Month: October 2012

A Challenge And An Opportunity For Barack Obama: Hurricane Sandy’s Possible Effect On The Presidential Election Of 2012

The oncoming Hurricane Sandy, possibly one of the greatest natural threats in American history, with the potential to devastate 800 miles of coastline from North Carolina through New England, an area of 60 million population along the Atlantic coast of the United States, is both a challenge and an opportunity for President Barack Obama.

IF he handles the crisis in the best possible fashion, it could benefit him in the Presidential election coming up in eight days.

IF he fails to respond adequately, or is seen as exploiting the issue openly, it could guarantee his defeat next week.

The right balance is needed, as he will be in the spotlight in a way that Mitt Romney, his Republican opponent, cannot be, as only Obama is President and Commander In Chief at this moment of history.

But most important is the safety and security of the 60 million people affected, and this is time for prayers and doing whatever can be done to minimize the tragedy of this monster storm!

“The October Surprise” Is The Wrath Of Nature!

The traditional line is that in any Presidential campaign, there is an “October Surprise”, which can transform the race.

Who would think it is the wrath of nature, represented by Hurricane Sandy, a “Frankenstorm”, a storm of the century, which will soon devastate the Northeast and Midwest, an area of over 60 million people, and will likely cut down voting numbers, although many have participated in early voting, some indications being possibly 40 percent of the voting population.

This could have a dramatic effect not only on the Presidential election, but on Congressional and state elections, and transform our future in ways we cannot yet imagine!

This can, therefore, be seen as a moment of crisis, and a moment for urgent leadership by President Barack Obama, and appropriate reaction by Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

If power is out for an extended period of time, it could lead to millions not voting, and could also lead to lawsuits regarding close election results.

One has to wonder what the power of nature is trying to say to us, a country deeply divided, and sadly, unlikely to change as a result of this highly charged Presidential Election of 2012!

Will 2012 Presidential Election Mirror 2000 Presidential Election?

There is a growing possibility that the Presidential Election of 2012 will become a reprise of the Presidential Election Of 2000, where the winner of the popular vote does not win the Electoral College, and therefore does not become President of the United States.

This time, the Democratic incumbent, Barack Obama, would be the lucky recipient, while last time the Republican candidate, George W. Bush, was to become the fourth Presidential nominee to fail to win the popular vote but become President, after John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford Hayes in 1876, and Benjamin Harrison in 1888.

Some would say that such a result, with Obama being reelected, although losing the popular vote to Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, would be “justice” for what happened to Al Gore, the Democratic nominee in 2000.

But there is a major difference, in that Obama is already President, while Bush was competing for the position, but was not yet our President.

It would be the first time that a sitting President was reelected without the popular vote of the American people, and would make Republicans say he was “illegitimate” to be our President, something already said, but still would be a great tragedy,and probably guarantee another four years of stalemate and gridlock.

It would make, more likely, a move by the Republicans, if they controlled the House of Representatives, which seems likely at this point, to move to impeach the President, as they succeeded in doing to Bill Clinton in 1998.

It would be a political circus, which would paralyze the nation, and the Republican Party would do everything it could to undermine Obama, and to attempt to make it seem as if he was a failed President, to stain his name in history, even if they had been unable to dislodge him from the White House.

It is hoped that this whole scenario will not happen, and that Barack Obama will end up winning the popular vote, but with the impending Hurricane Sandy, likely to cut down voting totals in the Northeast and Midwest, considered strongly Democratic at least in the Northeast, it could assist Romney in winning the national popular vote, and even the Electoral College win is certainly possible for Romney, although still considered unlikely.

With the impending storm, there is a lot to pray for, regarding safety of the population in the Northeast and Midwest, as well as the future of the nation after the Presidential Election Of 2012. We are living in very difficult times, and have to hope for reason and tolerance, without any certainty of either occurring!

The Four “States” Of Florida

Florida began early voting today, and it is the ultimate “swing state”, as it is really four “states”!

