I Dreamed A Dream

I'm depressed.  I'll admit it.  As Newt Gingrich has crept to within two points of Mitt Romney in the polls, my depression deepens.  The best candidate is gone. Jon Huntsman.  He wasn't conservative enough.  Pragmatic didn't count nor did the most reasonable and doable tax plan nor a real foreign policy based on actual experience.

For a long time I thought it would be rather cool if we could take the best from each candidate and stitch them together into some sort of lovable one.  In reality, though, we'd still have gotten  the Frankenstein monster.  It depresses me.

I find myself a voter without a candidate.  I have doubt that Mitt Romney can beat Obama unless something catastrophic should happen that would finally persuade people enough is enough.  Turning down the pipeline to favor the environmentalists isn't going to do it. Even if Iran would be foolish enough to actually torpedo one of our aircraft carriers, as they're threatening, it would do nothing but start another war.  In our convoluted way of thinking we'd no doubt re-elect Obama to lead it - from behind of course.

The remaining Republicans, other than Ron Paul believe it or not, don't show me anything in the way of leadership or ideas that make sense if they even have any.  Their expertise seems to be in tearing one another down which does nothing more than plant more doubt.  Of course that's the intent, isn't it?  Mr. Paul, too, has weaknesses that shouldn't be overlooked.

I don't think any of the third party movements have a chance.  They'll pull voters away from the two parties; who they'll hurt the most depends on who they run.  But they will pull votes.

So what is a person like me to do?  I cannot vote for Obama.  I cannot vote for Gingrich or Santorum and would have to close my eyes and hope for the best if I went for Romney.  We still have no idea exactly who and what he is.  He just looks better than the others. I'm depressed.

I'm more than depressed.  I'm angry.  Michelle Obama has nothing on me.  I'm an angry white woman.  Angry that Congress still doesn't get it and doesn't care.  They mock us with their behavior.  The administration mocks us with their defiant trashing of the Constitution.  The media mocks our intelligence. Our enemies mock our very existence.

The election should be our out.  Unfortunately it won't be a mock election for even the candidates mock us with their exaggerations and half truths.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by, when hope was high and life worth living.               Les Mis

Whatever happened to those times gone by?

Boring As A Disqualifer?

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  The candidates will do anything to dissuade the electorate from selecting Romney as the Republican candidate.  Even to the extent of calling the kettle black when they're the pot!

Consider Rick Santorum calling him "bland and boring" , therefore we should not vote for him. After all, McCain and Gore were boring and they both lost!  Now there is sound reasoning.  This from Rick Santorum?  I hadn't noticed that he was Mr. Excitement.  Mr. Odd perhaps, but hardly Mr. Excitement.  Besides, what is more boring this day and age than a sweater vest?

On the other hand, Romney himself is caving to pressure on his impeccable three piece suit image.  He's taken to dressing in jeans and button downs for campaign appearances.  Is he defeating his own intent by wearing Tommy Bahama jeans rather than Wranglers?  I will certainly keep that in mind when I'm ready to pull the lever.

Newt isn't to be forgotten either.  His bone to pick as all else is failing is the idea that Romney  (gasp) speaks French!  Just like John Kerry, that Liberal elitist who also lost! Jon Huntsman speaks Mandarin.  What does that make him?  I stumble with high school Spanish - but then I'm not running for anything.

Santorum suggested Romney, with his perceived stand offishness, too resembles Obama to be electable.  Here I thought Obama was the epitome of hope and change and his following  was  cult like in its fervor.  Well, that may have been true during the campaign but since being in the White House his stand offishness is self evident.  It seems to me he's never really stopped stirring the pot in campaign mode.  If there's anything he's standoffish about it's governing.

There are reasons I'd prefer another candidate than those above.  As far as those are concerned, however, this man who seems bland and boring has been successful in business to the point where he can buy and sell most of us.  Forget, for a moment how that was achieved. That's another subject entirely.  This man who is bland and boring turned a failing Olympics into a dynamic success.  This man who is bland and boring has put together a political organization that is leaving the other candidates in the dust.

If this man who is bland and boring can put his nose to the grindstone and govern the country with a steady hand and a meaningful, if not perfect, agenda can he be all bad? Sorry Mr. Santorum and Gingrich,  there are scores of differences between Romney and Obama that are actually meaningful. Perhaps you'd be better served by pointing out the same about yourselves.

Politically Correct War

We've been at war in Afghanistan for better than ten years.  It has been brutal. The warfare unconventional.  Our military tested to the extreme by too many deployments without sufficient breaks.  Families torn apart because we've too few regular forces to get it done and have had to rely on reserves and national guard.  Equipment in many cases having to be jury-rigged by the soldiers.

We put in place that which is nor more than a puppet government yet it has been pulling our stings for years.  It negotiates with the enemy we are fighting.  It dictates where we can engage right down to the time of day and what equipment we can use.  They cannot account for millions of dollars.  Their police and military, which we have trained, kill our men.

They enslave their own people, deny them education, stone them to death, torture them if they refuse to become prostitutes.  They side with their neighbors against us to keep vital supplies from getting through to our troops. They scold us as if we were children.

When a small group of our Marines showed their contempt for them by urinating on their corpses,  once again we're the bad guys.  We didn't show them enough respect. In the name of whomever, they're the enemy!  Look at the numbers of our men and women they have slain or maimed for life!  Respect them? How can any sane person even ask that what's more expect it?  Don't look for it here!

What the Marines did show is exactly what we think of them.  They are not worth the death of one more soldier.  We cannot wage war and nation build at the same time. They are not compatible undertakings and should not, in any case, both be tried by the military.

The footprints won't even be filled with sand upon our departure before the Taliban is back in power and Karzai either in cushy exile somewhere or a safe haven provided by the Taliban for his help against us.  Bet on it. Living on monies he siphoned from us.

