I have a large number of friends and acquaintances that are wearing blinders about the current political horse race. Or, in the terms of a meme I have been talking about, they have a template they are placing over all the facts in the election. I can see someone looking at the issues and evaluating the candidates based on how they weigh the various factors, but the anger of partisanship makes no sense to me. It reminds me of an old joke I heard about two people arguing, one a communist and the other an anarcho-capitalist. One said to the other, “Our Jews are better than your Jews.”
Be that as it may, I fail to see how this is relevant.
I have heard it suggested that, based on the nominees, neither party really wants to win. This would include in my opinion small 3rd parties like the Constitution Party and the Libertarian Party. Whoever is elected might end up the overseer of the coming economic and budgetary disaster that is already baked into our government spending cake. While I doubt anyone really thinks that way and actually wants to lose the election, whichever party is elected, they will be blamed if things go badly and might be out of power for a generation.
The “Darth Vaderizing” of one’s political opponents accomplishes nothing but self-deception. I was self-deceived for years so I understand the process. Both Romney and Obama have placed themselves in political boxes that limit their options. For Romney it is his inability to understand that, as a part of a whole package, military spending must be cut. Obama has built a similar box over entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid.
But what can’t continue won’t continue.
Romney’s attack on Obama’s “cuts” in military spending is not fair—Obama has proposed no cuts, only slight decreases in the planned increase in spending for the military. Obama’s attack on Romney’s “cuts” to seniors is not fair—Romney has proposed no cuts, only slight decreases in the planned increase in medical spending for future seniors who are 55 or younger. Since I am 58, I support this.
My great hope is that Romney is an even bigger liar than he appears and will actually accomplish something if he is elected. This is wildly optimistic. Obama seems beyond hope.
This is not enough reason for me to vote for Romney. I will vote in the election as there are some really odd ballot initiatives in California—one that seems to make the governor almost a dictator, for example.
But me, vote for Obamney? No thanks.