North Florida and the Panhandle is strongly conservative and Republican, except for Gainesville, the home of the flagship University of Florida.

Central Florida is the ultimate battleground of Tampa and Orlando, with growing Hispanic population, heavily Puerto Rican, but also Midwesterners who are Republicans, so it is hard to know what will happen here.

Palm Beach and Broward Counties in South Florida are fertile Democratic territory, and heavily Jewish and other Northeasterners.

Miami Dade County is heavily Cuban, likely Republican, but the younger generation may be straying from their parents and grandparents.

Voter turnout and enthusiasm will decide if Florida goes to Barack Obama or Mitt Romney in ten days!

Romney Government: Captive Of The Koch Brothers, Donald Trump, Jack Welch, Sheldon Adelson, David Siegel

Six billionaires, who are accustomed to bullying their employees, and buying their way to what they want from politicians, have found a willing partner in a fourth of a billionaire, Mitt Romney, whose only real interest is to become President to enrich himself further, and accomplish his insane goal to make himself a billionaire, as they are, before he passes on to the next world, leaving his five sons the opportunity to become, over their lifetimes, multibillionaires–unbridled capitalism at its best.

The willing collaborators, and there are, indeed, others in this category besides these six, are:

The Koch Brothers, Charles and David Koch
David Siegel
Jack Welch
Sheldon Adelson
Donald Trump (who is clearly the “poorest” of this bunch!)

These people are accustomed to mistreating their workers; harming the environment; participating in unethical and illegal activities that they expect to avoid prosecution by colluding with rich politicians, such as Mitt Romney; spending a minor portion of their fortunes to promote policies that harm all but their own class; and spreading rumors and hate to divide the population, as they realize the weapon of “divide and conquer.”

These plutocrats belong in the Gilded Age of the late 19th century, but sadly, they and others like them are the power brokers who could “buy” our government, and dictate the end of democracy and fair play for all Americans, the end of the American Dream.

So defeating Mitt Romney is an urgency for the future of the Republic as we know it!

Theodore Roosevelt’s 154th Birthday: He Would Mourn What His Republican Party Has Become!

Today is the 154th Anniversary of President Theodore Roosevelt’s birth.

TR is one of the most acclaimed Presidents, often listed as high as 4th all time, just below Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and George Washington.

TR is certainly regarded as the second greatest Republican President of all time, behind only Lincoln, unless one chooses to believe the lunacy of conservative propagandist Glenn Beck, who constantly denounces TR, and would put Ronald Reagan higher than TR, and who also has reservations about Lincoln, because correspondence between Lincoln and Karl Marx has been uncovered, which makes some right wing nuts think Lincoln “might” have been a “Socialist”, or a “Communist”, or even the word “Progressive”, which is considered the same thing by Beck, Florida Congressman Allen West, and other right wing lunatics!

TR was a “Progressive” who promoted conservation and the environment; promoted the advance of labor rights; believed in regulation of big business; created the Food and Drug Administration to monitor safety of what Americans consume; and believed later in his life, when he ran as the Progressive Party nominee for President in 1912 that there was a need for health care and labor laws and other aspects of a social safety net. This made TR the forerunner of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama in advocating more government, more regulation, more social safety net, and concern about the environment.

None of the above is now believed by the Republican Party of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, who wish to repeal everything TR and his successors of both parties believed in!

So it is clear that TR, certainly not perfect but still exceptional in so many ways, would NOT be a Republican today!

But then Abraham Lincoln would not be a Republican today.

Neither would Dwight D. Eisenhower or even Richard Nixon or Gerald Ford, who were condemning the religious extremism of their party in their later years.

And right now, former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee, and former South Dakota Senator Larry Pressler have endorsed President Barack Obama.

