Understanding the Election

Election Day 2012 - Helping US understand the Election process.

With Election Day 2012 here, more people than ever are paying attention to the presidential race, leading to more questions than ever. For some, these queries seem elementary and unnecessary, but that attitude is what leads to shame, embarrassment and intimidation on the part of those who want to be involved and understand the process. And God knows we need as many Americans as possible giving even a little bit of a crap about their country and its future, so I say we embrace everyone who wants to learn and be involved. This week, I’ll do my best to answer the most commonly asked questions of the last week: 

o   EVERYONE IS REPORTING THAT IT “FEELS” LIKE IT’S SHIFTED BACK TO OBAMA. TRUE? With no real way to know the answer, I would guess, “yes.” Obama was helped greatly by the events of Hurricane Sandy and his opportunity to appear presidential and empathetic. Three different polls showed Americans giving him an average of 70% approval for how he handled the situation. It also totally stopped Romney’s momentum by forcing him off the front page and even off the campaign trail for a few days.

o   ROMNEY WAS UP BY 7 IN THE NATIONAL POLL, HOW COULD HE LOSE NOW? While it is true that Romney had the biggest lead of the year in the Gallup daily tracking poll two weeks ago, and it is also true that no candidate has ever lost when being ahead by that much at that point in any election in history using this poll as a guide, there is no reason to hand Romney this election. For starters, most other polls of credibility have the race much closer or tied. Secondly, things change in a hurry in the 21^st century. Most importantly, remember that national polls matter less than state-by-state polls. The election is decided by each candidate winning the greatest number of votes in what’s called the Electoral College. Each state is awarded a certain number of votes based on its population, and it’s up to the candidates to win the right states to achieve 270 Electoral College votes, and state by state voting right now shows a very tight race. While Romney is pulling away in Florida, he’s losing in Ohio, for example.

o   CAN’T WE JUST GET RID OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? We hear this cry every four years and it is the song of the truly ignorant. We are a Representative Republic, not a Democracy, and the Electoral College is in the greatest tradition of Thomas Jefferson, who rightfully deemed that the United States would be a laboratory of democratic experiments, with each state being its own petri dish. People who live in California and whine every four years that their “vote doesn't count,” are stupid beyond repair. Of course it does. California is the most populated state in the union and has the greatest number of electoral votes in the college. Under almost any scenario, it will go to Obama, just as Texas will go to Romney. If you don’t like that fact, move to a more conservative state, idiot. In the end, it will change nothing about the outcome of the election. If you are so devoid of self-importance that you need to always cast your vote in a state that is razor thin, I’m sure Nevada, Virginia or New Hampshire would love to have you.

o   WILL IT REALLY MATTER IF EITHER OF THESE GUYS WIN? Absolutely. Look no further than the certainty that at least two Supreme Court Justices will be appointed in the next four years, rounding out what will then be one of the youngest benches ever. Meaning that the next 30 years of judicial final say will be in place. The singular importance of that fact alone, something no one is talking about, makes this the most important election of the last 30 years.

o   WHAT WILL OBAMA AND ROMNEY ACTUALLY DO RIGHT AWAY THAT WILL AFFECT MY LIFE IF THEY WIN? Extraordinary tax, budget, and spending issues must be addressed, by law, in 2013. It can’t be avoided, even by slippery politicians. Regardless of who wins, a temporary measure to extend everything as it is for 6 months (giving them time to work a new plan) will be crafted. The man sworn in as President in January will then direct what we will do, with a final decision coming sometime around June of 2013, about taxes, military spending, healthcare, social security, medicare, food stamps, and everything in between. There is full agreement that a massive rewrite of our entire tax code will occur in 2013. The giant question is whether or not it will be controlled and directed by the Democrats behind Barack Obama or the Republicans behind Mitt Romney. Regardless, the effects will be felt by every single person in the country within one year of this election. It’s that important.

o   HOW DO I KNOW WHO IS LYING AND WHAT THE TRUTH IS? In many cases, you can’t and don’t. Romney has spent his career changing positions. He’s been everything from pro-choice to pro-life, in favor of gay rights to against gay marriage, and an alleged conservative who also signed a state form of Obama-Care that has nothing to do with Conservative principles. Meanwhile, Obama has kept almost none of his promises from 2008. Guantanamo Bay is still open, and Obamacare was never a major part of his campaign and includes $6,000 in annual new taxes beginning next year for the Middle Class, breaking his “no tax increases on the Middle Class,” pledge. The economy has certainly not recovered, and the deficit, thanks to his spending, has ballooned under his watch, something he said in 2008 was “unpatriotic.”

So to summarize, the situation is this: The electoral process in America is what it is, so stop whining about it. You have two choices and the Electoral College will decide the results. If you want to stomp your feet and cry out that it’s “not fair,” while wasting your vote on Gary Johnson, go for it, but don’t claim that you’re part of the solution, because you’re not. You’re the kid on the playground who refuses to play by the rules and we’re all ignoring you.

This leaves you to decide what matters to you most and what you believe.  Some Romney supporters simply believe that nothing could be worse than Obama, while some Obama supporters believe that Romney will simply recreate the economic meltdown of 2008.

But here’s what the most staunch supporters of each man believes: Obama-lovers believe he has begun the fundamental transformation of America to becoming a more fair nation and that he has put the 1% on notice: No longer will you be allowed to rake in the riches of this nation while taking advantage of the middle class and never rewarding them. Everyone will have a fair shot when we’re done, and that’s all we’re asking. We’ve been a cold-hearted, money-first nation for too long and it’s time to remember that we’re all connected, and that yes, sometimes, you can have too much money, power and influence.

Romney-supporters accept that certain things must be said to win elections and hope to God that when he gets into office he will pull a reverse Clinton. Bill Clinton campaigned on a middle-class tax cut and then got into office and famously said he worked harder on making that come true than anything in his life, but, sorry, I have to raise taxes instead. Romney, it’s hoped by his followers, will get into office and say that it’s worse than he thought and we’re going to cut spending everywhere, lower everyone’s taxes and unleash the free market American economy to run wild and watch the money start to flow.

Which vision do you believe and which version do you want? While there’s no guarantee that either result will actually happen, it’s about the best you have to go on…good luck!

Full article may be found HERE!  We would also like to thank the Rob, Arnie & Dawn show for the use of this article and the valuable information within it.