( – promoted by lowkell)
His first term in office has revealed President Obama to be a bold and resilient American leader even in times of epic hardship and in the face of intractable opposition. If we didn’t know him in 2008, we know him now.
He’s the guy who saved Detroit, got Bin Laden, and faced down a truly disloyal Republican opposition to deliver what every Democrat since Truman tried and failed to do. He delivered universal healthcare.
The real problem with Mitt Romney isn’t that he hasn’t done anything. It’s that whatever he has done, he’s trying really hard not to tell us about it. Beyond tax returns, his career as a vulture capitalist, and RomneyCare, Mitt Romney has really done everything he could to hide any hit of his character. Whatever his center, his conviction, his drive, his plan, his intention for America, Mitt Romney has chosen not to share that with us in any meaningful sense.
In that vacuum, our task is to determine, given what we do know, whether he is capable of succeeding as President of the United States.
The President fills many roles. Whoever sits behind the Resolute Desk must be chief executive of the government and the economy, Commander in Chief of the military, moral leader of the nation, and lead representative on the world stage.
Has Mitt Romney proven himself worthy to wear the many caps required of an American President?
Could Romney be the Chief Executive of the world’s largest economy? Possibly. If you believe that tax cuts cure cancer. If you believe that Government “of, for, and by the people” is tantamount to original sin. If you believe that the minimum wage should be zero. Maybe.
Maybe another four years of Bush administration economics is just what the economy needs. Wars and tax cuts worked great for George W. Bush, maybe they’ll work for Mitt Romney.
Unfortunately, even if you do think he could handle the economy, his militarism would bankrupt us. As Commander in Chief, he would give control of the most powerful military force in history BACK to the guys who gave us Iraq. He clearly has no understanding of the forces at play in the world, beyond what the John Bolton faction of the neocons have been telling him. We know he’s a liar, like Bush. We know he would pile us under more debt to pay for the wars the neocons want, like Bush.
Unfortunately for Mitt Romney, his neocon-inspired foreign policy discredits the singular premise of his candidacy. What good is an executive who can’t balance a budget?
He also doesn’t have the sense of courage necessary to serve as Commander in Chief. Romney may be the only presidential nominee in the history of the Republic who failed in his acceptance to thank the troops in time of war. How can he be expected to honor those who serve in glory?
Could he be the moral leader of the country? People need to be able to trust you for that, and again, Mitt Romney is shockingly untrustworthy. Can women trust him to protect their healthcare rights? Can new Americans trust him to protect their families? Can any American trust that he would stand up for them against the abuses of the powerful? Can any of us trust him to protect retirement dignity or even our right to vote?
Is this man worthy of the trust of the American people? Where has he shown an indication that he is? You can’t be a moral leader without a shared moral center, and if he has one, he hasn’t deemed to share it.
And finally, Could he be the lead representative of the American people on the world stage? Don’t make me laugh. Just google #romneyshambles. ‘Nuff said.
We do have, however, in President Obama the bold leader who did what the neocons couldn’t or wouldn’t. He found and ordered the execution of Osama Bin Laden. He has lead the nation towards a morality of shared citizenship embodied in the spirit of the “stimulus” that saved over 3 million jobs. “ObamaCare” will free millions of Americans from the fear of recission, bankruptcy, illness and death. He has raised the respect and profile of the United States on the world stage, and saved the American economy from the disaster of the very Bush-era economic policies Mitt Romney would implement.
Osama Bin Laden is Dead. Detroit is Alive.
There really is no going back. The only direction in 2012 is Forward.
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