Month: October 2012

“Smart People”: Economists And Scientists, Overwhelmingly, Support Obama! Should We Ignore Them At Our Detriment?

Ronald 1 Comment

An overwhelming number of economists and scientists have made public declarations, as groups and individuals, endorsing Barack Obama for a second term, as the better path to the future in both areas of their concern.

Should we ignore their advice, because after all, as former Senator Rick Santorum said, “smart, educated” people will never support the Republicans, a statement that says a lot about both Santorum and his right wing party, way out of the mainstream?

Should we be resentful because many of these economists and scientists have gone to the “best” universities, and have the highest degrees in their fields, and most Americans do not have these advantages?

Or should we be resentful, instead, that many Americans instead look up to those who cheat in sports, cheat in business, cheat in human relations, and are only concerned about the almighty dollar over human needs and the facts about economics and science, and allow religion and worship of business to overtake their sense of morality and ethics?

The author is not a graduate of a “prestigious” university, and is not an honored figure, as these economists and scientists are, but he is also not resentful of their brilliance and intelligence, and respects their judgment much more than someone promoting religious hypocrisy and dog-eat-dog business tactics as the goal to teach our children, and feels that these elements should not be promoted for the future of American democracy!

Major Florida Factor Often Not Considered: The Puerto Rican, And Other Non Cuban Hispanic Vote

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As the battle for Florida’s electoral votes goes on, many observers are failing to realize the possible influence of the massively increased Puerto Rican population, particularly in the major area of significance, Central Florida.

Often, many people assume that the Hispanic vote is mostly Cuban, and that they, of course, traditionally vote Republican because of the failure of John F. Kennedy to eliminate Fidel Castro at the Bay of Pigs in 1961.

But in recent years, the Puerto Rican population in the state of Florida, and particularly, in Central Florida, has ballooned to nearly match or surpass the Cuban population found mostly in South Florida.

There are nearly a million Puerto Ricans in Florida, a state that is always rapidly changing, and becoming more non Cuban Hispanic by the month.

The Puerto Ricans of Florida, with smaller numbers in the past, supported the election and reelection of Governor Jeb Bush, but they went to Barack Obama for President in 2008, and are seen as likely, by large percentages, to vote for him again. The key, as always, will be voter turnout.

Additionally, there are a growing number of Hispanics from other nations in the Western Hemisphere, and the tendency of many would be to support Obama, although the very religious element, against abortion and gay marriage, might not, but the point being made here is that to assume, because of some polls at the moment, that Mitt Romney has Florida locked up, with its 29 electoral votes, is a massive mistake, as Florida will be in play, and may well decide who is the next President. And realize that younger Cuban Americans, in many cases, are abandoning the Republican beliefs of their parents and grandparents, and some will vote for Barack Obama!

And remember, with the biggest prize of the “swing” states, 29 electoral votes, Florida may select Barack Obama for a second term, and without the intervention of the Supreme Court for George W. Bush, as in the Presidential Election of 2000!

The Death Of Paul Wellstone Ten Years Ago Today: Still Difficult To Recover From After A Decade!

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Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone was tragically killed in a small plane crash ten years ago today, along with his wife, a daughter, and campaign staff, as he was seeking election to a third term in the Senate.

It is hard to believe that it is a decade since his tragic death, and for many, including this author, it is still difficult to recover from his loss.

This author was so shocked at the news of the death of Senator Wellstone, at the age of 57, his own exact age at the time, that he cried as if Wellstone was a member of his own family or a close friend.

This author felt that Paul Wellstone was, in many ways, family or friend, even though he never had the honor of meeting him personally.

But this author felt that Paul Wellstone understood his problems and goals and beliefs, and that he CARED about those of us who were his fellow Americans, but were not rich and powerful and part of the plutocracy.

Paul Wellstone was a critic of the plutocracy, and a reformer of massive proportions, who planned to run for President in 2004 or later. Whether he would have succeeded in that goal or not, all of us who loved him knew he wanted the best for us, and would always be principled, and fight the good fight for political, social, and economic reform.

Paul Wellstone was one of those rare politicians, who very seldom come along, who has the ability to inspire people and make them unwilling to be cynical or give up on politics as a way to bring change.

