- Facing Each Other…
There they stood, two men, one in red tie, the other in blue, facing off, facing ahead, facing away from each other; our future. And I knew the “who won the debate” verdict would soon be dancing its way across the airwaves and coursing along the superhighway. As I watched the two presidential candidates spar for the right to be leader of the free world, I came to a conclusion: Obama, 5; Romney, 7. But the real winner? All the rest of us.
Here is what we can agree on: Romney nailed it. He was assertive, competent, gracious and authoritative. Heck, even I liked him (yep, can you believe that?!). Unlike Shrub (George W. to many of you) who made me wince every time he opened his mouth, Romney was statesman-like. He used big words, had big ideas, and made me feel, that at the very least if he does become president, he wouldn’t be railroaded by the likes of a Cheney or a Rove.
Obama? He was as he always is: smart, thoughtful, considered, restrained. In debates, these qualities might not win the day. Running the country? They are essential.
I admit it. When it comes to our current president, I’m a sucker. Remember that scene from Jerry Magiure when Tom Cruise barges in and says he wants his wife? Renee Zellweger says, “You had me at hello.” Well, Romney may have won the debate, but Obama still had me at hello.
As expected, the candidates fox-trotted around the issues: taxes, entitlements, health care. At the heart, they revealed to us two men who come from diametrically opposed notions of what it means to be a great country.
Romney is a states-rights guy. He wants the government out of the way so capitalism can thrive. He
And Facing Away
doesn’t hide his passion for the 1%. He believes they are the symbols of what is best in America. There is much to love and to hate in his notion of trickle-down economics, but at least he has a well-articulated philosophy with which voters can choose to align or reject.
Obama is a federalist who believes the way out of the morass is through the middle class. He advocates for programs that will bolster their efforts to climb back up to a place of stability rather than teetering on the edge from crisis to crisis. There is much to love and hate in his notion of trickle-across government and it too offers voters a real choice.
The good news is, at least, I feel I can breath a sigh of relief. If, god forbid, Romney does win, his performance last night left me with a kernel of hope he will not be ride rough over our country. He is not an ill-informed cowboy with a chip on his shoulder. He is a person with a deeply held philosophy that has historic precedent and some strong measure of merit. The balance between the role of the federal government versus the rights of states is at the heart of who we are. We can believe one or the other, but it is maintaing the balance that matters. We won’t delve into another civil war over it, and as a result, we can be a role model for other, younger, democracies. The world is watching and we are its civic lesson.
Over the next month, as we get closer to checking the proverbial box, things will get ugly. Slandering, pandering, and other indecorous undertakings will occur. But for the moment, I couldn’t be more proud to be an American.
Old Glory
Lisen, I love this post! And I love the debate humanized the “other” candidate for you. I can tell you have great admiration for President Obama. Thank you for acknowledging the strengths Mitt Romney’s displayed, too.
“He is a person with a deeply held philosophy that has historic precedent and some strong measure of merit. The balance between the role of the federal government versus the rights of states is at the heart of who we are. We can believe one or the other, but it is maintaing the balance that matters.”
That’s what it’s all about. We can all be proud that two intelligent men with very different ideas can debate the issues peacefully while knowing one will soon lead and the other will go home. Win or lose, the union is strong.
Thank you for your well considered and thoughtful review. I, too, was greatly heartened by Mitt Romney’s performance. I much prefer his economic plans to those of the president, but was unsure in this volatile international climate, whether he would be up to the task of leading us well ino the uncertain future. I am pleased with the president’s handling of foreign policy, yet deeply concerned by his economic plans. Now I feel that Romney is a sunstantial man of reason and intellect, and could do us proud.
Wasn’t it an amazing sight? 2 serious men of thought, ideas, passion and restraint as our presidential nominees? I cannot recall the last time I saw that. It was a heartening experience!
Kat,
TIt truly was a heartening experience. I am not yet convinced Romney knows beans about how to handle foreign policy. The fiasco that was his “get-to-know-you” tour abroad is deeply concerning. I also believe Obama’s economic plan has already reaped benefits. Just today, employment reports indicate we have added more jobs than we have lost during this administration. Not enough, mind you, but we are on the mend. (see my response to Kevin for more details). The next president, whom ever it is, will benefit from the hard work of this administration. Can’t wait for the next debate.
hanks for reading and for joining the dialogue.
Lisen
This isn’t my post, but I’m butting in here anyway to repeat Kat’s assessment bc it was so good: “2 serious men of thought, ideas, passion and restraint as our presidential nominees.” There’s hope for us yet!
Lisen – I appreciate your well thought out and articulate summary of the debate last night and your gracious and accurate comments about Mitt Romney clearly winning this particular debate. I also appreciate your loyalty (although I think it’s naive to his real motives and agenda) to President Obama. However, the assertion that President Obama believes the best way out of the “morass” is through the middle-class isn’t accurate, given his policies and behavior. President Obama clearly believes the Federal Government is the answer to all problems in America. Healthcare – government takeover will solve the problems, not tort reform, not better competition and accountability, only government run and government mandated healthcare (wait until next year to see how it really starts to impact the middle class). Education – government schools, government loans and union teachers are the only answer to solving the rapidly declining schools and skyrocketing costs of college – both of which have gotten worse during his term. His kids go to a very expensive private school – but he is against school vouchers and homeschooling – interesting isn’t it? Economy/Unemployment – stimulus and “taxing the rich” are the only ways to solve the economic problems of this country, not reduced taxes on small to medium businesses, not innovative incentives to encourage investment and expansion. When he refers to those who make $250,000 a year or more, for the most part, he is talking about small business owners, most of whom do not take home anywhere near $250,000, but are taxed on their company earnings as if they do (I know this first-hand – I own a small company and have faced these tax burdens and face a huge tax increase next year, along with a massive increase in healthcare costs thanks to Obamacare). Mitt Romney will do far more for the middle class, not by lowering taxes on the “rich”, but rather by reducing the costs of hiring new employees, and by eliminating the dreadful overhead of Obamacare that is coming our way over the next 2 years. Look at the companies he turned around and how many middle-class people those companies now employ – clearly, he understands the importance of the middle-class. Also, please watch “2016, Obama’s America”. It explains a lot about who President Obama admires and who his mentors were when he was a child, and it presents a well-documented theory that he is nothing like the liberal leaders you have loved before him.
Kevin,
Remember that old line from a previous presidential campaign, “It’s the economy, stupid?” I keep hearing my friends who are Romney fans (yes, I do have Romney loving friends and yes, I love them too). They tell me it’s the economy. Then, they politely refrain from calling me stupid (phew). I agree and let’s review what Obama inherited: the worst financial crisis in generations as a result of lax regulation, uncalled for wars, and a tax reduction which benefited large corporations, but certainly not the middle class. And what has he left us with? This fresh 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.
I believe this country is back on track and we are going to be reading about it in the coming years. Who ever is president next will be the beneficiary of the hard work of both the people of this country and those who govern them. My hope is that Obama will be able to reap the benefits of what he has sown.
Thanks for reading and for engaging in the dialogue.
Lisen
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