Current Politics: The Democratic National Convention

This year the DNC took place in Charlotte, NC a swing state of course, that should fall in Obama's favor. The coverage began from Tuesday to Thursday and I tried my best to watch every night just as I did the RNC. Although I know there are some who think the idea of political conventions are a waste of time and money, I greatly disagree. I think these conventions are an effective way for political parties to come together and present their case and direction to the American public. Whether Republican or Democratic, I honestly enjoy watching these rallies unfold. It is an assembly of the super-stars, as well as the new up-and-comers to the political-sphere. One of these days I would actually like to attend one of these conventions, and perhaps catch a few notable speeches. Nonetheless here is my analysis of last weeks' DNC.


Rahm Emmanuel

The mayor of Chicago and former White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, was the first speaker I tuned into Tuesday night. I must confess that he wasn't the best speaker, and stuttered way too much. However he got his message across and provided some good insight on his work experience with the president. He described the president' courage to go up against his advisers, and make difficult decisions, such as in the case of the auto-bailout. He did however finish on a strong note, rallying up the chants of "Four-More-Years!"


Deval Patrick

On Tuesday night the first speech that fired me up was from governor Deval Patrick. He succeeded Mitt Romney in 2007 as governor of Massachusetts, and easily won re-election in 2010. He gave a fiery speech, rallying Democrats to "Get a Backbone!" and support President Obama's direction. He was a very passionate and convincing speaker, and could be a potential Democratic candidate in 2016.

Martin O'Maley

Then came another charismatic speech from the popular Governor of Maryland, Martin O'Malley. He began his career in office as Mayor of Baltimore, from 1999-2007, than governor in 2007. He has won praise for his courage and support of Immigration and Same-Sex issues. As an Irish-Catholic and at only 49 years old he has a very prominent future ahead of him and could be another potential candidate in 2016.

Julian Castro

On Tuesday night the keynote speaker was a new up-and-comer mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro, who nailed the spotlight with a powerful speech. He was raised in a politically-active, Chicano family (half-Mexican, half-American) and studied law at Harvard. He began his political career in 2009 as mayor of San Antonio and easily won reelection in 2011. On stage, Julian had an affective baritone style of speaking, very similar to President Obama. His charismatic appeal on stage is no doubt what has brought him such popularity within the democratic party.

Michelle Obama

The main star of Tuesday night was first lady, Michelle Obama, who quite possibly gave one of the best first lady speeches of all time. As normal at these conventions, the first lady is expected to show a personal side of the president. And in the past, first ladies have always played the cliche role of "stand-by-your-man" and why the country should chose their husband as the president. Hillary was perhaps the first to break this ceiling and create her own political agenda.

Yet on Tuesday, Michelle captivated the country with a heart-felt speech on what the last four years had meant to her and her family. It is clear that Michelle is no stranger to the stage of public speaking, and presented herself in a favorable personal manner yet also an intelligent manner. As I watched her speak late that Tuesday night, I suddenly realized that the wife of Barack, could possibly have a future in political office. There is no reason to think, that first-lady Michelle, just like Hillary Clinton, could assume a senatorial or gubernatorial position after the presidency. She would be a much welcomed and inspiring democratic leader for the country.

Elizabeth Warren

I didn't get a chance to listen to Elizabeth Warren's speech, however read some mixed reviews. She is running for the highly contested senate seat of Massachusetts against republican Scott Brown. Over the last year she has gained major media attention, most notably from the Huffington Post, for her straight talking approach. She's a Harvard law professor and adviser to the financial protection bureau. One thing I quickly have admired about Warren is how she is able to emphasize the importance and necessity of government. She has stressed that businesses need the many provisions of government such as roads, security, schools, etc. And that small businesses would be nowhere with government support. Wednesday night she countered the Republican's theme with a strong message that "We Built it Together". I heard her speech was a little stumbly at times, yet she got her message out as usual, and hopefully she can win the senate seat on November 6th.

