Do you really know why?

I've been amazed watching and listening to folks who come out against President Obama and his policies.  These are folks that are so dead-set in what they believe that they swear to high heaven that he's evil incarnate.  These folks focus on the man, not the policy.  They focus on other things, not what he has done and what he has been doing.  That's why I opine that these folks really don't know why they are against the President except they are told to be against him.

The birther incident: The allegation that the President was born in another country and the tremendous (and quite elaborate) conspiracy cover-up that happened to right the record ... has to be the most insane waste of time and effort ever created by man.  Folks - we're talking about official records.  Official records that are nearly impossible to forge without covering up about a thousand steps in the process.  Obama and Hawaii officials released his birth certificate ... no that wasn't enough.  The birthers all jumped up and down pounding tables like some errant child.  Okay - Obama and Hawaii officials released the long form ... but the birthers still finding resolve within their extremely baseless case ... started saying the birth certificate was fake ... yada yada yada ....

FACT: The state of Hawaii has certified that the birth certificate they have in their possession is the true and accurate copy of the President's birth certificate.  Our United States are founded on the common principles and acceptance of said records when someone moves from one state to another.  If this weren't the case, every state would have folks that couldn't leave -- because if their records couldn't be authenticated then they wouldn't be allowed to relocate.  States must observe the official nature of the records contained within - or else run the risk of watching the system fall completely apart.

Obama wants to take away my health care:  The scare tactics of the right went unverified.  Because there is no evidence that Obama wanted to take anyone's health care away from them.  If anything - he wants to make it easier for folks to get health care and to make it more affordable for EVERYONE.  It's a very simple process ... one that tries to work with the health insurance lobby ... but the basic reality is that health care costs have soared in the last decade while coverage has shrunk.  Someone is benefiting from this ... and the media decides to ignore the 800lb gorilla in the room.  Republicans decry that Obama is trying to make the United States into a socialist country ... and these folks have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

FACT: The Affordable Care Act ensures that folks can get help - who need help.  Yes it's going to cost ... but that's nothing new since we're already dolling out billions (if not more) in premiums every year as a nation.  At least under ACA the money  is going where it's supposed to go in the first place ... between patient and doctor.  If folks can't wrap their mind around why the health insurance lobby wants to stop Obama ... and can recognize the the lobby has a vested interest ... then these folks shouldn't be allowed to vote.  Seriously - if you're blinded at the lights and mirrors the lobbyists are shining on you - you have no business pulling a lever in November.  There is no defense against that.

Quit blaming Bush - he's had three years to fix this...:  When folks say things like this - I just shake my head because they absolutely acknowledge that there was a problem to begin with.  The country was already heading downhill at the time of election.  The housing market popped, markets scrammed and oil prices began their climb.  Folks were laid off, companies relocated overseas, and businesses were still receiving hand over fist in subsidies and other tax breaks.  Any plan Obama or McCain had leading into the 2008 election became null and void.  There - I said it.

FACT: The simple reality is Obama inherited something very ugly from his predecessor.  He did stave off a larger, deeper recession as many experts believe.  Obama warned all of us that this was going to take a long while - and it has.  No one likes the fact that the recession hit and hit all of us ... but markets have continued to rebound, unemployment hasn't continued it's downward slope and the GDP is coming back.  Recessions take awhile to correct ... and while the Republicans are seizing the opportunity to make this into a political issue - they themselves are partly to blame.

It's all Obama's fault:  This has to be the largest falsehood put out in the PAC commercials and media.  They don't report on the numerous times Obama shunned his party to reach across the aisle to the Republicans who did nothing but slap it away.  The Republicans had their own plan - wrench everything up and just wait ... folks won't remember that they stalled on key segments of Obama's plan so that they could then blame him for "failing America."

FACT: When most of the Republican Governors that were awarded stimulus money that would've gone to pay for jobs in their state ... they denied it.  When the Republicans could've latched onto the single largest health care reform act in this country's history - they balked, derided and showed nothing but discontempt for something that could HELP millions of Americans ... but gosh - not at the expense of the health insurance lobby.  Capitalism trumps morality ... and when the Republicans want to rail Obama for failing this country - they shouldn't look too far away from the mirror.

Bottom line: I challenge folks to come out what exactly they are against when it comes to this President.  He has maintained the same tax breaks on the upper 1% which hardly any of us know ... and he wants to do more for middle and lower America who have been hit really hard thanks to the Bush legacy.  Make your list and allow me to ask you questions regarding it.  Because you may find that you have been sucked into protoplasm of the Republican message machine which controls a heavily flawed bias.  Journalism as we once knew it - is dead ... and has been dead.  Both sides - Democrat and Republican latch on to their friendly reporters who then pen glowing recommendations of their fabled leader.  It's a problem when there's no credibility in the press anymore ... and when the supremes awarded unlimited power to corporations to channel money in to campaigns then tilted balance of the political system made it impossible for the common man to have his voice heard ... much less his views tainted, slanted and biased.

The Ryan Card....

So Romney picks Ryan ... as much as it is a concidence, their initials R&R seem to match how America would be if the Republicans win in November: rail roaded...

What stands out about the Ryan pick is that it does nothing to bring independents or Democrats to the Republican side of the ballot come November. In fact, Obama has been handed Florida ... in one fell swoop.

Appealing to the Tea Party fan base is one thing, but extending beyond your core beliefs to dabble into the extremes of your party isn't a winning strategy either.

Let's face it.

Mitt has had many problems of late ... as he continues to lead a gaffe-filled campaign into the "home stretch." But let's give an analysis of how his campaign is shaping up:

- His foreign policy is nothing short of a disaster. Gaffes in Britain, Israel and our allies in Europe only make him look weaker when it comes to how he'll handle world affairs.

- His own skeletons he's very very protective of. His tax returns continue to hobble him - even though he probably could release them and watch the dust fade away ... he has guarded them - and has increased their importance by not releasing them. Now there's more questions as to "what's he hiding" ... that may or may not amount to anything ... but it's very telling.

- He can't try to invoke privilege when it comes to his finances since he's using his business practices as his credentials for running the country. It doesn't work on a one way street Mitt ....

- The war on women, I feel is going to have a profound amount of pain this election for the Republicans. They have done a lot to alienate and invade on women's rights - from abortion and health to equal pay (which Republicans fought so strongly on.)

- Even though Mitt may have his heritage somewhere in his Hispanic lineage, he has no plan strong enough to withstand the smell test when it comes to immigration reform.

- Yes Ryan puts some more credibility in the economy and government spending ... but this doesn't poll well with independents and democrats.

So as far as I can tell - a Ryan pick is a wasted one. He should've picked someone more moderate to bring in independents and snag a few democrats along the way. That pick would've been Ron Paul ... not Paul Ryan. Which is fine by me because this is good news for Obama and the Democrats. The more red-meat out there, the more Obama can lean into the middle ground and draw in the center while holding onto his base.

The real problem I can see ... is how well Biden is going to do against Ryan in the debates... If there's a soft spot in the Dem ticket ... it would be the bottom half.

Jesus Loves Chicken....

I just don't buy into the whole: "Jesus would want me to hate people, so I'm ordering a chicken sandwich in show of my support..."