Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Deluge

The deluge is beginning. And I'm not talking about the rain that is supposed to come our way tonight.

I'm talking about political ads. Today is the New Hampshire primary, so the swarm is now headed our way. All I want to do this evening is watch the evening news, and I am subjected to a constant barrage of ads about how Newt has been mistaken too many times, and Rick Santorum is an insider politician, and more, and more. I'm glad that Ron Paul is good to veterans, and Rick Perry got jobs for Texas. I know enough to filter out the attack ads that are sponsored by the competition. But these are desperate times. None of those attack ads matter during this cycle. I want to be able to tell which man is the best man to defeat Obama. That is all that matters, far more this election than in many other times.

7 comments:

Drake said...

"...defeat Obama. That is all that matters..."

Why? I really would like to hear what you think - not just trying to be contrary. I hear this but don't understand it...you may imagine (or not?) that it is rare where I live. I'd love to hear a real person's opinion rather than filtered through a candidate or news organization.

I don't want to put you on the spot do please don't feel compelled to respond. Just hoping to learn what other people are thinking going into the election - especially people I respect!

[An aside - we've almost had your weather this winter so far - in the 50s this week - expected to end tomorrow with 6" of snow - our first this winter]

Ann said...

Happy to answer, Drake. Here's what I think:

--Though the debt was already well underway, it has tripled in the last three years due to Obama's stimulus package and other spending bills. We are strapping our children and grandchildren with staggering debt that we are going to get beyond the ability to pay if we don't start cutting spending--not to mention leaving an open pathway for control of us from the countries that own our debt (read: China).

--The healthcare bill is further going to cripple our economy as well as our freedom to make our own decisions about our healthcare.

--Obama does not see America as an exceptional country - just as one of many - and his foreign policy decisions make us appear weak to foreign countries. He does not appear to have a good grasp of the true situations in several parts of the world. There are people and countries that would really like to harm us, and people like that cannot be appeased. They only respond to strength. Countries like Iran have to know that we mean business, or else we will soon be facing a nuclear bomb from them.

--His huge military cuts are going to further weaken our ability to defend ourselves, particularly if trouble breaks out in more than one area of the world. The unilateral pulling out of all our troops in Iraq is going to allow huge destabilization in that volatile region.

--Obama's failure to allow oil companies to develop our own resources causes us to continue to be dependent on foreign oil, much of it coming from the very countries that do not wish us well.

--Obama favors Muslim organizations such as Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas over our historical connections with Israel.

--Obama's world view favors socialism over the private sector - i.e. taking over car companies, the socialized medicine aspect of his healthcare law, his pushing of taxation of the rich to equalize wealth. He employs a Robin Hood approach of take from the rich to give to the poor.

--His taxation policies, and his desire to tax those who have made money even more (they already bear the majority of the tax bill) absolutely kills job creation possibilities.

There's more - but that sums up why I feel so strongly about the upcoming election. Thanks for asking. Hope y'all are fine! Enjoy your snow - we haven't even really needed a winter coat here yet.

Endress Family said...

Very good points, Ann. You hit the nail on the head as far as the areas where Obama is destroying our country. I would definitely agree that his defeat is the top priority. It seems that Mitt Romney has the best chance of defeating him, but I am still not quite sure about him. I really like Rick Santorum, who seems to be the most socially conservative candidate in the race. He has seven children and homeschooled them. However, I don't know if he could beat Obama in the general election, and he has no executive experience. I am undecided at this point. The rest of our country, and perhaps the world, is anxiously watching South Carolina! Just my two cents.

~Matthew

Aunt Mim said...

Matthew, I always appreciate the things you write. Too bad you are not old enough to vote.
So now, I live in South Carolina and plan to vote. But who should your uncle Lynn and I vote for? We are stymied. Newt is perhaps the best informed and capable but he has a lot of baggage. Ron Paul is too far out in his libertarianism but has some good ideas. Santorum is our man ideologically but...........and so it goes.

Ann said...

Matthew, you express yourself quite well for such a young man!

Endress Family said...

I am WAAAAAY too opinionated for being too young to vote! :-( I don't know who you should vote for, probably Santorum or Romney. Romney has the best chance of beating Obama; Mom says Santorum's views are most biblical. You will have to decide for yourself. I think way more about politics than is good for me! I must take after Grandpa K!

~Matthew

P.S. We got probably about five inches of snow yesterday night, and Dad is clearing the big drifts off the driveway right now. Aren't you jealous? :-)

Drake said...

Thanks for the response! I agree on some points and disagree on others. I can't imagine the challenge that any President has to represent all citizens. He deserves our respect for that if nothing else.

I also don't envy having to make a choice among the Republican primary candidates. Elections have become caustic and divisive and I'm not sure what to do to change that. We're all to blame - politicians, parties, journalists, and especially the electorate for failing to educate themselves. (Certainly _not_ true of responders to this post!)