Election Reconciliation

(en) results of the U.S. presidential election...

U.S. presidential election 2000

Well…at the time of this posting we’re a little over 1 day from an election some have called the most important election in our time; some have called the most important ever. Based on what we know and what we guess the election race between Republican Mitt Romney and Democratic President Barack Obama is a virtual tie.

Who ultimately wins comes down to who wins a majority of Electoral Votes in 11 states that polls and/or history say are the only ones of the 50 where any doubt exists over who will win. They are (in alphabetical order):

Colorado- 9 electoral votes

Florida- 29

Iowa- 6

Michigan- 16

Nevada- 6

New Hampshire- 4

North Carolina- 15

Ohio- 18

Pennsylvania- 20

Virginia- 13

Wisconsin- 10

Some pundits have said Minnesota, and Oregon are up for grabs. But barring Romney sweeping the Eastern Time zone swing states (and he might) and getting a lot of voter momentum that doesn’t seem likely.

President Obama and Mitt Romney Different Word...

President Obama and Mitt Romney Different Words, Different Visions

Based on polls, history, common sense, 6th sense, and admittedly some wishful thinking this is where I currently see things going among the swing states:

Romney definitely wins: North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, and Colorado.

Obama definitely wins: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Iowa.

Romney PROBABLY and HOPEFULLY wins: New Hampshire and Wisconsin.

Obama PROBABLY wins: Ohio

The result: Romney wins 271 to Obama 267.

I won’t call the popular vote. It could go either way.

If I’m wrong I’m wrong on either Wisconsin or Ohio or possibly Pennsylvania.

What I’ve learned in this year-long election contest is that Democrats think Republicans are crazy to vote for Romney. They also think Republicans are mean, heartless, lacking in compassion, greedy and longing for the 1950s. They really believe this, and all my efforts to convince my friends otherwise has not changed their thinking.

Republicans think Democrats are absolutely loony for voting for Obama. They also think Democrats are stupid, and lazy, and greedy and stupid and lazy…and oh ya…hypocritical. And most importantly tyrannical. I don’t think most of the Republican claims about Democrats are true. But I do think some of those thoughts are true of some Democrats.

Sadly, the conclusion I come to is that regardless of who wins this country is and will remain seriously divided. These days even natural disasters cause political blame and argument. Hurricane Sandy brought debate from both sides about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s gracious and patriotic commentary and treatment of President Obama. Conservatives felt he went way over the top in his praise. Democrats accused him of hypocrisy and based his civility strictly on Christie’s selfish desire for Federal Funds to be  “gifted” to New Jersey. All I can say to both sides is PUUUUHHHHLEEEEZZZZ! Get over yourselves.

And before anyone thinks this is a one time or recent thing just think back to the most recent national emergencies of such size and scope. Hurricane Katrina was political from the moment it hit the shore in August 2005. Democrats…many of them not only accused President George W. Bush of incompetence but of actual racism. REALLY? REALLY? And the financial meltdown of 2008 was purely political and remains so much so to this day that it prevents real and fair decisions from being made. Four years later has the Obama Administration prosecuted any of Wall Street’s big mega-bankers for their complicity in the theft of billions of dollars? Uh…that would be NO. Is that Bush’s fault too? Uh…that would be NO. See…it goes on and on.

Though I didn’t vote for him and I didn’t have confidence in him I wrote several complimentary and encouraging blogs about President Obama following his election win in 2008. I was heartened by the election of America’s first black President and naively felt that our nation’s never-ending battle over race might finally be drawing to a close. I was wrong.

What has happened since George W. Bush was elected in the closest election in U.S. history in 2000 is that Red state‘s have become redder and blue states have become bluer. This election was fought in the narrowest geographic scope in history. Aside from the occasional fund-raiser neither candidate campaigned outside the eleven states mentioned.

The togetherness and American patriotism we ALL felt following the evil vicious attacks of 9-11  is now a distant memory. Efforts of civility on my part and the part of others have been bitch-slapped by the opposition. Faux offense over every little and possible conceived slight is displayed by both sides, such that too many of us stop listening to each other.

What is saddest of all is who is to blame for all this division. It’s our elected leaders and only our elected leaders. Sure we can lower our heads in shame for pulling the lever and putting them in office. But ultimately our leaders are supposed to lead.

I’m tired. Really really tired. I’ve done all I can to civilly and honestly pursued those who disagree that my point of view was correct. They’ve done likewise to me. In the end I wonder if any good came of it. If Romney wins and does much (he won’t do all) of what he says I suppose perhaps the answer is “yes”. I just hope another 9-11 or WWII or even Civil War doesn’t have to transpire in order to bring us together again as Americans. I think Mitt Romney can and will be transformative…but he won’t stand a chance if the opposition continues to not listen and instead paints him and his supporters as evil, greedy…etc. In Obama’s case…we already know THAT’S true.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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November 4, 2012
Categories: National Politics . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 2 Comments

The Incredible Shrinking President – Mark Steyn – National Review Online

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe ...

