Opinion Page Editor, The Gazette
Updated: 4 July 2012 | 12:56 pm in Letters to the Editor

Vote for Obama this election year


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The June 21 article “Obama faces growing GOP super PAC financial power” revealed the shocking statistic: super PACs will put in a combined total of more than $1 billion into the Obama vs. Romney race. GOP super PAC dollars are expected to greatly exceed Democrats’ expenditures.

The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. the Federal Elections Commission is largely to blame for this situation. The arch-conservative members ruled that money spent on PACs should not be restricted and that corporations should be treated as individuals and granted the same rights. So, what should we Iowans do in this election year?

I suggest that you vote for Obama. According to Forbes Magazine, the Romneys have a net worth of $230 million, not including $100 million set aside for their kids. The Obamas have a net worth of only $2.6 million, mainly earned from his two books. How much of Romney’s vast fortune will he spend in the 2012 race? I don’t think he will have to worry much about this in light of the super PAC money already raised for his election.

Jim Slitor

Decorah

 

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Vote for Obama this election year
  1. Wow… these are TERRIBLE reasons to vote for anyone. besides, your votes dont count anyway.
    http://blog.cgpgrey.com/the-electoral-college/

    • WOW … to say “your vote dont count anyway” and cite the electoral college as the reason is a TERRIBLE thing to say.

  2. Mr. Slitor…Sen. McCain and a FORMER Democrat member of congress pretty much saw to it that SuperPacs can shovel $ into BOTH candidates’ coffers.

    That said…tell us…why we should vote for a man who was once elected as our president even though he had NO EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE and has SEALED HIS PAST or has PROMISED TRANSPARENCY, but reneged, who SURROUNDS HIMSELF SOCIALISTS, MARXISTS, AND COMMUNISTS, or who promised CHANGE and gave us that ‘change’ to the tune of now $17 TRILLION of debt, or who employs America’s chief law officer who turns out to be a RACIST as evidenced by his refusal to investigate the New Black Panthers intimidating white voters, or who LIED to congress and REFUSES TO TURN OVER CRUCIAL DOCUMENTS…? BOTH inept members of our government seem to be proficient in blaming others for their ineptness.

    That same man you want me to vote for supports his chief law officer’s lies and racist attitude…….Just exactly what do you want the United States of America to become???

    You are ‘stuck’ on the RICH Republicans, but you fail to acknowledge the likes of RICH Democrats like Reid, Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi, etc.

  3. That’s an endorsement?
    Vote for Obama because he is worth-less?

    • President Obama is worth about $2.5 million and you deem him worthless. That tells us a lot about your perspective.

    • Would you prefer “Vote for Obama because he does not intend to turn our country into a theocracy”?

  4. There are so many false and misleading statements here it is hard to know where to begin. I may need to make multiple responses to this.

    Let’s start with an easy one. We are not $17 trillion in debt. It’s more like $15 trillion. The debt has continued to rise under president Obama but only because he was blocked from changing the policies put in place by his predecessor.

    There are two ways to look at the accumulation of debt: you can look at who was in office when the debt went up or you can look at who was responsible for the programs and polices that caused the debt. The second way is much more revealing of the President’s impact on the debt. I challenge William to name one program, initiated by President Obama, that has had a significant on-going impact on the deficit.

    FYI – It is very easy to identify policies and programs, initiated under Bush, that are significant and direct contributors to the increase in the national debt, even after he has left office.

    Does William realize that the rate of growth in the federal spending has been lower under President Obama than any president since Eisenhower?

    Source – http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-facts-about-the-growth-of-spending-under-obama-part-3/2012/06/05/gJQAY9YhGV_blog.html

    I know it is fun, easy and a cheap shot to look at the increase in the national debt and blame President Obama. It’s harder to deal with the real causes of the national debt.

    Note – I provide a source to support my contention about the growth in federal spending. William did not provide a source for anything he claimed. Did he just make it up?

    • The Democrats, including Obama, Geithner and the press, clamored for Bush to pass the $787 billion TARP program before he left office. And so it was passed. Now they not only take credit for the TARP program saving the economy, they blame Bush for the increase in spending, and want to maintain spending and deficits at ridiculously high levels and claim they are being frugal.

      That kind of reminds me of the early 1980’s when the Democrats credited Paul Volker for taming inflation through high interest rates, and blamed Reagan for the recession, when they were both the product of the same thing.

