Blog Archives
The Romney Reaction
Mitt Romney will not be the 45th President of the United States of America.
Most of America (including his family) likely approve of this decision. It’s not because he’s not qualified. Rather, he had his chances, most consequentially in 2012, and did not deliver. However, make no mistake about it, Mitt Romney will be a factor come election day 2016.
How?
First, polls have revealed that a majority of Americans wish Romney had defeated President Obama in 2012. There’s a buyers remorse among many voters, specifically after Romney correctly forecast key foreign policy issues, like Russia as just one example. Plus, the economy’s foundation is weak, the tax system is outdated, entitlement programs need structural changes, unemployment is really 10-11% because of stunningly low labor workforce participation, there is a lack of quality jobs being created and debts and deficits are still soaring (wait a couple years for the latter to skyrocket again). Romney’s biggest strengths are as a job creator and a business leader. And despite the fact he isn’t running, people will remember their vote in 2012 and who and what vision they chose instead and the subsequent results both at home and abroad.
Most Americans are increasingly aware of the ineptitude of Obama’s foreign policy decisions and how it’s led to a perception (and reality) that the world continues to burn without a functioning extinguisher in sight. Also, the refusal to acknowledge our enemy by name is a major problem and, quite frankly, an inconceivable embarrassment of common sense.
Second, Romney can make good on his recent priority to help improve those living in poverty during the next two years (and beyond!) with his knowledge of lifting people up with opportunity, resources and, most importantly, time. He has the time to, as NBC says, “make a difference.” As has been mentioned on this blog, the Republican Party needs to prove that their economic philosophy of equal opportunity and belief in the power and ingenuity of the individual is superior to the predictable failings of big government fiscal liberalism. They need to make clear the correlation between the success of a local economy with the educational success of the community and its citizens (public and private schools) and how it creates a sustained environment of achievement and high standards, as well as how it improves the safety of that community. Romney (and other conservative leaders) need to embrace this challenge by bringing their economic philosophy and successful business records into the poorest neighborhoods to show (not tell) how fiscal conservatism works for everybody. The rewards will last generations.
The economic policies of President Obama and liberal mayors and governors have by-and-large not improved the lives or opportunities for the poor. The door is wide open for an innovative new idea to shine the American Dream on those in the forgotten corners of society who live in inescapable poverty. This is especially important for Romney himself after his infamous “47%” remark.
Mitt Romney will not be the 45th President of the United States of America, but he will be the third person people think about when they elect the new leader of the free world. Even if the Republican nominee is more libertarian than Romney on a host of issues, his presence will be influential regardless. There’s the saying that our first impression is everything. Yes. It’s also a fact that people don’t easily forget important people or important events.
Romney now has time to prove the latter true.
The State of Denial
“In Iraq and Syria, American leadership — including our military power — is stopping ISIL’s advance.”
–President Obama, 2015 State of the Union Address
Just weeks following the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris, France by radical Islamists (a phrase he again refused to say), followed by terror raids made across Europe, and President Obama strangely took the view that the United States is clearly winning in foreign policy. Specifically, this was concerning the battle against overseas violence/disgruntled workplace violence/extremists who aren’t in any way motivated and inspired by a perversion of a very specific religion.
Does he fully understand our enemy?
Thomas Friedman had some insight into this subject in his recent article, “Say It Like It Is.” Instead of listing the various problem spots and scenarios around the world, it’s probably better to let America’s Middle East savant Richard Engel of NBC News react to what he heard from the president on the foreign policy front.
President Reagan didn’t just perfectly articulate the phrase, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” that became a historical moment for the world. He always led with words and actions of strength. He clearly understood the problems facing the United States. He was cognizant of the importance and relevance of American leadership at home and on the world stage to his friends and enemies.
Neither of which seems to be the reality today.
James Taylor may be a very busy man during the next couple years…
My Fellow Americans
The State of the Union is tonight, which will be a constant applause-break speech by President Obama with plenty of partisan soft balls to his political allies and jabs at his political opponents. There will be fact-checking throughout (as well as following the speech, as is protocol) to determine the validity of his many statements about the past, present and future. Serving as just one example, it’s probably a safe bet the near historically low labor force participation rate number will not make its way into the section concerning the “growing economy,” quality jobs being created and the true unemployment rate.
How about introducing fiscal conservatism and equal opportunity into the lowest-income places around the country for the purpose of creating high-quality jobs through entrepreneurship and by luring prosperous businesses into communities that can economically sustain individuals and families, while recognizing the vitally important correlation between the economic success and sustained safety of a community with the academic success of its public and/or private schools, as is clearly evident in great communities nationwide?
Probably not going to happen, as fiscal liberalism has always self-appointed “genius” leaders for that (Gruber…Gruber…). They haven’t fixed the problem so far, but this century will surely see vastly different results with the same ideas and economic philosophy…
With that being said, most Americans are expecting to be lured into a false reality regarding policy truths/results, in some way or another. It will be a political speech from a president who loves reading political digs from his trusty teleprompter and who believes everything he reads from said teleprompter is the truth: period. In other words, President Obama is “the Ron Burgundy” president. If he reads it, it must be true.
