While I voted enthusiastically for Obama in 2008, I will likely vote but with much less enthusiasm this time.
My choices are separated by a vastness the likes I have not seen in my life:
1. A sitting president who inherited an economy that wasn't just faltering -- it was in freefall. Ever look at the statistical reports from labor, treasury, and IRS? I have never in my lifetime seen more than 750,000 jobs being shed monthly (and I'm 54). Those that have jobs are now facing stagnation in wages and paying a higher and higher share of their health care premiums as employers try to limit their liability and push increases from employer to employee.
2. I feel he was either poorly advised or eternally optimistic that by "being nice" he could change the tone in Washington. George Bush, Ronald Reagan and even Bill Clinton found out that you out-maneuver your opponents and box them into a corner with the fear of public humiliation -- you can't talk to them. The Congress is even more polarized with the teabaggers who would let government fail just to make their points.
3. As a gay man, I have been able to marry my husband but we don't yet enjoy the benefits of other married couples because of DOMA which appears to (hopefully) be winding its way to extinction. But if Republicans take charge, particularly teabags, I see not only that stopping but the marriage laws of DC being challenged by the feds (unfortunately we are an occupied city that can face hostile takeover by crazies in Congress).
4. A move by Republicans to enrich the rich at the expense of any other. The trickle down economics have proven to be "voodoo" as George I said. In Michigan, Wisconsin and at the national level such theory has shown it transfers wealth -- to the wealthy.
5. The country suffers from a malaise of mediocrity: "We can't" should be the slogan of the next election. We can't be great; we can't dare to dream large and ensure everyone enjoys an American dream; that our children can be educated affordably and provided the health care needed to embrace life (of course we can prevent abortion but once they're born -- well it's time to die). Eisenhower dreamed and built a network of highways that allowed interestate commerce to explode; we can't even agree on a transportation bill that uses collected taxes on gasoline (and a host of other things) to not build but just maintain such a robust system. Our water and sewer systems -- that have ensured we have potable water and treated wastes that allowed you to drink without fear of Mexican trots no matter where you were in this country. That system is past the end of its life but, while it's okay to let a young man die because he doesn't have health care, it seems we're going to milk the infrastructure long past the time it was to die.
6. One party seems to halucinate that if you give the rich more, they'll suddenly hire and build new plants because they'll be just happy as shit. They seem to forget that most rich are fairly thorough and don't invest in something that is not going to produce a return; if there is no demand -- you can eliminate their taxes and they are not going to hire someone to sit on their butt and collect a paycheck.
In my city, I see a more and more polarized government. The newcomers -- the teabaggers -- hate the city and flee at the earliest opportunity. Those that have been empowered for longer times gather on weekends, enjoy each other's company even though they may disagree on politics. Does one ever cross the growing divide and how will they?
Yes, I have been disappointed. But would I, as a middle class gay man, fare better with the candidates I have seen debating that would eliminate my marriage, end my health care protections (just scheduled my colonoscopy which is required under the new health care laws), further reduce my children's incomes, raise their tuition for continuing education, and turn this into a land of Jesus?
I have usually had to seek to find the differences in order to vote; this seems like it's in my face....
My choices are separated by a vastness the likes I have not seen in my life:
1. A sitting president who inherited an economy that wasn't just faltering -- it was in freefall. Ever look at the statistical reports from labor, treasury, and IRS? I have never in my lifetime seen more than 750,000 jobs being shed monthly (and I'm 54). Those that have jobs are now facing stagnation in wages and paying a higher and higher share of their health care premiums as employers try to limit their liability and push increases from employer to employee.
2. I feel he was either poorly advised or eternally optimistic that by "being nice" he could change the tone in Washington. George Bush, Ronald Reagan and even Bill Clinton found out that you out-maneuver your opponents and box them into a corner with the fear of public humiliation -- you can't talk to them. The Congress is even more polarized with the teabaggers who would let government fail just to make their points.
3. As a gay man, I have been able to marry my husband but we don't yet enjoy the benefits of other married couples because of DOMA which appears to (hopefully) be winding its way to extinction. But if Republicans take charge, particularly teabags, I see not only that stopping but the marriage laws of DC being challenged by the feds (unfortunately we are an occupied city that can face hostile takeover by crazies in Congress).
4. A move by Republicans to enrich the rich at the expense of any other. The trickle down economics have proven to be "voodoo" as George I said. In Michigan, Wisconsin and at the national level such theory has shown it transfers wealth -- to the wealthy.
5. The country suffers from a malaise of mediocrity: "We can't" should be the slogan of the next election. We can't be great; we can't dare to dream large and ensure everyone enjoys an American dream; that our children can be educated affordably and provided the health care needed to embrace life (of course we can prevent abortion but once they're born -- well it's time to die). Eisenhower dreamed and built a network of highways that allowed interestate commerce to explode; we can't even agree on a transportation bill that uses collected taxes on gasoline (and a host of other things) to not build but just maintain such a robust system. Our water and sewer systems -- that have ensured we have potable water and treated wastes that allowed you to drink without fear of Mexican trots no matter where you were in this country. That system is past the end of its life but, while it's okay to let a young man die because he doesn't have health care, it seems we're going to milk the infrastructure long past the time it was to die.
6. One party seems to halucinate that if you give the rich more, they'll suddenly hire and build new plants because they'll be just happy as shit. They seem to forget that most rich are fairly thorough and don't invest in something that is not going to produce a return; if there is no demand -- you can eliminate their taxes and they are not going to hire someone to sit on their butt and collect a paycheck.
In my city, I see a more and more polarized government. The newcomers -- the teabaggers -- hate the city and flee at the earliest opportunity. Those that have been empowered for longer times gather on weekends, enjoy each other's company even though they may disagree on politics. Does one ever cross the growing divide and how will they?
Yes, I have been disappointed. But would I, as a middle class gay man, fare better with the candidates I have seen debating that would eliminate my marriage, end my health care protections (just scheduled my colonoscopy which is required under the new health care laws), further reduce my children's incomes, raise their tuition for continuing education, and turn this into a land of Jesus?
I have usually had to seek to find the differences in order to vote; this seems like it's in my face....
yawn*
I think most people who blog or post a lot on the internet are not typical of their particular subset 
