US Election

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On Election Night 2012

It’s Election Night in America. I wrote this post several days ago with this night in mind so, at the time I publish this, the elections results are young and without a declared winner in the race for president.

While one party likes to walk around with the pocket Constitutions, all members of Congress swear to uphold it. The U.S. Constitution is an interesting document, but to me, the following are the three most important words: We the people.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

We the People elect members to Congress to represent We the People in order to pass laws, control the budget, and exercise authorities granted by the Constitution.

We the People elect members to represent all people, which means not just the ones who voted for the elected; not an ideology; not a political party; not a religion, not a financial donor, not a special interest – but yes, to represent We the People.

We the People elect members to serve all people regardless of their faith, thus the elected are not to serve their religious preference. After all, the Constitution is quite clear regarding religion. Let the elected not forget that the Constitution lacks words as God, Creation, Christian, Jesus, and Lord (which only appears in the Signatory section).

Although Christian principles may have influenced the Founding Fathers, the Constitution does not declare the U.S. as a Christian nation. If the elected represent Christianity, what about the nonChristians? If the elected represents Christianity, which denomination will you represent? Then, what about the other Christians?

We the People are from all faiths and no faiths, therefore, our representatives should avoid submitting proposals on behalf of Christianity because what the church considers best for itself may not be in the best interest of We the People.

Representing We the People requires avoidance of firm ideology or a party each of these diverts attention from the needs of We the People. Adherence to a party or ideology silences We the People, and blocks the path to meaningful solutions.

Representing We the People requires conviction to represent the needs of the people who did not vote for the elected. After all, they too are We the People.

Representing We the People requires patience, the ability to listen, to desire to find the common good for all, to watch-out for and respond to human need that is beyond one’s self interests, party, or ideology.

Representing We the People requires discussing among yourselves to share ideas and concerns in order to work toward a solution for the common good – an idea that may be found in one side, the other, a compromise, or outside the grounds established by ideology, party, religion, self-interest, or special interest.

We the People need effective government to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, to provide a common defense, to promote general welfare, and to secure liberty for all of We the People. Especially during this time, we need our elected officials to make difficult decisions – the ones that test their gut against their party, their ideology, their religion, their self-interest, their donors, and special interests.

Along with a president, on this day we elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives, and 33 members (approximately one-third) of the Senate. Their task seems simple, but I also know they will represent religion, a party, an ideology, self-interests, special interests, and donors over We the People – therefore, let me be the first to say the following about the newly elected, ‘Starting in 2014, throw the bums out. All of them! Clean house!” After all, We the People deserve better.

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Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 159

On Politics
Here are fact checks on the presidential town hall debate.

Gotta love Greatsby’s notes through pictures of the recent presidential debate.

I appreciate this bit of advice from Chris at Nachos Grande (who also happens to be the first person to comment on this blog): I won’t engage in political talks with people I don’t know. You can argue with buffoons and too many people who want to argue politics are buffoons – and from both sides of the political aisle.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

  • The Onion Wins Nobel Prize in Overall Excellence
  • Polls Reveal Essential Nothing
  • Spielberg Panics, Adds Comical Groin Injury to Lincoln
  • Millions Head to Internet to Figure Out Own Opinions about Debate
  • Man on Personal Mission to Explain Why He Universally Enjoys Things that are Bad
  • Whales Beach Themselves in Attempt to Purchase The Onion Book of Known Knowledge

Interesting Reads

On Potpourri
I just returned from a fun event playing night golf. Yep … the glow-in-the-dark ball, a glow stick on the flagstick and in the hole, my clubs, and a flashlight.

Sometimes timing is everything. When I wrote and published yesterday’s Movember post about cancer and Proctober, I didn’t realize that I have an appointment on Friday at the urologist.

Earlier this week I announced my candidacy for Worldly High President of the Not-Freshly Pressed Community (NFPC). Some wonder about the title. Any suggestions?

This week I met my first blogger who happens to be a very loyal reader here. Thanks for the delightful day John Erickson!

On my trip, I saw this office building approaching and drive by for the first time – the headquarters for Longaberger Baskets.

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A ginger ale update: I purchased more varieties and hope report next week. Meanwhile, Suranac Ginger Beer was on the smooth side and very balanced – thus bumps Hansen’s on advancing to the competition round.

Sorry – but no classic cartoon post this Saturday morning. HOWEVER, I want to something, so I hope to have a light post for your weekend.

Let’s go into the weekend with some class with the great voices of Katherine Jenkins and Placido Domingo Have a good weekend! In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.

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Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 157

On Politics
This is a great line that is not only appropriate for this political season, it’s true for life: Think for yourself, don’t believe everything you hear, and look it up.

I find the late-night comics and their take on politics  to be funny, such as this pre-debate bit by Conan O’Brien.

I didn’t watch the debate, but did notice that top Google searches during the debate involved two of the questions on my list: Simpson-Bowles and Dodd-Frank. Even heard some morning commentators mention Glass-Steagall (another one of questions). For those who watched, could the moderator have used my rules? I note that some are criticizing Mr. Lehrer’s performance.

Debate Fact Checks

This article at National Journal provides a great graphic about the breakdown of voter preferences. Thanks Moe.

For those who enjoy The Onion, here are the voter guides (video) for the election: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney

For anyone desiring a deep discussion of various global issues, consider visiting Intelligence Squared. Thanks Tim for mentioning this site.

On This Week’s Headlines from The Onion

  • Guy in Suit Handling Newspaper like a Pro
  • Florida to Experiment with New 600-Lever Voting Machine
  • Reporter Steps in to Replace Woman’s Missing Husband
  • Schwarzenegger Admits to Affair with Predator Costume
  • Texting While Fielding Causes Record Number of Outfield Collisions
  • Nauseating Precious NYC Couple to Walk Around in Rain

Interesting Reads

On Potpourri
I will have a Saturday Morning Classic Cartoon  post tomorrow.

