The American Presidents, a long history of who, we, as a nation, have hired, and fired in some cases, admired and despised, right or wrong, left or right, (or down the middle)both those long dead and those living remind American's what a great nation we are lucky enough in which to reside - image memorycrammer.com
This morning as most on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States prepare to go to the polls, it is not without a bit of excitement that, we, as American’s get to enjoy the opportunity to cast our vote for the next President of the United States. Although one might support one vision of American over another, or the popularity of a candidate, or maintain a blind allegiance to political party, it is our privilege to go to the polls and cast a vote for the individual who we, as a people, will hire to do the job as the Chief Executive Officer of these United States. It is a job that most of the nation would not want, despite the lofty title, and the aura of some sort of royalty (a cast off from our Colonial days), and that desire to serve, regardless of party, should be admired no matter if one is an also ran in the various primary contest, or the winner or loser of today’s election. Those who run put their lives and fortunes ahead of everything, for the love of the country, for the love of a vision that the individual firmly believes is the best course for the nation, or the world.
Those who support one candidate over another may become so heavily vested, emotionally in the person as well as the ideology that they may become a bit saddened or depressed should the outcome not be as they had hoped.
Therefore, with less than an hour before the polls open in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is with a bit of concern for those neighbors, both here and in other states that have fought so hard, on both sides, that one is compelled to ask everyone to be kind to those who may support either candidate. One will win, one will not and despite the aura of partisanship that pervades every nook and cranny of this nation, we all must try a bit of compassion rather than derision once that outcome is known. From personal experience, it has gone either way over the course of voting for President’s in elections since 1976. Some of those for whom I voted, did disappoint once elected, some of those whom I feared were grossly incompetent, pleasantly surprised me, and there were those who had little or no effect – the “safe” Presidents, who ran the nation seamlessly, working closely with a united or divided Congress. It is no secret, if one has read my various rants and essays, that I support Mitt Romney this year. It is also no secret that I believe the election will be a repeat of the 1980 election, with a few less states going to Mitt Romney than Ronald Reagan (the one who I feared, more than the one who disappointed, making a selection of a third party imperative in 1980, and a vote for Reagan a necessity in 1984). In all honesty, however, as strongly as I personally feel this is certain (given the polling, and the obvious similarities between 1980 and 2012 in both polling as well as the beliefs of the candidates), there has to be room for error and a realization that should the analysis be correct, there will be many family and friends who, for whatever reasons, are emotionally vested in the reelection of President Obama. Those family and friends will, if the scarier of the predictions prevail, need consoling, not derision, should the President not gain reelection.
What if the results are not the same as I anticipate? Then it will be another day, like any other day and in four years, there will be the opportunity for another campaign and candidates from which to choose. I don’t for a moment agree with the President’s positions on just about anything, and that is my right and prerogative, however, as of today, he is my President, regardless of whom I support. It was with pride that I wrote the day after the 2008 election about how far we, as a nation had come, and it was with great hope that I wrote about the possibility that perhaps, just perhaps, this President would not disappoint. However, history does repeat itself, and for some reason, the specter of James Carter, the man whom I voted for with relish in 1976, a man with little experience , turned our nation into a fiscal disaster, our foreign policy into a nightmare, bailing out auto industries, wasting billions on jobs bills, which produced more government and fewer taxpayers, ad naseum. It was with a bit of shock that I watched as this President followed so closely the path taken by Carter, it began to appear as if one could predict the next move and the outcome.
Mitt Romney on the other hand, did nothing but irritate me as the Governor or the State, that’s the independent anti-tax, side of the coin. He did institute fees, and those fees nagged – but, when the picture emerged, and as I employed “Google new Archives” a different Romney than one I had thought, emerged. He ran the Commonwealth with an eye towards a business, and not with compassion for those who needed a hand up. He improved our schools, balanced our budget and wanted those unable to afford health care, an opportunity. He mostly drove those on the right – crazy and those in the middle were quite happy, while those on the left, well, nothing he did that would have qualified him as “liberal leaning” would satisfy those who are political activists.
Therefore, when the Gallup polling by state showed a job approval map that indicated the President was not doing his best in 40 of the 50 states, for three consecutive years, it was the time to take a hard look at those who, on the Republican ticket, would be his eventual replacement. Mitt Romney prevailed over a blistering primary, and he rightly won the nomination of his party.
I find it interesting that he is home, here in Massachusetts; casting his vote in the state he has called home a variety of times during his life, but also a state that may not cast their vote to elect him as the next President. It is however, the site of the Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill and Concord, all of historical significance. Although I had hoped that Massachusetts would deliver for the former Governor (and contend that the race here is actually a lot closer than one might image in)there, will, in all likelihood, (with the rampant dead voting, etc.) go to Obama, but by what margin? It is also one of the 10 states that Obama was project to win without a poll taken – “Safe Democrat” is the automatic label.
It is not discouraging, as I go to the polls and proudly cast my vote, in a state where one might think it is not worth voting when one is not a Democrat, there is the hope of the People’s Seat that continues to pervade and the fact that less than two years ago, MA stood up and rejected what was not truly history, but a political machine, and elected Scott Brown to the Senate. Therefore, I’m on the fence, but more confident in the states that do matter, in any combination, it hardly matters. It will be a long night of watching the polls, and should the east coast fall as projected, the rest of the nation will roll with it, and there will be a President from the Bay State tomorrow morning. The states: WV, VA, NC, SC, GA, Florida – will tell the tale of how the election will pan out. And that will be the writing on the wall. I have discounted the northeast, and Pennsylvania as those are considered “safe” and should Pennsylvania endorse Romney, it will, at that point indicate a landslide, if not, merely a win.
When this is over, and the final votes tallied, win or lose, it should not be taken personally, it gives either side an opportunity to take a break, celebrate or be disappointed, and then carry on as American’s are wont to do.
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