A week or two ago, CNN published a column by Republican consultant and pundit Alex Castellanos in which he got the upcoming election right. Obama, he said, squandered 20 years of New Democrat centrism and led like an Old Democrat. He left it to Bill Clinton to remind America what a centrist Democrat looks like, in hopes that we’ll remember it, want it, and vote for it, even thought that’s not what we have.
Romney, meanwhile, provides no compelling reason to vote for him other than to make Obama go away. And, sadly, he keeps giving us reasons to question his effectiveness as a leader, which is supposed to be his long suit. Two weeks ago, he said that he doesn’t care about 47% of America. That may be true, and it’s probably right that for him, those people are an electoral lost cause. But he’s a smart guy who should know better than to say it. Last week, he tried to distance himself from that gaffe by pointing out that he enacted a health plan which covered 100% of the people of Massachusetts. That’s the same plan he’s been running away from ever since it went national and was renamed for his opponent. He’s running away from himself as fast as he can, but he can’t run fast enough. He will lose and I will collect on the steak dinner that I bet my friend Dave last December.
Castellanos summed the race up this way: “The resistible force meets the moveable object.” A line so good I sure wish I’d thought of it.
The word that comes to mind is feckless. That’s “feck” with an e.
Whatever “feck” is, we don’t have enough of it. I’ve been looking for an image that sums up this election, and I think I found it:
Four weeks from now, each of us will have the chance to choose our favorite Chia Pet.
Carp Diem 
It is “strong suit”‘ not “long suit”.
I was in Fort Myers, FL on Saturday where Vice-President Biden was to speak. Near the entrance to the facility for his talk were about 30 protesters holding signs and occasionally shouting something unintelligible. We were stopped at the traffic light next to them, so I had the time to survey their signs. I spoke with the nearest person, saying to him that every sign was negative – things like, “We can’t afford 4 more years of Obama.” I asked him if he and his friends had anything positive to say – he appeared confused. I repeated my comment about their negativity and then instructed him to read his own sign. That’s when the light switched to green.
Those urging others to vote for Romney all seem to have that same attitude. They have nothing in particular positive to say about Romney – only negative assertions about Obama that are frequently false or misleading. Watch a rerun of Bill Maher’s program from September 28 for an illustration of that.
They seem to be saying, “Anyone but Obama.” Fair enough, except that during the Republican primary the chant was, “Anyone but Romney.” Ah, the endlessly elastic attitudes of politics!
Ah, Jack, you are right as always except that you also are left as always. Like the Tower of Pisa, we need to straighten you up a bit :-). In 2008, there seemed to be compelling reasons to vote for Obama. This year, it’s basically “Romney is Bush, and remember, I’m not Bush.” Two candidates who are both saying, “At least I’m not the other guy.” At least, indeed. Feckless.
“We get the government we deserve.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
“Feckless: lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible” – online dictionary.
Is that really the best America can do for our next leader – feckless? Do we find ourselves once again choosing the lesser of two evils, each with the “I’m not him” promotion of himself? So much to say about this and, sadly, so little changes.
Pull out your magic wand, buddy, and fix this. Then straighten up the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Tocqueville is right. I will have something to say about that in what I sincerely hope will be my last pre-election post. After that I can get back to important stuff, like the search terms people use to find me.