The 2012 Republican "Obama Bash Fest" Convention in Tampa, Florida is now over. It was full of lies and bumper-sticker slogans to make Fox viewers wanting more made up lies and accusations. George W. Bush had to sneak in and meet with the candidates discreetly. Clint Eastwood will be remembered as the "drunk uncle Harry" talking to an empty chair, just as Chris Christi will be remembered as overshadowing Ann Romney's speech with his own speech about himself. Oh yeah! He did mention Mitt 16 minutes later into his speech! Although Ann Romneys' speech was supposed to be about how Mitt is a leader, it was nothing more than a love soliloquy of how they met and married. Now keep in mind how Ann said that they were "poor" when they moved in together when they met in college and how they used a door for a table. The only reason why they used a door for a table was because the movers did not bring the furniture. Besides, their worth at that time was calculated to be between $8 to $12 million respectively because of their family's wealth and influence during their "we were poor" time.
However, there were a lot of topics that were never to be mentioned at the RNC convention: Mitt's tenure as governor of Massachusetts, his taxes, his tenure as CEO at Bain Capital, his wealth and father's influence for four deferments to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War and how he used his religion to flee the country to France for missionary "work" to also avoid the war, how he openly protested (cheered) FOR the war in Vietnam, and his bullying a weaker and less affluent fellow student at an exclusive private preparatory high school. Now, it is understandable that Mormons normally do missionary work after their first year of college and spend up to a year doing so. But, in FRANCE?! Other topics that were avoided include 36 months of consecutive job growth, especially in the private sector, veterans and troops of Iraq and Afghanistan, the war in Afghanistan and the troops fighting there, Dub'ya and his administration, women's health and fair employment, Paul Ryan's voucher plan for seniors, privatizing the U.S. Postal service, Romneycare, and his "plan" to generate jobs.
It comes as no surprise that nothing substantive or original would come from these two who would expand on the ideas and deregulation that nearly destroyed the American economy and divided Americans among themselves. It only makes sense when republicans say they "want to take back the country" so they can finish the job! Already, they have reassembled half of the staff that George W. Bush assigned to "run" the country (minus Cheney) into the ground and have added Bain Capital ideas to further the goal of eliminating the middle-class, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, the Affordable Health care Act, public education, Pell Grants, the endowment for the arts, Post 9/11 G. I. Bill, actual small business loans, the mortgage interest tax reduction, and the Lilly Ledbetter Act just for starters.
During the Republican Tea Party Convention, Romney made a lot of promises to overturn everything accomplished during President Barack Obamas' tenure to restore the overt damage done by Bush W but has, once again, failed to elaborate exactly what those plans are and to whom or what they will benefit. Romneys' answer is always the same, "elect me to find out". The Romney/Ryan plans and promises are as secretive as their tax returns of the last ten years. Unionized member or not, most (if not all) hourly and salaried workers will lose their rights for fair pay and benefits under the business model suspected of being used at Bain Capital.
To remind readers, there are essentially two types of capitalism: venture and vulture. Venture capitalism involves buying, selling, and trading in business as a small start up to the large manufacturers that develop products and render services for all consumers, while vulture capitalism invests in businesses from new start ups to troubled ones. While vulture capitalism is helpful to new start ups in their industry, they can also run companies into the ground by loading it with too much debt and then raiding the company for all it is worth, including its pension and savings fund for all employees. Thus, Romney has again "slipped" and truthfully signaled his plan to run the country as a company and is relying on the Republican Party to rig another presidential election with "voter fraud" laws instead of using Diebold voting machines.
The only question raised at the RNC's Obama Bash Fest in Tampa, Florida was "are you better off now than four years ago?" The obvious answer is not just yes, but a HELL YEAH!! due to more jobs returning to American shores, a revitalized economy, a rebounding auto industry, a re-regulated banking system, and payroll tax cuts for every working American despite overt Republican obstructionism. Even Romney himself noted that the last 38 months had shown progress.
Romney is not the first candidate to suggest running the country as a company. Ross Perot, who ran as an Independent, also offered a plan to run the United States as a company. The only difference between Romney and Ross Perot was Perot's plan was explained in detail and mapped out how it would be applied to all state and federal agencies while the Romney/Ryan plan remain a secret.
The most memorable speaker at the Republican convention may just as well be Jeb Bush who said, "...he kept us safe", a reference to his brother George W. Bush. What a laugh! Jeb even failed to say his own brother's name at the convention! George did not keep us safe when he ignored months of repeated warnings on Osama Bin Laden's "...imminent strike within the United States" and when he started an illegal war with Iraq. This is the latest of Republicans rewriting history again. Now, Bush is regarded as "he who will not be named" for the rest of Romney's presidential campaign, but his policies will be re branded as Romney's ideas.
As Romney and the rest of his millionaire and billionaire supporters believe most Americans, as Romney said, are "jealous" of their wealth, Romney will continue to be waaayyy out of touch with the rest of the 99% of Americans he continues to alienate and condescend to. His only recourse is to rely on those middle-class supporters who continue to vote against their own best interest.