I like this one. The race for Ohio’s senator involves Josh Mandel and Sherrod Brown. When people search “Mandel Brown Ohio”, the commonly get the site for Mandell Brown, a Cincinnati plastic surgeon.

Here this weekend is the football battle that is the oldest non-league rivalry game in college football. Go Bearcats!

Baseball’s regular season ended on a Wednesday, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Bud Selig. The one-game playoff games are about to start, thus another reason to hate Commissioner Selig.

The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame may be a great idea, but their selection process may be one of the worst processes ever. All I have to ask is no Moody Blues again? Is Bud Selig also running the R&R HOF?

Have a good weekend. In the words of Garrison Keillor, Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. Enjoy the video. (Here’s a higher quality video to the same song below that must be watched on YouTube.)

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On a Candidate

Not only do I live in a swing state (Ohio), I’m also one of those independent moderates for whom each party strives to get my vote. As I’ve said before, they want my vote, but they sure don’t want my policies. Nonetheless, my choice has finally become very clear.

Unquestionably, Mitt Romney has a business acumen – which would include critical thinking skills, statistical analysis, and looking after the good of the organization’s bottom line. Mitt Romney’s business skills may even be able to bridge a divided Congress.

I also believe Mitt Romney is a good family man, and I am confident that Ann Romney would be an impressive First Lady.

Probably the best reason to vote for Mitt Romney is that no matter what he does, odds are he said it some time. In the end, I cannot vote for him.

Mitt Romney complains about dishonest, deceptive, divisive, distorted statements, misleading, and out-of context information by the Obama campaign, but practices the exact same thing – and maybe more so.

Mitt Romney is willing to adjust his sails to the prevailing political winds to gain a benefit. Even with his personal wealth, he seems willing to sell his soul to special interests.

Mitt Romney strives on tag lines as he’s not the other guy, and he can do better. H states that President Obama overemphasizes blaming the Bush administration – yet only states he can do better and remains shallow on details. He recently said more details are coming soon. Sorry, for someone who has been running for more than a year, it’s too little-too late for me.

Mitt Romney represents a party who intentionally didn’t cooperate with President Obama for their own political gain – thus intentionally punishing Americans in order to maintain a stagnant economy and receive a financial downgrade.

Mitt Romney represents a party who will unquestionably overreach if they have a majority. Look what happened in Wisconsin and Ohio. Listen to the noncompromising nature of their candidates – and Mitt Romney is selling his soul to this people.

Mitt Romney avoids his signature legislation as governor like the plague – the Massachusetts Health Care Plan.

Mitt Romney remains out of touch with mainstream America. Is the middle class really households with an annual income of $200,000-250,000?

Given his reactions to the recent events at the US embassy in Libya, he not only demonstrated his divisiveness, his actions seem more out of desperation than presidential.

In the end, I don’t trust Mitt Romney nor the current Republican Party, so he won’t get my vote – even as an anti-Obama vote. Keep in mind that I’m also a registered Republican in a very Republican region of Ohio.

Before any Romney supporters go through their “but President Obama this, but President Obama that” approach, remember this: “but” is a deflection to avoid criticism of your candidate and an excuse to defend your preference. Simply put, he is not going to get my vote.

I also won’t vote Libertarian or any other minor party of the ballot. However, this does not mean I will vote for President Obama. After all, his campaign continues to work hard at convincing me to not vote for him. At this point, the best chance he has for my vote is if I cast it as an anti-Romney vote – which could happen – but not yet.

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On the Empty

I started this blog in late August 2008 focusing primarily on politics and sports. At that time, the presidential campaigns were in full swing, and I had plenty of material to write. Forty-seven months later, I venture into a wide variety of topics, yet still enjoy politics. However, the recent U.S. presidential campaign bores me – and I can‘t see that changing.

We have two parties who control their candidates as a puppeteer controls the marionette.

We have two parties who answer to the big-dollar donors over their constituents.

We have candidates who don’t have much meaning in what they say – but they can deliver a tagline.

We have candidates who deliver speeches to achieve cheers from their faithful attendees (as if they wouldn’t) – and to raise money for their cause of rhetoric taglines.

We have candidates and surrogates who won’t say much beyond the predictable, scripted responses that probably won’t answer the question.

We have candidates whose campaign teams actively seek past sound bites by the opposition so they can deliver a message out of context in order to support their side.

We have candidates who focus on peripheral issues while avoiding engagement.

We have candidates who continually avoid facing the music in terms of making the tough decisions that require going against the grain.

We have candidates who essentially promote gridlock by proclaiming a lack of compromise based on self-serving principles.

We have popular commentators whose method of going beyond scripted taglines is by tossing firebombs of misinformation against the other side.

We have reporters who may want to ask the tough questions and dutifully push the responder to answer the question, but they also want the next interview.

Bottom Line: As partisans blindly accept whatever their side says while unquestionably objecting to anything coming from the other side, there is another segment that will decide the election. Although we are finally inside 100 days until Election Day, some are openly wondering why many independents remain undecided because there contrast between the two sides is somewhat defined.

True independents are pragmatic, and many will delay their decision until the last three weeks. Meanwhile, this population segment that will decide this election’s outcome has a difficult time shifting through all the crap in order to find an honest information, worthwhile dialogue, and potential solutions about the issues of the day. No wonder some of the independents are disgusted and bored. Then again, maybe we expect more from our leaders than they can deliver.