Will the VP debate become an ugly partisan fight?
This post originally appeared on Slate.
Joe Biden has said that the hardest thing about becoming a vice presidential candidate was that he had to learn how to speak for someone else. It's been pretty hard on Barack Obama, too--because sometimes it seems Biden is speaking for Mitt Romney. From his comments about chaining black voters to his suggestion that the middle class has been "buried," Biden has helped the Romney camp enough that he at least deserves a Romney-Ryan campaign fleece.
Paul Ryan on first nat. debate: A "nervous situation"
Paul Ryan has had an easier time sublimating himself to his boss's agenda. Though he is new to the crucible of a national campaign, he has not caused Romney a single headache. When his positions have come into conflict with Romney's on the hot-button issues of Social Security, Medicare, and abortion, Ryan has fallen in line. He has made the transition from policy wonk to attack dog nicely, as demonstrated by his speech at the Republican National Convention. He has only one more hurdle left, and if he clears it Thursday night, he will either be the vice president or the front-runner in 2016.
Most of us who follow politics say the vice presidential debate is meaningless. Voters base their votes on the name at the top of the campaign sign. That is true. But in this campaign, where merely the clumsy repetition of a months-old talking point can control a few news cycles, surely the debate performance of the fellow who is one heartbeat away from the presidency has the potential to shake things up. If nothing else, the debate will provide us with language and moments to discuss the existing themes of this election.
Here's how either Ryan or Biden may affect the race (and thereby gain a place in vice presidential debate history): if they commit a confirming blunder. What is this particular species of gaffe? In the veep debate, I'd define it as a statement or action that underlines the most negative stereotype about the top candidate.
Of course, we have been told that this campaign is rife with blunders, gaffes, and missteps. So what is not a confirming blunder? Big Bird, for starters. In the first debate, Mitt Romney made a joke that Big Bird would lose federal funding if Romney becomes president. President Obama says Romney's priorities are misplaced. He doesn't care about hurting kids, and the amount he would save by firing Big Bird is minuscule--which really goes to show you how much he is not telling us about what he plans to cut. Romney uses Big Bird on the stump, too. The president wants to protect Big Bird, he says; I want to protect American families. The tweet-a-tweet over the Sesame Street character confirms nothing but the pre-existing views of both sides.
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I agree with you 100% that we must protect the promise of America including freedom, liberty and opportunity for future generations. I agree that hard work and dedication should determine a person's worth and those looking for a government handout should be suspect. I agree that government should be limited to it's responsibility to the people and duty under the constitution and held responsible when it violates that duty. That is exactly why I am not voting for either of you.
I totally bought in to the Reagan plan for prosperity. I believed that if I worked hard in support of the people able to finance and grow America that as they rose in wealth my boat would also float higher. However, the reality has never matched the rhetoric.
As I dedicated myself to the trickle down ideal and gave my youth and effort to cubical confinement, the following is what I have experienced and noticed:
- As your cronies gained in wealth their boats got larger and larger and floated higher while the greater majority's situation began to stagnate.
- As your wealth grew, the magnitude was no longer acceptable so it became necessary to send American work off-shore and then proceed to rationalize this invented necessity by blaming the displaced for not having the motivation to work.
- New and unique ways were invented to stagnate and rob 401K's and investments while huge salaries were channeled to the innovators and creators of the deception while also inventing derogatory terms like Muppets and Aunt Millie for the working life blood channeled to your accounts.
- When events made it necessary to defend America and call for sacrifice your cronies in their infinite wisdom determined it was now time for tax breaks that by percentage benefited the wealthiest allowing the disparity between have and have-not to grow to historic levels.
- With unfunded wars, reduced revenue and a growing government deficit it was once again necessary to find blame with the displaced because of their apparent ever-growing dependence on government.
- With depleted employment and reduced revenue the government deficit grew and once again it became necessary to blame the now growing displaced Americans as the responsible ingrates because they apparently are no longer of value to your personal wealth objectives.
- As emphasis grows abroad and revenue resources diminish it is now becoming necessary to deny the need to improve America's infrastructure and education, nevertheless, pointing the sons and daughter of these same displaced and rejected Americans to defend the growing interests abroad as the remaining value you wish to capitalize on.
I could cite additional examples, however, this alone is enough for me to proclaim I will not vote for either of you because it is my belief that your belief is that America's opportunities belong to only you and your cronies and nobody else. When I was deprived of work and opportunity I would have been much worse off if not for the government I love and the democratically minded who understood and empathized with my situation. If government obligations are growing in an uncontrolled manner as you proclaim, it is your greedy policies that are to blame. Inventing terms like right-to-work and then denying employment represents the insanity of your thought process. Your desire to control government means people like me are at your disposal and reducing regulation translates to more deceptive investment strategies along with more worker and environmental exploitation.
If you want me to vote for you next time around it is necessary for you to demonstrate your value to society. Using your wealth to create greater than subsistence level employment and making government protections stronger and more efficient is a necessary first step. I will not vote to place me and my family at your mercy so that you and your cronies can enjoy the better life at the expense of someone else.
Regards,
Strongly Independent American Voter
God I really hope so.
Socialism is not the correct path. Vote for Mitt Romney and we will be free.
Second, question do you know what socialism is?
Its too bad you cannot vote here.
What is amazing to me is how many beleive the story that the economy is worse off now that it was in 2008 when Obama was elected.
It justs goes to show how big money and their instrument of propaganda can pervert the minds of good intentioned people into beleiving lies.
When a plant shuts down its the democrats fault even through the owner is getting tax breaks and legislation that favors the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.
Unfortunately, Romney has momentum and if he is elected those good intentioned people will get what they deserve. War, a double dip recession, austerity measures and even that will not get the message out because they will simply listen to talk radio and blame the liberals.