Joe Biden offends one of the parents of a dead American.

President Obama goes to sleep to rest-up for a campaign trip to Las Vegas knowing his consulate is under attack and people are dying.

And the Obama Re-Election campaign steals an idea from Vladimir Putin and equates voting for him to losing your virginity.

I couldn’t make this stuff up in my wildest dreams. Obama and his Administration are proving my worst dreams. Click on this article for the full shocking story.

The Incredible Shrinking President – Mark Steyn – National Review Online.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

October 27, 2012
Categories: National Politics . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on The Incredible Shrinking President – Mark Steyn – National Review Online

The Dumbest People in America

English: President Barack Obama shakes hands w...

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Tell me, what’s wrong with this picture: The state of Nevada continues to have one of the worst unemployment rates in the country at 11.8%, 4-points above the national average and President Barack Obama maintains a slight edge in polling over Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

So this state that re-elected Dingy Harry Reid in 2010 to the U.S. Senate and then subsequently the Majority Leader position while battling unemployment over 14% at that time seems resistant to changing the leadership that has presided over their horrible conditions.

English: Night Panorama of the Las Vegas Strip...

Nevada also ranks sixth nationally in home foreclosures. At one time in the last four years they were number 1. And without looking this up to verify I can safely say the state of Nevada is first in the nation in gambling expenditures. And you can judge for yourself the morals and wisdom in Nevada being the only state in the country with legal prostitution.

And then there is the fact that Nevadans built their largest city in a desert, bereft of any sufficient water supply.

Las Vegas Strip in HDR

Las Vegas Strip

The polling numbers today got me wondering if the people in Nevada aren’t the dumbest people in the country. Why on earth would you continue to elect the leaders in charge of your horrible economic conditions.

So then I got to thinking about who the dumbest people in the country truly might be. I’d be interested in my readers nominations. But aside from Nevadans one group of people leaped into my head: television reporters and/or personalities. Calling tv reporters journalists is an insult to journalists.

This opinion isn’t based solely on partisan resentment for what is displayed daily on MSNBC. I was a journalist. I worked among newspaper, radio, tv, and magazine reporters for a number of years. I was at press conferences with the local, state or national politicians who had to face tough questions. I sat through more than my share of boring city and county and legislative council meetings. I stuck my microphone in the face of some of the country’s most prominent people; and usually did so side-by-side with other scribes and with the hot lights of television cameras shining over my shoulder.

And though its been 20 years since I worked professionally in reporting the news, all indications are that my personal experience with these walking, talking Barbie and Ken dolls remains a valid point of view. Let me state that like everything in life there are exceptions. But on whole I found tv reporters shallow primadonas without the intellectual capability of your average gas station attendant. I was awestruck on frequent occasions to hear questions of news worthy individuals that did little to expand on the story at hand, did little to enlighten the viewer. Usually, tv reporters benefited from the questioning of other more erudite journalists who usually came from the print or radio industry. Print reporters were generally quite arrogant and did little to hide their contempt for the average tv reporter…or news subject…for that matter. Radio journalist were the ones I respected the most. As a radio reporter you must ask your subjects questions that expand the story. Yes or No answers don’t work on radio. You need your subject to talk in order to get the sound bite that is long enough and interesting enough to include in your story. Being able to do this is not always easy and one reason I found more intelligence in the average radio journalist than in the average tv reporter.

TV news at the Empire State Building shooting

TV reporters were always more interested in how they looked on camera than in the facts of a given story. And in today’s world they seem utterly oblivious to fair and balanced reporting. It’s not so much that they boldly state ill-informed, uneducated opinions; it’s that they set a premise for their reporting and then work to shape the story to that premise rather than just gathering the facts with an unbiassed curiosity that allows for the truth to come out more frequently.

I also think its worth mentioning that among those who I learned to respect the most were the politicians. Politicians on the whole are genuinely smart people who care about the service they provide their constituency. I’m well aware of the average Americans contempt for politicians. And I understand that disrespect. But in my personal experience those who run for office have more education, wisdom, personality and compassion than other persons I’ve encountered in life. And I would say this of men and women from both parties. There are exceptions. But I am speaking generally.

So who would you nominate for the collectively dumbest people in America?

