Kaleidoscope
By Perry Diaz
A week after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney accepted his party’s nomination in Tampa, Florida, President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thus began the 2012 presidential campaign to win the heart and soul of a divided nation that’s trying to recover from the disastrous “Great Recession.”
Indeed, it was so bad that after the financial meltdown in October 2008, hundreds of thousands of jobs were lost in a freefall that lasted until May 2009 when job growth was realized fro the first time since 2007. And amidst the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that cost $3 trillion, President Obama told the cheering delegates that America is better off today than it was four years ago.
Why not? With 4.5 million jobs created in the past 29 months, unemployment down to 8.1% from 12%, Dow Jones up to 13,000+ from 6,000, the auto industry back in business, Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive, the war in Iraq is over, and the U.S. troops in Afghanistan coming home in 2014, Obama pitched his case before the delegates… and the tens of million Americans viewing the convention on television.
Choice
“When you pick up that ballot to vote,” he said, “you will face the clearest choice of any time in a generation. Over the next few years, big decisions will be made in Washington, on jobs, the economy; taxes and deficits; energy, education; war and peace, decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives for decades to come.
“And on every issue, the choice you face won’t be just between two candidates or two parties. It will be a choice between two different paths for America. A choice between two fundamentally different visions for the future. Ours is a fight to restore the values that built the largest middle class and the strongest economy the world has ever known.”
And then he took note of what happened four years ago in the waning days of the Bush presidency. “When the house of cards collapsed in the Great Recession,” he said, “millions of innocent Americans lost their jobs, their homes, their life savings, a tragedy from which we are still fighting to recover.
“Now, our friends down in Tampa, at the Republican convention, were more than happy to talk about everything they think is wrong with America, but they didn’t have much to say about how they’d make it right.
“They want your vote, but they don’t want you to know their plan. And that’s because all they had to offer is the same prescription they’ve had for the last thirty years:
“ ‘Have a surplus? Try a tax cut.’
“ ‘Deficit too high? Try another.’
“ ‘Feel a cold coming on? Take two tax cuts, roll back some regulations, and call us in the morning.’ ”
Moving forward
But Obama’s tax plan is different from Romney. “Now,” he said, “I’ve cut taxes for those who need it, middle-class families, small businesses. But I don’t believe that another round of tax breaks for millionaires will bring good jobs to our shores, or pay down our deficit. I don’t believe that firing teachers or kicking students off financial aid will grow the economy, or help us compete with the scientists and engineers coming out of China.
“After all that we’ve been through, I don’t believe that rolling back regulations on Wall Street will help the small businesswoman expand, or the laid-off construction worker keep his home. We have been there, we’ve tried that, and we’re not going back.
“We are moving forward, America.”
Vision of the future
And he shared his vision of the future. “And together,” he said, “I promise you, we can out-educate and out-compete any nation on Earth. Help me recruit 100,000 math and science teachers within ten years, and improve early childhood education.
“Help give two million workers the chance to learn skills at their community college that will lead directly to a job. Help us work with colleges and universities to cut in half the growth of tuition costs over the next ten years. We can meet that goal together.
“You can choose that future for America. That’s our future.”
Tribute to the troops
“Four years ago,” he said, “I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did.
“I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. And we have. We’ve blunted the Taliban’s momentum in Afghanistan, and in 2014, our longest war will be over.
“A new tower rises above the New York skyline, Al Qaeda is on the path to defeat, and Osama Bin Laden is dead.
“And tonight, we pay tribute to the Americans who still serve in harm’s way. We are forever in debt to a generation whose sacrifice has made this country safer and more respected. We will never forget you. And so long as I’m Commander-in-Chief, we will sustain the strongest military the world has ever known.
“When you take off the uniform, we will serve you as well as you’ve served us because no one who fights for this country should have to fight for a job, or a roof over their head, or the care that they need when they come home.”
Medicare
In no uncertain terms, Obama told the delegates, “I will never turn Medicare into a voucher,” in reference to the Romney-Ryan ticket’s plan to replace Medicare, as we know it, into a voucher program.
“No American,” he said, “should ever have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies. They should retire with the care and the dignity they have earned. Yes, we will reform and strengthen Medicare for the long haul, but we’ll do it by reducing the cost of health care, not by asking seniors to pay thousands of dollars more. And we will keep the promise of Social Security by taking the responsible steps to strengthen it, not by turning it over to Wall Street.”
Hope
In moving forward, Obama came full circle to where it all began – hope. “And while I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved together,” he said, “I’m far more mindful of my own failings, knowing exactly what Lincoln meant when he said, ‘I have been driven to my knees many times by the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go.’
“But as I stand here tonight, I have never been more hopeful about America. Not because I think I have all the answers. Not because I’m naive about the magnitude of our challenges.
