| The biggest issue facing the economy and the markets right now is whether or not the people in Washington can govern effectively. If there are no compromises we are facing a downward spiral. I think somehow Romney will be more skilled at building a consensus than Obama. If the House returns in its present Republican control Romney is the only choice that has a chance of getting things done. Obama has had his chance. I think he makes a good point. As I've mentioned before, I could live with Mitt Romney as president. I see him as a non-ideological problem-solver, i. e., a Democrat. What's more, I could see a President Romney building coalitions of establishment Republicans and Democrats to pass moderate, bipartisan legislation. And the tea party Republicans? Romney can marginalize them in a way that no Democratic president could. After all, without their support in the primaries, Romney could just tell them to go jump in the lake. Mitt Romney also has a great personal story: son of George Romney, Harvard MBA and law degree, founding partner of Bain Capital, governor of Massachusetts where he -- shhh! -- passed an historic health care reform bill, beautiful wife and five handsome sons -- this guy has led a charmed life! Take all that and consider that my brother is a moderate, white, suburban, church-going (sometimes) family man who works for a large financial services firm and -- duh! -- no wonder he feels partial to Mitt Romney. I always listen to my brother's opinions carefully, though, because unlike the rest of us, he's always had a great deal of common sense. (By the way, he thinks the economy will recover somewhat in 2012. That should pave the way for the president's reelection.) So what about me? Who am I supporting for president, my brother asks. Well, the short answer is, it would take a lot for me to vote Republican again after eight years of George W. Bush and four years of the tea party. While the Bushies were incompetent, the current Republicans are positively insane. And a quick look at Mitt Romney's advisers reveals a cast of Bush retreads. Aren't they the ones who got us into this mess in the first place? Do we really want to go back to that? I agree with President Obama -- these guys drove us into a ditch; and now they want the car keys back. Are you kidding? And the long answer? Well, it's a lot longer, of course. But suffice it to say, it starts with fairness. To repeat, I've been very fortunate in life. It started by being born into a solidly middle-class home with two parents who loved me and gave me everything I could have possibly wanted. But I didn't plan that, and not everyone is so lucky. Some people are dealt a truly lousy hand in life and need a little help. Take one small example from today's news. Yesterday President Obama appointed Richard Cordray to be the director of the newly formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over the vehement objections of Congressional Republicans. Now ask yourself, can you imagine a President Romney taking the side of individuals over large corporations? Me neither. |
2 comments:
I agree, sort of. Romney in a vacuum - A governor from Massachusetts - would likely be not very unlike Obama - centrist, pragmatic. But he is not in a vacuum. He is attached to a batsh*t crazy Republican party hell-bent on destroying life for all but wealthy white Christians.
Also - Romney will be run over by the Tea Party, not the other way around. The Congress makes the laws, the President really only has bigtime power outside our borders ( foreign policy, etc ). Domestically, the President has only the veto and the Bully Pulpit. And The Congress carefully loads all bills with enough good things that it is very hard for a President to veto. And the Bully Pulpit is not that great.
The third issue is the Supreme Court - just as no-one can see Romney sticking up for people over corporations ( "Corporations are People, my friend" - Mitt Romney ), neither will anyone he appoints to the Supreme Court.
After the Bush era, I will probably never vote for another Republican - ever.
I can't disagree with any of that.
In fact, I read recently that a President Romney would be just as hamstrung as John Boehner in dealing with the tea party Republicans in Congress.
And as for your last line, I can't imagine voting Republican again either -- they just don't strike me as having the country's best interests at heart.
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