Written by Doug Jackson   

A sense of nervousness has been crawling under my skin these past few months, and finally it’s surfaced. I’ve seen my body react like this before. That was in November of 2008. The circus has gotten to me once again, and once again I am overwhelmed by the issues: Obamacare (the superstar of issues), the economy, unemployment, tax increase, war, future war, gun control, education, terrorism, homegrown terrorism, trust in the government, securing our borders, immigration, China, abortion, same sex marriage, energy, Social Security, and if there’s time, stem cells, and the environment. The issues are plenty, maybe the Cuba embargo will be lifted. The next four years could resemble the past four years, just further down the slope.

Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan must have decided to collect early. This election is the last we’ll see of Romney, so it’s a smart move for Ryan. It’s a win- win for him, despite the loss that will take place. Team Romney had a lot of choices, and as I’ve explained in previous articles, Ryan is the safe bet in securing a respectable loss. Nobody expects Romney/Ryan to win. Who knows, maybe Congressman Ryan will stun America with his fiscally-minded prowess. Mitt did have a slip up in the opening ceremonies last week in Norfolk, Va. when he said; “Join me in welcoming the next President of the United States, Paul Ryan.” Nobody seemed to catch it at first, and then it spread like wildfire. This election is going to be a sideshow. I can see the bumbling ahead of us, which will serve well for late-night TV, but for America I’m not so sure. This pick for Vice President solidifies the Republican’s desire to lose in 2012. The Romney think tank has dubbed the pair “America’s Comeback Team.” Hopefully they can get jerseys sponsored by Chico’s Bail Bonds.

We are mid-August, and the clichés have begun to roll in. The GOP side; “We won’t blame others we will take responsibility.” Don’t be silly, you will blame the other party, constantly. Why mention four years of bad leadership? Blame is a natural part of campaigning. What worries me is Ryan’s distaste for women’s rights and the disregard for the poor and middle class. Distaste for women is a pretty strong statement, but I’ve always felt that when you take away a woman’s options, you are trying to control her. As far as proposed tax cuts, they will come from low-income programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and job training. Where else would they come from? That will hurt the poor. The middle, as usual, will get lost in the shuffle. As for the Obama side “Forward” seems to be the slogan. Forward to what- the further devaluation of the dollar? Forward to more war? How about going forward into the burning barn to save the kids? Education in our country is falling quicker than the dollar. The No Child Left Behind program (NCLB) introduced by President Bush in 2001, pushed the inner-city schools to resemble more of a prison, than a place for educating our future. Ten states have already been given the opportunity for reform through waivers issued by President Obama, and twenty-eight others are seeking them as well. Waivers… why not go through Congress?


This election will bring nothing but the same lame rhetoric from both sides. Obama’s brain trust called the Romney/Ryan ticket “The Go Back Team.” Wow. That is so creative, I can’t take it. Who are these clowns that write this stuff? Professionals? Doubtful. And some wonder why I get so frustrated with our current state of politics. It has the smell of amateur night. Mitt’s choice for Vice President doesn’t change anything that I’ve been saying for months; but, it does justify it a bit. So now what? We are faced again with the same limited pool of options from both sides. Are the Republicans serious at making a run for the White House this time? Apparently not. Ryan won’t swing any votes from the other side, and Obama already showed his power at the polls during the last election. So what’s the plan, just hope for the best come election time in November? I, for one have already grown tiresome of this presidential extravaganza, more so, the choices that are presented to us. Allegiance to party needs to be replaced by allegiance to America. But for now, one favors the killing of an unborn child, the other hates gays, but the issues are not so black and white that we have to be locked into absolutism. I used absolutism because the democrats and republicans seem like one party to me, despite a few offenses and a couple of sheckels. This is a millionaire’s party that we have not been invited to. I guess I’m just going to have to crash the party.

Adios amigos,


Doug Jackson
www.agoodamericanlikeyou.com