Dear Undecided Voter
I'm sorry, did I wake you? I know it's been four years since the last time you checked the news to find that a presidential race was in the final weeks, and much has happened since then. I thought it might be a good idea to help you get caught up, since I keep hearing that the fate of the nation rests in the hands of people who can name the winner of American Idol and Dancing with the Stars, but can't name their own Congressman. Please know that I honor your sacrifice in giving up precious time that could be spent watching those human livestock shows, where a group of people scheme, back-stab, connive, and manipulate each other in order to find true love, but this is sort of important. You see, the country is imploding and the world is on fire. We sure could use your help.
Item: The bottom is falling out of American median income. During the recession, it fell from $54,489 in 2007 to $52,195 in 2009, after President Obama spent your grandchildren's inheritance on his much touted "stimulus" plan. Since then, the government has taken in more of your money and left the nation with a median income of $50,054 just last year. So while they take more, you get less. Is that the change you were hoping for? Meanwhile, the poverty rate in America has gone from 12.5 percent in 2007 to 15 percent last year as median household wealth declined 39 percent over the same time span. President Obama keeps saying that all of this is the legacy of Republican policies, as if the laws he signed over the last four years had no impact. In 1981, Ronald Reagan inherited an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent and four years later it was 7.2 percent. Barack Obama inherited an unemployment rate of 7.8 percent, and today it stands at 8.1 percent only because the work force itself is shrinking. As the Washington Post observed, "If the same percentage of adults were in the workforce today as when Barack Obama took office, the unemployment rate would be 11.1 percent."
Item: If you think you're paying more for electricity now, stay tuned. Coal companies are in the President's crosshairs, just as he promised back in 2008 when he said, "If somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can, it's just that it will bankrupt them." Alpha Natural Resources has just announced that it will close eight mines as a direct result of Obama Administration edicts and regulations. Some 400 jobs were terminated on the spot, with a total of 1,200 jobs to be eliminated through 2013. As the supply of fossil fuel shrinks, the price of available supplies will rise on households who, as noted above, are losing income. And chanting, "Yes we can," isn't going to help.
Item: Food Stamp use is on the rise. When Obama took office, 1 in 10 Americans received such assistance. Today it's 1 in 7, as food stamp usage has reached an all time high of nearly 48 million Americans. People who point this out are called racist by the President's friends in the media. But people who ignore it are willfully blinding themselves to a catastrophe that threatens to undo a great nation. Your share of the $16 trillion national debt is currently $142,000. Your spouse and each of your children and grandchildren owe the same amount. Do you think this is sustainable?
Item: Remember the health care law that so many people made such a fuss about? According to the Associated Press, "Nearly 6 million Americans -- significantly more than first estimated -- will face a tax penalty under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul for not getting insurance… Most would be in the middle class." Health care premiums are already increasing as insurance companies try to cope with the additional cost of covering pre-existing conditions, 26 year old adults hanging onto their parents' plans, and handing out birth control like it was Halloween candy. If you think this is going to end well, you might hazard a look to Great Britain, where people who have insurance die while waiting for actual treatment.
Item: While channel surfing, you may have noticed what at first appeared to be world-wide cookouts at American Embassies overseas. Actually, they were Islamic moon bats who over ran our outposts, killed an American Ambassador and three of his staff in Libya, scaled the walls in Egypt and tore down our flag, replacing it with one saying that there is only one god, Allah is his name and Mohammed is his favorite dude, or something like that. What about the Marines who typically guard these places, you ask? They were unarmed, because we wouldn't want to offend the sensibilities of those peace-loving savages. Today we learned that the attack in Libya was planned well in advance, with the assistance of one Sufya Ben Qumu, who we previously released from Guantanamo.
Item: Two United States Marines, including a Squadron Commander, were killed in an attack on their base in Afghanistan just a few days ago. The attack also saw the destruction of at least half a dozen Harrier fighter aircraft. Additionally, the Afghanistan security forces we've been training have taken to murdering the Americans that are training them. The Taliban is making a comeback, and the situation is deteriorating by the hour. This is the sort of thing that can be expected, and was predicted, when President Obama announced our retreat and publicized the time table. Wars are generally lost when one side retreats, ya know. Last time we did this was in Somalia, and the bad guys responded by flying planes into buildings on American soil. I don't think this approach will end well either. You may recall that when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated, the moon bats in Iran got religion and released the American hostages. They feared him. They didn't fear Jimmy Carter, and they don't seem to be worrying about Barack Obama, who keeps telling them that he's really sorry about a movie they don't like. In fact, the authorities have even arrested the guy who made the movie! What's that you ask? The First Amendment? Well, President Obama and his Democratic friends aren't big fans of the Constitution either, if you didn't know.
