewart as examples of his hip persona.
Six -- Time to Choose: Make no mistake, citizens
of America… we saw the real Obama on the Denver stage during his first debate
back in early October. It was a game
changer for this election and the Romney campaign. Peggy Noonan said it best,
“He came across as petulant, put upon, above it all and full of himself. He
couldn’t afford to make himself look less impressive than the challenger in
terms of command, grasp of facts and size. But that’s what he did”.
Hope and change was merely a
slogan that didn’t work out so well the last four years… Imagine this President
unrestrained in a second term with nothing politically to lose? Sound
appealing? It’s our country at stake… let’s make that change!