Now they're considering court martials against a handful of war weary Marines.  Nothing more should happen to them than being told that's not the way to behave, and for heavens sake don't post any thing like it to You Tube.  That's a no brainer unless you're just too exhausted to think straight.

What is it with these generals?  They become politicians  at some point rather than military men.  I wonder how politically correct they'd feel if they were in the field with their men, rather than sitting in their heavily protected headquarters.

I'm so sick of our namby-pamby ways, our bowing to the enemy, our allowing them to call the shots while we die for what is questionably called a country of questionably civilized people.

I don't particularly like the word 'pissed'.  But I can say I am 'pissed' off about the whole war and the way it has been managed by the civilians giving the orders.  Maybe the Marines chose the wrong target.

The Enigma That Is Ron Paul

A Young Ron Paul

If ever there was a human equivalent of the Energizer Bunny it certainly must be Ron Paul.  It seems like he has been around forever.

Nearly.  Close to 77, he's been around even longer than me!  For a man who has no chance of winning the Presidency, I find him intriguing.  I wonder if he looked more like himself during his Air Force days he'd be doing even better than he is.

I also find it interesting that I don't hear age as an issue nearly as much as I did with McCain.  Perhaps it's because he doesn't seem to reflect his age as did McCain. I was curious as to the ages of his most ardent supporters.  In 2008, which was all I could find, those 18 to 24 were by far the strongest demographic group followed by 35-44, 45-54 and over 65.  While the others fell below the median, not that far.

Next I went to his campaign website and had a good look at his stand on the issues.  In truth, I think he represents that for which a lot of us have been looking.  I don't agree with him on everything, I don't think he can accomplish a lot that he'd like because he has a legislature  with which to contend.  In general, however, his desire for less intrusive government, more frugal government, a reasonable tax structure and health care system, immigration and border security favoring legals rather than the illegals,  a military strong enough to insure our safety yet go to war if necessary, fewer if any wars to have to go to, investing our wealth in our country rather than the rest of the world and my favorite, reigning in and eventually eliminating the TSA, all have broad appeal.

Consider the young people who follow him.  No wars. How great would that be?  No matter how patriotic, no man or woman goes off to war wanting to die. Especially for causes as murky as some of our more recent ventures.

His view on tax reform certainly appeals to the next two demographic groups, those of an age to be starting up businesses or trying to make the ones they have succeed.

As for we who are his peers or close to it, want just to be left alone to live out our lives as freely and comfortably as possible.  We'd like to be able to sell our home and downsize without taking a huge financial hit.  We'd like to know that medical attention will be available when we need it without middle men deciding whether or not our ailments are worthy.

I could go on and on but see I've already done so.  I'll sum up by saying I think of all the candidates running,  Ron Paul best fits the "anyone but Mitt" role.  The others seem too sanctimonious, too ill tempered, mean spirited and short on substance.  Not that Paul hasn't had his moments to be sure.

He may not articulate some of his stands as clearly as he should, like his view on Iran, but dig a bit deeper and you see what he's saying.  Unfortunately that isn't good enough.

I expect he will continue to make a respectable showing in the primaries.  A vote for him is a statement saying we're sick of all of you.  Whether he can win or not, those who cast a vote for Ron Paul are acknowledging a man who cares deeply not only for America, but Americans and adds a pretty good dose of Constitutional common sense to the mix.

Jon Huntsman Is Right, You Know...

At least some people have come to their senses and are looking at Jon Huntsman.  At least enough to have him polling third in New Hampshire.  Now if only...

The pundits seem to enjoy telling us how this rough and tumble that's called primary season is good because the candidates get vetted.  Do they?  The only one who is focusing on policy is Huntsman.  The rest, including Romney, are focusing on destroying one another and in the process their party.

Take Gingrich.  Again.  Now that an angel has come out of Las Vegas with cash in hand for his super PAC he's doing his best to distort venture capitalism.  A venture capitalist, Romney, is not a corporate raider.  Actually their aim is to fix troubled companies.  As with any business venture, they are not always successful.  To do this, the capital for the venture (get it? venture capital) comes from investors who get a return on that investment only if the turn around is successful.  One hardly goes into it with the intent to kill business.  But then Newt marches to his own dictionary.

My issues with Paul remain the same.  His foreign policy is not realistic considering the conditions we face.  At least he had the good grace to ask that an ad by his PAC be withdrawn - one that called Huntsman a Manchurian candidate, focusing on his adopted daughters - one Chinese and one East Indian.

I don't care for Santorum's views on gays or abortion and, say what you will, the story of he and his wife taking their dead child home for their children to familiarize themselves with is unsettling.

Perry?  I haven't a clue what he's about.

I understand why people just can't get excited about Romney.  His policies aren't particularly innovative.  Too much like big government Republicanism versus big government Democratism.  He has devolved to the level of the others.  Demeaning Huntsman because he served as ambassador to China in the Obama administration is fool hardy.

Huntsman's claim that when one is called upon to serve by the President, it's not easy to refuse rings true.  He chose to do so for his country.  He cited as an example his two sons currently serving in the Navy.  It matters not to which party the commander-in-chief belongs, they are serving their country.

What ever happened to the idea that our goals for the nation, regardless of party,  should be the same.  The difference comes as to how to accomplish those goals.  The ideas can vary greatly and of course that's where compromise enters.  Or at least where it's supposed to enter.

For the moment I'm pretty disgusted with the way all of the candidates are conducting themselves, including the President.  It seems to me all the nation building going on is outside our borders instead of within.   Within it's ego building supported with delusion and falsehoods.  That isn't vetting by my definition. If it is to be the standard by which we choose, none deserve the job.