GANGNAM STYLE!! Yes, I have jokes. If you are not familiar with “Gangnam Style” then click on the link, etc, etc.
Seriously though, tonight IS the third and final debate and I cannot wait to put this election behind me. It has been ugly in ways I didn’t think it would be and it has sorely tested my faith in the American public. One might say that to have had any faith in the American public in the first place may have been a bit naive, alright so be it. Regardless, I do still believe in our country and its citizens to be progressive and to continue moving forward to a more inclusive society – a society that understands that addressing our so called “societal” concerns (abortion rights, gay marriage, healthcare, equal pay for women) is just as important as addressing our economic and foreign policy concerns.
I was reading a thread of comments on a friend’s facebook post that included a few Romney supporters over the weekend. I was curious to understand the rational behind reasonable minded folks who are Romney supporters. One comment stood out in part because it echoes what I believe is a prevailing perspective and that is for many Romney supporters they are not particularly concerned with his stance on “social” or “cultural” issues (again supporting a constitutional amendment to deny a woman her right to choose what happens to her body, dismantling the new healthcare law, supporting a constitutional amendment to declare that a marriage is only valid if it is between a man and a woman, and more recently taking credit for having a binder full of women forced upon him as evidence that he “cares” about expanding opportunities for women) and that they are strictly or primarily concerned only with his views on the economy or foreign policy. Fine.
(a) It must be nice to live a lifestyle that includes quality healthcare and not worry about having to declare bankruptcy if a grave illness occurs and your medical costs become unmanageable.
(b) It must be nice to be able to marry whomever you desire and not worry about a hospital telling you that you do not have any say in the care of your loved one. Or not having to be concerned with being denied the legal rights and economic privileges other married persons exercise.
(c) It must be nice to know that you will never have to confront the fear and panic of having to decide what to do with an unplanned pregnancy whether it was because you were naive and irresponsible or violently assaulted, the end result remains the same – what do I do now? It must be nice to know that you will never have to calculate the emotional and financial ramifications associated with whatever decision you make.
(d) It must be nice to know that you will always be considered for every job for which you are qualified and that you will be paid the same as your male counterparts each and every time.
So I suppose that the main difference between myself and a reasonable Romney supporter (i.e., not just someone who abhors the idea of a black man in the white house) is that what they see as irrelevant social issues, I see as extremely relevant social concerns with severe economic ramifications for the persons who confront these issues. Given Romney’s commentary thus far I believe those Americans with a lot more to lose will indeed be worse off with him at the helm.
I can’t get a read on Romney’s foreign policy but his mangled overseas trip, consistent harping on China and chest beating nonsensical talk about how he would handle the middle east and Russia (Seriously are they a threat right now? What year is it??) have not left me with any confidence that he is the man for the job.
With regard to his economy policy – well what is it exactly? AND if you can pinpoint it how do you know that’s exactly what will happen? Right, you can’t know because (a) he isn’t the only one who is part of the decision-making process for governing our country and (b) he has changed his position so much on so many different issues that it really is impossible to trust anything that he says – at all.
My faith in the American public way have wavered a bit but my faith in my President has not. I still believe that President Barack Obama is the man for the job and I hope you do as well.
#Obama2012
*Sidebar – but wouldn’t it be funny if right at the end of the debate they both performed the dance moves from “Gangnam Style”? Riiight, right I know it would NEVER happen, like not in a million years but boy oh boy it would be absolutely hiiiiiiiiii-larious. Also I know MY candidate would do it waaaay better than the other guy – awww hush, you know I’m right! 
