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For me the math is very easy.
Why would I vote for the same party that produced a President and Vice President, who sat idly by and watched the American economy build-up a head of steam before flying off the edge of a cliff, without so much as offering the nation a parachute - while at the very same time, not having done anything over the subsequent 13 years that demonstrates that it has learned anything whatsoever, about its total mishandling of the United States economy?
Answer: I would not do that.
Millions of jobs were lost in the eight (8) years prior to the current Administration. Trillions were added to the national debt in the eight (8) years prior to the current Administration. According to Treasury Direct, the deficit rose by nearly 100% between fiscal years 2000 and 2008:
09/30/2008 10,024,724,896,912.49
09/30/2007 9,007,653,372,262.48
09/30/2006 8,506,973,899,215.23
09/30/2005 7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 6,228,235,965,597.16
09/30/2001 5,807,463,412,200.06
09/30/2000 5,674,178,209,886.86
Yet, I have yet to hear and/or read anything from any Republican candidate for President, about how to reduce the deficit, arrest the growth in wasteful Congressional spending, balance the budget, re-invent the U.S. economic model, prevent another Great Recession and/or bring back American middle-class incomes.
All I have ever heard from those who helped to create the mess we know find ourselves in today after eight (8) long years of total neglect, is how Barack Obama, from 2009 through 2012, is somehow the causality of all the problems we now face - because he somehow made THEIR problem, worse. If that is not the most hypocritical and useless position to take, then I'll never know what qualifies as such.
If Republicans, can show me precisely what they have learned between the election of George W. Bush and now, as well as precisely what their plan is for rebuilding the nation's economy going forward and exactly how they plan to implement and execute on such plans, THEN I will consider Mitt Romney, as having even the slightest clue about the things he speaks about on the campaign trail. But, until he can articulate a precisely plan of action, combined with the lessons that he learned as a Republican, from the total and abject failure when Republicans LAST controlled both the White House and the Congress, then he cannot expect me to take him seriously as a worthy challenger to the current President (who has outlined such a plan), nor can he seriously expect my vote.
That is what this election boils down to: What have Republicans LEARNED about their abject failure to provide any guidance whatsoever on things domestic in this country, from 2000 through 2008?
Until they can come up with a better lie than "Obama Caused It," or "Obama Made It Worse," then they can consider me off the reservation in terms of ever seeing my vote.
I'm tired of the lies. I'm tired of the deceit. I'm tired of the politics of personal destruction. And, I'm tired of being taken for granted by politicians pandering for my vote and talking to me like I'm a flaming idiot. That goes for BOTH sides of the isle! All of them need to get their collective act together, and help to move this country onto the right track.
Damn hypocrites! I'm sick of it! Literally, sick and tired of it! All the in-fighting, back-biting, whining, moaning and complaining about the "other guy" having done worse - none of that mess is going to solve this nation's problems. Continually fighting against the President, denying any attempts to genuinely solve problems and correct errors, lying through their teeth even about contemporary history, failing to take responsibility for leadership and never once putting forth an alternative plan that is BETTER than the one on the table; is completely unacceptable to me as a member the voting electorate.
We send these people to Washington, to do OUR bidding, not their own. They are there to run the nation's business, NOT to run the nation directly into the ground at full throttle. Where is the referendum on common sense anymore in this country? Or, have we pitched our tent and decided that we'd rather be a nation of Circus Clowns? Sheeple? Sleeple? Economic Slaves? Malfeasant deviants without a cause? Exactly, who do we think we are today?
Just look at the state of our union! Look at where decades of bad choices at the voting booth, have placed us! You CONTINUALLY elect members to Congress, who do nothing but protect their own turf and cater to "K Street" lobbyists, who could give a rats tail about your "freedoms," "liberties," or your "rights" as a U.S. Citizen.
Pull it together America! You are losing the real war - the war for your Representative Democracy, is being lost, day by miserable day.
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