And under the surface, not willing to speak up, but clearly uncomfortable with the GOP of 2012, are many other former Republican Governors, Senators, and Congressmen who feel that their party has been “hijacked” by an evil, selfish, greedy, nasty group of weirdos who wish to take away rights from women, labor, minorities, the disabled, the poor, and the middle class, and are refusing to come out openly and endorse Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

The party of Theodore Roosevelt and his “progressivism” and reform is long gone, and sadly, may never return!

Mitt Romney Decides To Copy Barack Obama: Hypocrisy In Action!

Mitt Romney has now declared he is out to bring “change”, despite the fact that he and his Republican party have constantly ridiculed Barack Obama for promoting “hope and change”.

The difference is that Barack Obama has accomplished a great deal in his time in office, arguably the most domestically since Lyndon B. Johnson, and has also accomplished a great amount in foreign policy, and national security, and the fight against terrorism.

Mitt Romney offers no such potential for success, as his one term as Governor of Massachusetts was so unpopular that he could not consider running for reelection, and in any case, he was just using the Governorship as a stepping stone to run for President.

Mitt Romney has run a negative, nasty campaign, and has embraced despicable people who promote attacks on women, minorities, labor, the poor, the middle class, the environment, veterans, gays, senior citizens, young people, and the disabled; and also has backed neoconservatives in their quest to engage America in more wars, even though most of them have never been in the military!

Romney using the term “change” is a mockery, and hopefully, the majority of Americans realize Romney for the charlatan, the chameleon, the phony, the insincere person that he is.

Romney is only running for President to enrich himself to an obscene level, advance a plutocracy similar to the late 19th century Gilded Age, promote his Mormon faith, and to stroke his own ego!

Mitt Romney needs to be given a resounding slap in the face, and told how much we detest everything he represents, as a danger to the American people and their future!

If Obama Loses, We Lose MUCH More Than He Loses!

President Obama has made the statement that were he to lose the Presidential Election Of 2012, he and Michelle would do just fine, and that is certainly true.

After all, he has been President, will go down in history as a President who had some positive effects on the nation, and will be able to spend the rest of his life with great earnings potential, and rising popularity over time, and would be mourned when he dies, with a state funeral, and always be part of the story of American history.

Being a one term President, he would be likely to have a lower ranking in the list of Presidents, as Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush have had, along with William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover, and Gerald Ford, the five Presidents of the 20th century who lost reelection.

Obama has had a record deserving of being listed higher, but he needs a second term to reach the ranks of the more outstanding Presidents.

But, ultimately, the biggest loser if Obama is not reelected, are:

Women–who will see their movement toward equality and dignity stalled or reversed in massive ways.

Gay men and women–who will likely lose the advancements on gay rights and gay marriage, and true equality in all ways.

Hispanics and Latinos–who will see more anti immigrant backlash, and will lose the advancements for young Immigrants under the proposed DREAM Act.

African Americans—who will see greater racism and discrimination, and setbacks in the promotion of equality and fairness of treatment.

Labor–who will see more attacks on workers rights, favoritism toward corporate employers, loss of collective bargaining rights, and setbacks in the lives of ordinary, struggling Americans who have no union representation.

Environmentalists–who will see more oil drilling, air pollution, refusal to understand the dangers of climate change, and allow economic development that endangers the health of millions of Americans, all for the motivation of profit over health concerns.

The poor–who have rough lives, will see a lack of concern or action to deal with the reality of child poverty, homelessness, hunger, the lives of single mothers, and further condemnation of the poor, reminding us of the Gilded Age and Social Darwinism.

The Middle Class–who will suffer further degradation, loss of opportunity to advance, and the potential for their children to succeed being lessened dramatically.

Young People–who will have fewer opportunities to advance in education and work, and will be embittered and disillusioned about the American Dream, which will be unfulfilled for millions.

Senior Citizens–who will have to live in fear of dangers to Social Security and Medicare, and will lose the sense of security and contentment in their older years.

The Disabled—whether young, middle aged, or old, who will see a loss of concern and support, as through Medicaid and other government programs.