There is so much more to tell you about, but I don't want to overburden you with information. I just wanted to let you know a few items that you may not have seen in the news. Odds are that you heard Mitt Romney's comments about how 47 percent of the people are dependent on the government, and how he doesn't worry about them, right? The point he appeared to be driving at was that a certain portion of the country is going to vote for Obama no matter what, and that many of them think they are entitled to the fruits of your labor. He knows he's not going to get their vote unless he repudiates individual liberty and starts sounding like Fidel Castro, so he's going to focus his efforts on you instead.
Now, what you probably didn't hear was the recording of Barack Obama, back in 1998 I believe, saying that, "…the trick is figuring out how do we structure government systems that pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution -- because I actually believe in redistribution, at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot." A few weeks ago he assured people that if they have a successful business, it's because someone else built it, and now we hear him talking about redistributing someone else's earnings. Call it Fundamental Transformation, or Hope and Change, or plain and simple plunder. Call it what you will, but make no mistake, you have a choice to make in November. You can choose the American dream of liberty and excellence as intended by the authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, or you can choose American weakness abroad and an endless welfare state that is quickly collapsing at home. It's up to you. By the way, have you ever tried to watch Dancing With The Stars with no electricity?
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Comments:
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
Sorry I'm late responding to this, but the freight schedule has me pretty well occupied today. Briefly then:
Diane, I have enormous respect for you, and take your comments to heart. My frustration with the couch potato vote is reaching critical mass, and I suppose it showed. That being said, I think we can incorporate a variety of approaches that will reach different people in different ways. What you saw as mocking is something I intended as the verbal equivalent of grabbing someone by the shirt collar and waking them out of their civic stupor. Granted, it doesn't work for everyone and it doesn't work all the time. But on occasion, as Ben said, some folks need a "big kids talk."
On the other hand, Colin B. Lane has composed a truly masterful alternative on the member feed that I'm sure would prove useful to people who would be put off by the more strident tone I used here.
Now, back to the highway for me...
May '10
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
Perfect, Dave!
May '10
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
Dear Mr. Diane,
First, congratulations on your recent marriage. Diane's a keeper.
In your lifetime around the Christian church you will have noticed that in some denominations liberals abound, in other denominations they are nowhere to be found. Why? They both start with the same Book. I think the answer is easy. The Bible says that we are to care for widows and orphans; compassion and welfare. The Bible also says, "Let him who will not work, not eat.". In other words, Christianity is neither liberal or conservative. God gave us a brain and He expects us to use it and to apply principles case by case.
So, two questions: First, will you raise your children to be self-reliant and hard working or to be dependent and slothful? Second, if it is good enough for your kids, why would you expect less of others' children?
Dec '11
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
I'm married to someone who didn't vote the presidential line in 2008 because he was appalled by both candidates. He is an independent who drives 45 minutes to work each way and listens to NPR. 'Nuff said. Still, he has been very open to my careful selection of stories that frame who Obama is and what he has been doing, and intends to vote for Romney despite liking Ron Paul's message of auditing the Fed and taking care of our own house of cards before sending money and troops around the world "fixing" things.
He gets it.
Diane, I have a hard time reconciling your husband's adamant pro-life position with possible support for Obama. I simply cannot find a path for him to justify that.
Jul '11
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
When a seven month fetus is being ripped apart like Braveheart, nothing says commitment like Obama's laws require a "physician" to wade in and finish the killing if somehow the baby survives the first wounds.
Sep '10
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
If you can watch these two videos of Jill Stanek speaking and read the chapter of David Freddoso's chapter on Jill Stanek in The Case Against Barack Obama (written in 2008 I might add) and claim you're pro life and still pull the lever for Barack Obama, then I give up.
Oct '10
Re: Dear Undecided Voter
You can lead an undecided voter to reality, but you can't make him think.