The next four years I fear is going to remind me of the old adage- you get what you vote for…..err, I mean pay for.
The country will become even more polarized, Obama will feel more emblazoned to push his agenda through (even though he won by a very slim margin), both camps will plant their flag even more firmly.
Each becoming ever more intransient to their own position. In the end nothing will get done except party bickering and finger pointing.
There is a better way to do messaging and at a minimum- be able to refute, combat, or at least intelligently respond- to the liberal left’s messaging.
So much of what is said, proffered and positioned is either playing to fear, just plain wrong, incorrect, or at a minimum could be responded to in a way that at least gets someone to think.
(if you doubt me on that, take a look at some of the phrases below)
I guess my responses make me part of the angry middle.
I further believe there will be a movement away from Republicans—and even democrats- as more people get either disappointed, frustrated, or repulsed by one side of the other.
This will cause many I believe (or predict), to claim the affiliation and moniker of “Independent”.
All of which, again, will drive them to feel part of The Angry Middle.
| To that end, here are just a few things I wanted to share:I’m constantly bemused, and at times a bit dismayed, at how confusing the political messaging seems to be..This is especially frustrating as it relates to the Political Rights ability to counter the Political Left’s positioning and sound bites.Thus, in advance of this Tuesday’s election, I’ve decided to put together my list of Politically Direct Responses.What follows are phrases or comments made by Mr. Obama; promptly followed by a potential Mr. Romney counter response .
Mr. Obama Says: |
Politically Direct Response from Mr. Romney: |
| 1- Bin Laden is dead | Al-quada is Alive |
| 2- Al-quada is decimated | Our Ambassador is dead |
| 3- Lets go back to Clinton level taxes | Great, let’s go back to Clinton level SPENDING |
| 4- Benghazi was an “act of terror” | No Mr. President, throwing paint on a wall can be called an act of terror- Benghazi was a “Planned terrorist attack” |
| 4a- Benghazi was the result of a repulsive video | Benghazi was a September 11th Planned attack |
| 5- I’ll take savings from the war and apply it to the deficit | The war was paid for by “borrowing” money so you can’t have savings from money that was borrowed to begin with |
| 6- I’ve created 5 million jobs | How many of them are satisfying, full time, well-paying jobs. |
| 7- I’ll helps kids go to college and increase manufacturing jobs | Kids don’t’ go to college with the dream of a manufacturing job |
| 8- Obama had “Hope and Change”, | Now it’s just “Hope FOR Change” |
| 9- This country is an Obamanation | This has been an abomination. |
| 10- I’ll create jobs by adding more teachers | Teachers are not jobs created by companies, they are “positions” created by government. |
| 11- Shovel ready jobs weren’t quite “Shovel Ready” (chuckle) | Then where did all the money go if it didn’t go into programs and projects? |
| 12- You didn’t build that | Well, the government didn’t work late on nights and weekends to create it |
| 13- The wealthy should pay a little more, | Ok, but explain how giving the government more money creates more jobs? |
| 14- Republicans want dirty air and water | Consumers want affordable gas, electricity, and energy |
| 15- We will go after the person who created this repulsive video | What happened to free speech and the constitution |
| 16- I saved GM and Romney wanted it to go bankrupt, | No you borrowed a bunch of OUR money and gave it to GM, Romney wanted GM to go through a legal bankruptcy no different than what the Airlines seem to do on a routine basis |
| 17- I killed Bin Laden | So the ten years of hard work by our armed forces and agencies around the world had nothing to do with it? |
| 18- Mitt Romney was born with a silver spoon in his mouth | So should you apologize to your daughters for your success and the BIG silver spoon they are growing up with? |
| 19- Bain capital outsource jobs, | Your head of the jobs council- Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of GE has outsourced more jobs than all of the companies Bain invested in combined. |
| 20- Bain company shut down plants and put people out of jobs | Bain risked its own (and it investors ) capital, not a government handout. But yes, some companies didn’t make it, but many survived. |
| 21- I was a community organizer, I got people motivated | I ran businesses, created companies, saved events and even ran a State |
| 22- I presented a budget to congress | True, and it was voted down 98 to ZERO |
| 23- I’m going to protect the Teachers Unions and education | The Parents and Students don’t have a Union, who is protecting them? |
| 24- My Pension is a lot smaller than yours Mr. Romney | Not true Mr. President, you have a lifetime pension provided to you by the Government after just a few years of services. I don’t have a pension, I have investment returns from my own money that I’ve earned from a lifetime of hard work |
| 25- Mr. Bush, 4 Trillion in debt is over 8 years is irresponsible | Then what do you call 5 Trillion in Four years? |
| 26- I’ve increased oil production under my term | How much of that was on private lands that you had NOTHING to do with? |
| 27- Mr. Romney, you are hiding money in offshore accounts | Mr. President, I’m sure you take every legal tax deduction available to you, as do all Americans. There is nothing illegal or nefarious about taking available deductions. |
| 28- If you like your Doctor you can keep him | That’s only if your company still offers you the same coverage or your Doctor still accept Medicare |
| 27- If this isn’t fixed in four years, I’ll be a one term proposition | Mr. President, I’m sure you take every legal tax deduction available to you, as do all Americans. There is nothing illegal or nefarious about taking available deductions. |
| 29- If you pass this stimulus, unemployment won’t go over 5% | The unemployment rate has been under been under 8% during the entire time in office |
| 30- My position on Gay Marriage is “evolving” | You were forced into making a declaration by your Vice President’s own concessions |
| 31- I’m going to protect Social Security | Social Security was mis-named and should have been called Social “Supplement”. It was never designed to be the only retirement fund. |
| 30- Self-directed Social Security is risky. What if everyone was in the market during this last great recession. | Younger workers, who are investing in the market longer would not have been hurt as the markets are back up. Older works would have moved their investments to more safe holdings. Either way, I trust the diversity and long term value of the capital markets, over the Governments eventual broken promises for Social Security to be there for future generations. |
| 31- Sandra Fluke represents every woman’s right to choose | The issue was never about telling a woman what to do. It was about when does someone take personal responsibility that she couldn’t pay $9 a month for her own contraceptives. It’s “completely” about her right to choose, and then to pay for those choices. |
| 32- You think 47% are on Welfare and takers, which is really saying it’s about handouts to black people | Mr. Obama, there are more WHITE people than Black people on welfare and foodstamps. This is not a RACE issue, it is a people issue. We need programs and jobs and opportunities for ALL Americans. |
| 33- The Republican party is racist because they targeted the white voter. | The Democratic party openly targets Hispanics, African American, and Women, is that any more racist? |
I could go on and on…
In closing, Mr. Obama said in his speech, “we are more than just red states and blue stated”. For all of our sakes, I certainly hope that ends up being true.
Until that time, I think I’ll stay in the middle.