Letter to my good friend Paul, a politically conservative Jew, who’s discouraged by the debating performance of Mr. Romney
10/17/12
Hey Bubie,
Well, I was hoping for more from Romney and I’m sure you were too, but overall, he did OK.
He definitely seems gun-shy about challenging/attacking Obama with cold hard facts, like the Libyan tragedy or his broad-sweeping proclamations how his policies are working, how the Bush administration created this mess, and how he, Mr. Obama, is more for the middle class and small business than is Romney and republican pals.
This is all preposterous, of course, and ripe for challenging. He did some of that. The only thing missing was the passion of his convictions, a little rise in color, and some visible frustration/ consternation how Obama can stand there and say so many things that aren’t true! Again, he’s either gun-shy, afraid of making a critical mistake at this late-stage, or simply lacks the killer instinct we’d like to see.
Romney’s a nice guy, and plays fair. He doesn’t realize he’s in a mud-wrestling contest with a political Hulk Hogan, who’s dirtied him up! His handlers/advisors must remind him of this, and to throw a few punches . . I mean, mudpies!
In the next debate he’ll get one more chance to say full on, to Obama’s face, his policies aren’t working, the people are suffering, and our country is in trouble!
For instance, your actions and posturings following the Libya tragedy were unintelligible and without merit or consequence, leaving our People in the dark as to why their ambassador was murdered! It’s now been over a month, and we still don’t know who was responsible for this failure in security/intelligence.
When I’m president, something like this won’t happen, because I will make it a primary duty to insure all Americans, both home and abroad, are safe/secure from terrorist attack. If it did happen, I would immediately call all my managers/staff who were directly/ indirectly involved with maintaining such security to the White House. I’d instruct we were not to be disturbed, and we’d remain behind closed doors until it was established exactly what had happened and who was responsible.
Incompetent, careless, negligent or culpable behaviors discovered would result in resignations and dismissals. We simply cannot tolerate amateurish or unprofessional conduct when the lives of our People are at stake!
Your claim to be for the middle class is another example, Mr. President, of how you play fast and loose with the facts! Use of this term is a ruse, because you don’t define which middle class you’re talking about? We all know you mean people making less than $100K, but the real movers & shakers of our economy are the solid middle/upper-middle classers making $100K > $500K. Yes, these folks still consider themselves middle class, and are the drivers of the free enterprise engine. You want to tax and penalize them for their success, calling them rich and privileged.
Doing this would be a disaster, and prove you don’t have a clue about the economic contribution they make. Raising their tax would force them to reduce costs and overhead. First thing to go will be jobs! It’s been estimated the tax increases you propose on those making over $250K will result in the loss of 750,000 jobs!
Then you claim 97% of small businesses make less than $250K. That’s bogus too. Everyone knows they structure their companies as LLC’s, Sub-S Corps & C-Corps, using many other methods to dilute earnings and save tax. If it’s a successful, ongoing business with more than 4-5 employees, you can bet the owner(s) make more than $250K. Citing 97% is simply your way to make it seem only 3% are being hurt, when in reality it’s more like 40-50%. This would drive a stake through the heart of our economy.
More amazing is how you say you are for the small business per- son, respect their free enterprise and want to help them with your tax policies and regulations. But the reality is you’re hurting them, stifling plans for adding more jobs. You actually told them to their face – you didn’t build your business! This is utter nonsense and a direct slap in their face.
On another note, I keep hearing you claim you’ve added more than 5 million jobs during your presidency, which means your policies are working. Just give them more time. What you fail to mention is you actually helped lose 28 million jobs, and need to find 23 million just to break even! And no, this wasn’t all Bush’s fault. Job losses mounted during your watch, due to your crazy regulatory efforts, taxing policies, Obamacare and refusal to pro- mote energy independence, particularly your demonization of the coal, oil and natural gas industries. You own a huge percentage of this mess, it’s your failure and your responsibility. Do us a favor, stop blaming Bush!
I could go on, but you get my point. Romney should rise on this last occasion and rub Obama’s nose in it, being robust in his tone and body language. Show emotion, passion and his business experience. Call out Obama’s weaknesses, and lack of experience; pin- point his lack of leadership on balancing the budget, his lack of bi- partisanship, his willful promotion of class warfare, and now this Libyan catastrophe. He flat out failed to appreciate its gravity and ramifications, remaining in campaign mode, galavanting around the country instead of taking care of the nation’s business!
Romney should remind us leadership requires an astute and rapid assessment of one’s position in relation to another’s, takes skill and ability to find the middle ground. Still, it should result more than not with slight edge to one’s own side. The budget stalemate demonstrates Big-Time Obama has no such ability or inclination. Romney governed Massachusettes at a time when the legislature was 80%+ democrat, yet he still worked deals & got things done.
Whether our Jewish friends or the undecided folks in those swing states like Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida will get all this is anyone’s guess. We live in a age when whoever tells the most lies, most believably, wins! How could this happen? Evidently many of us have lost interest in staying informed, understanding issues and recognizing a phony when he’s in our face. Most seriously, many no longer know what it means to be an American.
Many seem to think government is the answer and should grow as it must to solve our problems. Without a line in the sand we come to a point where socialism, statism, even communism are manifest in governance. At that point, we are no longer America, but some new hybrid of opposing ideological views.
It goes without question we tolerate all religious, political and philosophical viewpoints, but these must remain only shadings/ colorings of mainstream American republican-style democracy.
Anyone who truly believes in the extreme, including any ultra-right Christian-oriented theocracists for that matter, is no longer an American. They are an ideologue driving for revolutionary change.
One simply cannot subscribe to such ideas without abandoning the basic precepts of what it means to be an American.
Jews of course tend to be left and feel government should help more. A little of that goes a long way. Wilson started it, FDR did more, LBJ more still, and now Obama is racing to the left side of the planet. It’s too much, can’t work, hasn’t worked in Europe and other places over the centuries, and will never work in the light of man’s inherent hopes and dreams and indomitable human spirit.
Undecided swing-staters, I haven’t a clue? How they can still be on the fence facing the trouble we’re in, is incomprehensible. May as well be that proverbial ostrich with its head stuck in the ground. We’re better off they stay home & don’t vote, locked in indecision.
But admittedly, everything hinges on them. Swing staters, undecideds, blacks, browns, single white females, young adults and Jews. Let’s hope they all see the light and come to their senses. If some will do that, or if this Libyan thing catches fire like it should and heads begin to roll, well then, in a few weeks we might find ourselves with a new engineer driving the train back to where we came from, where facts, truth and reality still mean something.
What a bright new day that will be, with passengers up and down the aisle awakening from their political slumbers, stretching with anticipation, and once again caring about where they go.
Yep, that good old American Spirit and know-how thing just might win the day. Don’t lose hope. Keep fighting. Believe in your principles, as will I, and let’s stand tall and firm in this fast cold current called politics, as long as we’re able.
Take Heart, My Friend
Stay Well
Shalom!
Bub
Postscript:
You’ve been reading a letter I wrote to my good friend of many, many years, Paul. You can find more letters and other thoughts of mine, including ongoing commentaries on current topics and issues, at my new blogsite www.shaneview.com
I’m Al Shane
Alvan I. Shane
Author The Day Liberty Wept
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