The conventions are over,
and the debates are approaching. But as voters decide which campaign message to
approve, it is important to take a look back at President Clinton’s speech from
the DNC, where he made the point that, “Since the 1960s…our economy produced 66
million private-sector jobs. So what’s the jobs score? Republicans 24 million,
Democrats 42 million.”
Clearly Democrats,
although in power for a shorter time, created better conditions for job growth
than Republican administrations. But why is that?
It’s because Democrats
understand that no one in this country is completely self-reliant. Although my
parents started their own business and “built that”, they understand that in
addition to their hard work, they also needed a society that invested in great
teachers and rewarded those who play by the rules.
Democrats understand
that when 98% of Americans are suffering, the top 2% also suffer. Although my
parents have been very fortunate, they understand that when the middle class
has less disposable income, their business suffers as well.
Democrats understand
that investments in education, infrastructure, and healthcare are good for
everyone. Take healthcare as an example. Put aside the morality argument. Forget
about the fact that for years, insurance companies placed life-time caps,
dropped coverage, and overcharged patients in return for very little care.
Purely economic, if a large chunk of your paycheck goes to paying medical
bills, you’ll have less money to buy goods/services. Not to mention that
insurance companies were neglecting 30 million new customers that they now have
thanks to Obamacare.
Democrats understand
that government can help when no one else is willing to. It took a strong
national government to get us out of the Great Depression in the ‘40s. It took
a strong national government to pass the Civil Rights Act in the ‘60s. And it
took a strong national government to bailout Wall Street and save the
Auto-industry to ensure that capital continues to flow and that we don’t slip into
another Great Depression.
No one is arguing
that our economy is fully out of recovery. The recent jobs report last Friday
proved that. But facts are facts, and we should not forget that it was President
Bush’s policies that got us into this mess in the first place, and those are
the same policies that Governor Romney is advocating for.
Thanks to the
leadership of President Obama, our financial system is stronger today than it
was 4 years ago. Because of his Wall-Street Reform, taxpayers will never again
have to bailout “too-big-to-fail” banks whose failures to cover their losses
jeopardized our economy.
Thanks to the
leadership of President Obama, our economy is stronger today than it was 4
years ago. We are no longer losing over 700,000 jobs a month, the American
Auto-Industry is no longer failing, and unemployment is no longer above 10%.
Thanks to the
leadership of President Obama, our national security and foreign policy are
stronger today than they were 4 years ago. Every President in recent history has
worked for nuclear control. But it was Obama who actually worked with Russia to
sign the new START Treaty (whereas Romney argues that our biggest threat today IS
Russia). It was Obama who repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, proving to our soldiers
that “love of country, not love of another, determines loyalty”. It was Obama
who successfully worked with our allies to take down Gaddafi without any U.S. casualties
(whereas Romney says we needed to act unilaterally without any regard to our
allies). It was Obama who, even contrary to the advice of some in his own team,
gave the order to take down Bin Laden (whereas Romney once said “It's not worth moving heaven and Earth and
spending billions of dollars just to catch one person”). And it was
Obama who ended the war in Iraq, as promised, and created a plan to end the war
in Afghanistan (I’m not sure what Romney thinks since he’s been consistently
flip flopping on this issue).
And thanks to
President Obama, our nation’s healthcare system is stronger today than it was 4
years ago. First, it is NOT a government-run program (and for those that argue
it is, I would examine President Regan’s EMTALA that mandated hospitals
to treat patients regardless of their ability to pay). It is NOT a tax (just
listen to Romney describe how the Individual Mandate is simply a penalty for
those who don’t take personal responsibility to get insurance). And it does NOT
increase costs, run up the deficit, or bankrupt Medicare (the non-partisan CBO
estimates it saves taxpayers about $1000 a year, reduces our deficit by $200
billion, and saves Medicare recipients $6500 per year).
Time and time again President Obama has tried to work with the Republicans, even so much so
that sometimes his own base was frustrated. But on every measure, even those
which they have supported in the past, the Republican leadership has shown
obstruction and bitter partisanship.
When Obama argued
for a Stimulus, which Republicans have traditionally agreed to, they all voted
against it. When Obama argued for the Individual Mandate in Healthcare, which
was a Republican idea in the first place, they all voted against it. When Obama
tried to reduce our deficit, Republicans signed a tax pledge and refused to
compromise no matter how much Obama was willing to reduce spending.
So yes, I support
President Obama, more now than in 2008. I support him because he truly puts partisan
politics aside to work for the American people.
He is the kind of
leader America deserves.
