VOTE

The reason I support the President is because of all the progress we've made. When he came into office, he literally inherited the WORST economy since the 1950s. We were losing over 750,000 jobs a month. The unemployment reached 10.2%, the financial system was in shackles, and the American auto-industry was literally going bankrupt.

Since taking office, however, we now have:

1 - A stronger financial system (making sure that American taxpayers never have to bailout another bank again, and making sure that banks have enough money in reserves to cover any losses investors will incur. This also strengthens capitalism because it makes sure that no one cheats the systems and plays by a different set of rules).

2 - A stronger economy (we've had 3 years of consecutive private sector job growth, added 5.2 million jobs to people who did not have it 4 years ago, and dropped the unemployment rate to under 8%).

3 - A stronger national security (ending the Iraq War and using those savings to rebuild our domestic economy; refocusing on Afghanistan; reducing the worldwide nuclear arsenal after passing the START Treaty with Russia; isolating Iran to levels never seen before; killing Osama bin Laden; and improving the world image of the U.S.)

4 - A stronger student loan system (making it cheaper for students to pay for their college by removing the middle-men in the loan system). Obviously granting higher access for education provides greater wealth and prosperity for our nation.

5 - A stronger American Auto-Industry (saving 1 million American jobs; making sure to step in and bailout this industry when there were no private lenders willing to assist. More importantly, however, we didn’t just loan this industry bailout money. We made sure they repaid their loan AND improved their fuel standards which saves people thousands of dollars at the pump every year).

6 - A stronger healthcare system (prohibiting insurance companies from having a monopoly on a person’s health; strengthening Medicare for our seniors; making sure that at least 80% of all insurance premiums you pay go to actual treatment and not just administrative costs; saving the average American family $1000 in medical costs; ensuring that people don’t get their coverage dropped for a preexisting condition; and allowing young people under 26 to stay on their parents’ plans).

7 - Home foreclosure rates are at their lowest in 4 years (and we’ve made it easier to refinance).

8 - Consumer confidence is at its highest in years (which is a leading factor for businesses hiring and selling their goods on the marketplace).

9 - Taxes are the lowest in years (18 business tax cuts; the payroll tax cuts saves the middle-class family $1000 a year)

But it all comes down to ideology: Romney believes that government has no role. Obama believes that government should help when needed.

Profit is the bottom line. You need to cut costs and increase revenue. But to do so, you need to make the right investments. Just as a business can’t just layoff all its employees and sell all its cash-generating assets—even if it meant greater short-term profits—we cannot allow gutting programs that help the American working class and create jobs.

For those who argue that we need less government involvement, it was the Bush administration’s lack of government regulation and oversight that caused us the economic crisis we are currently in. And those are the same policies Romney is advocating for.

When companies stop hiring or are deregulated to a point that unfairness occurs, we need the government to enact policies that allow the free market to occur. This, in turn, actually strengthens capitalism by providing predictability, stability, and fair competition to the market (which is why we illegalize monopolies) and prevents fraud that hurts companies who play by the rules. Yes, as conservatives say, we need to emphasize personal responsibility. But when you have a system that favors the rich through corporate tax loopholes and “too big to fail” companies that hold the economy hostage, government is needed.

So before going out and voting TODAY, please take some time to look at the facts. This is an election of a generation and will be decided on by just a handful of voters. Make your voice heard!