“I’m hopeful because of you.”
Journey
And in a final pitch, he said: “America, I never said this journey would be easy, and I won’t promise that now. Yes, our path is harder, but it leads to a better place. Yes our road is longer, but we travel it together. We don’t turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up. We draw strength from our victories, and we learn from our mistakes, but we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon, knowing that Providence is with us, and that we are surely blessed to be citizens of the greatest nation on Earth.
“Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless these United States.”
That was Obama’s shining moment.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)
HI PERRY:
Your analysis of Obama and his Future-Forward- plan is written in the simplest and not ‘struggling to be heard above the conformist din of modern existence.YOU reaped the fruits of that seed to the heart’s glorious delight. You sound to have that confidence that it is an ‘apropos of absolutely nothing but amazement.’ You praised OBAMA. Your got your facts right? I think you do.
I am an independent person. I listen hard to both candidates. I wiill have my decision in the voting booth. As a physician, now retired, I wrote articles about Obamacare. I struggled to place in perspective both the red and the blue side for people to read and understand. You did it easy to understand the 2000 pages of the Affordable Care Act which are in question and not fully understood by lay American voters. Regardless of what emerged now after the favorable Supreme Court ruling, the Health Care in this country is still considered to remain unaffordable if not unattainable to many people in America and impact negatively the middle class. To the liberal –leaning ones, the SC decision makes the United States within the realm of high standards in medical care as we know in other developed countries.
Right now, we are in the middle of a bunch of bickering between the two parties. There are still a lot of discussions. The more the country debated this change to the social contract, the more divided it became. It is stated it will take years to know whether the Republicans’ worst predictions, or Mr. Obama’s vision of affordable near-universal care, will resemble reality.
This Affordable Care Act will provide for very poor Americans living below poverty line, extended Medicare coverage will provide care. The full implementation of the law will mean providing health care to more than 30 million of the uninsured. As I have stated before in my previous overview, Physician’s services fee will undoubtedly be reduced. The Medicare insurance premium will increase as stataed in the previous article, from the present monthly fee of $96.40, rising to: $104.20 in 2012; $120.20 in 2013 and $247.00 in 2014.” This is in ObamaCare Legislation. I am simply making this clear.
If one compares the per capita spending on Health care with Germany, Canada, France, and Japan it is two to three times higher in the US. Are the benefits better in this country? I do not think so. Here in America, the government spends $8,000.00 compared with Japan of $2,700. America is without a question the leading country of medical and scientific advances. And yet, we have more infant mortality rate among developed nations.
BTW there are Flip friends sending online negatives about Obama;- birthing, Anti God, stupid unknowlegeable President, etc. many more not even mentioned in the RNC . Those Flips although are my friends-, I consider them the stupid ones.I welcome and enjoy those that educate all of us in their emails .
When you vote , choose one with a solid plan, jobs, economy, for seniors, for the middle class and the save Medicare. Think of our young children, our grandchildren. We must have the American Dream – opportunities to be save and solidly intact.
Doc cdc
Obamacare is a WONDERFUL thing, right? Then, I have a few questions – WHY is Pres. Obama, his family, VP Biden, his family, and ALL the members of Congress EXEMPTED from it?
Why have more than 300 companies ALLIED with Pres. Obama and the Dems REQUESTED EXEMPTION from the Affordable Health care Act…and have been granted?
If it is so WONDERFUL, shouldnt THEY ALL be rushing in and ENJOYING the “benefits” of it?
Do THEY KNOW something you and I do NOT know?
HI Ariel,
With 57 days to go, all the arguments you’re making won’t change the outcome on Nov. 6. Right now, Obama has 243 electoral votes to Romney’s 191. Obama needs 270 to win. If he wins in Florida (29 E.V.), tapos na ang boksing. Or, if he wins in Ohio (18) and Wisconsin (10), the game is over. Of the eight battleground states, Romney needs to win seven including Florida. If Florida goes to Obama, it’s over.
Perry
Putting J.Jose’s piss, err,piece in the same edition as this article is absolutely out of whack! Is this what your take as being balance? Why write this at all only to be unfairly negated by this kind of commentary?
Hi Mariano,
Let the readers decide whom to agree with. I’m sure you have your own opinion. But you are welcome to respond to his comments like other readers do and defend Obama from his attacks. As long as Mr. Jose doesn’t resort to ad hominem attacks, he’s free to express his opinion.
By the way, Romney supporters have expressed their views in this blog. Some of them even called me names. That’s not a problem for me to certain extent. It comes with the territory. However, I don’t condone a reader attacking another reader. I won’t allow that to happen.