Bill Clinton

Fortunately I was able to hear the Clinton speech live on NPR on my way home from the Indians game Wednesday Night. It was so inspiring that I would later watch it a 2nd time the following day. At age 65, Bill Clinton has still got the charisma that made him famous and won him 8 years as our nations finest president. He was my first political hero, growing up as a kid, and I consider him the godfather of the Democratic party. His wife, Hillary, has been an equal inspiration to me, with her democratic work as senator and secretary of state. So it's always a thrill to see the Clintons take the national stage.

Bill gave a very long speech, over 40 minutes, essentially about why he endorsed president Barack Obama. He based most of his speech on the economy, hardly any social issues whatsoever, which is much better in my opinion. He speaks quite naturally, arguably one of the most comfortable public speakers I have ever seen. He made a clear distinction between the Democratic ideology and the Republican ideology. In this contrast he attacked Romney and Ryan's direction of individual self interest. He emphasized that we are a united nation and work best when we work together. He was very effective at rallying the crowd. When he finished his speech, President Obama, joined him on stage, for some inspiring images; the two champions of the Democratic Party.

Jennifer Granholm

The former governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm gave one of the most animated speeches of the entire convention. She served two terms in Michigan, as a very popular governor from 2003 to 2011. Since her governorship she has become a very effective supporter of the Obama presidency. She hosts a talk show on Al Gore's Current TV and is considered a potential cabinet member or supreme court Justice if Obama wins re-election. Her speech highlighted the benefits of President Obama's Auto-Bailout. She went on an energetic rant explaining all the jobs that were saved from this action. As she listed the amount of jobs saved in each state, the crowd went wild. Granholm should definitely be used on the campaign trail.

John Kerry

The 2004 presidential election was the first time I really got interested in politics and the democratic candidate John Kerry was my guy. I was a sophomore in college, and finally beginning to understand the state of things in the world. In my opinion, President George W. Bush was a war-monger and complete puppet, and needed to be replaced. I thought the Kerry-Edwards ticket was a sure winner, and I got very involved that fall. Yet I was very disappointed when they loss. Nonetheless John Kerry has continued his long career in the senate, and is surely one of the most respected politicians still on the job.

On Thursday night, the Senator of Massachusetts took the attack role, slamming Romney on his misguided approach to foreign policy. He highlighted Romney's numerous over-sea blunders and gaffes, such as Romney's criticism of the London Olympics. He emphasized Obama's dedication and commitment to Israel, as well his achievements in Afghanistan and Iraq. He joked about Romney's understanding of Russia, as if it were still in the Cold War days as depicted in Rocky IV.  He also highlighted Romney's failure to acknowledge soldiers in his nomination speech. Kerry described Romney as a wishy-washy candidate unaware of his stance on foreign policy. This attack on foreign policy will definetely be a theme to the Obama campaign, and rightfully so. Hard to argue against his resume. Kerry did a very effective job at jabbing the Republican candidate.



Joe Biden

Vice President, Joe Biden, is a very effective and likable speaker. He's gained a notorious reputation as a "talker" however looks so natural and comfortable on stage. Along with his wife Jill, he once again presented his story to the country. Beginning with his humble roots in Scranton, PA, to his long tenure as senator of Delaware (he was the fourth most senior senator, since assuming the office of vice president). He was a democratic candidate in 2008, however overshadowed by the popular trio of Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards. When Obama chose Biden as his running mate, I thought this was the perfect balance to the perfect ticket and it proved true. After four years as VP, Joe Biden has done just as expected, supporting the president at all times.

On Thursday night, he gave an incredibly passionate speech, about his close relationship with Barack Obama, a fierce attack on Mitt Romney, and his vision of America. Biden described his loyalty to the president and was admired by Obama's courage. He then went on a fierce attack of Mitt Romney, for seeing people as a product of business, rather than human beings. He also pointed out Romney's lack of outreach to soldiers and veterans who had served their country. Pointing out that Romney didn't consider Afghanistan as an important matter. Throughout his speech he instilled a very strong tone, challenging Romney and Ryan's economic plan. He challenged their notion that the country was in decline and suffering. He echoed a phrase to both Republicans and Democratics, to never bet against America. This was a great rally cry and powerful speech from Joe biden.


