I tuned in for the first GOP debate held in South Carolina. Everyone did fine. I laughed, I cried, and had some chicken nuggets. A few at the podiums were more polished than others. Pawlenty seemed to distance himself from the pack in key places. Overall, the opinions and styles were as numerous as the questions being asked. Having said that, none present tonight showcased the ability or the talent to go all the way. Even a wounded Obama is still a formidable Obama, and a sitting president has a four year record to run on — good, bad, or indifferent. And when you don’t point out the bad, that leaves the good and the indifferent.
Certainly, President Obama will have the biggest and shiniest trophy in which to hold and parade around the country: Osama bin Laden. And what a trophy it is. President Obama was in charge when the most wanted person on earth was finally brought to justice. Obama will go down in presidential history as the owner and author of one of the greatest foreign policy achievements in our nation’s history. Undoubtedly he should win an easy ….. Wait a minute: Didn’t George H.W. Bush also receive similar praise for assembling and leading a multi-national military force against Saddam Hussein in the first Persian Gulf War?
The Republican candidates must not fall for the trap of having the foreign policy angle used against them. As if questioning the president on his foreign policy agenda is now all the sudden not an option. There are plenty of past and current decisions in which to choose from that shows President Obama’s lack of strategic insight. More importantly, they must not allow it to prevent them from discussing the real issue in America and for Americans.
The Republicans may not have a trophy such as OBL but they do hold kryptonite and it’s called the economy.
It can be used exactly the same way the Democrats and Bill Clinton used it against Bush (41). For instance, after toppling Saddam’s forces and sending them retreating back to Baghdad, President Bush popularity reached 89 percent. That is second only to George W. who reached 90 percent after 9/11. Also keep in mind, that Bush (41) was considered an accomplished and respected world leader during his term. It was under his watch that the collapse of Soviet Union took place, and the subsequent revolutions in Eastern Europe that followed. However, none of this prevented Bush’s popularity from collapsing to barley 30 percent. It was not long afterward that he would lose to Bill Clinton denying Bush his second term.
The lesson is this: As impressive as some accomplishments are, people vote on personal interests and what is more personal than providing for one’s family. Of course in order to do this, the country needs jobs and a growing economy. Not rising debt and sinking deficits.
To do this, the GOP can even start at the very beginning and work themselves forward.
(CNSNews.com) – In the first 19 months of the Obama administration, the federal debt held by the public increased by $2.5260 trillion, which is more than the cumulative total of the national debt held by the public that was amassed by all U.S. presidents from George Washington through Ronald Reagan.
And the latest
(CNSNews.com) – The national debt has passed another historical milestone, topping $14.3 trillion for the first time ever, according to data released by the U.S. Treasury late Monday afternoon.
When the Treasury opened for business on Friday, April 15, according to the Treasury’s Bureau of the Public Debt, the national debt stood at $14.27 trillion ($14,270,792,119,184.89). By the close of business Friday, the debt had climbed to $14.31 trillion ($14,305,336,580,992.11), an increase of $34.54 billion ($34,544,461,807.22).
Considering the size of our current deficit and the projected worsening in years time should really worry folks. In the case of a deficit this huge, the government will likely borrow funds to finance the deficit. When this happens the availability of funds for private-sector spending will be reduced. This is the crowding out effect and potentially a real problem if spending and loss of revenue is not brought back under control. Increase in government expenditure will be negatively offset by reductions in consumption and investment. In other words, government purchases can only increase if private-sector purchases are reduced. Therefore, crowding out means less private-sector output, which means a shrinking and declining economy.
Learn it.
Remember it.
Repeat it.