Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!!

The Republicans have been holding their convention this week in Tampa. The Democrats are next. The lies spewing forth from the speakers on the podium are absolutely amazing. It is breathtaking. Paul Ryan actually accused Obama of being responsible for closing down an auto factory before he was even President...and he just kept right on going. It doesn't matter that it's a lie, the important thing is to get it out there so the pea-brains who are sucking this up can get energized.

I managed not to watch any of the convention but I'm following it on the news because you just can't escape it. My main news interest is in Hurricane Isaac, otherwise I probably wouldn't even have the news on. I probably won't watch much, if any, of the Democrats' convention.  Why bother?

We have our own little side show going on locally with Todd Akin, the GOP's senatorial candidate. And what a show it is. Missouri seems to collect wingnuts. I have a friend (sort of) who comes from his district who keeps me informed on all of the crazy and outlandish conspiracy theories that the local Republicans dream up. She makes the "Birthers" look normal. She threatened and chased the census bureau guy off her property because he worked for Acorn. She says Acorn is in charge of the Department of Commerce and is sending out the census people to get information on her. She, of course, is a Todd Akin supporter and thinks that that flurry of excitement about "legitimate rape" and the amazing capacity of a woman's body to shut down a potential rape pregnancy is just the "Godless Liberals" plotting against her hero, Todd Akin.

I admit that I voted for Todd Akin in the primary election. I voted Republican just so I could vote against a few people and I voted for Akin because I knew he would self-destruct. I thought he would last at least until Labor Day but I don't think he made it a week. I'm not a big supporter of Claire McCaskill. I've met her a couple times and was in meetings with her when she was the Jackson County prosecutor. I don't particularly like her but she is serious, smart and businesslike. She is 100 times better than Akin. She is up something like nine points in the polls now but come November, anything can happen. Remember, Missouri elected a dead guy to the Senate rather than select the other choice...John Ashcroft.

My impression of Mitt Romney is that he is a guy with limited values and convictions. Only things related to his immediate family, church or wealth have any weight in his life. Everything else is merely a business decision. He can easily promote one idea or value and then promote the exact opposite based on what he sees as the business climate. He seems to have no lasting commitments to ideas or values. He also has the corporate model approach to things...the same way Bush Jr. did.  He is not a details sort of guy. That's why he chose Paul Ryan as his VP --- someone to be involved in the details. I think we tried that with Dick Cheney and it didn't work.

Obama is a details guy, maybe to a fault. He is also a person with life-long values and convictions. He is more likely to stay on the same course in a second term. It has taken so long to dig out of the hole left by the previous administration that people are impatient. I'm convinced that the economy was worse than we think and it will take a while longer to get back on track. The obstructionist approach taken by the GOP is slowing things down. Now they want to go back to the policies that put us in a near-depression.

I'm something of a supporter of Obama-Care. I think he managed to get the cat out of the bag, so to speak, and we will see improved health care in the future. There is a lot in Obama-Care that is positive and worthwhile and supported by most Americans. I am concerned about the GOP's plans for a voucher-based medicare system. Medicare needs help but not that kind. They would turn the focus of the system away from Doctors and hospitals to a group that they know and trust...insurance companies...with deep pockets.

I fully expect the Democratic convention to be one more non-event with lots of speakers tossing around lots of false information. It will probably be dull. I don't think there's a hurricane coming.