Random Thoughts

So what are we to make of all the stupid "cliff stories" over the past few days?  If you've read about my trials with my broken arm, you will know I've had some time in the past several days to watch an excessive amount of TV.  Talk about all over the map!  It's really crazy.  Who to believe?  What really is happening and is likely to happen?  To be honest, I think it's very difficult to figure it all out unless you're paying close attention.  And even then both sides make claims that are obviously B.S.  It reminds me of a quote in an old Dan Jenkins book called "Semi-Tough".  The hero gets caught by his wife in an obvious dalliance with a young beauty and as he rolls out all the explanations, at one point he says, "Are you going to believe me, or your own eyes?".  And, you guessed it, he gets away with it

Last week was surreal.  In the midst of it all Congress gets sworn in.  All smiles.  Families in attendance.  And now the vast majority will dig in.  Take the party line. They say they have to do better but I don't see any mechanism or forcing function to drive them to governing.  It's times like these that I see why tea party took root.  Massive frustration that nothing is getting done, that its business as usual, and it seems to be all smoke and mirrors.

There are so many stories of who's doing what to fix the problems.  The cliff was averted...or was it.  I think it was just delayed.  The Republicans caved on some tax increases (they had no choice), there were minimal spending cuts, they've got to go back and negotiate all over again to get anything substantive done.  So this keeps them employed, keeps their celebrity status, keeps them re-elected.  Because we seem to be too dumb to find someone new.

Through it all two things jump out at me.  First, the Republicans have to be unified (they haven't been yet) and they need to tell the very simple story that this mess is about spending (everything about this mess is too complicated).  Think Ross Perot and his white boards.  Come up with a simple story that most folks can understand.  Saying that we can't tax the rich enough to solve our problems (see Margaret Thatcher's quote at the bottom of my blog) doesn't resonate.  Obama has won the class warfare battle for now.  I simply don't think intellectual facts will work in the face of his class warfare methods.

Which brings me to the second point.  Obama.  I'm sad to think he's going to be foisted on the country for another four years.  He is not only a disaster, I just don't think he cares very much.  The class warfare thing is a good example.  How many other Presidents have resorted to pitting Americans against each other?  And he's doing it for a principle that he knows will not make a difference.  Or how many other Presidents either don't know how or won't negotiate with Congress?  I mean, that is the fundamental quality that a Chief Executive needs.  How embarrassing that his VP had to go negotiate with Congress.  And now he wants more tax revenue (from somewhere), the ability to raise the debt ceiling, and a "balanced approach".  To quote Biden, "what a bunch of mullarky".  No matter what, they can't give this guy control of the debt.  It would be the disaster of disasters.

So what else have I observed as I sit here being waited on and healing (slowly).  The media is not serving us well.  They love the battles, the bickering, the tension.  You can almost see them salivating over it.  But I think there is something a bit different.  The stories coming out are so convoluted, so complicated, so he said, she said, that its almost like they are trying to confuse the public by not telling a simple description of what is going on.  It contributes to the public's frustration.  At least it contributes to my frustration.  But thru it all, I still come back to two things.  The Republicans have to become united and tell a simple story...and Obama is a disaster for the country!