  5. It is interesting to read William’s comments and wonder how a grown man could believe all those things without one valid shred of actual evidence to back them up. You must remember William that just because Rush Limbaugh says something it does not make it a fact. I am amused by people who obviously have no first hand knowledge of the things they claim. Sealed his past? Communists, Socialist,Marxist Black Panthers and Racists? Wow William You should be a writer for some conspiracy theory television show(but if you were you could probably tell the difference between reality and make believe. Please take a deep breath and control your anger and hatred and you might actually be able to realize that you are just reciting what some Republican media person has said. You have absolutely no way to know these things as fact.

    • “Without one valid shred of actual evidence to back them up,” “no first hand knowledge,” For example, when I view a VIDEO of the Black Panthers…THAT is PROOF! When I view a video of Holder talking about “his” people, etc. My guess is you must take in MSNBC (I also do along with many others)..you know…that Obama cheerleader network! Since that liberal media does not always expose its viewers to FACTS..viewers will not hear the TRUTH. One example of MSNBC’s ‘reporting:” In the Zimmerman/Martin case…. MSNBC intentionally LEFT OUT a crucial part of Zimmerman’s 911 call…..that false ‘report to America’ made Zimmerman appear to make a RACIST statement. MSNBC finally ADMITTED their dastardly deed..!!!
      “Sealed his past?” My….but you must know a whole lot more about Obama than the majority of American citizens do..!! Please….tell us about his past…!!

      Sadly, you are so uninformed when you listen to Obama’s media cheerleaders.

      I have offered $$ to liberal friends who can tell me ONE SINGLE LIE Rush Limbaugh is guilty of………….guess what? NO TAKERS>>>!!!

      Oh…by the way…when one of your liberal cohorts talks about how much Bush spent that causes Obama so much ‘trouble’ they conveniently leave out a simple FACT: DURING BUSH’S LAST TWO YEARS…THE DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED CONGRESS..!!! AND GUESS WHO SPENDS TAXPAYERS’ DOLLARS…..C O N G R E S S !!!

      • William,
        I think you need to cut back on the caffeine

      • Mr. Strilich, until you can provide some genuine, unbiased evidence, all of your posting is nothing but blather. Let’s just start with the fact that Dubya, as President, could have vetoed anything that came across his desk, and forced legislation back to Congress. And perhaps you just forgot how Dubya was all about bailing out his banking buddies when his economic house of cards began to collapse around his ears. I feel sorry for him, in a way. He really believed his Uncle Ronnie.

      • William, can you tell me when under Bush, we started running those deficits? If you said it was during Bush’s first year, you’d be right. Who controlled Congress then? As you admitted, Congress wasn’t taken over by the Dems until 2007.

        Personally, I don’t watch Fox, nor do I watch MSNBC. But here’s what I chalk up our deficit to: 1) War in Afghanistan. 2) War in Iraq. 3) Unfunded Medicare prescription plan. 4) Unfunded “No Child Left Behind” law. 5) Tax cuts. 6) Formation of the Department of Homeland Security. And finally, 7) 23 million Americans out of work.

      • I think I found William’s black panther video.In it I saw what appeared to be a Republican and a poor orphan boy who was barely clothed. It’s gotta be what he’s talking about.
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ZRealt5TA

    • Frank I am not convinced that you would acknowledge facts or evidence of William’s post as it’s pretty much based on national media reporting over the last 4 years.

      • Mr. Ellis, I can’t say that I’m too concerned about Black Panther intimidation. I have not knowledge of that, but if it did occur, then it’s a matter for local law enforcement.

        Then William talks about the Zimmerman/Martin case. And as interesting as that is, it’s not a political case – so again, I’m not concerned with it.

        Then he claims that Obama has somehow “sealed his past”. I can’t say that I know anything about that. All that really concerns me is how well or how bad Obama has been performing his functions as president. At this point, it pointless to argue about his past. However, I’ve been calling for Mitt Romney to release his birth certificate since he became the presumptive nominee, but haven’t seen it published anywhere in print or online – maybe he “sealed his past” too.

        Lastly, he wants to blame all spending on the Dems by pointing out that Congress spends the money and did so during Bush’s last 2 years in office. I’m not disputing that. What I am pointing out is that Bush began running a deficit shortly after taking office when he had complete control of the House and Senate.

