Category: U.S. Election 2012

How To Scratch Your Own Back

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Politics, Rants, Society, U.S. Election 2012, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

There I was peacefully reading a Reuters article about the looming “fiscal cliff” in the U.S. When I stumbled upon this gem that almost passed tea out my nose.

With the clock running down on the budget negotiations, everyone who’s anyone is weighing in on the subject. So it’s no surprise that the chairman of the Business Roundtable would have an opinion on it. In his opinion, “We encourage both sides to work around the clock, if necessary, to avoid the severe repercussions that inaction would have on U.S. economic growth and job creation,”

Sounds good so far right? It’s just a hard working bureaucrat expressing his concern for the future of the country. We need more like him. More people who put the good of the nation ahead of their own interests. Am I right, or what.

Turns out to be “or what”. You see, the chairman of the Business Roundtable is a gentleman by the name of Jim McNerney. That’s nice you think, but so what. Here’s what… Mr. Jim McNerney just happens to be the Chief Executive Officer of Boeing. That’s right, the same Boeing that proactively cut a ton of jobs the day after President Obama was re-elected. Now Mr McNerney is lecturing about job creation because there’s nothing ironic about that. Oh yeah… Boeing also stands to lose billions of defense bucks if the U.S. sails blissfully off the fiscal cliff.

So what’s a person to do? If you’re Jim McNerney, you put on your Business Roundtable chairman hat and demand a solution to the problem so that Boeing CEO Jim McNerney can keep getting rich off of defense contracts.

That ladies and gentlemen is how to scratch your own back.

Cheers, Winston

Romney’s Bitter Over “Gifts”

On By WinstonIn Personal Responsibility, Politics, Society, U.S. Election 2012, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Once in a while I suspect people of being psychic. That’s the only way I can explain them saying things that make me laugh so often. Today I would like to thank Mitt Romney for providing another ray of sunshine in my day.

Mr Romney basically said that President Obama used social programs (most already enacted during his first term) as gifts to buy votes from poor people. He bought student votes with a promise to forgive student loan interest. He bought generic poor people with free health care (Obamacare). Latino votes were apparently all about the “Dream Act kids” which will allow some of the children of of illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. For an extended time. (Ironically those most affected, illegal aliens, couldn’t vote anyway.) The list goes on.

What Mitt forgot to mention were the gifts he was offering to his voters. Tax cuts to the ultra rich and major corporations. Relaxed environmental regulations. Repeal of Obamacare and cuts to other social spending. Increased defense spending. Possibly revisiting Roe v Wade and other reproductive health laws. But of course none of Romney’s platform was intended to pander to his core constituents. Such a thought would never occur to someone who’s entire campaign was predicated on telling voters whatever the pollsters told him they wanted to hear.

What he’s really complaining about isn’t the gift-giving. He’s bitter that there were more voters interested in what the President was offering than the Republican counter-offer. That’s the whole problem with allowing women, immigrants, young and or poor people to vote. Corporate tax cuts are less important to them than affordable health care or more affordable education.

Like so many others, he seems more interested in attacking the winner instead of looking at why he lost. I guess that’s why Romney’s bitter over “gifts“.

Cheers, Winston

My Vote For President

On By WinstonIn Personal, Politics, Society, U.S. Election 2012, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

I don’t live in the United States, I’m Canadian. Even so, as our closest neighbor and largest trading partner, they have a huge influence on us. We are saturated with American media and culture.

All of this to say that although I can’t vote in their Presidential election, I definitely have a preference. As much as it will annoy a very good friend of mine in California, I truly hope President Obama will get a second term. I’m not about to claim that he has been a perfect President. I don’t believe that there has ever been such a creature.

Even if I didn’t generally prefer Democrats over Republicans, the coverage I have seen of this race has made it clear to me. At no point in the Republican leadership race was there a candidate that I thought should be allowed to run the country. Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich none of these people seemed even marginally Presidential to me. As for Mitt Romney, his sole credential for leadership is his ability to convincingly say whatever his audience wants to hear. He flip-flops so often he’s like a living, breathing rag doll.

Long story short. Good luck today President Obama.

Cheers, Winston

The Good Thing About Mitt Romney….

On By WinstonIn Politics, Religion, Society, U.S. Election 2012, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

Anyone who reads this blog knows I’m not a Mitt Romney fan. His comment about the “47 percent” didn’t make me like him any more. It also didn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy about him possibly being the next President of the United States. I have however found something to make that idea at least a little more palatable.

He’s not Rick Perry. If you are all finished shouting “Thank you Captain Obvious!”, let me explain. While Mitt may be slightly richer than Croesus (look it up), at least he isn’t as scary crazy as Governor God-Botherer, from Texas.

Rick Perry is one of those special people who believe that everyone should live the way they want them to. In Scary Perry s world, everyone would live under Old Testament law. His latest gem was the declaration that the separation of church and state was an act of the devil. Here I thought that was an idea cooked up by the founding fathers.

