Day: December 5, 2011

The Profession Of Politics And The Field Of Business: Never The Twain SHOULD Meet!

The field of politics, despite many cynics, is a PROFESSION, and requires a lot of training and expertise to do it well.

That is why people who go into politics run for local office and state office usually before running for national office, such as the Senate and House of Representatives.

That is why ALL Presidential winners in our history, except for three generals–Zachary Taylor, Ulysses Grant, and Dwight D. Eisenhower–have had some kind of political experience before becoming President.

Only two people have ever been nominated for the Presidency WITHOUT any political or military experience–Wendell Willkie in 1940 by the Republicans, and Ross Perot, who ran as an Independent and Reform Party candidate in 1992 and 1996.

The thought of Herman Cain running for the Presidency without any knowledge or expertise in any field of government policy turned out to be a total disaster, beyond his own moral and ethical issues. It is obvious that Herman Cain undermined the respect of the Presidential office by having the gall to run, knowing full well that he was not qualified by any measurement!

Cain took advantage of his race to enter the race, knowing no one would dare challenge it because of his race. But all he did was exploit the publicity that one gains running for the Presidency to sell books, promote more lucrative, highly paid speeches, and to gain the opportunity for a likely television show, because now he is a celebrity, who loves the spotlight and the ability to profit from it by his associations with the political class that he knows nothing about!

This disaster of Herman Cain is good enough reason to say that never again should an arrogant businessman, including Donald Trump, think he or she is qualified to hold our highest office! If one wishes to strive for such, get serious and get experience in politics and political office first before lessening the dignity of the Presidency for one’s own selfish gains!

The Republican Condemnation Of The Poor: Adding Insult To Injury!

The Republican Party has become more venal, more disgraceful, than ever in their 157 year history, with their new tactic of condemning the poor, bringing back reminders of the nineteenth century Gilded Age and the philosophy of Social Darwinism.

Not only are poor people already subjugated by poverty with inadequate or no housing, poor food supply, lack of decent living conditions, and little hope and optimism about the future, with two thirds of the poor being children unfortunate enough to be born into the “wrong” families, but now they are being condemned with the old conservative belief that they are lazy, shiftless “losers” who don’t wish to work for a living, and instead wish to be supported by taxpayers with “luxurious” welfare packages, including Medicaid and Food Stamps, and support for each child born to them.

The fact that Medicaid provides inadequate medical care; that Food Stamps do not provide the means for a nutritional diet; that the amount given for each child’s support is miniscule, and that living in slums, often rat infested and crime ridden, has a psychological effect on children is not considered.

Also, the fact that three out of four adults in poverty actually work, but cannot make enough to get out of poverty and give their children hope for the future, is not pointed out by the critics.

To be poor is a terrible thing, but to be condemned and denounced by people who claim often to be “religious” is enough to make one wish to vomit at the disgrace of many people’s false beliefs and terrible attitudes toward those less fortunate. To kick one symbolically when they are down is reprehensible beyond belief! And it brings up the old saying: “There but for the grace of God go I!”

The Negatives Of Mitt Romney Growing, Making His Nomination For President Less Likely Scenario!

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has long been thought to be the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination, but as we get closer to the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire primary, about a month from now, his problems and challenges are growing rapidly!

Romney is now seen as very vulnerable in many different ways, including:

1. Romney may be respected, but is not loved, as Time Magazine reports this week.

2. Romney, being a Mormon, a subject he tries to avoid discussing, is becoming a growing issue to many evangelical Christians and other Protestant religious groups, who feel that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a cult, and not Christian, but instead a phony religion.

3. Romney, being extremely wealthy (estimated $250 million minimum) comes across as part of the elite, the one percent, as one of “them” against the rest of us, and with his comments advocating the destruction of the auto industry in Michigan and elsewhere, his support of accelerating home foreclosures, and his bad joke about being “unemployed” , that image is hard to overcome.

4. Romney, being from the Northeast, and specifically Massachusetts, a Democratic state, is unappealing to a party which gets its major support from the South, Midwest and Mountain West.