  6. And Thanks again Rich for citing facts and providing a source to verify those facts. It makes it so much easier to find out what is true and what is a Rush Limbaugh statement of his own special kind of truth

  7. “For example, when I view a VIDEO of the Black Panthers…THAT is PROOF!”

    What the heck are you talking about? Proof is something that you provide here, to the readers, that confirms what you are saying. Where is the link to this video? Where is anything that I or fellow readers can view that provides this proof?

    Oh, by the way, proof needs to be credible. Anyone can make a video that illustrates anything they want to say. Real proof comes from a credible source.

    As Jon Nunn says, you are just providing blather.

    What is amusing is that, whatever your cause, you are doing more harm to that cause than good with your blather.

    Most people only respect factual statements that are backed up by credible sources.

    Did you notice the first rule of engagement? It says, “Cite your sources when making claims of fact.” You made several claims of fact without citing any sources. I hope the Gazette will enforce this rule.

    • You cite the video of the Black Panthers….Of course you are not aware of it. You have not seen it because the liberal media would not dare show such a video.

      Permit me to offer an additional video I saw of a former president of the National Education Association when he addressed teachers….. He told them, “It is not about kids! It is about POWER!”

      • The Progressives writers in this venue constantly demand SOURCES, PROOF, yet they often do not offer their own. And when they do, the source is biased in their favor. The sources this writer uses are also biased in favor of The United States of America.

        This writer’s fundamental source is obvious: A NATION $17 TRILLION IN DEBT.

        Additional sources:

        “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.” “During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

        1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
        2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
        3. From courage to liberty;
        4. From liberty to abundance;
        5. From abundance to complacency;
        6. From complacency to apathy;
        7. From apathy to dependence on government;
        8. From dependence back into bondage”

        “The Constitution reflected the fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day. The problem with the Constitution is that it is a charter of negative liberties that does not allow for the federal government to redistribute wealth.” Barack Obama

        “The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is that the Democrats allow the poor to be corrupt, too. “
        Oscar Levant

        “The press is our chief ideological WEAPON.”
        Nikita Khrushchev

        “Workers of the world, UNITE!” Vladimir Lenin and Andy Stern

        “I once said, “We will bury you,” and I got into trouble with it. Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you.” Nikita Khrushchev

        “A leader in the Democratic Party is a boss, in the Republican Party he is a leader.” Harry S. Truman

        “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” Harry S. Truman

        “…the useful idiots’ that are used to promote a Socialist agenda – the first and necessary step toward Communism.” Vladimir Lenin

        “Education is a WEAPON whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.” Joseph Stalin

        “It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything.” Joseph Stalin

        “When even one American-who has done nothing wrong-is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth-then all Americans are in peril.” Harry S. Truman

        You can EASILY verify the above.

        FINIS !

        • Since when does a bunch of quotations, each being the opinion of some one, prove anything?

          William just doesn’t understand the concept of proof.

      • Rich Greer,
        You said “William just doesn’t understand the concept of proof”
        Most Conservatives don’t. Most recent issue of the Nation (July 16/23)–”The Washington Post’s Problem” by Eric Alterman. Focus is Post blogger Jennifer Rubin, whose stock in trade is invective. As bad as Ann Coulter.
        Alterman says “To the extent that conservatives face any difficulty achieving a hearing for their views in journalism (or academia. . .), the phenomenon is less the result of purposeful exclusion than a function of a commitment to maintaining professional standards. To be a good journalist or scholar, one must be willing to follow one’s research wherever it may lead. This is one reason conservatives have so far proven almost completely unsuccessful in nurturing and training actual journalists–ie those who put evidence before ideology in determining the truth . . ”
        That William cannot tell the difference between a statement and a source is the least of his problems.
        But trying to discuss anything with him is pointless. It’s the old briar patch.
        If it’s any comfort, there’s a guy who posts on the Press Citizen site who keeps citing his own on lline “newspaper” (“The Coralville Courier”) as his source. He’s his own perfect metaphor