Barack Obama

Finally at about 10:30 Thursday Night, came the man of the hour, President Barack Obama. He had proven himself time and time again as a very passionate, soulful speaker. As a matter of fact it was at the DNC in Denver, 2004 when I first witnessed this incredibly charismatic keynote-speaker at work. Barack Obama has always had a powerful skill of speaking, through his baritone voice and his soulful energy. He went on to use this to his advantage throughout the 2008 presidential campaign, his speech at the 2008 DNC, his inauguration speech, as well as his three state of the unions. President Obama always remains a great public speaker. That being said this night wasn't his greatest speech, yet still a convincing speech nonetheless.

Right from the get-go, I honestly thought the tone was rushed and not as passionate as we've come to expect from Obama. However upon consideration, this should only be expected from a man who has already served four years as president. Before Obama's message was an inspiring one of "hope" and "change", however he can no longer serve that same message. For he is now in the driver seat, and must convince the American public, that he needs more time to complete his vision. Thus forth the theme of "forward" is quite fitting for the Obama campaign, to continue with the direction they began with.

In my opinion, President Obama has already had a very efficient presidency with numerous achievements. From his economic stimulus, the auto-bailout (saving GM), health care reform, to an incredible foreign policy (nuclear reductions with Russia, end of Iraq War, death of Osama bin Laden, withdrawals from Afghanistan, end of Gaddafi and Libya Civil War, and supporting democracy in the Middle East) However with all these positive achievements, republicans can still make a case, that jobs and unemployment are still at a low. Yet there is one thing they seem to always overlook, and that's the fact that (A.) Obama inherited a recession and (B.) he has served against a do-nothing congress who according to Mitch O'Connell will do everything in their power to stop Obama from winning a 2nd term. Thus forth it is unfair and inaccurate for Republicans to make the case that the president has not done enough for the country's economy.

President Obama's case to the Convention and the country, was that we needed to press forward. He emphasized that the policies of the past, such as the Bush era of deregulation, is exactly what put us in the economic collapse to begin with. That the best way forward is not to repeal taxes on the wealthy, yet on the Middle Class. This has always been Obama's direction from the beginning, to look out for the middle and lower classes, and should be highly admired. And although he has clearly grown withered of uncompromising politics, he is still undeniably the best man for the job. President Obama has the experience and the better vision to progress this country in a forward direction.

Random Summer Notes 2012

Well with the passing of Labor day, summer is officially over and the Fall Season has begun. Autumn is of course always my favorite season, from the changing weather, the colorful leaves, football season, country trips, camping, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. It will especially be exciting this year with the upcoming Presidential election between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. However before I thrust into the action of fall, I thought it would be quite fitting to look back upon the very eventful summer that it was. I can honestly say that this summer will rank with some of the best of em (06, 07, 08, 09). So here's the recap of my Summer of 2012.

Indy Mini: My dad always says that summer kicks off with our annual running of the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. We started this race back in 2005, and in those days it marked the end of college and the beginning of summer. Well this year was no different, as we gathered to run our 8th annual mini-marathon. I had begun training back during Lent season and was in very good shape. Marc, Philip, and myself were also considering breaking the family record of 1:43. That May 5th however was the muggiest race we had ever run. I finished in at a time of 1:55. Later that day we had pizza over at Carl and Devons, and then Palmer and myself went to a friend's party. It was a fun day.

Indianapolis Indians: Back during the Lenten season, I was beginning to feel that I needed a new career challenge and then came this great opportunity. It wasn't so much about the meager pay, yet just about the new experience. I began in late April, working at Victory Field home of the Triple A Indianapolis Indians. I worked out of the press-box, where I track pitches and collected data for the Pittsburgh Pirates. On average I worked about 2 games a week, for the entire summer. There were nights where I loved it and nights that would just never end. All-in-all though it was a very rewarding experience that re-ignted my appreciation for baseball.