Perry
It is a “shining moment” for you but look what he has done for almost four years for this country, my children and grandchildren. Everyone who voted for him had high hopes in 2008 and he wants to go forward for another 4 years? He talks but does not deliver. B.O. must go.
Hi Sotero,
Have you thought about the alternative? Read Paul Ryan’s budget plan.
Perry
Obama will be re elected because the Republicans does not have a good viable, honest, visionary candidate opposing Obama.
Obama is not an ideal president. He is not perfect. But a lot of poor blacks and poor white people, new immigrants, welfare recipients, medicaid patients will re-elect him. I for one, will not elect him nor Romney. I will stay at home on election day.
Hi Albert,
If you stay home on election day, you are actually voting for Romney because it is one vote less for Obama. Don’t waste your vote by not voting.
Perry
The convention pleas of Barack Obama for more time to fix the economy sounded more like begging for mercy than a plan of action. Only someone with a completely numbed brain who hadn’t been paying attention for the past four years could have fallen for it.
Naturally, the Democrat faithful lapped it up.
King Obama has already had too much time to fix the economy, as Friday’s unemployment numbers showed.
The Democrats’ demagogic faith in their “tax ‘em to help ‘em” strategy has kept the country at above 8 percent unemployment for 43 months. During that time, millions of unemployed people have given up hope of ever finding another job and dropped out of the labor pool entirely.
The headlines have touted the creation of 93,000 jobs, but far more people lost jobs during the month, 119,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just to keep up with population growth, the U.S. economy needs to create between 150,000 and 200,000 jobs net per month.
Because 368,000 people fled the labor force in August, shrinking the pool included by the government in its figures, the unemployment rate “shrank” to 8.1 percent.
The more people give up, the better the numbers look for Obama, who has accomplished nothing substantial in his first four years of “fixing” the economy.
If the labor pool continues to shrink under Obama’s and the Democrats’ misguidance, at some point there will be nothing left to fix.
W L Totanes,
Here’s the jobs record — 4.6 million jobs created in 30 months. Unemployment decreased to 8.1% from a high 10.0%. Osama bin Laden is dead and GM is alive. Before Obama took office, 800,000 jobs a month were lost. Obama stopped the downturn in June 2009 and started creating jobs until now.
Perry
Perry, one must have a numbed brain not to recognize the facts you have all enumerated and clearly explained. What’s the matter with certain people? – Terry
Indeed! I still believe he is better for the U.S. than his opposition candidate. God bless him and his wife – good Michelle Obama.
OBAMA PROMISED THE SAME OLD PROMISES HE HAD
BEFORE. NOTHING NEW. TRADPOL!
Hi Jay,
He got us out of the financial meltdown, right? The government just earned $18 billion from the bailout money to AIG. It was a win-win situation — AIG was saved and the government earned $18 billion in interests.
Perry
If the speeches of Bill and Barry are fiery (according to post Convention analysis), most of the discussions and retort of our commentators above are firy!! Be cool man. Perry have the right to express his opinion. Not to denigrate him as some of you are exhibiting. You are free , of course, to say anything you want. Be gentle, wise, bright, intelligent. Filipino nature and psyche? Bring your views in a nicer way. Methink some of you sounded like Santiago Defensor!! Poor Perry, but his answers are to me all effulsive, effulgent and effusive.
My leanings is likey for MR. But, don’t call Barry an idiot. What happened to Ben Ladin? What happened to ForD Motors? What happpened to Iraque War? Waht is happening in Afga? He is for the Israel. He knows his Foreign affair. We do not wish to have nuclear war with Iran!! Romney must review his Foreign service before he debates Barry. He must show his Cayman Island savings so I can be clear completely in my mind when I cast my vote.
CDC
The vision and direction of Pres.Obama is very specific,consistent and favors the 99% middle class and poor.Mitt-Romney and Paul Ryan called him “Incompetent President” their rhetoric ranting do not work because hey have no specific alternative plan for change they always respond as “Secret Plan” with healthcare,taxes,immigration,and jobs creation.Their foreign policy is blunt and back to old Bush policy.Their economic plan favors their fellow “Vulture Capitalist” giving them more tax breaks and subsidies to keep their money in Cayman Islands and Swiss Banks.
I have seen the movie 2016, have read about the “The Amateur” and the more I fear for what this country will be if B.O gets elected again.
HI Sotero,
In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “I have nothing to fear but fear itself.” People called him a socialist. i turned out that his “social” programs were the best Americans got from any president. He served three terms.
Some Pinoy Republicans suggested that I see the movie 2016. Why should I pay $10 for a two-hour film of lies?
Perry
Perry
You have to see it so you will know that it is not a two hour of lies. I have stopped watching the mainstream TV media because they don’t give a fair and balanced view of what B.O has been doing for this country.FDR’s social programs has been intended for what it should be, look at what it is now.
