Crystallization

The Republicans sure make it easy for me. I'm a Democrat, and it would be hard, but I am somewhat open-minded and willing to listen. However, the Republicans don't even try to nominate someone appealing to me. It must be true that they see me as someone living on an island off the mainland (NYC) who isn't really part of America.

The current Romney-Ryan ticket is so off the wall that I can't imagine how it is possibly a close race, yet it apparently is. Their natural constituency is comparatively small-- millionaires, billionaires, the religious right, gun fanatics, libertarians, anti-blacks, strict Republican Party stalwarts, right-to-lifers --so I can't fathom how half the population is taken in by them. The only explanation that makes sense to me is that many voters expected the economy to improve under Obama and are desperate for an improvement. The latter group's anguish is real and understandable.

Things are definitely bad, but the Republicans caused a lot of our problems, stymied solutions, and would certainly not help the middle class recover. In fact, their stated policies would make things worse for everyone, including the rich in the long run. President Harry Truman had it right when he said, many years ago, that if you want to live like a Republican, vote for the Democrats!

I watched the Republican Convention and now the first day of the Democrats'. The difference to me is startling, and this is even before the Democrats finish. The Democratic delegates look and sound like the mix of races and colors that I see every day in New York. By contrast, the Republicans look homogenized, like white bread, regardless of whether they come from cities or small towns. The scripts seem similar-- everyone espouses wholesome American values and had forebears who were poor-- but it sounds phony and hollow to me when the Republicans try to pull it off. As former Texas Governor Ann Richards put it, Poppy (George Bush Sr.) was born with a silver foot in his mouth.

Republican candidates are a disgrace. The Romney-Ryan ticket lies, openly champions the rich, and proposes idiotic, unworkable policies. The previous candidate, John McCain, chose a running mate totally unqualified to be president. George W. Bush doubled the national debt, got us into two senseless wars, and presided over a vast financial collapse. Their Republican colleagues in Congress opposed everything Obama wanted to improve conditions. WHAT A CREW!!