It has been a long two years since I last posted.
In the past two years, I have watched the progress of this years' political
campaign with a mixture of bemusement and dismay.
campaign with a mixture of bemusement and dismay.
Who can forget the "clown show" that was the "Parade of Candidates"
of the Republican primary season?
of the Republican primary season?
Michelle Bachmann? No Way. Herman Cain? You've got to be
kidding. I think his comments about farmer-devouring
chickens did him in.
kidding. I think his comments about farmer-devouring
chickens did him in.
Let's hear it for those carnivorous Rhode Island Reds!
And Rick Perry? Right experience - Texas Governor, C-130 Hercules
pilot - but Rick, if you're going to cut government departments if elected,
it helps to remember just which departments you intend to cut.
pilot - but Rick, if you're going to cut government departments if elected,
it helps to remember just which departments you intend to cut.
And Newt? You are an American Winston Churchill - a hundred ideas
at once, of which any two or three are good. Add in also
Churchillian rhetorical skills. But, your habit of marrying serial
mistresses isn't exactly a Presidential skill; we're looking for a
President here, not an American Dominique Strauss-Khan.
at once, of which any two or three are good. Add in also
Churchillian rhetorical skills. But, your habit of marrying serial
mistresses isn't exactly a Presidential skill; we're looking for a
President here, not an American Dominique Strauss-Khan.
And a colony on the moon? That's where some folks would like to
send you - permanently.
send you - permanently.
But then, one man emerged out of all this, a man with the right
experience and the right program to put the country back on course.
experience and the right program to put the country back on course.
That man is Mitt Romney.
Now, Mitt is not perfect. A "Tribune Of The People" he is not - he is ,
in fact, an unapologetic believer in "The One Percent", of which he is a
splendid example. From his wife's tax-deductible Dancing Olympic Horse
to his vast and extensive offshore holdings in tax-favored jurisdictions,
he is a modern global plutocrat - using very advantage, edge, dodge
and shelter possible to preserve and expand his privileged position.
in fact, an unapologetic believer in "The One Percent", of which he is a
splendid example. From his wife's tax-deductible Dancing Olympic Horse
to his vast and extensive offshore holdings in tax-favored jurisdictions,
he is a modern global plutocrat - using very advantage, edge, dodge
and shelter possible to preserve and expand his privileged position.
But does this disqualify him? Not at all. Because if "plutocratic
wealth" were a disqualifier for office, President Kennedy, both
Presidents Roosevelt, both Presidents Bush, as well as
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would all have
been ineligible.
Presidents Roosevelt, both Presidents Bush, as well as
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would all have
been ineligible.
And you can't tell me (especially in the case of Kennedy and
the Roosevelts), that they didn't use every available trick in
the book back in their day to preserve and expand their wealth.
the Roosevelts), that they didn't use every available trick in
the book back in their day to preserve and expand their wealth.
When looking for a President, wealth shouldn't be the issue;
it should be Character, Culture, Substance, Experience, and the
DETAILS of what he plans to do in office.
But on Character, Culture and Substance, Mitt's handicapped.
The incumbent President is hip and cool. He hosts Beyonce and
Kanye West in the White House. He plays basketball on the
White House court with NBA stars. He appears on Letterman,
Leno, and Saturday Night Live. He Texts. He Tweets.
The incumbent President is hip and cool. He hosts Beyonce and
Kanye West in the White House. He plays basketball on the
White House court with NBA stars. He appears on Letterman,
Leno, and Saturday Night Live. He Texts. He Tweets.
Between his Blackberry and his iPad, he's cool, contemporary,
and utterly up-to-date. He's In Touch.
and utterly up-to-date. He's In Touch.
In our digital, iPhoned and iPadded world, that equates to
Character, Culture, and Substance.
Character, Culture, and Substance.
And Mitt? Doesn't have a cell phone. Doesn't use a laptop or PC.
Doesn't need to.
Doesn't need to.
