[This week’s editorial from the Casper Star-Tribune (Oct 14, 2012)
Endorsement was spot-on with my sentiments and prayer for America. While our
state is conservative, the paper has historically shown left-leaning as its
owners are not from Wyoming. This article was insightful and refreshing.]
Four years ago, Barack Obama promised America hope and change.
Four years later, there’s less to be hopeful about and the only change has
been a souring of politics and mounting debt.
Obama’s term in the White House has been quite possibly the most
disappointing presidency in the history of the United States. Obama made
great political hay with the notion that he could transcend the partisan
lines that led to gridlock. Unfortunately, politics have become even more
polarized and Obama has demonstrated a nearly flawless track record of
entrenched politics and a keen unwillingness to find solutions.
About the best that can be said by his supporters is: It’s not as bad as it
could be.
Theoretically true, but hardly a reason to re-enlist Obama’s service for
another term.
Obama’s four-year term has been a failure — even by the standards he said
we should judge him by when he first took office. The jobless rate still
hovers around 8 percent. Obamacare, even if it withstands a repeal, is at
best neutral to the economy, and will in all likelihood be a drag on it
going forward.
Enough of blaming George W. Bush. That was four years ago. And four years is
plenty of time to make a break with the economic malaise that has stunted
the nation’s growth and prosperity.
Enough of blaming the Republicans. Obama enjoyed a Democratically controlled
Congress in his first two years and still couldn’t get much accomplished.
And blaming politics is a worthless excuse. Politics has always been . well,
political.
Obama has failed. And voters shouldn’t reward failure with another term in
office.
Instead, Republican Mitt Romney offers a viable alternative to Obama.
Romney is not only the right fit for America, he’s also a pretty good choice
for Wyoming.
Romney brings three key aspects to the presidency which makes him a better
choice than Obama.
When Obama talks about bipartisan support and reaching out to GOP lawmakers,
it sounds nice, but the president has demonstrated an almost allergic
reaction to bipartisan support and compromise. Yet, Romney’s track record of
working across the political aisle was remarkable during his tenure as
governor in the left-leaning state of Massachusetts. What Obama talks about,
Romney has done.
Obama’s four years have been notable not so much for what he’s accomplished
than for what he’s left undone. While some of the focus has been on health
care or even wedge issues like gay marriage, the economy has been left
languishing. Now, more than ever, America needs a president with true
business and economic acumen.
The deficit hasn’t been solved. The issue of tax rates has been kicked down
the road again and again. And, how many millions of people have quit looking
for work?
American can’t have another four years of fumbling. It needs Romney’s
business background. While running the federal government isn’t perfectly
analogous to running a business, both are similar insofar as there are few
problems in either that couldn’t be solved with more revenue.
Finally, and most importantly, Romney gets energy. While Obama’s four years
have been a virtual assault on Wyoming’s energy producers, it hasn’t
necessarily been the companies who have paid. Every American has paid the
price for higher energy costs or more at the pumps. It’s not that we — and
Wyoming in particular — don’t have the oil, gas, coal and nuclear material.
It’s that the process of extraction has become too cumbersome and too mired
in ideological warfare.
Instead, Romney understands that carbon energy must continue to provide fuel
and power for years to come. Commercial viable solutions aren’t ready to
solve America’s energy thirst. And, instead of shuttering or adding more red
tape to the energy industry, we must instead capitalize on our natural
resources while at the same time becoming nearly self-sufficient. Not only
would encouraging energy development be good for America’s economy, many of
those job could be directly tied to our state.
For all these reasons, we are endorsing Republican Mitt Romney for
president.
Sure, it may be easy to be persuaded by Obama’s rhetorical polish.
While Obama talks about getting things accomplished, Mitt Romney’s track
record as a business leader, leader of the Olympic Games and governor is a
proven legacy of success in multiple leadership roles.
Actions speak louder than pretty words.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”