God bless Paul Wellstone, who will always be one of my favorite political leaders of my lifetime, joining his fellow Minnesotan, Hubert Humphrey, who, when he died, the author also wept over his loss.

But the loss of Humphrey to cancer in 1978 was foreordained, while the sudden, tragic death of Wellstone was one of the biggest shocks ot the author’s life, bringing about his massive emotional response.

The author is not embarrassed at his reaction to Wellstone’s death, but continues to wonder—WHY do bad things happen to good people, who are here for us, who care, who are totally transparent and decent? The answer to that is not going to be discovered, but it tears at one’s rational being, and remains a sore in one’s life experiences!

Colin Powell Endorsement Of Barack Obama A Major Plus!

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Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has just endorsed Barack Obama for President, a major plus for the President, with only 12 days to go to the election.

The Mitt Romney camp will say that this is no big deal, as Powell endorsed Obama over John McCain in 2008.

But, despite that fact, Powell is a well respected and admired person, who has good common sense and a dignity to do what is best for the nation, and sees Obama as having promoted the national defense and advocated social justice, the two most important traits of any successful President.

Powell may be a Republican by his own choice, but his vision of the world and of America makes him more a Democrat, and he must feel very uncomfortable with the modern day Republican Party, which is most certainly NOT the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and even the man that Powell has often stated admiration of, Ronald Reagan!

Electoral College Majority For Obama Edges Closer By The Day

Ronald 14 Comments

The standard belief has been that Barack Obama has 237 electoral votes, and Mitt Romney has 191 electoral votes.

But now, two states have been “awarded”, meaning it is felt that each candidate has gained one of them–Nevada with six electoral votes for Obama, and North Carolina with 15 electoral votes for Romney.

So one can now say that the electoral vote total is 243 for Obama and 206 for Romney, with seven states still in play.

But, this author feels it is closer than that to 270 electoral votes for Obama.

Wisconsin seems certain for Obama, and New Hampshire also seems likely, so if they are counted, with 10 and 4 electoral votes, respectively, Obama would have 257 electoral votes, only 13 short of the 270 needed to win the Presidency!

So the remaining battlegrounds are Florida, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, and Colorado, and even Iowa with six electoral votes seems likely Obama territory, so imagine adding Iowa, and we have 263 electoral votes, seven short of the number needed!

Every indication is that, despite supposedly close polls in percentage of popular votes, the tide is clearly in Obama’s camp, and don’t be surprised if he wins ALL of the remaining states—Ohio, Colorado, Virginia and Florida, in that order of probability!

The Discomfort Of Mitt Romney With The Outside World: A Danger For America’s Future

Ronald 5 Comments

Mitt Romney showed great discomfort and awkwardness in his performance in the Foreign Policy debate held last night in Boca Raton, Florida.

He made it clear that he does not know the geography of the Middle East, when he said Syria was Iran’s connection to the Mediterranean Sea, forgetting or not knowing that Iraq lies between Iran and Syria.

He talked of Iran as if it was Arab, when Iran is Persian, an unbelievable misunderstanding.

He has talked of military action against Iran and Syria in the past, but now backed off on that.

He has made trade threats against China, even though he has invested in Chinese trade through Bain Capital.

He has called Russia the leading geopolitical threat to America, which brings back memories of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, which ended 20 years ago.

In a poll of 21 nations, public opinion polls demonstrate that all of them massively prefer Barack Obama as America’s leader for the next four years, as they feel uneasy about the lack of knowledge and interest of Mitt Romney in their nations’ futures, Ironically, only Pakistan prefers Romney, maybe due to the raid into Pakistan that gained the end of the life of Osama Bin Laden.

The outside world knows that Barack Obama, with the assistance of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and others, has shown respect and concern for their nations, and has become overwhelmingly popular and respected, a great relief from the low esteem felt in other nations toward George W. Bush.

Mitt Romney only sees the outside world as a profit motive, and has never shown interest in anyplace except as one to make money, or proselytize his Mormon faith, as in France in the late 1960s, and yet it is France that has the highest support for Barack Obama of any of the 20 nations that prefer that Obama be elected to a second term.

