Comparing Apples to Oranges

Anyone who knows me knows that I have been more than a little engaged in the political goings on in Washington lately. Actually, I'd like to apologize, because I'm a little late. I've watched silently while my more conservative counterparts have done everything to bash the president in every way they possibly could. Well, a couple of days ago, I decided that I had had enough of it. And I began to address it. Now, granted, the views expressed herein are mine and mine alone, and you may feel free to disagree with me. That's one of the freedoms guaranteed us in this great land of ours. But that won't stop me from expressing them.

President Barack Obama has endured a first term unlike any of his predecessors. Yes, his predecessors were ridiculed and disrespected just like he has been. Just not to the level that he's endured nor to the frequency and nature of the slights. For example, would any of you care to ask some of the Tea Party people why they felt the need to portray the POTUS as a witch doctor with a bone through his nose? Or to portray his FAMILY as chimpanzees? Maybe someone can go talk to Joe Wilson about the proper decorum US Representatives should display when listening to the State of the Union. Or help the reporter who felt it was OK to interrupt the president during an policy announcement. That's never happened before, has it? Perhaps someone can tell the governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, to politely remove her finger from the President's face. That would be nice, thanks. And while we're at it, can anyone please let Donald Trump know that the long form of a birth certificate IS valid? And can anyone in the universe PLEASE get Rush Limbaugh to KINDLY SHUT UP? He said yesterday and I quote, "(The NAACP delegates)booed (Gov. Romney) simply because he's white." Really now? No, they booed him because he said he would repeal Obamacare. And now, many of my more conservative counterparts have had the temerity to ask me to explain to them just what, if anything, President Obama has accomplished in his first four years in office. Well, allow me to articulate a few of them.

First, he enhanced the best healthcare system in the world. I'm getting testimonies from everywhere from those who are benefitting RIGHT NOW from this law. RIGHT NOW. The huge debts, so-called tax increases and all that other stuff that folks SAY is going to happen hasn't happened yet. But there are those who are getting health care now who otherwise wouldn't have it. It's a good law, with its ACTUAL roots in conservatism (The Heritage Foundation first came up with the idea years ago). What's shocking is that a conservative idea, conceived by conservatives, pushed by conservatives (in Newt Gingrich's Congress in the 90's), adopted into a law by a conservative (ROMNEYCARE), and upheld AS LAW by a conservative (Roberts), would now be decried as a socialist invasion of big government and tax increases, all because it was crafted into that national law by a Democrat (PRESIDENT OBAMA). If W, or Bush 41, or even Reagan had done this, or any other conservative, none of my conservative friends would be complaining. But PRESIDENT OBAMA did it, and so they are. You wanna talk TWISTED? That's twisted. He took a CONSERVATIVE idea and tried to move forward with it, but because HE'S not a conservative, they didn't want it all of a sudden. HYPOCRITES!

He did that with the debt ceiling fight too. The proposals he put forth were first put forth by President REAGAN! But NOOOOO, conservatives didn't want it this time, because it was PRESIDENT OBAMA who did it. I'm sorry, but after it took 12 YEARS to get us INTO this mess, the mess that President Obama inherited when he stepped into the office, should anyone have the audacity to think it's going to just magically correct itself in just three years? That's just ... unthinkable. ESPECIALLY when it was the REPUBLICANS who dragged their feet, whined like 12-year olds, LIED and INCITED FEAR at nearly every turn while in the minority, and then turned around and WASTED MILLIONS OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS THEY CLAIMED TO TRY TO BE PROTECTING in wasting 33 VOTES on a bill that has been upheld as LAW. President Obama has gotten a LOT done despite the crap he's had to put up with for three and a half years.

Here are three other things the President has accomplished while in the Oval Office. ONE: the American Auto Industry still exists, and with it, the millions MORE jobs which otherwise would have been lost (Gov. Romney argued to let em drown, in the very state where his father served as governor, Michigan!). TWO: The War In Iraq, conceived on a LIE or otherwise faulty information, which cost the American people BILLIONS of dollars to prosecute and over 4,000 lives on our end, not to mention the countless thousands of Iraqis who perished, is OVER. THREE: Osama bin Laden, who was the mastermind behind 9/11, and who managed to evade us for a decade, IS DEAD. Shout out to W for organizin the posse, but it was PRESIDENT OBAMA who gave the word for Navy SEAL Team 6 to go in there and put one in his head and one in his heart. THAT'S WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS DONE.

Since I'm comparing apples to oranges, What have the Republicans done? Let's see... They challenged his heritage, and continue to do so despite the fact that he has proven his lineage. They challenged his faith, even though he has proven its foundation. They have challenged his every move, so they could keep things as bad as possible because they knew that that would be the ONLY way they would have any chance of getting back in power again, even though they have absolutely NO CLUE about what they are going to do when or if they get back in office. Did you know the Gov. Romney has brought in several members of Bush 43's staff to ride with him if he gets elected? George W. Bush, the least liked former president in history? So we're just supposed to let him take us BACK to that mess again? NO!!!!! They refused to work WITH the President unless he adopted every single line of their platform, thus putting him in an awkward position. Do what THEY want, and they can frame him as weak, and he loses his base. If he refuses, now they can frame him as incompetent, fire up their OWN base, and blame all the mess on him for not fixing in three years what they took twelve years to create. And then they have put up as their standard bearer, their nominee, a man who, though inarguably successful as a businessman, and marginally successful as governor of Massachusetts, HAS NO CORE, NO PLAN, AND NO CLUE. AND who just got caught in a LIE, and may be guilty of a felony. This is our choice come November. To keep moving forward, no matter the perceived difficulties, or to return to the practices that got us here in the first place. I for one can't fathom going back, and I know I'm not alone in feeling that way. Whether you agree with me or not, make sure you exercise your right to vote. Frankly, you have no right to complain about anything after Election Day if you refuse to participate in the process. See ya at the polls.