It’s like getting on a Merry-Go-Round and asking Obama to Push

In two weeks America will have a new President elect.   On November 5th, either Barack Obama or John McCain will be waiting in the on deck circle, preparing to step up to the plate on January 21 ( let’s face it the 20th is ceremonial).  But how will they get from here to there?  If you are Barack Obama and the media, it will be because they confused voters enough to make them dizzy through their endless spin cycle. 

It started two weeks ago with “joe the Plumber”.  Joe was a normalguy asking a question of a Presidential hopeful, Barack Obama.  To his credit, Obama gave the only answer to the only tough question he has ever been asked and stated that Joe would have to “spread the wealth” if he bought a business that makes $250,000 or more a year.  Since then “Joe” has become a villain to the media.  ABC,CBS,CNN, etc have cast doubt on this plumber from Ohio by questioning his income tax returns, his divorce, his job, and even his legitimate right to vote in Ohio.  ALL BECAUSE HE ASKED A QUESTION!!!!!!

What did Senators Obama and Biden do in the wake of “Joe” asking a question and then being attacked by the media?  The Senators continued, and still continue, the attack on this plumber.  In stump speeches across America, Obama and Biden have attacked Joe saying that they don;t know of any “plumber” making $250,000 a year.  They have attcked his work ethic saying that the real “Joe the Plumber” would actually be helped under an Obama plan because he would not be a plumber who makes that much.  In other words the real “Joes” of America would never aspire to owning more than their fair share of the market.  Senator Biden might even call the plumber from Ohio “unpatriotic” because he would refuse to pay higher taxes as a small business owner. 

AHHHH the spin!!

Then Colin Powell comes out and says that he is endorsing Obama.  Immediately the surrogates and pundits rush the airwaves and say that Colin Powell is a man whose judgement is sought and respected by all leaders.  Yes, Powell is a well respected member of the Armed Forces as well as several Presidential Administrations.  But only 4 years ago Powell was the demon child who forced America into a war in Iraq, a war Obama “voted” against in the Illinois Senate(?). 

With Powell’s endorsement the surrogates and Democratic pundits had to come up with a back story that supported Powell and Obama that did not factor in race.  Ah ha! Now we have Colin Powell, the well respected, smart, and totally unbiased General was duped by the Bush administration and sold totally false information that he was forced to pass on to the U.N.  I still respect Colin Powell and do not believe that race was the deciding factor in his endorsement but I can not believe that this man who was smart enough to rise to prominance in the military and politics was “duped” by the same President liberals criticize as uneducated or stupid. 

AHHHHH the spin!!!!!!

John Murtha.  Beloved Congressman from PA.  Democrat.  Supporter of Barack Obama.  The same Obama who said us hicks in PA cling to our guns and religion and hated immigrants.  It was John  Murtha, in defense of this Barack Obama and the latest poll,  stated that PA, at least the western half, may not go to Obama because PA is full of racist people who vote on color alone.  Wait!! This week he apologized and said that PA was not racist it was just a redneck state.  How do you spin that?

If you are a Democratic pundit you simply say that what he said was “years ago” or “what he meant was simply” and all is forgiven.  What about this comment and Obama’s “clinging” comment being taken together to set a pattern?  Irrelevant! Let’s move on!

AHHHH the spin!!!!!!

But move on we shall, to Joe Biden.  Good old Scranton Joe! (It’s Thursday, his day to be from Scranton.)  Just when he though the recording devices were off and no one was listening he says “mark my words”, “if you don’t remember anything else I say in this whole campaign”,  if Senator Obama is elected he WILL be tested by the world in a “GENERATED” crisis created by other countries around the world.  Then he even says that he doesn’t know if  Obama will make the right decision initially but asked his supporters to stand with him anyway until he figured it out.  Don’t worry Joe, we won’t forget this one just like we haven’t forgotten what you said in the primary. 

The pundits and surrogates are on the move again!  See what he meant was every President is tested and Obama will be no exception, they say.  “Look at Reagan or Kennedy” they squawk!  And as they don’t mention that Obamahas a wait and see foreign policy coupled witha new age “let’s talk about it” negotiating style,  they leave out the fact that Reagan and Kennedy responded to their respective crisis with overwhelming force.  Furthermore, the pundits yell,  Obamaknows how to surround himself with people who know stuff, like Joe Biden and Colin Powell while John McCain has only lived through or legislated past crisis. 

AHHHH the spin!!!!!!!

Finally, if the clothes make the man what is wrong with the woman getting some nice clothes too.  While Barack Obama spends hundreds of dollars on each suit from Burberry or whoever the latest designer is, the RNC shelled out $150,000 for new clothes for the seven, that is 7, members of the Palin family. Roughly $21,000 per person.   The RNC, a private organization that receives donations from people like me, bought clothes out of contributions, not tax money,  for the VP candidate.   And the clothes are going to be given to charity after the election.  What is wrong with that? 