Lindsay and Josh Cross' Wedding: On May 12th I went to Fort Wayne for Lauren's sister's wedding with Josh Cross. This was an exciting celebration of two people I had known for quite some time. It would of course be a high school reunion, a drunken party, and the perfect chance to kick off the summer. The reception was a good time of drinking and dancing with my friends. We later took the party to the hotel and had a few more drinks there.   

Geist Mini: I continued training hard into the spring. Evening runs and Saturday morning runs on the Monon Trail became my favorite thing to do. Philip and myself decided to do a Redemption Mini from our terrible time at the Indy Mini. This time on May 19th I ran a much better time of 1:46:17 at the Geist Half Marathon.

Memorial Weekend: That weekend I went home to visit the family in Fort Wayne, and do some prep work for the Kekionga Triathlon. Saw the movie Avengers with my mom, had a very nice lunch, and bought a new Schwinn bike and helmet. Later that Sunday I partied it up with Palmer and the family. It was a nice 3-day weekend.

Euro Cup: The 2nd biggest soccer tournament, began in early June, and I followed it very closely. Portugal was of course my favorite team to watch, and really hoped that Cristiano Ronaldo would win his first national tournament. I watched most the games online, and eventually bought a very nice C. Ronaldo Portugal jersey. Portugal was however eliminated in the final four, and Spain went on to win their 3rd consecutive international tournament.

Andres' Visit: Andres came to visit for a week, which was a very nice change of pace in Indianapolis. He went back and forth from my apartment to Philip's apartment. On Tuesday I took him on my RCL delivery route and then later to the Indians game. On Wednesday the three of us played some tennis. On Thursday we went to an open track meet in Whitestown. I was recovering from stomach nausea so could only watch while Philip and Andres participated. I then took him back to Fort Wayne late Friday night.

Chicago Weekend: Ever since I fell in love with the city of Chicago in 2008, I made a promise with myself to re-visit the city at least once a year. And when better a time to visit this amazing city than in the summer. Last summer's Chicago trip was a nightmare, of which we had to cut short due to terrible weather. This year's was complete perfection! We left early in my parent's new KIA, made the 3 hour drive, and found parking in my old neighborhood of Rogers Park. We then boarded the Red Line to take a tour through the city. We walked around downtown, visiting the typical sites such as Memorial Park, Grant Park, and the historic Financial district. We eventually stumbled upon a Puerto Rican festival as well. By late afternoon, we took the train back up north to spend the rest of the day at the beach. Here we had a nice calzone lunch and relaxed under a tree. We left by around 4ish, and eventually stopped in at the famous Don Quixote Spanish restaurant in Valparaiso. My mom had been raving about this restaurant for a long time, so it was quite interesting to finally see what it was like. It was a very classy restaurant, high prices, small quantities, and average taste. The rest of the trip was a tight squeeze in the small KIA and everyone was happy when we finally made it home late in the evening. It was a perfect Chicago day!

Dave Matthews Concert: This was a major event in planning with my college friends to finally see Dave Matthews Band live in concert. DMB of course being one of my favorite modern day bands. That Saturday on June 23rd the experience was once again a total perfect success! It began at an afternoon pool party, then a parking lot tailgate, then the concert itself. It was Lauren, Nate, Brian, Matt Turrow, Jesse Turrow, Lindsay, Lizzie, EJ, and K-man. They were all like family that day. We stood on the lawn for the entire show, singing our lungs out and dancing our feet off. It was like heaven, no doubt one of the funnest times I had ever had before.

Enoch Olympics: For our usual Fourth of July family reunion we went up to Battle Creek, Michigan. We spent the day at Goguac Lake, then later at Aunt Cathy's house. This year was different from previous 4th of Julys, in that it was our grandfather's 100th memorial. We decided to celebrate his past through a series of physical competition. This included push-ups, sit-ups, jump-rope, handstands, and swimming. We later spent the evening at Cathy's house drinking, eating, playing corn-hole, Grandpa trivia, and just visiting with one another.

