For a variety of reasons, I basically took the summer off from blogging. Most significantly, though, the Family Unit and I were out of town for all but three weekends. Although the vacations had their intended effect – they had me caring about little other than whether my beer was cold enough — oddly enough, I’m now more fired up on national politics than ever before – as you may have noticed from my last few posts.
Contrary to my colleague’s recent entry about being sick of the presidential election, I’m more passionate about this election than any other in my life, with the possible exception of Reagan’s first run in ‘84, but, then again, I was 15 at the time. I’m passionate because I have seen, and live with, the wreckage that an unchecked Democratic supermajority can do. Aside from the mounting debt which we all see, I see firsthand how the regulatory changes brought about by the Obama administration are strangling any economic recovery and how they are stifling free enterprise and entrepreneurism. Like you, I’ve also seen advertisements about taxing the rich more, just because they’re rich, and I’m sickened by the class warfare it simultaneously feeds and feeds upon. I see a president who can’t campaign on his accomplishments and so claims his opponent will enslave them if he wins. All this has me very, very worried about what a second Obama administration would do not just to America – but to the American spirit.
On the other hand, the Republicans have fielded an impressive team. A proven business leader who, as a Republican, worked well with the Democrats in one of the nation’s most liberal states. And a vice-presidential nominee with the courage to show his commitment to solid fiscal conservatism. Thankfully, for the most part, the Republican message is not one of divisive social issues, the economic ones being clearly sufficient to energize its base.
I’ll readily admit there have been presidential elections where I’ve phoned it in. In those campaigns, I was moderately interested, certainly wanted the Republican to win, and voted that way; but I didn’t have the passion – maybe, even anger – that I feel this time. Indeed, this election truly is different from many others. There is a clear difference in ideologies, priorities and demeanor. And, as much as I hate it when I see it in campaign literature, it truly is a turning point for America.
I’ve volunteered for more than just the door dropping or phone calling, taking a little time off from the work I abandoned this summer to work on one of the Romney campaign’s election day committees. I’m cutting checks in painful amounts, but, hey, if Obama wins I won’t be able to pay for my kids’ college anyway. And, obviously, I’m blogging. I blog not because I feel compelled to just because I’m a Republican, but because I believe in the Republican message. I believe in the Republican candidates, and I believe that, with them, we will have a better America. At any rate, I’m back and ready to teach those wayward Obama supporters a thing or two.
