Last night at my house we turned on the television five minutes before the start of the first presidential debate, watched the match in its entirety on C-SPAN, and turned it off the moment it concluded.
We didn’t need to get the spin because we witnessed what really happened.
Like many Americans, I saw and heard what I needed to see and hear—two statesmen who agree our country has domestic issues. There’s no arguing about that. Our economy, healthcare, and educational system need attention post haste. But these two men have very different ideas about how to help. Yes, I know politicians operate in similar ways. Some of my libertarian friends might say they’re all the same. But last night’s debate confirmed, at least for me, there are real, philosophical differences between the candidates.
Philosophical differences that will set the tone and determine priorities for the next four years.
Don’t Tread on Me
What we’ve been doing isn’t working. Case in point, the perpetually horrid economy and gridlock in Congress. Of course the President doesn’t bear the sole responsibility for those problems. But like the CEO of a company, the captain of a ship, or the quarterback of an elite team, the president charts the course and steers things in a general direction.
To me, rebuilding the American economy needs to be the top priority. We’re in a recession with no end. Unemployment has been higher than eight percent since February 2009. It’s time to give someone who knows how to run a business successfully a chance to fix this.
Healthcare is in dire straits, but federalizing it isn’t the answer—unless you’re Europe, which we’re not. Does anyone besides me remember the contention with which Obamacare was “passed?” My husband and I aren’t Tea Party members (yet), but we bought our first Gadsden flag in response to Obamacare, for crying out loud.
Healthcare reform is critical. Legislation this big warrants going back to the Congressional drawing board. Repeal Obamacare and replace it with a truly bipartisan plan.
Same goes for the educational system. I don’t want the federal government to dictate things like school lunch menus. To me, that’s a waste of federal resources when state and local governments are more in tune with what works best for their citizens. Let’s trust and empower parents, students, and local leaders with educational choices.
Who doesn’t want us to become energy independent, especially given the instability of the Middle East? I grow weary of hemorrhaging at the pump. Let’s tap our own country’s natural resources and at the same time enlist our brightest minds to develop viable alternatives. Surely we can accomplish this in ethical ways that neither trash the environment nor kowtow to special interests.
Tax rates are high enough already. I don’t want anyone, rich or poor, to pay more taxes. What I do want is for the government to be more responsible with what we pay now. That’s not too much to ask. It’s what all of us have to do within our own households. Make the spending cuts. Grow the revenue with lower unemployment. Balance the budget. Regulate, yes. But do it reasonably. Stop stifling small businesses.
And stop calling individual achievement a group project. Remember this?
I want a smaller, leaner, smarter federal government. I want a leader who unapologetically pledges loyalty to American ingenuity, exceptionalism, and Constitutional freedoms like the freedom of religion. A leader who is present and excited to lead all the citizens. Who has demonstrated he can work successfully with a legislature of the opposite party. Who without a doubt and without a teleprompter reverently values and respects my country.
Bottom line, I want a new President.
Aimee,
My husband loves to watch the post-game after any given football game. The back and forth, the deconstruction, the woulda-coulda-shoulda of it all fascinates him. Me? I feel that way about the debates. I want to hear what others heard – often so different than what I did. I want to understand the substance after the shine of the TV lights have dulled the style.
I also love that you don’t. Your post at Everyday Epistle on media bias (http://everydayepistle.com/2012/10/02/debate-without-commentary-are-you-smarter-than-a-broadcast-journalist/) was fantastic – hey readers, check it out.
Not withstanding how we consume our pre and post debate experience, I think we need to bring some facts into this discussion. The spinmeisters have done a great job of convincing us that Obama has wrecked the economy. Truth is, Shrub (aka, George W.) did. He drove us into two wars that bankrupted our country. His lax regulation of Wall Street led to the financial collapse. His tax breaks certainly helped someone, but it wasn’t the middle class.
And when Obama came in, he inherited all of it and more. This from CNN fact checkers:
“In 2009, Obama’s first full year in office, people in states across the country were losing their jobs at a startling clip. In Ohio, the unemployment rate was 10.6%.