Hi Sotero,
I’ve seen it all. Today, the Dow Jones hit 13,500+, the highest in five years. The auto industry is back in business. Health care reform 90 years. 4.6 million jobs created in 30 months. Unemployment down to 8.1 from a high 10.0 a few years back. Osama bin Laden is dead and GM is alive. Open your eyes, my friend.
Oh, by the way, it looks like the Romney campaign is sinking.
Perry
Perry,
Thats all your own perspective and I have to end it up here. I see the reality of what is going on and whatever success you are talking about, look around and see the other side. Good luck.
Hi Sotero,
I’ve been on the other side. I’ve been a Republican for 29 years until now. I campaigned for every Republican presidential candidates since Reagan until George W. Bush in 2004. I’m in real estate business and I saw the bubble coming in 2005. I knew what caused the mortgage meltdown. And McCain was trying to keep the Bush status quo. That’s when I endorsed Obama. Obama’s got us out of the Great Recession. But the Great Recovery is going to take more than four years considering that the Republicans in Congress are sabotaging Obama’s recovery efforts. However, he made great stride — 4.6 million jobs in 30 months, unemployment down to 8.1 from a high 10.0, the auto industry is back in business, Dow Jones hit 13,500+ (highest in 5 years) from 6,000 when Obama took office, the real estate business is recovering, the banks are making profits and making home loans again, the U.S. gov’t earned $18 billion from the AIG bailout loan, etc. These are facts, my friend.
I don’t know if you’re rich like Romney in which case, yes, vote. But if you’re middle class, a senior citizen, and a minority, you have no reason at all to vote for Romney. He’ll tax you to death!
Perry
I’d like to believe that Obama is the best that has happened to USA in the past decades. I’ve just listened to Bill Clinton’s speech.
The first black president, Obama is the fruit of the many years of struggle, of sacrifices by Americans, enlightened whites linking arms with blacks for equality, the realization of the dream of Martin Luther King.
As a migrant living in Europe, one thing I cannot understand, is why many Fil-Ams vote for people the likes of Bush and Romney, look down on African americans, consider them lazy and dirty, while identifying themselves with whites. I think these Fil-Ams do not care to read such enlightening piece as this one.
Perry, congratulations for the well-written article.
Hi Badudski,
Thanks for your comment. During the civil rights movement in the 1960s, the Filipino-Americans stayed on the sidelines. But when the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964, Filipino-Americans benefited from it. Fil-Ams wouldn’t be where they are right now if not for Martin Luther King Jr.
In 2008, when Barack Obama won the presidency, he broke the glass ceiling in Washington, DC. It won’t be long before we see a Latino become president, and perhaps, a Filipino, too. Sad to say, a lot of Fil-Ams don’t see it that way — they pander to the hatemongers from the extreme right. But what I noticed is that the Fil-Ams who hate Obama are mostly Philippine-born while those who support him are mostly US-born.
Perry
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/german-press-review-on-middle-east-violence-against-us-embassies-a-855835.html
From Spiegel: (Article: ‘Obama’s Middle East Policy Is in Ruins’)
US President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy is in ruins. Like no president before him, he tried to win over the Arab world. After some initial hesitation, he came out clearly on the side of the democratic revolutions. … In this context, he must accept the fact that he has snubbed old close allies such as Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian military. And now parts of the freed societies are turning against the country which helped bring them into being. Anti-Americanism in the Arab world has even increased to levels greater than in the Bush era. It’s a bitter outcome for Obama.
Obama was naive to believe that one only needed to adopt a new tone and show more respect in order to dispel deep-seated reservations about the free world. In practice, the policies of the Obama administration in the region were not as naive as they may have seemed at times, and the Americans have always been much more involved in the Middle East than the passive Europeans. But Washington has provided the image of a distracted superpower in the process of decline to the societies there. This image of weakness is being exploited by Salafists and al-Qaida, who are active in North Africa from Somalia to Mali.
One thing is clear: If jihadists believe they can attack American installations and kill an ambassador on the anniversary of Sept. 11, then America’s deterrent power has declined considerably. For a superpower, it is not enough just to want to be loved. You have to scare the bad guys to keep them in check.
Hi Joe Kerr,
People today tend to forget that 11 years ago, terrorists attacked the U.S. under George W. Bush’s watch. They destroyed the World Trade Center that killed more than 3,000 people. They hit the Pentagon, the nation’s military center. While it was unfortunate that four Americans were killed in Benghazi, the attack pales compared to what happened on 9/11.
This is the time for Americans to rally behind the President, not attack the administration like what Romney did. What a shame. And you wnat Romney to lead us? Heck, Romney is a PATHOLOGICAL LIAR and a LOOSE CANNON!
Perry