According to the pundits and commentators,  it just shows Sarah Palin’s inexperience.(?)  Joy Blowhard from the view apparently has a real issue with this saying that Palin usually shoots her clothes but that style would not work on the campaign trail.  ABC, et al,  raises the question to voters that if Sarah Palin can afford a new wardrobe costing $150,000 from Neiman Marcus ” does she really share the same values as”, yep you guessed it, “Joe the Plumber”?  I assume Brian Ross and Wolf Blitzerwill do in depth stories about boxers or briefs next. 

AHHH the spin!!!!!!!

Be careful waht you listen to or see on the news.  Even Fox News.  Today the new AP poll came out and showed a dead heat in the race for President.  A trend that has been seen in other long time polls.  Yet today on ABC’s Good Morning America, George Stephanoplois did not even mention the AP poll numbers, something he regularly does.  Instead he quoted the Quinipiac Poll numbers and showed state by state polls done by other polling organizations.  Why?  bias.  And as if they are finally seeing the light,  this week a CNN reporter even admitted to their bias in reporting! 

The spin won’t slow down in the next two weeks.  In fact it will only get faster.  Look for the top news story being about Barack Obama’s compassionas he deals withhis “Grandmother who raised him”  and her broken hip.  I’m sure this story will become one about health care and the state of the economy in Hawaii.  But voters beware! It’s all spin.  In the last two weeks look beyond the spin and read the issues and listen to words and form your own opinion.  Otherwise it’s like getting on a merry-go-round and asking Obama to push.  Faster! and Faster! you cry until you don’t know up from down, right from left.   

AHHHH the spin!!!!!!!!!!

Reclaiming America(for the Dems)

Obama’s new slogan seems to be “Reclaiming America”.  It is posted on his pulpit as he preaches and will no doubt show up in campaign ads soon enough.  With this slogan he is apparently hoping to remind voters about the 2000 election and stir the bitterness that is still simmering below the surface of “disenfranchised” voters from that year. 

What this slogan shows is that Obama still has no plans to discuss issues and feels that resentment and bitterness some Democrats feel should be enough to get him elected.  Obama knows that once he is pressed on the issues voters will see him for the political puppet the leadership has made him since ’04.  His sudden rise in politics is evidence that the string pullers had trouble reigning in the Clintons so they cut their hold and attached Obama long before his time.  The leadership knows he has no record so they hold him up as the face of change despite his voting with the party 96% of the time.  They also know that if one of two things happen before November,  the economy turns or the war is still going well,  they will lose the election without reigniting the bitterness of 2000.  “Reclaiming America” is a subtle reminder by the Democrats that they still have not gotten over the “stolen” election of 2000.  Obama’s handlers could have used “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kerry” or “Gore” as their campaign slogan just as easily.  The problem is that Americans don’t want bitterness and hate to decide their President.  Look at the ’04 campaign for evidence of that where, despite an escalating war and a slower economy, George Bush was reelected by a majority of Americans. 

Slogans tell you something about the candidate using them.  “Reclaiming America” is a far cry from the “Change” of a few months ago.   The slogan smacks of a lust for power that the Democrats feel they are entitled to because of the last two elections.  Compared to McCain’s slogans of “Leadership” and ” Integrity” to name just two,  Obama’s slogan is about power and glory.  Personally, I want a President who wants to lead America, not reclaim the mantle of power for the good of the party. 

 

Recession or Awakening?

Sure its easy to blame the President and his party for the economic downturn the economy seems to have taken lately.  Its easy to blame war spending for state of the economy as well.  What is hard is for Americans to blame themselves for the economic conditions that they are in right now.

Americans are only now beginning to ask themselves ” can we afford this?” when it comes to their personal expenditures.  This question should have been asked long before the $300,00 McMansions were built on a yearly salary of $50,000.  It should have been asked long before the 52 inch plasma TV with surround sound and blu-ray player were bought.  And it should have been asked long before the 4 Hummers in the driveway were bought.  As Americans we expect there to always be “more”.  More cash, more stuff and more opportunities.  I’m not saying that this is a bad expectation, it’s not, it drives the economy.  But the problem is when there is “less”, we feel cheated and it somehow becomes the governments fault.  Those of us complaining now that we can’t afford our houses, cars and bills are looking to the government for relief and at the same time complaining about the government deficit.  So which is it “more” government spending to relieve personal problems, or “less” spending so we don’t pass on the bill to our kids and grandkids? 

So instead of this normal economic correction being viewed with the negative word “recession”, maybe Americans can call it a wake up call.  Voters keep calling for more fiscal responsibility from the President, Bush and the next one, so as not to balloon the deficit.    How about a call for more fiscal responsibilty in our own homes so we don’t keep ballooning our own deficit?