Civil Libertarians–who will see further erosion of the Bill of Rights, and the promotion of narrow minded views of Muslims and Hispanics-Latinos by government policy.

The Peace activists–who will see America engaged in more wars, because of the power of Neoconservatives who will promote further foreign adventures.

Military Personnel and Veterans–who will see more soldiers killed in the future, and more ignoring of the needs of veterans who are fortunate enough to come home alive.

Educators and Intellectuals–who will be less appreciated and admired, and will be labeled “Communists, Socialists, Terrorists” by people in the Republican Party, who will do everything they can to attack education and freedom of thought, and call critics “unpatriotic”.

So Barack Obama will do just fine if he loses, but we, the American people, will lose so much, and it will transform our lives in so many negative ways that most people cannot conceptualize or imagine!

The Huffington Post Projection On The Election Today: Obama 277, Romney 191, And Five States In Play!

According to the Huffington Post, this evening (October 25), the Electoral College total is Barack Obama 277, and Mitt Romney 191, with five states and 70 electoral votes in play!

According to the Huffington Post estimates, Obama is winning the “swing” states of the Midwest (Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin), along with Nevada.

The five states in play are the Southern states (Virginia, North Carolina, Florida), and also New Hampshire and Colorado.

But even if Romney wins all five states, with 70 electoral votes, he would only have 261, nine short of the number needed to win, with Obama having seven more than the number needed, 270.

It seems a good judgment that the Midwest is lost to Mitt Romney, based on early voting, and Romney’s refusal to back the auto industry survival ultimately will cost him the election, despite the overwhelming list of mistakes and blunders made by the Republican nominee for President.

There will be plenty of time after November 6 to analyze why Mitt Romney is another Presidential “loser”!

What Is It With Republicans And Women’s Rights?

The Republican Party of 2012 is absolutely crazy and loony when it comes to the rights of women.

Just look at Richard Mourdock of Indiana and Todd Akin of Missouri, both running for the Senate, and sounding like coming from past centuries, and medieval religious ideas And see how Mitt Romney endorses and supports them, showing no guts to defend women’s rights. But then again, remember he is a Mormon, a religion which promotes inferiority of women, so why should he have an open mind?

Republicans want to deny women equal pay at work.

Republicans want to deny women the right to contraceptives being covered on employer health plans.

Republicans want to deny women the right to control their own reproductive lives, and have the nerve and gall to justify rape as ordained by God, and force women to have babies born out of violence.

Republicans want to deny women the right to decide they do not wish to have a baby caused by incest of a sibling or parent or other relative.

Republicans want to deny women the right to their own life, if the life of the baby can be saved.

Republicans want to deny women the respect that allows them to decide their own futures, and instead allow religious zealots, whether Catholic, evangelical Christian, Orthodox Jews, or Muslims, to dictate to them, and treat them as second class citizens who must obey their husbands and fathers, and have no free will.

Republicans want to deny women the right to an education and professional or business career, preferring they go back to the image of women in the 1950s—obedient, barefoot and pregnant too many times, and good housewives and cooks who remind men how wonderful they are as the head of the household. They want the era of Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet, and Leave It To Beaver!

Well, intelligent women are NOT going to tolerate such abuse any longer, and it is time for even “religious” women to realize they are being controlled and dominated by the men in their lives, and make it clear that they will NOT be dictated to about their work or educational lives, their sex lives, and their reproductive lives!

The days of obedience and submission of women to men is over, and the Republican Party needs to be taught a punishing lesson this November, that their attempt to go back in time, and show lack of respect and equality for women, will be punished severely by elimination from our political system.

Also, there is a need for churches and synagogues and mosques to forget “tradition”, and recognize we are in the 21st century in the most advanced nation on earth, and modernization and change are not an option, but rather essential and pronto!

We are not a backward nation of the “third world”, and it is time for women to be treated with dignity and respect!

There are a total of FIFTEEN Republican Senate candidates wishing to deny rape victims the right of abortion, and all of them need to be soundly defeated!