Last updated on November 5th, 2012 at 08:59 am
Romney wants to trickle down on you
It is perplexing to determine what forms a politician’s ethics when they claim that their life is shaped by strong adherence to Christianity, and yet they use dishonesty to advance their agenda. It is not unusual for a candidate to stretch the truth during a tightly-contested campaign, but the level of deceit and outright lies coming out of the Romney campaign are unprecedented in modern politics. Pundits assert Romney’s blatant lies are a sign his campaign is in desperation mode, but it is hardly believable because for nine months he avoided the truth regardless if his support was flagging or not, and his fallacies are meant to serve one purpose; divide the American people. There are myriad reasons why Romney is unqualified to serve as president, but chief among them is his willingness to pit American against American on the basis of race and socio-economic status that fuel his entire campaign.
Observing President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie work together to provide relief aid to storm victims was a reminder that Americans are at their best when they work together for a common goal. President Obama has championed that sentiment throughout his term in office, and despite fierce opposition from Republicans; he has never lost sight of his promise to Americans that as President, he would work to unify the country. Conversely, Romney has signaled to voters that he will work primarily to advance the interests of big business, and to garner support for his agenda he has alienated 98% of the population including minorities, women, gays, the middle class, and especially the poor.
The sad truth is that Romney has worked tirelessly to pit low-information voters against any group that does not fit the conservative ideal of white evangelical Christians, and his primary tool of choice is abject lies. One wonders how Willard would be able to lead the nation after spending the entire campaign sowing suspicion and hatred among the population, but apparently, it is not his primary concern. Although he changes his stance on issues depending on his audience, the underlying theme of his campaign is casting aspersion on different groups of Americans to further his chances of winning the election. Americans got a taste of how Romney feels about Americans who do not pay income taxes when he was secretly taped pitting wealthy donors against seniors, the poor, and Veterans who don’t pay income tax, but his divisive tactics extend far beyond pitting rich against the poor.
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When Willard addressed the NAACP, he insinuated African Americans were lazy and only wanted handouts from the government, and he bragged to a conservative audience that he told “those people” if they wanted “more free stuff, vote for the other guy.” It was not the last time Romney attempted to drive a wedge between the races, and he has continued implying African Americans are getting “free stuff” by asserting President Obama eliminated the work requirement so lazy African Americans receive free stuff for nothing. Romney’s campaign has attempted to portray the President of the United States as a foreigner since the Republican primaries, and Romney never condemned one of his advisors for using race as the reason Colin Powell endorsed President Obama for the presidency. Romney does not discriminate when it comes to driving a wedge between groups of Americans and implying the President is a foreigner is solely to turn the population against President Obama.
Romney also attempted to drive a wedge between his conservative base and public sector employees in education, law enforcement, and firefighters by accusing them and their unions of being primary drivers of government spending. His pitch to supporters is that their tax dollars are supporting unions and depriving children of an education, but his real agenda is eliminating unions from donating to political campaigns. He reserves that right for corporations he claims have an inherent right to buy elections and advance a libertarian agenda.
To drive a wedge between extremist Christians and women, Romney borrowed the religious liberty meme to restrict women’s rights under the guise of allowing religious maniacs to ban contraception, abortion, and Planned Parenthood. He also promotes enmity between extremist Christians and gays as a religious liberty issue by supporting the discriminatory National Organization of Marriage instead of promoting tolerance and equality between Americans. There are many other instances of Romney’s use of divisive rhetoric to keep the population at odds with itself, and it is impossible to comprehend his true motive because every time he promotes religious, economic, or racial animosity between different groups of Americans, he alienates a different segment of the population that will not support his candidacy.
Romney’s biggest lie to divide America is his contention that government is the people’s enemy, and there was no bigger example of his failed argument than recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. President Obama directed the federal government to be ready to provide valuable assistance to victims of the storm well in advance of the event, and it belied Romney’s assertion that states are better equipped to handle the monumental task of cleanup, financial aid, and recovery efforts. Even Republican governor Chris Christie, no friend of “big government,” was intelligent enough to know that it took the massive federal assistance under President Obama’s direction to provide swift and comprehensive aid in a disaster of epic proportions. Governor Christie also heaped praise on the President and the federal government for their rapid and sustained response and assistance.
There is no reasonable explanation for Romney spending the entire presidential campaign driving wedges between Americans except that he lacks basic comprehension that America is a collection of United States, and not disparate groups of individuals jockeying for superiority and advantage over “the other.” Romney claims to be the consummate American, but he has no more idea what it means to be part of a whole than he understands the plight of middle class America. In fact, Romney is the antithesis of American because his lies cannot conceal his allegiance to the wealthy’s drive to control this country, and if he were an American, he would understand this country either prospers and succeeds together, or fails miserably as a divided nation of religious plutocrats and peasants.
It is painfully obvious that Romney’s ethics are driven by greed and division and whether it is the result of a lifetime of privilege and religious indoctrination that lying is a virtue, or his drive to control all the wealth in America, but whatever his dysfunction, it is not American. President Obama says often that America is at its greatest when the entire nation succeeds, and he backs up his words with deeds in fighting for every American, rich or poor, black or white, or men or women and it is the mark of a real American leader. The only thing Romney accomplished over the past ten months was creating suspicion and hatred between Americans and it designates him as an enemy of the people and unqualified to lead. It has been 147 years since the Civil War nearly tore America apart because a group of men incited Americans to oppose other Americans, and while most of the nation moved forward and accomplished great feats as a United States of America, Willard Romney has spent an entire campaign attempting to divide the American people, and just like the Confederacy’s leaders, he uses lies, suspicion, and misinformation making him bad for unity, bad for community, and bad for America.
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
