Sunday, January 13, 2008

Get political!

It will come as no suprise to any of my inlaws that I'm a Mitt Romney fan. While visiting Ohio over Christmas, I was known to disappear for chunks of time so I could double-check the latest news in the election coverage. I've even broken down and started blogging on NY for Mitt instead of being content with merely leaving comments on third party blogs and news sites.

There may be some who read this blog who are not convinced Romney is the best candidate for president. This can no longer be tolerated.

I don't want to overdo my enthusiasm by writing a lengthy post that perhaps nobody will read, so let me be brief. Politics is a treacherous game in which it's hard to tell who is "straight talking", who has integrity, who is the optimist, etc. You hear a lot of rhetoric, and most of it is bickering about who said what. There's some talk of who DID what, but it's usually done in terms so obfuscated with carefully edited information, it's hard to tell anything that way either. But, it is what it is, so I can hardly fault the candidates for doing what they do.

However, eventually the truth will come out if you pay attention. In the case of Mitt Romney, you get a highly capable, highly optimistic gentleman with a clear track record of successfully making good things happen. After getting a top notch education at Harvard, he made a fortune as a venture capitalist. He then turned to public service and turned around the scandal plagued 2002 Olympics and as Governor of Massachusetts passed the nation's first healthcare plan that would cover everyone in his state. It's hard to imagine how one could improve on a resume that includes success in so many areas, an ability to lead under so many different circumstances.

Unfortunately, these facts have taken a backseat to the game of politics. For whatever reason, lots of folks have taken to name calling. Among other things, Mitt's detractors label him as slick, phony, plastic, flip-flopper, attacker. He's also been taken to task for his mormonism and for his willingness to "do anything" to get elected. This is all baloney, but I'm not going to take the time to explain why (read the political blog linked above, if you want).

The point is, there's a big war between issues of substance and name calling in this election. Mitt has been losing so far. He's not losing the primary, mind you, he has more delegates than anyone. But he's losing the game of bridling in the media. They love the ridiculous, it seems, and they're milking the absurdities for all they're worth.

So, why do I bring this up? Because there's no better time to get involved. Romney can make a difference for our country, but only if he gets elected. Go to mittromney.com and volunteer some time or money today. It'll be good for you and your country.

9 comments:

JennVan said...

Glad to see others see the truth about Mitt. If you really explore his background you will see the amazing things he has done. Not only was he able to do healthcare for everyone in his state while governor but was able to do it without raising taxes or allocating extra money for it. If only more people could see what his record really says about him and his abilities rather than the things the media decides to cover about things other people say about him.

Anonymous said...

I won't argue with you about what Romney has done, but if he would stop saying so many absurdities then the media might stop milking them. I would be more willing to believe he's telling the truth about issues that matter if he didn't lie about trivial things like hunting and who his father did or didn't march with. If he wants to convince people that he's not just telling us whatever he thinks we want to hear, he's not doing a good job of it.

Not to, you know, make your blog all political, but you started it. :)

Pooka said...

Curious question, how does Boss feel about your political fervor?

Coach said...

Ben, glad you brought up those points. Romney has mis-spoken a few times and made the appropriate clarifications. But, the media will hear none of it. In terms of his comment on hunting, he HAS been a life-long hunter, if not an avid one--he has hunted as a child and as an adult. His point in mentioning that he has hunted was to show that he's a supporter of the constitutional right to bear arms, a legitimate point that nobody has cared to point out makes it irrelevant whether his specific word choice was ideal. As for "seeing" MLK march with his dad, the figurative use of the word may have been a poor choice, but his whole family were indeed very wrapped up in the civil rights movement--the whole point of his mentioning it. The media and detractors fail to acknowledge that his point was a good one whether anybody can dig up irrefutable evidence of his Dad's marching or not. Incidentally, at least four books refer to his Dad's marching with MLK as well as more than one eye witness. These are perfect examples of character attacks making the actual substance of the issues take a back seat (not that you are egregious in the character attacks, you're just reciting what the media has led you to understand).

Coach said...

Pooka, Boss has taken a stance of amused tolerance. She has seen my obsessions come and go, and politics is just the latest in a long list.

She did ask me once who I would vote for if she were running against Mitt Romney. I replied "despite that I would be accused of nepotism, I would support the best (and related) candidate".

She said, "You and Romney are related?"

Christine said...

Amen and amen! Thank you for your post...go Mitt!!

MMA Lady said...

Coach, this political race is exciting and sometimes exhausting. I do not remember ever being so interested in politics. I am still undecided, and I hate the media for it. I have become so cynical that I no longer trust anything I hear on television or anything I read on the Internet. Isn't that bad of me? But I am really the only cynical one out there? Who and what sources can we really trust? Why can't we see a presidential race that does not involve mud-slinging? Even the guy that I have been really pulling for slung some, and I was upset. Well, I am sure that by the time it is here, I will know who to vote for.

Coach said...

It's funny that I read your comment today, Mrs. Donut, because I posted on the negative politics just a little while ago today. I hope you'll read it and let me know what you think. I suspect you may have been referring to Huckabee as the one you supported, and I didn't have many kind words for him. :-) Sorry.

Honestly, I think the negative stuff is unfortunate. There has to be a way to discuss the issues, but it doesn't have to feel so fraught with ill will.

Coach said...

Oops... forgot to give you the link. Here it is.