Many Americans right now are like some drivers racing down I-25 near the launch site for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. They are rubbernecking, staring into the skies, and crashing in increased numbers. They forget that their job behind the wheel is to drive a couple thousand pounds of steel and plastic down the road safely.
Just like many Americans who watch a 90 minute debate instead of what has been going around them for the last four years and deciding the debate is all that matters. It is ignorance and inattention at its best and nothing but a crash for the middle class is in the offing.
3 comments:
Nice perspective.
But don't worry. He still has that solid lead in electoral votes. Ohio is still the only hope for Romney and Obama has the lead there, which is why Romney is going there almost every single day. His people know it all too well. Think of things from their point of view.
From our viewpoint, it's easier to see a way for Obama to lose than for Romney to win.
Even Arizona is in play now, thanks to Latino voters. The latest poll there has Obama ahead by two points. This is from Nate Silver at the NYT. He says Latinos have been under counted in polls.
I think we forget sometimes, I know I do, what Obama did to make it where he is. There is a drive there, and that remarkable intelligence, and ambition. This is probably, personally, more important to him than the first election, and I don't think he'll let it get away from him.
No kidding. But its hard. We drove thru there a few years back on the way home from Mesa and the grandchildren. Never saw so many ballons before. It was hard not to peek. I used to teach history. To be really fair and balanced. Lately I just look for the Democrat column and check them all. Makes me a "Yellow Dog"I guess...;)
Well, I like your analogy. But there is even more behind the story of voter "inattention". I was canvassing for Obama yesterday in an economically devastated neighborhood in Edgewood. I stopped at a Democrat's house that had several Gary Johnson signs in the yard. I thought to myself "Why bother?" but I always think maybe there's more to the story here... I was invited in by the owner, the voter whose vote I was seeking for President Obama and Martin Heinrich. We talked about many things, about her 5 year old grand-daughter who lost her father in Afghanistan last year and about her search to find a good job. I asked her if she supporting Gary Johnson, and she said "Someone in this house is supporting him." She introduced me to her 67 year old roommate who is disabled and on Social Security. Her roommate was distressed that her $856 in monthly Social Security with it's $99.90 Medicare deduction and her $24 Medicare Supplemental Insurance and her hundreds of dollars in co-pays for medical equipment and prescriptions left her with nothing to live on after an overpayment of more than $3000 was now being recouped from her SS check monthly. On top of everything, her food stamps had been cut. She was angry and she blamed the President. She had put out the signs for Gary Johnson (a Libertarian candidate for President who would get rid of all social safety nets, period) because she felt both the Republicans and the Democrats weren't helping her. The voter asked me what will President Obama do to help create jobs. I told her that the President did care about the working people of this country and needed her vote to get a Congress and Senate who would pass the American Jobs Act. I told her roommate I would give to her Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, Jr.'s contact information and his staff could work her SS problem to see if anything can be done to alleviate her financial stress. I told her we have a job information bulletin board and a community food bank at our East Mountains Obama office and to come by. Now these two ladies are not watching "Meet the Press" this morning, and they don't read Blogs or the NYT. Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, Jr. hasn't stopped in their neighborhood lately to find out what's going on with his constituents. I was the first political canvasser from the Democrats to stop at their home talk to them. I doubt that the Democratic Party of Santa Fe County Precinct Chairperson has ever graced their door. So, for all the liberals I know I ask you what are you doing to talk to these voters, one-on-one? I can't even get more than a handful of liberals to go out and canvass these neighborhoods this close to the election and I expect after Nov. 6th, there won't be any further contact with these voters for at least 2-4 years more. "Inattention?" Yes, but what are we doing to really reach the suffering voters, or shall we continue to blame them for our lack of community organizing?
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