Columns

Republican message lacking

RON RAE, Guest columnist
Published: September 12, 2012

A harp, a violin and a drum. As applied to the goings on at the Republican National Convention, elite conservatives spent too much time harping about the inadequacies of Barack Obama's presidency rather than outlining policies to correct the still ill economy.

As if to sooth the inner beast of the doubting viewer the strategy of playing a harmony of violins with recitals of demagogueries may have resonated with the faithful but fell on deaf ears to the populace. In the end, guest speakers utilized allotted time to drum up name recognition for a solo performance in the 2016 election.

Symbolism aside, the constant pop-up statements demonizing Obama's character, patriotism and American citizenship are reminiscent of McCarthyism. There seemed to be hints of skepticism that are voters are inept at making astute decisions in the November elections.

Case in point: Republican-governed states have passed legislation that tends to restrict the number of eligible voters that fit into select demographics. Perhaps it's not so coincidental that both Joseph McCarthy and vice president nominee Paul Ryan have held Republican Congressional seats in Wisconsin.

To counter false and affronting attacks directed at the President, the interpretive response from Democrats seems to be, "I'm rubber; you're glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!"

To which Republicans would script an on the cuff response, "We will stick to our promise to unglue the greatest tax increase in the history of the United States by repealing Obamacare." The point being, there continues to be no constructive discourse between opposing political factions.

Republican comments are redundant, much like an elderly person whose fading memory recreates the same events over and over with frequent twists and an embellishment of the facts. A perfect example of the denial of mistaken recollections is Paul Ryan's marathon story. Critics found the vice presidential candidate responding with comments that made trivial banter of his apparent confusion between the accomplishments of his brother and himself.

Thusly, there should be a degree of concern about Ryan's Path to Prosperity budget plan where the second-in-command hopeful promotes a guaranteed no-holds-barred annual increase in spending for an ever-expanding military-industrial-congressional complex.

It suggests a predatory involvement in global affairs. The Republican 'survival of the fittest' conviction applies not only to military interests, but also the economy, the unemployed, private investments and, yes, health care. Unfortunate souls become victims of natural selection; equality becomes a perception.

House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan also calls for a simpler tax code where the current six tax brackets are reduced to two – 12 percent and 25 percent. He would eliminate taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains while also eliminating the death tax. All of which would contribute to a greater divide in wealth among the fewer social classes.

But both political parties are guilty of treating voters as incidental pets, placating their immediate needs with disaffectionate attention but for nurturing their loyalty at opportune times, the months leading up to mid-term and general elections. They are anthropomorphic toward the electorate, bestowing upon voters token encouragements of 'atta boy' and 'pretty girl' as enticements for allegiance.

An example of this disaffection was experienced by a friend who attended the Convention. A dedicated participant in promoting tea party ideologies, she conveyed her disappointment over the frequent displays of "dissention" and the "lack of organization" within the ranks of the party.

With disgust, she abandoned the affair the evening prior to Romney's acceptance speech. She assured me events would have been much more cohesive if Newt Gingrich were the candidate of choice.

President Obama may not be deserving of accolades for his administration's achievements over the past four years. But saving the economy through government monetary stimulation is never intended to bring about immediate economic growth; it avoids worst case scenarios and seeds future growth.

It's rather trite for Republicans to keep asking voters if they're better off today than four years ago. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan must convince Americans they have viable strategies to rectify the social, economic and employment discords facing ours and future generations. A Roadmap to America's Future isn't good enough.

We know the substance of Barack Obama's policies. The Republican candidates must outline the ways and means to engineer, construct and navigate their route to prosperity. In my opinion, the definitive economic indicator is the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Gains have been steady. However modest, future growth is expectant. It's surprising that it's not a talking point among liberals.

It is imperative Romney avoid fluff and stuff rhetoric. He must prove he's more than just a nice guy and present himself as a leader among men, a decisive decision maker with policies of substance. His success is dependent on his performance during the presidential debates. Otherwise, politically, this will prove to be his last song.