You see, that’s a big part of what gets up my nose with Governor Slack-Wit and his ilk. They talk about how America was founded on “Christian” principles, then say the bits they don’t like are the work of the devil. The founding fathers were probably not wearing shiny black robes and sacrificing small animals when they agreed the country should be run by its people, and not by the church. It’s more likely they were thinking of the mess they left behind in Europe where church was intimately tied to the states.

A continent where heads of state were allegedly chosen by God and endorsed by the church. Where freedom and justice were determined by what a church backed Monarch felt like allowing, rather than constitutionally guaranteed rights determined by an elected and accountable government.

It would be so much easier for Governor Perry (is a nut-job) to push his hate and fear-driven agenda if his church was running the country. But that’s the problem with his church and state idea. He’s not talking about a moderate Christian church, or a Muslim church, or Hindu, Wiccan or (ironically) the church of Satan. Nope. He’s talking very specifically about his preferred brand of God-Bothering Evangelical Christian faith. That’s what the United States should be guided by.

Now you see why I prefer the stupidly rich guy. Sure he’s got problems with his brain to mouth filter, but at least when he says stupid things its a gaffe not his campaign platform. He may be okay with most of the nation drifting into unemployment and grinding poverty as long as he and his campaign contributors can continue to grow their wealth like literal cash crops, that’s fine. At least so far he hasn’t gone all Blues Brothers… You know… “We’re on a mission from God”.

Give me Mitt “Cash is King” over Rick “The Bible Psycho” any time. That’s the good thing about Mitt Romney….

Cheers, Winston

Chuck, Gena And The Essence Of Hipocricy

On By WinstonIn Personal, Politics, Religion, Society, U.S. Election 2012, Uncategorized, ValuesLeave a comment

I’m a Chuck Norris fan. I have enjoyed many of his movies over the years and have nothing but respect for him as an action star. Politically however….. not so much.

You see, Chuck and his wife Gena just did a Republican PSA to get out the evangelical Christian vote come election time. That’s actually perfectly okay with me. They are entitled to endorse any party they want to. That’s one of the perks of living in a free and democratic society. The problem is their terminology. They talk about how President Obama getting re-elected will lead America into “a thousand years of darkness”. That little Reagan quote is in addition to a remarkably passionless spiel about how their great and free country is under attack.

So which freedoms are under attack by those evil Democrats. The right to love and marry whomsoever ones heart desires? Nope, that’s the Republicans. A woman’s right to make her own reproductive health choices? Ummm…. nope also Republicans. How about the right to learn science instead of theology in public schools? Oops… Republicans again.

All of that is mildly annoying, but no more so than anyone else I don’t happen to agree with. What really set me off is the truly EPIC scale of their evangelical hypocrisy. You see, Chuck has made a mountain of cash and an entire public career by glorifying violence and murder. Furthermore, his recent appearance in “The Expendables 2” seems to indicate a serious failure to repent and change his ways.

Now I don’t claim to be the most devout Christian. I’m still working at sorting some things out with God, but other things are pretty clear. Since the Norrises quoted Reagan, I guess I’ll have to settle for quoting the other guy. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”. Not sure who I’m talking about? Let me try a quote from his Father, “Though shalt do no murder.” Still stumped? How about my personal favorite from the Son again? “A new commandment do I give unto you that you love one and other. Even as I have loved you, that you also love one and other.”

I don’t remember too many of those ideas coming through in Mr Norris movies. Maybe he missed the idea of being Christian. In case he did, here’s a tip. You’re supposed to live your faith in all aspects of your life. All aspects. Even if it means you don’t get millions and millions of dollars for glorifying violence and murder.

Until that happens, Chuck and Gena will remain the very essence of hypocrisy.

Cheers, Winston

Welcome To the Mittbot-Gerbil-Zombie Apocalypse!

On By WinstonIn Global Issues, Humor, Media, Politics, Society, U.S. Election 2012, Uncategorized1 Comment

Earlier today I was reading an article about Ann Romney’s speech at the Republican National Convention. This was the latest of the ongoing efforts to “humanize”, her husband, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. This raises a couple important questions for me.

The first question that springs to mind is, “Why should I believe anything she said?” Mrs Romney admitted that she was speaking from a prepared text. So she wasn’t giving any deeply personal insights into an incredibly sensitive and deeply misunderstood Mitt. She was just the most convincing voice-over they could find for their product endorsement. It’s not about authenticity or sincerity, it’s just another cynical marketing ploy. It’s like using Justin Bieber to sell acne treatments or having Brooke Shields front for La-Z-Boy. Teens who are losing their minds about acne (or Justin Bieber [or just losing their minds]), are more likely to identify with the Biebs, while Ms Shields and her Calvin Klein jeans are going to resonate better with an older demographic more interested in home decor than zit zapping.

The larger question here is, “Why does Mitt need to be ‘humanized’ in the first place?” If he’s not human, just what is he? Is he a gerbil or a wildebeest? Perhaps he’s a llama and his handlers go about in constant fear of catching a face full of llama loogie. Not to worry, I’ve got a theory. He’s a gerbil. He’s a gerbil piloting a (mostly) human-looking robot. Think anime but without the giant guns or swarms of scantily clad young girls. Then again he is running for the Republican party so there may be a giant gun in there somewhere but Ann isn’t commenting on that. (Come on, could you have resisted that one?)

