President Obama addressed the admiring throng last night at the 20,000-seat indoor arena in Charlotte rather than the Bank of America stadium [the name of which was never to be mentioned because it smacked too much of the one-percenters]. That stadium would have held more than 70,000, which is slightly less than the outdoor venue four years ago in Denver when he walked out onto the stage decorated with Greek columns. Now that I think of it, a Greek motif kind of fits this administration, considering what has happened to Greece in the past few years and that path we’re on to emulate that bankrupt nation.
Here’s a view of what was supposed to have been the scene of the coronation:
The official explanation for the last-minute change of plans was concern for the weather. I’m writing this at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday evening, about the time the president is supposed to speak. According to the Weather Channel online, there is currently a 10% chance of rain in Charlotte. One meteorologist in the Charlotte area expressed his puzzlement about the weather concerns; he didn’t see any real threat to the outdoor event. I wonder if there could be a deeper reason for the switch? What do you think?
There just isn’t the same magic in the air this year. It might have something to do with all the high expectations being dashed by reality. Perhaps a $16 trillion-dollar deficit is throwing a wet blanket over the masses. Or could it be the 40+ months of unemployment over 8%? What about the real unemployment rate of over 15% when you take into consideration those who have given up looking for a job and those who are trying to scrape by on part-time work? Maybe that’s having a dampening effect—an appropriate term given the weather concerns. Then there’s the price of gasoline now standing at double what it was when Obama took office. That can give people pause. And what about the median income falling from $54,000 to $50,000 during his tenure? Things like that can get one’s attention. People actually might be thinking, “Do we really want another four years of this?”
Regardless of what the president may claim in his acceptance speech, his approach has been an unremitting failure. He had a line in the speech that bowed to the idea that not all problems can be solved by a government program. It’s always good to have a couple of those throw-away lines—you know, the ones you have to say to prove you are balanced, regardless of how you actually have governed. Anyone listening to the speeches at this convention can’t help but come away with a few basic themes: there is a war on women, so we must press our “right” to abortion on demand; equality requires same-sex marriage; we all belong to the government.
Here’s a suggestion for making it easier to grow our government:
Now, wouldn’t that be much simpler?
President Obama declares that this election presents a clear choice between two futures. I couldn’t agree more. Yes, Mr. President, we do have a clear choice. I only pray the voters will understand precisely what perils await if we choose your path.