Kekionga Sprint Triathlon: This had been my baby event four years ago, and this year it was finally going legit. This meant total sponsorship from an outside organization known as Tri-State Triathlon. Derek Wetli came in and completely organized the event to be officially sanctioned by USAT. We had over 50 seasoned triathletes show up that Saturday morning on July 21st to partake. Although only 4 of the original participants showed up (Philip, Shawnna, KB, and myself) and I finished 2nd last, the event was still a success. That evening we had a nice party at Kekionga, of which Palmer finally showed up, as well as LaMaster. Next year I hope to do a lot better in the actual race. 

London Olympics: Ever since Atlanta in 96 I have fallen in love with the Olympic games, and thus had the London games high on my radar. I went to the store that week to buy a digital converter box for my television so that I could get a local channel feed. After some fixing and adjusting I had a clear broadcast picture on my TV and was ready for the opening ceremony. I watched the games nearly every night in my apartment the first week, and almost every night in New England the 2nd week. No matter what the event was, it was always exhilarating to watch the best athletes in the world compete with one another.

New England Vacation: This was the grand finale of the amazing summer of 2012. We carefully planned this vacation back in the springtime, as a family tour through New England, a region I had never set foot in. We rented a van, loaded the bikes, and made the 12 hour drive to begin in Connecticut. We visited Uncle Larry, then went to Boston for a day, then spent the rest of the week in Maine. We saw whales, ate amazing lobster, relaxed at harbors, went to a beach, did some rock-climbing, and even went bowling in Bangor, Maine for Andres. It was a very memorable trip!

B-town Day: After our incredible New England vacation, I took the whole Friday to relax at my parents house. I then left early Saturday morning for Bloomington to party with my friends. This would be the final bang of the summer. It had been over a year since I visited my old college town, and was looking forward to just going nuts with my friends. We started off at Lindsay's house for a barbecue, then got a hotel room, then went to the classic Kirkwood bars. We played "Sink-the-Biz" at Nick's then went to the Upstairs and had an AMF, and that's the last thing I remember. Those AMFs are notorious for black-outs. The day was still a drunken success, and a perfect closure to a perfect summer.

Current Politics: The Republican National Convention

Every four years, on election year, political parties host a major convention for their presidential nominee. These conventions are a political rally, that are structured to support the presidential candidate and demonstrate the political direction. However it is also a major networking opportunity for politicians, and a good chance to be discovered on the national stage. The convention usually consists of three to four days of speeches. I remember the first time I learned of Barack Obama was when he gave a powerful speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. It became clear to me that this convention served as the ultimate launching pad for up-and-coming politicians. I thus watched the RNC this week to understand Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan's conservative direction as well as scout the new Republican talent.

Scott Walker

I began watching on Tuesday night and was quite disgusted to first see Scott Walker speaking on stage. This governor from Wisconsin came to notoriety last year, when he led an assault on collective bargaining rights. This led to a major protest amongst labor unions in Wisconsin that lasted for several months, resulted in the fleeing of state representatives, and finally a recall of Gov. Walker's office. It was only the 3rd governor recall in history, and Walker rounded up as much money as he could not to be humiliated. Milwaukee mayor, Tom Barrett, had no chance in the recall election, outspent 10 to 1 in campaign funding. At the RNC, Walker then went on to present his case as if the people had spoken in favor of big business and no labor rights. The fact that he was nearly ousted from office gives him absolutely no credit to speak. Shame on him!

Nikki Haley

This governor from South Carolina, seemed to be quite the new appeal Tuesday night. She is a middle-aged attractive, tea party-conservative, who was quite sharp on the attacks of President Obama. And although she gave a very impressive and passionate speech, she has no grounds as a 2nd generation Indian immigrant, to be so firmly against immigration. Illegal immigration is no doubt an issue, yet conservatives sometimes tend to forget that we are a nation of immigrants, and should be a little more tolerant.