        • Roberta, now you should appologize to Rich and the rest of us, for that matter, for wasting our time with one like minded individual telling us how smart liberals are. What you can’t stand are the conservative journalists, you know the ones you love to hate, daily. I venture to say there is a derogatory mention of Rush or Fox on this thread alone.
          That being said and back to the subject. Liberals are now concerned that they will be surpassed in fund raising and thus being an embarrassement to a sitting president. Obama is trying to demand campaign donor lists from super pacs.
          Warning to libs, the following link is brought to you by a conservative website. Sorry I can’t seem to find any of those genius liberal journalist writting about it.
          http://conservativehideout.com/2012/03/07/obama-administration-targeting-conservative-donors-its-more-likely-than-you-think/

          Funny story, Remember when Obama was whining about the money in campaigns and McCain asked him if he wanted to do the public finance option. Well you know the rest of the story. Being so smart and all.

          • LOL!!!!

            OK, so liberals are targeting conservatives with deep pockets, and conservatives are targeting liberals with deep pockets?

            Citizens United was still a really, really stupid decision.

            And your point would be, Ms. Kettleson?

          • Are you saying that Rush is a journalist? That’s hilarious and it says a lot about you and where your ideas come from.

          • Jon, my point was your point, sometimes one candidate will raise more than another. But is that a justification to say a candidate lost because they were outspent?

          • Rich, No I don’t think Rush is a journalist but he does give us some insight into stories that others don’t report. How many mindless hours would one have to spend waiting for the liberal media to do any in depth reporting. Fast & Furious for instance, it was only after Holder was held in contempt did the smartest people in the room report on it. Sometimes you have to watch the right to see what the left is doing. But what’s really hilarious for me Rich, is the reaction of the smartest people in the room being called out.

          • Sue, I think you should apologize to me for your personal attack. Which, by the way, is a violation of the Gazette’s rules for using their wb site. Refer above for said rules
            On the other hand, your post is a perfect example of what Eric Alterman, who is a journalist, is talking about.

  8. Rich, I understand that like most Americans you have no understanding of how our “voting system” even works… I understand this. Because you are forced by your party to “focus” on bigger issues rather then see what the entire problem is. You should actually WATCH that video instead of just reading the link… In fact you should spend some time watching all of Grey’s videos as he does a lovely job explaining very complicated things to a country who is more obsessed with Jersey Shore then how bad we are getting screwed.

    • How dare you say I don’t understand how our voting system works. I guarantee you I know more about how our voting system works than you and most Americans. I spend a lot of time studying various political issues. However, unlike you, I am focused on objective, factual material and not some silly ideologue.

  9. If for no other reason, the wise vote in this election comes down to casting one’s vote in favor of President Obama because he is the lesser of two evils.

    • The cynic in me agrees. Yet I think there is a significant difference in what would would expect from each candidate that one could vote based on positive aspects of President Obama, rather than simply President Obama would do less harm.

    • I accept that. President Obama has, on some issues, disappointed me. Nonetheless, overall I think he has done a very good job. Historians will rate him in the top half of all presidents and add a footnote that he faced extraordinary opposition in a party that opposed everything tried to do, including concepts that were originally embraced by that party.

      When I compare our future under President Obama or Romney I shutter in fear when I think about the damage Romney will do to our country. The rich will get much richer and the poor will get much poorer and more and more of the middle class will become poor.

  10. Another example of a liberal trying to divert people’s attention away from examining Obama’s record, understand his abject failure as President and still vote for him. Foolish is as foolish does!

    • Mr Ellis,
      As much as I hate bumper sticker slogans, “GM is alive; Osama bin Ladin is dead”.
      Given that my bumper sticker slogan cites two specific concrete examples and yours consists of an adjective and an abstract noun (“abject failure”), my bumper sticker slogan is better than your bumper sticker slogan

  11. We could look at Romney’s record as governor in Mass.

    • Ross,
      You don’t really mean that. Looking at Romney’s record would take us off Romney’s message and bring up the embarassing spector of Romneycare. Plus all the other things that are starting to crawl out from underneath the carpet. Like dismal job creation rate,net loss in population, outsourcing of public sector jobs, increased taxes hidden as “fees”. And his apparent lack of interest in even being governor the last two years. If he didn’t like being governor, which seems to have been the case, why on earth does he want to be president?
      Looking back at all these posts, what is obvious is that none of these conservative, presumably Republican, posters, have given me a reason to vote for Romney. They are so busy tearing into Obama that they apparently can’t be bothered with their own dam candidate




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