We cannot afford an ignorant, poorly informed, and less than motivated person to become our President, as he could, too easily, be manipulated by foreign policy extremists who want new wars to advance their agenda of American dominance and promotion of corporate interests. Mitt Romney is the wrong person to be our Commander in Chief in the 21st century, and having a potential Vice President, Paul Ryan, who has no greater grasp or interest in foreign policy than he has, makes that conclusion even more powerful!

Charisma And The Presidency: The Interesting Views Of Dean Keith Simonton

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Dr . Dean Keith Simonton, Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, has come up with an intriguing discussion of Charisma and the Presidency.

Having done research over a period of years on this topic, Simonton spoke on National Public Radio, and surprised listeners, including the author, by saying that early Presidents would not be considered to have charisma, as many of them hated speaking before large audiences, had a tendency to be shy and nervous in public gatherings, and would have had problems, therefore, being elected in the modern era. This would include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

Only Andrew Jackson would be likely to seen as charismatic in a modern sense in the 19th century, meaning even Abraham Lincoln would not fit the image of being charismatic.

Modern Presidents who Simonton would consider charismatic would include Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. So he would consider only SEVEN Presidents as having had charisma by his definition.

Putting Lyndon B. Johnson on the list is quite surprising, and those not put on the list include Woodrow Wilson and Barack Obama, also quite unexpected.

There is much room for thought here, with the definition of charisma itself in dispute, if Lincoln, Wilson and Obama are not judged to make the list, while LBJ is on the list.

Maybe it is because Lincoln, Wilson and Obama are all reserved, introverted types in the minds of psychologists, while Jackson, TR, FDR, JFK, LBJ, Reagan and Clinton are all, clearly, extroverts!

In any case, interesting and fascinating concept to think about and discuss!

History And Geography: Republican Presidential Candidates’ Shortcomings!

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In 2008, Senator John McCain, the Republican Presidential nominee, spoke of Czechoslovakia, even though that nation had divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia fifteen years earlier, in 1993.

Now, in 2012, Mitt Romney, the Republican Presidential nominee, talked last night of Syria being the Iranian route to the Mediterranean Sea, even though Iraq stands between Iran and Syria.

These mistakes on history and geography by Republican Presidential nominees should be very troubling to those who think such individuals are qualified to be Commander in Chief!

Interesting How Obama Integrated Importance Of Domestic Policy Into Debate On Foreign Policy

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Barack Obama was masterful in last night’s debate, cleverly integrating the importance of domestic policy into the debate on foreign policy.

A strong America, with promotion of education, rebuilding of the infrastructure, and development of alternative energy resources, along with economic growth of the middle class, were all emphasized by Obama, and Mitt Romney was unable to come out against such assertions by the President.

So Romney, while trying to act more moderate than he has been in the past year of seeking the Republican nomination, ended up agreeing much of the time with Obama, which will not please hard line conservatives, who wanted a real alternative to Obama, and are not very happy with Romney, but realize he is the only alternative they now have.

Romney looked very uncomfortable much of the time, did not smile or smirk nearly as much, and seemed to look to the audience and his wife in the front row for sustenance, as the debate wore on, and it seemed clear that Romney was just glad the debate was over.

But had he scored a touchdown or a field goal? To most observers, the clear answer was no, as Obama recovered nicely from the first debate through to the second and third debates, while Romney had his best performance by far in the first debate, and then did worse in the second and even worse in this final debate!

Horses, Bayonets, Aircraft Carriers, Submarines, And Battleships: Barack Obama Ridicules Mitt Romney On Navy

Ronald 2 Comments

A high point of last night’s debate was when Mitt Romney insisted we needed more ships in the Navy.

Obama responded that things have changed since 1917, when we had more ships.

Obama said we do not need horses and bayonets as we did a century ago, and that aircraft carriers, submarines, and battleships are part of the modern navy, ridiculing Romney for his emphasis on the number of ships.

Romney looked very uncomfortable at that point, and the smirk was gone from his face, as he realized he had been made out to be a fool.

No one can say that Obama has not recovered from his lackluster performance in the first debate, and he came across as strong, assertive, knowledgeable, and made one wonder: Why would anyone want to replace the Commander in Chief, particularly when Romney agreed with him on so many issues and matters?

With the economy obviously in recovery, and a strong Commander in Chief, the case for Barack Obama to be reelected President surged forward last night!