He has subordinates and assistants who do all that "tech stuff"
for him.
An entire platoon of scribes writes his speeches, position papers,
and memos for him. Another group tweaks the spreadsheets
and comes up with "The Numbers".
A dedicated assistant does all his texting and tweeting.
And the sole task of yet another assistant is to carry all the
cell phones, screen the incoming calls, and dial the outgoing
calls for him.
for him.
An entire platoon of scribes writes his speeches, position papers,
and memos for him. Another group tweaks the spreadsheets
and comes up with "The Numbers".
A dedicated assistant does all his texting and tweeting.
And the sole task of yet another assistant is to carry all the
cell phones, screen the incoming calls, and dial the outgoing
calls for him.
But while Mitt's stilted, somewhat jarring
Gordon Gekko-meets-Ward Cleaver persona doesn't exactly
translate to the digital age, it does reflect exactly who he is;
Gordon Gekko-meets-Ward Cleaver persona doesn't exactly
translate to the digital age, it does reflect exactly who he is;
an early-sixtyish major-enterprise CEO who is running his
campaign like a CEO - not a politician.
Trust me - there isn't a Global Fortune 500 CEO anywhere
that doesn't identify with Mitt's style and the way he has organized
his campaign..
campaign like a CEO - not a politician.
Trust me - there isn't a Global Fortune 500 CEO anywhere
that doesn't identify with Mitt's style and the way he has organized
his campaign..
And while a man who thinks Perry Como, The Andrews Sisters
and Lou Rawls are current cultural icons might need some cultural
help, Mitt's uber-square persona DOES resonate with the folks who
will decide this election.
and Lou Rawls are current cultural icons might need some cultural
help, Mitt's uber-square persona DOES resonate with the folks who
will decide this election.
And here I'm not talking about the Bible thumpers, snake handlers,
economic cranks and early-onset-dementia patients who make
up much of the Republican base.
economic cranks and early-onset-dementia patients who make
up much of the Republican base.
No - I'm talking about the entrepreneurs, proprietors, and
small-business people who are the bulk of the nations' Productive
sector and who provide over 80% of the nations JOBS.
small-business people who are the bulk of the nations' Productive
sector and who provide over 80% of the nations JOBS.
I'm talking about the serious corporate and academic leaders
who understand that if we don't get a handle on the nation's debt and
deficit problems, we won't go the way of Japan or Greece -
it will most likely be something worse.
who understand that if we don't get a handle on the nation's debt and
deficit problems, we won't go the way of Japan or Greece -
it will most likely be something worse.
And four more years of Barack Obama, with a tidal wave of
"Regulation-For-Regulation's-Sake" coming up with Obamacare,
Dodd-Frank, and a host of other liberal-left "priorities" is going
to make an economic recovery not just difficult but impossible.
And like James Carville said twenty years ago, the ONLY issue
today is "It's The Economy, Stupid".
"Regulation-For-Regulation's-Sake" coming up with Obamacare,
Dodd-Frank, and a host of other liberal-left "priorities" is going
to make an economic recovery not just difficult but impossible.
And like James Carville said twenty years ago, the ONLY issue
today is "It's The Economy, Stupid".
And the ONLY WAY to restore a healthy, full-employment economy is
to enact the Energy, Entitlement,Regulatory, Spending and Budgetary
reforms that will make this economy competitive again.
And the global economy IS competitive - too many people forget
that while Investment Capital and the investors and CEO's
who control it are mobile, governments and peoples are not.
And attracting and retaining Investment Capital takes a visionary
CEO - not a politician.
And while "Trickle-Down Economics" might be discredited today,
serious peopleagree that the only thing worse is "Trickle-Down
Government".
serious peopleagree that the only thing worse is "Trickle-Down
Government".
The choice is stark; we can have the Government-Centered Economy
of Barack Obama, or we can return to a competitive economy of Free Markets
run by a free people.
Vote Romney/Ryan on November 6.