Latest Romney Ryan Crowd - Manchester New Hampshire Rally - image iconicsurrealism
The focus on Presidential Campaigns and fundraising prowess as “proof” that a candidate would win a race has been part and parcel of news articles and television news broadcasts for decades. The last Presidential election was a litmus test of sorts, as the constant drumbeat on the millions upon millions of dollars brought in by the Obama Campaign sent the general message that no-one would be able to best the candidate with the most cash. The most money, so the logic follows, equals the most popularity and given the number of individual donations one must receive, not including those corporate, “Hollywood”, Wall-Street or National Union donations, surely then candidate Obama would see success. Now, one finds that the tables have turned on the President. His campaign is running a deficit while the Romney Campaign is bringing in more cash and individual donations. In addition, the Obama Campaign is over-spending on negative advertising and staffing, in what is, in actuality the early stages of the Presidential Campaign. The Romney Campaign brought in $25 million more than the Obama Campaign for the third month, according to USA Today’s report on recent FEC Filings. It is to the point where actor George Clooney has to hustle to Europe to hold fundraisers for the President(USA Today).
Therefore, at the moment, given the sheer fundraising prowess of Mitt Romney, one would think that given 2008 reporting, Romney is a shoe-in – Not so fast – a Reuter’s report suggest that the Romney Campaign is Battling for Cash ignoring hard numbers, the report suggests that somehow Obama is in a stronger position – which is generally the case for an Incumbent regardless of the cash on hand. That said, very few incumbents actually manage to see a second term, recent exceptions being William Jefferson Clinton and George W. Bush, one must keep in mind, both political parties, as a rule, are subject to the variances in economic conditions, or poor management (Carter (Both), Ford (Neither(Nixon), George H. Bush(Economy) – With a President’s ability to handle the job at hand, coupled with extremely poor economic conditions, one could raise more money than Midas and still find themselves out of a job.
There is also smart campaign management and the laws of governing Presidential candidates, The Romney Campaign has been run like a business, and as Romney is not yet the nominee (officially that takes place at the RNC Convention), he has not yet had the financial support of the RNC available. Knowing when to hold them, and knowing when to fold them is of import, given the fact that most voters aren’t even paying attention to the election now, tuning out rather than tuning in, or simply not all that interested. One should see an increase in Romney advertising after the Republican Convention in late August, a fact that the Obama Campaign is surely aware, and therefore, taking potshots at Romney’s tax returns, and grasping at the straws of desperation when it comes to his running mate, Paul Ryan.
A recent article in US News and World Report headlines:”Why Obama Supporters Question Paul Ryan’s Catholicism” – which goes toward Ryan’s plan to overhaul and save Medicare and Medicaid for those in need. Of course, the Obama supporters (and campaign) suggest otherwise, that the plan will hurt everyone from the elderly to those on disability, however, stretching the truth about the plan apparently did not sway both Ryan’s Bishop nor a Cardinal, both whom have more knowledge of Catholicism than an “Obama Supporter” who is blinded by political partisanship first, their religion second. The fact that Ryan is pro-life is also of issue with those who call themselves Catholic, yet suggest that abortion is perfectly fine. Perhaps, it is convenient to suggest, as a Catholic, that one can hold these views, as one gets to run to confession at the end of the week and restore one’s good standing. However, what this does suggest is that the Obama campaign desperately wants to hold onto the majority of the 70million plus voting bloc of U.S. Catholics. That’s not always an easy task, given that Catholics overwhelmingly supported George W. Bush over John Kerry in 2004 – as a group, Catholics are no different than – any other voter. When personal swipes at someone’s religion begin, and that includes questioning President Obama’s Christianity, or Mitt Romney’s Mormonism, it is a ploy by the political strategists to sway voters doubts, or by those so blinded by religious zeal, to negate the worth of a candidate based solely on their religion of choice, no matter how pious or non-pious one is perceived to be. It may or may not work, depending upon a number of factors, including how vested individuals are in their religion, rather than their political party, or if one is able to divest the two, being religious and voting as a citizen as a separate act.
There is also that nagging document, the Constitution, which gives each and every U.S. citizens the right to practice their religion as they see fit, whatever religion that may be – with safeguards in place that ensure that no one religion will be put in place as a national religion. (The real gist behind Church and State).
Money and Religion – is that truly what this election is about? Hardly, this election is about the State of the Union as it relates to the economy, and how little each individual has at the end of the week, or when one leaves the grocery store. It will be a decision based on whether or not a voter feels that the President is capable of fixing the economy, or if perhaps his challenger Mitt Romney would do a better job. That, and that issue alone, will decide this election – no matter how much the Obama Campaign attempts to distract from the issues that people care about, jobs, taxes, security in finding, and keeping a job and affordable groceries. The distractions are nothing more than obvious desperation and it shows. Which might explain the huge discrepancies in crowd size at rallies.
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