“America: I’m a job-creating, debt and deficit-reducing, healthcare fixing, massive freedom of speech moment realizing, foreign policy expert.”
It will be an interesting speech, partly because it will be in front of the newly Republican-controlled Congress and also partly because his proposals will be heavily unrealistic ideas. President Obama will likely make political points close to his heart, regardless of its plausibility or if it’s all at geared toward the genuine need/benefit of the country as a whole. It’s sad to say, but it’s the truth. On the same note, Republicans need to be cautious and measured in their response(s). Specifically, with substantive rebuttals and positive solutions of their own.
This will be more of a legacy/power-up to liberal politicians considering 2016 than any serious suggestions for fixing the broken economic foundation of the United States (ie -transformational tax reform, entitlement reforms, meaningful and necessary spending cuts).
It’s been six years and the economy still isn’t running with vigor or purposeful direction. Most six-year-olds are racing around with excitement and unbridled creativity, growing with a clearer vision each day.
Unfortunately, far too many Americans feel like we’re still crawling out of The Great Recession six years later…
Big Government’s New Slogan
“…because the American people are too stupid to understand the difference.”
Believable.
You might be thinking that I meant to write “unbelievable.”
I didn’t.
This statement from one of the chief architects of Obamacare, Jonathan Gruber, makes total sense coming from such a high-minded (yet, ironically close-minded) liberal professor at an elite university where there is diversity in everything except thought and perspective. The phrase above promoting the opposite of policy transparency in writing and selling Obamacare to the public and the Congressional Budget Office as to whether it’s a tax and a major distribution of wealth (yes on both counts) should be the front page headline of the week, except that it was said by a liberal academic, so the major networks (NBC, ABC, CBS) clearly view this as unimportant, not shocking to their own personal beliefs or, since it’s damaging to President Obama and the Democratic Party’s ramming through, lies and shocking incompetence surrounding the ACA, it can’t be reported on or mentioned. In so many ways, the strategic deceit behind the structure of this bill gives credence to the well-supported belief that corruption and purposeful deceptions come naturally with big government.
President Obama’s big government is dependent on big lies (Obamacare, IRS, Benghazi, national surveillance of private citizens, targeting of journalists, Fast and Furious, etc.).
Not only does this fit perfectly into the narrative of how President Obama views his opponents (political and private citizens alike), but it confirms a much larger presumption about the theoretical “experts” that hail from the nation’s top academic institutions and the highest levels of government. Not all of them of course, but generally speaking in today’s divisive atmosphere, yes (FYI – Gruber is a professor at MIT). Liberal academic professors and legislative bureaucrats declare themselves (ever so subtly) as the “geniuses” of society and, therefore, the people are secondary (or possibly worse, we’ll have to wait for the next video) when it comes to intelligence. While Gruber’s intellect (well, “intellect”) clearly stems from a disgustingly insulting, trash-filled and oblivious-to-reality gutter, this blog will not step down to his level. Instead, a broader and positively measured reaction will be presented.
The pompous and incompetent statement (made at least twice, according to a new video) by Professor Gruber underscores a critical distinction between conservative and liberal thinkers. Generally, liberals believe that a powerful and influential centralized government is the best aspect of American society. This is where the power and supposedly real intelligence resides. These “geniuses” are smarter than all of us, so, therefore, we need them (their assumption) to tell us how to live, think and spend. Trust (in public and private institutions) is a valuable and fragile asset and once it’s abused or when those in power insult its customers/constituents, reactions of anger, resentment and distrust towards its leaders are undeniably valid and consequential.
Trust is earned, not given.
Conversely, conservatives tend to believe that a limited government is supreme because the best aspect of American society is the people, along with the competitive, innovative-inspiring dynamic of the marketplace. Americans have always and continue to willfully support and promote the virtues of freedom, liberty and opportunity as enacted by our brave, revolutionary founders. That’s really incredible because it’s been more than two centuries and many generations of people who voluntarily support and defend democracy, freedom and liberty without the government mandating such thoughts on the public. However, if Gruber has his way, perhaps free will and free speech will soon come with its own mandate of predetermined thought as set by himself and other like-minded and likely self-proclaimed “genius” individuals.
Yes, government plays a small, critical role and has had some unmistakable victories, like the decade-long mission to land on the Moon. Remarkable. But the real genius and shining, defining characteristics of the successful American society is deeply rooted in the belief in and actions of its people. This list is literally impossible to compile. And it’s the legislative leaders (and its advisers) who realize this, believe this and proudly promote this that will inspire an inherently motivated, intelligent and savvy population that can and will rise to fix any challenge (including healthcare).
That’s the transparent truth.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 