A friend posted on Facebook some time ago a quote I won’t soon forget because it’s true and its a little frightening. Half of all people are below average in intelligence. So now you have half the country, 1 out of every 2 people in which to choose.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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October 24, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on The Dumbest People in America

Obama didn’t Say What he Said-The Jedi Mind Trick

Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi 

 

I’ve been closely paying attention to national politics for 25 years. And I’ve made a habit of studying it even longer. And I’ve never seen or read of the phenomena now afflicting nearly half of all Americans. But I have seen it before… in the movies. It’s called the Jedi Mind Trick, made famous by  Obi Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars. President Barack Obama has seemingly been a good student. The Force is strong with this one.

 

The Jedi Mind Trick- “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for…” can be seen at the 3:18 point in this video from Star Wars.

 

 

In the most recent example of Obama not saying what he said we are all being led to believe he and his Administration didn’t repeatedly, with considerable effort, try to steer the blame for the Benghazi, Libya Al Qaida terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate and the murder of our Ambassador and three others on a previously unknown YouTube 13 minute video.

 

“These are not the droids you’re looking for.”

 

The Jedi Mind Trick is so forceful in Obama he managed to get a respected national media journalist to back his lie in front of the world in a Presidential Debate. Obama says he called the attacks a terrorist attack. He even says “read the transcripts”. And moderator Candy Crowley tells opponent Mitt Romney in fact that he did call it a terrorist attack the day after, in his Rose Garden comments. But a full viewing of the video shows even THAT is a lie.

 

 

Clearly Obama says “acts of terror” at the 4:18 point of the above video. But equally clear is that he was speaking generally about numerous “acts of terror”. But even the minutia of this discussion is part of the Jedi trick. The simple minds that fall for it fail to recognize that Obama may have said “acts of terror” on September 12, one day after the murders in Benghazi but in the same video before saying “acts of terror” Obama says, “Since our founding the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths, we reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.” What is he talking about? While not mentioning the video one only needs know what happened in the following two weeks to understand what he was setting up.

 

In this video Obama’s lies are shown in chronological order:

 

 

This isn’t the first time Obama hasn’t said what he’s said. In the now infamous “You didn’t build that.” speech Democrats say repeatedly that the President was taken out of context. They say he wasn’t denigrating business owners in his remarks.

 

 

Being generous Obama may have been referencing roads and bridges with the comment “You didn’t build that”. But there is no denying the snarky defamatory tone and nature of the entire speech. He was undeniably saying to business owners “You didn’t build that”, even if those exact words were referencing a more specific point within his overall point.

 

“You didn’t build that” was denied time and time again from Obama’s Jedi Mind Trick affected defenders. But, there it is on the video for all people with an IQ above the length of a yardstick to see, hear and understand. This man doesn’t like business owners or the initiative they show.

 

In 2008 candidate Barack Obama had his Romney “47%” moment when he said his opponents “cling to guns or to religion” as a way of explaining their opposition.

 

 

But as offensive as this comment is, we seldom heard about it. Jedi Mind trick at work again.

 

“You don’t need to see his identification”

 

Obama attends the church of Pastor Jeremiah Wright for twenty years. He is close friends and political allie of admitted terrorist Bill Ayers. These are just a few of the associations Obama has and had that would have disqualified ANY other candidate for City Council, let alone President. Jedi Mind Trick.

 

He is given the Nobel Peace Prize months into office in 2009 having done NOTHING to warrant such an honor. Jedi Mind trick.

 

Those afflicted by the Obama Jedi mastery say Benghazi attack was properly called an “Act of terror” by Obama and they ignore his comments on the Letterman Show, The View, and at the United Nations a full 2 weeks after. They now say, “Well…we don’t know the reason behind why he would say that. There are national security issues at stake.”

 

“You can go about your business.”

 

“Move along. Move along.”

 

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 22, 2012
Categories: National Politics . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 2 Comments

It’s your Money. Who Do You Want Spending it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re less than a month away from choosing a President for the next four years. The photo above is clear and understandable and should make the choice easier.

Money generated for the Federal Government by taxes is YOUR money. It’s not the government’s money. So when our President spends it we want it spent in a manner consistent with our best interests. Lining the pockets of campaign contributors in failed business ventures is a record President Barack Obama cannot hide from. And it is sufficient, in and of itself, to cause you to vote against him.

But voting “against” anyone is often not motivation enough to participate in the process. So examining Mitt Romney and finding him worthy of your vote is important too. The banner posted here gives only a tiny sample of Romney’s great ability at running an organization as its head, or CEO, or President. And since its my money his record of investment is clearly more in line with the type of return I want.

I hope you’ll give fair consideration to this common sense message.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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October 8, 2012
Categories: Business, National Politics . Tags: , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on It’s your Money. Who Do You Want Spending it?

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