Here’s the setup. Decades ago, a race of space faring gerbils arrived on the planet. Realizing we are hundreds of times their size they developed a plan to infiltrate us and destroy us from the inside. They want to take over the government (Dan Quayle and Sarah Palin were trial runs at getting someone on the inside.). Romney’s track record at Bain Capital is a preview of the Gerbil plan to destroy the morale of the United States by undermining its economy, creating mass unemployment (shipping jobs overseas), and working hard to widen the gap between the ultra-rich and the peasants they rule.

Because Hollywood assures us the U.S. is the only country able to withstand an alien invasion, once Mittbot has completely ruined and destabilized them, the invasion will begin in earnest. Swarms of Gerbil piloted Republican robots will pour out of their secret underground bases at the poles. To supplement these R-Bots, the Gerbils have developed a technology that allows them to burrow into dead people’s heads and pilot them like bots. Together the R-Bots (patent pending), and their zombie cohorts will complete their conquest of the free world.

While average Americans spend their lives in the grinding poverty of union-free, sweatshop labour camps, China and India will continue to reap the benefits of having been the first to welcome the Gerbil invaders.

It hasn’t happened yet but it could. If Mitt Romney wins, watch for the signs……. like the corridors of power being lined not with rich, soft carpets, but with wood shavings. Then you’ll see that I’m not crazy. Then you’ll see! Then it’ll be too late!

Welcome to the Mittbot-Gerbil-Zombie Apocalypse!

Muaaahahahaaa!

Why Newt Gingrich Should Get The Republican Nomination

On By WinstonIn Humor, Politics, Rants, Society, U.S. Election 2012Leave a comment

Photo by: Joe Burbank/Orlando SentinelPhoto by:  Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel

For those who don’t know, I don’t live in the U.S.  I live in Canada, which means I still have a large vested interest in the activities of our friend and neighbour to the south.  As such, I have been following with some interest the campaigns for the leadership of the Republican party.  So far, I’ve been a little less than impressed by their “circus of the week” approach to selecting a front runner.

In their rush to find a political outsider who supports family [read Christian (read very narrow interpretation of Christian)] values, they have produced a series of truly spectacular failures with Rick Perry, Herman Cain and Michelle Bachman being just a few.  For me however, the most incredible candidate to date has to be Newt Gingrich.  This is a man who utterly typifies the very essence of modern democracy.

After serving for a number of years as the Speaker of the House, Mr. Gingrich then spent several more years selling himself and his political connections to the highest bidder.  All the while, he steadfastly refused to list himself as a lobbyist.  No-no!  He was just a consultant.  The beauty of this is not his non-lobbyist delusions.  The beauty lies in his ability to convince delegates and possibly himself that he is not a “Washington insider”.  That is hilarious!  But it’s not the best thing to come out of his campaign.  It gets better.

Mr. Gingrich also found time to work as a consultant for Freddie Mac.  You may have heard of them.  They, along with Fannie May, are the lending giants behind the sub-prime mortgage fiasco.  You remember that.  The record foreclosures, the collapse of the housing  bubble, and the bank bailouts that led to massive protests and the simultaneous destruction of faith in both business and government.  Yup.  Newt took a pile of consulting bucks from them.  This is still not the best part of his candidacy.  Nope.  The best part is his staunch defence of FAMILY VALUES.

That’s right.  Newt Gingrich values family so much that when Bill Clinton had an affair with Whitehouse intern Monica Lewinsky, Gingrich led the drive to have him impeached.  So it’s clear that he values family a lot.  The only problem, he isn’t sure which family he actually values.  You see Newt was cheating on his own wife whom he later divorced so that he could marry his paramour.  Okay.  That happens sometimes.  Right?  Maybe.  But then he cheated on that wife, divorced her and married paramour number two.  The second wife (first paramour) is now claiming that Newt “Super-Stud” Gingrich had asked her for an open marriage.  She declined, which she alleges is why he now married to paramour number two.

All of that would be “Yeah. Whatever.”  if he weren’t in danger of becoming the leader of a party which spends every possible moment screaming about Family Values and Christian Values.  Apparently, Newt never heard the bit about letting he who is without sin chuck the first brick.  The Republican  faithful seem to have missed the irony of having their holier than thou party led by someone who’s moral compass got smashed when his mistresses stepped on it.  Repeatedly.

Against the rest of the Republican circus, he polls well.  Against President Obama, the polls tell a significantly different story.  I’d like to see Obama get a second mandate.  Id like to see what he could do with another four years.

That’s the real reason why Newt Gingrich should get the Republican nomination.

Cheers, Winston

p.s.  I was just reading that Herman Cain (former candidate and pizza magnate) has thrown his endorsement to Newt Gingrich.  Mr. Cain dropped out of the running for the Republican nomination amid allegations of sexual harassment and marital infidelity.  His endorsement of Newt proves that birds of a feather really do flock together.

W