The President hasn’t phoned or tweeted or e-mailed me today to ask what I think about candidate Romney’s choice of running mate, nor has he checked in lately to find out how I think the campaign is going generally... Never mind... I do have some thoughts on both subjects.
About Paul Ryan: He seems like a good guy: earnest... patriotic...ambitious energetic ... loyal. I’ve read his proposed budget. He’s a bright guy, but I couldn't possible vote for him because he and I define patriotism differently. He clearly declares that the American experience is not for everybody. He developed his ideas about inclusiveness in the church; in his case it’s the Roman Catholic church. Ryan has been formed and informed by his religious group, which is consistent with fundamentalist Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and other Christians with rules about who may and who may not be included in the group of the just and the blessed. These folks, including both Ryan and Romney, bring their exclusionary tendencies to their thinking about citizenship... to their thinking about which people should not be granted the right to live their lives with the same civil liberties and protections as people who are the approved “other” Americans. Gays and lesbians, for example, need not apply for full citizenship rights and protections. In this writing I won’t even express my opinions of presumptive candidates Ryan’s and Romney’s solutions for America’s fiscal problems. It would get me going, and I want this writing to be short.
About how the campaign is going: Frankly, I’m tired of the long prelude to a November election day. In the best of all possible worlds a sitting president wouldn’t have to spend a quarter of a first term campaigning for reelection. I’m tired of the daily barrage of slings and arrows from both camps. Thoreau’s Walden plea to “simplify, simplify” appeals mightily to me.
My minimalist photographs today are soothing. I like them. I wonder what the effect of a minimalist presidential campaign would be on American politics. We will never know... especially now that the Supreme Court has declared that corporations, with all their money and power, are individuals.
3 comments:
It's funny, I just posted on Ryan, went to your blog and there you are, as always, saying it better than I ever could.
I agree with your assessment that the Pres spends 1/4 of his term running. That's insane!!
I'm going to be so sick of politics when this is over.
My opinion, is just that, my opinion, but I'm not as scared of Romney now that he picked Ryan. I think he screwed up. But what do I know?
Well said indeed.
Nabil
As usual I agree with all you say. It was so much better before the inexplicable Supreme Court decision that made it possible to buy elections. I hate the system now and don't trust it in many ways. Florida is one of the key states were they are trying to make it difficult for many to vote. It is also a key vote for Obama. I have been working for several months for an group called Organizing fo America, President Obama's grass roots organization here in Manatee County. I have been making phone calls every Wed. and knocking on doors every Sat. morning to try and so some small part in getting Obama reelected.
Taylor
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