5. Romney has an image of being a moderate, in fact to some as liberal, due to his support of a state health care plan in Massachusetts, which became a model for Barack Obama’s push for health care reform, and Romney cannot escape that image and advocacy no matter how hard he tries.

6. Having moved from liberal to moderate viewpoints when first running against Senator Ted Kennedy unsuccessfully in 1994, and then successfully for Governor in 2002, and now claiming to be a conservative who has completely transformed himself and his views, he comes across as a massive “flip flopper”, possibly one of the greatest such cases in American history, and therefore, is seen as not genuine, not honest, not believable, not reliable that he will keep the views he now professes.

7. Romney comes across as arrogant, haughty, not liking to be challenged, snobby, and seemingly believing he is “entitled” to be the next Repubiican nominee as the so called “next in waiting” runner up candidate in the past, just like John McCain in 2008 and Bob Dole in 1996.

So Mitt Romney is in deep trouble, and many are starting to think he may not be the GOP nominee for President in 2012!

Newt Gingrich: The “Flame Thrower” Thinks He Can Unite America! The Master Of Deception And Duplicity!

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is clearly ahead in many public opinion polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, and contends he can “unite” America! Is there any more ridiculous assertion than that from the original Congressional “flame thrower”?

Newt has made his career on dividing people, using nasty tactics, a “taking no prisoners” approach, a master of deception and duplicity, issuing reckless statements, advocating unethical and illegal ideas, and fooling people when he actually practices what he preaches!

Ask those who were part of the Republican Revolution of 1994, when Gingrich led the GOP into House control, as to whether they support their former leader and comrade, and you then know how much they became disillusioned with him, and brought ethics violations against him in 1998, and forced him out as Speaker of the House after a tumultuous four years.

Ask those who know him best as to his hypocrisy, and willingness to sacrifice anyone in his mad quest for attention and power, and you discover he has few friends in the political establishment.

As President, he would be full of ideas and talk more to the people than anyone in modern Presidential history, but he would very quickly be seen as abusing his powers as President, alienate Congress even if it was a Republican majority, engage us in multiple foreign wars as George W. Bush did, expand federal authority over our lives in social terms and eavesdropping, and make the Supreme Court so right wing that it would be a hopeless situation for anyone who is not rich and powerful, for the next thirty years!

Newt Gingrich may be engaging personally, but he is obnoxious, egotistical, narcissistic, infuriating, and dangerous to the reputation of the Presidency, and the civil liberties and civil rights of the American people!

He must be stopped at all costs as a threat to America’s image in the world and to our own self image. He would be worse than Richard Nixon, although in some ways, he resembles the former President in tactics and mentality!

Ron Paul: The “Secret Weapon” Of Barack Obama In 2012!

Texas Congressman Ron Paul is Barack Obama’s “Secret Weapon” in the Presidential Election of 2012.

Ron Paul is the steady candidate, constantly improving his standing in the public opinion polls nationally, and in Iowa and New Hampshire polls.

He is the burr in everyone’s back, including Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, and was an annoyance earlier to Rick Perry, critical of his home state governor in GOP debates when Perry was soaring.

He could take away the chance of Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney to win Iowa and New Hampshire, respectively, without himself winning the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

He could be the “bridesmaid”, instead of the “bride”. He is like someone’s uncle who is always present to annoy, but not able to take the number one spot.

With his libertarian economic and social viewpoints, and his anti interventionist (some say isolationist) foreign policy, Ron Paul CANNOT win the Republican nomination or win the Presidency, but he can decide, by being the annoyance in the race, who does win the nomination.

And then, it is clear that a repudiated Ron Paul could very well run a third party candidacy, as he did as the Libertarian Party candidate for President way back in 1988. Ron Paul is NOT a typical politician, never has been, but has a very loyal following among his supporters, many of whom are young and fanatical about him. He brings a different image to the race, totally different in so many ways from all of the other Republican candidates for the White House.

If Paul runs on a third party, he has the potential to take 5 to 7 percent of the vote, and be a spoiler for the Republican nominee.

No matter how one looks at it, Barack Obama is the ultimate beneficiary of a Ron Paul second or third place finish in Iowa and New Hampshire, and of an independent candidacy!