Tomorrow Is Election Day...

I will probably get 12 hours of phone calls or people doing surveys and polls wanting to know who I am going to vote for tomorrow. It’s an easy question to answer. I will be voting for Barack Obama. The majority of New York State will be voting for him, so my vote may not technically matter, but it’s a matter of principle, it’s a matter of the issues, it’s a matter of faith and confidence in his leadership. 

I know many, most of whom are republicans, were never happy with Obama winning in 2008. I don’t think they gave him half a chance to succeed. They weren’t pulling for him and supporting him as president of our country. They were expecting and even hoping for him to fail. Every accomplishment of his administration was criticized. He never got an ounce of credit even when the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden succeeded. He has had an uphill losing battle from day one. 

Every president will be criticized for one thing or another because mistakes are invariably made. But to criticize a president for everything, to foully disrespect him and show him utter distain from the moment he took office and throughout his fours years is unprecedented in American history. It would be one thing if these criticisms were warranted and there were no accomplishments to be praised, but that isn’t the case. Some will say he has not only done nothing to improve things, but he has made them worse. Really? I guess it depends what side of the political fence you are on. From where I stand, President Obama has worked hard to bring his promises to fruition. Yes the economy still leaves a lot to be desired, but we know the dire situation he walked into and I’m not sure anyone believes another president would have done better. We were headed for a serious depression and President Obama did what he needed to do to prevent that disaster from happening and succeeded. Even Republican economist, Kenneth Rogoff, stated that no one could have solved our economic problems in four years, and it’s his business to know what he is talking about.

President Obama has been working for our country and 100% of our people. He is not out of touch with the majority of Americans. He understands the financial struggles and burdens and has tried to lighten them for everyone. He doesn’t make jokes about unemployment; he doesn’t open foreign accounts for his money to avoid paying American taxes and then refuse to release his tax returns; he doesn’t tell young people to go borrow thousands from their unemployed, already in debt parents; he doesn’t tell students to get four jobs to pay for college when there are no jobs; he doesn’t add insult to injury by telling hard working people they consider themselves victims when they accept entitlements (some of which they paid into) like unemployment benefits, disability, FEMA, Medicare, Social Security etc.; he doesn’t impose his beliefs on women who are pro choice; he isn’t against equal pay for equal work; he doesn’t have to ask for binders full of qualified women; he doesn’t say “corporations are people;” he isn’t against same sex marriage; he is not unconcerned about the very poor because they have a safety net; he doesn’t not go out an insult our primary ally in the world while visiting the Olympics; he doesn’t compare the clean up of hurricane Sandy with cleaning up a football field; he doesn’t think middle income is $200,000 to $250,000; he doesn’t get a $75,000 deduction for his horses; he doesn’t strap his dog to the roof of his car to drive a few hundred miles for 12 hours; he doesn’t want to get rid of Planned Parenthood… and so on and so on. 

I think President Obama understands and is in touch with the American people and what we need. He has done the best job he could have under the circumstances, but who cares what I think? That’s why I am posting a website that lists 200 things that President Obama has done in his four years in office and links to corroborate are provided. Not that it will change anyone’s mind at this point and not that I am trying to. I just want to state for the record, since my vote carries little weight, that I think President Obama has succeeded in making progress and deserves another four years to serve this country.

Link to MORE than 200 Things Obama has done: 200+ Things Obama has done

Donald Trump’s 5 Million Dollar Offer Refused

A friend of mine was curious about my opinion regarding Donald Trumps five million dollar offer to President Obama. Trump says he would give five million dollars to any charity of the President’s choice if he produces college transcripts and his passport. Frankly, I would have taken him up on his offer if I were the president, because certainly the information is readily available. However the president might be a little busy these days and have time to entertain the pathetic meanderings of an attention seeking, faux-celebrity who is attempting to distract everyone’s focus from the election and issues. So Trump made an offer that the president didn’t fall for and wisely refused.

Why would Trump make such an offer just days before the presidential election? There is a ton of speculation. I think he made the offer to get media attention for himself, and he succeeded. Five million dollars may not be a lot of money to Trump, but to most of us it is a huge sum of money. It’s enough of a story to have media sources clamoring. Why else might Trump have made the offer? Trump was the most annoying voice demanding to see President Obama’s birth certificate. Now that the birth certificate has been produced, he is trying to stir the pot again, with the same doubting voters, asking for the release of other documentation. However, I read somewhere that even the Republicans are not happy with this transparent ploy. Trump is bringing up an old strategy that has been put to rest, while the GOP has moved on to making the economy their main issue. So Trump is like an annoying fly, buzzing around and making noise and distracting people from the main issues in order to bring attention to himself. And, as Trump is associated with the GOP, he isn’t doing anything to advance Romney’s cause with this ill timed, feeble gimmick.

Now, here is where I have to make a confession. I was reading and skimming various news items quickly and, being distracted by personal issues of my own, I misread: Trump, 5 billion dollars and Romney. I didn’t think anything of it. I thought it was a joke, because what I actually thought I read was Trump Offers Romney 5 Billion Dollars if he will release 10 years of tax returns. Yes, that is the God’s honest truth. That made more sense to me that the actual facts, even when they were pointed out to me. Now, what we need is a wealthy democrat offering a similar deal to Romney. If Romney will produce his tax returns they will give five million dollars to the 47% of the country he insulted. That is, before he switched to running for president of 100% of the country. 

So what did Trump accomplish? He didn’t hurt President Obama, who laughed off his offer, along with most of America. He made Romney and the GOP look bad. And, he made a laughing stock out of himself.

With friends like Trump, who needs enemies?