But over the next few years, the nation saw slow increases in employment in the retail, education and health care sectors. Today, most states are gaining jobs. The key swing state of Ohio now has a 7.2% unemployment rate.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that a lot of jobs have been created under Obama’s leadership — 4.4 million by the bureau’s latest count. What Obama did not say, however, was that the nation shed 4.3 million jobs during the early days of his term, and that the net gain since he took the oath of office in January 2009 is just 125,000 jobs.”
In short (or long), the country is turning around. Whomever we elect into office for the next four years, they are going to be hailed as a hero for turning the country around. The truth is, the work had already been done.
Now, if you ask me do I want more government? The answer is, it depends. I want government that aims for the big picture (like establishing national parks and sanctuaries – those same ones that Romney wants to drill in). I want a government that stays out of my personal life as much as possible (don’t tell me who I can marry, don’t tell me whether I can have children or not). I want a government that respects its role as leader of free people and doesn’t race off to war at the slightest (or even greatest) of insults. I want a government that is efficient and not wasteful at both the state and federal level.I don’t want a government that let’s lobbyists seduce our elected leaders. I don’t want a government that wastes tax payer dollars on boon doggles and prostitutes. And so on…
Thanks for a thoughtful, well-articulated post – as always.
Lisen
Oh, Lisen. I hope you’re right that the economy is turning around! I am sick, sick, sick of the stagnation.
As for who’s fault it is and who’s responsible for what, both sides will argue the validity of the other’s “facts.” Case in point, when I shared this post on Facebook, two intelligent gentlemen I know began the back and forth of challenging one another’s facts. I told them this is exactly why I don’t want to go there. The truth exists, but how do we know who’s telling it? Watching the commentary and analysis is fascinating to me, too, but I usually end up very upset. I don’t stick my head in the sand, but I have to take my “news” in smaller doses.
Now we have to discuss one more thing… Shrub, as you call Bush 43, is Dubya to me. His was the first presidential campaign I volunteered for. I actually met him at a campaign speech back in 2000. I’ll concede he made some mistakes in his second term (IMO not being conservative enough fiscally!), but I never doubted his love and loyalty to this country. IMO some of the failed economy was reverb from 9-11. And what president could have anticipated or overcome that?
Thank you, Aimee. I appreciate your practical summation and well written thoughts.
Anne
Thanks for visiting, Anne. I appreciate your encouragement. I know the wheels in your brilliant mind are turning. Hope you’ll keep reading and sharing…
I do agree with you – and what a treat to see 2 genuine statesmen discuss their different philosphies!
I especially liked these lines in your post “Tax rates are high enough already. I don’t want anyone, rich or poor, to pay more taxes. What I do want is for the government to be more responsible with what we pay now. ” I do agree with Julie who posted before me, but we cannot tax big, middle or small business to the extent that they are better off going somewhere else to do business. i am in California. When I was a child, this was truly the Golden State. Not just the weather but the opportunities and the climate. Now businesses are leaving in droves due to ruinous taxation and policies. And citizens are hot on their heels because they need to find work. We had the best education system, and now have about the worst. I want our government to spend more wisely, to clean up fraud and corruption, and focus on getting results. My fear is that we no longer have any public servants willing to take a strong and unpopular stand, which will be necessary to get us out of the financial problems we face long term.
Here, here, Kat! Can I interest you in a guest post?
Well said, Aimee!
Thanks, Libby!
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I completely agree with you with one exception of taxes. I – like you – believe tax rates are high enough for individuals, however for corporations (specifically large ones that have multitudes of accountants on the payroll) there needs to be change. When a company like GE pays less (in $$, not %) than what I – a very middle class, single woman – pay to the government… there is a problem.
That is something I’d like to see get fixed. The problem is that there are far too many people lobbying those who are voted into government positions for this change to happen.
Hi, Julie. I’m wondering about the tax breaks that allow large corporations to pay less than citizens. I don’t think we want to stifle business, but there does seem to be a problem if you’re paying more than GE. If you are able to drop back by, will you shoot me a link here or email me a link to these stats? I’ll try to look them up as well and figure out what’s going on here. Thank you so much for your intelligent contribution to this discussion!