Ann Romney

The wife of candidate Mitt Romney, and potential First Lady, was on everyone's eyes that night. In my opinion she came off a little fake and cheesy and was the cliche, rich Caucasian, political wife. However her history is surely more admirable than Mitt Romney's. She has dealt with the struggles of cancer and raising 5 boys. Major kudos to that. However she continued to echo the theme of "We Built It" trying to emphasize the importance of small businesses. What this theme doesn't consider is the necessary government services such as roads, education, health, agriculture, scientific research, security, environmental protection, and many other services that a private company would not want to fund.

Chris Christie

The animated governor of New Jersey, took center stage Tuesday night as the Keynote Speaker and gave a fiery speech. Although I did not stay up for this one, I heard it was loud and mostly about himself. He only mentioned Mitt Romney's name 7 times, and clearly seemed to be more interested in his own future. Christie is no doubt a very passionate politician yet he doesn't serve as a good healthy role model. He is however very popular and was considered a favorite had he run in the Republican Primaries. He could definitely be a front-runner candidate in 2016 or 2020 depending on who wins this election.

Mike Huckabee

The evangelical radio host and former 2008 republican contender, gave a fierce speech revolving around religion. He attempted to portray Romney's Mormon faith in good light, yet ultimately declared his leadership of America was more important than his faith. (A questionable stance coming from a religious extremist) He then however wasted no time to attack Obama on his religious faults and misdirection concerning gay-rights and abortion. Huckabee claimed that Obama had created government as the ultimate God. I don't understand how Christian-Republicans can make this argument against Democrats who simply want to take care of the sick and poor. After all was this not Jesus' greatest mission?  

Condeleeza Rice

The former Secretary of State during the Bush administration, was a potential running mate. She has made an apparent desire to return to the national spotlight. She gave a strong speech on foreign policy and American Ideals. She was one of the many speakers to highlight the rise from humble beginnings to success. And although her story was quite inspiring, she lacked passion or emotion, and was merely reaching out to a certain demographic.

Susana Martinez

Latinos seemed to be the main demographic target in this convention, with numerous Latino speakers and small business success stories. This especially frustrates me considering Romney's strict regulation on immigration. He does not oppose Immigration enforcement laws (such as in Arizona), wants to build a wall on the Southern Border, and hardly any amnesty whatsoever on illegal immigrants. Gov Susana Martinez gave a typical likable story of humble beginnings to success, in an attempt to reach out to Latin voters, however she represents only a fraction of the Latino population. Conservatives try to align themselves with these "Texicans" (Southern Mexican-Americans) through gun-rights and Christian values, yet only appeal to them when it's time to round up the votes. Latinos should not expect any Republican legislation whatsoever in their favor.


Paul Ryan

I have to honestly admit that Paul Ryan is the future face of the Republican party, with the total political package; Ideology and Charisma. He is a family man in his mid 40s, with small town roots. Similar to Obama he has a genuine charisma and likability of relating with the people. I found that I have more in common with him then Obama; he is a Catholic, fitness advocate (P90x), and listens to Led Zeppelin. Paul Ryan could surely be a president in the future.

However his economic ideology is way out of touch. He was inspired by the Russian capitalist philosopher, Ayn Rand. She was quite hypocritical, against collectivism, yet accepted government scholarships and medical aid. Paul Ryan however is firmly against government collectivism. He came to fame as the chairman of the House Budge Committee and has been considered one of the lead congressmen against government spending. Yet this laissez-faire approach of economics, suits only a few, 1% in particular. A free market ideology such as this is a complete survival-of-the-fittest approach, that would not care for the weak. This is simply an unethical, un-Catholic, and unacceptable ideal!

Marco Rubio

Here is a name I have heard over and over again on NPR, (mostly controversy relating to his citizenship), yet had never seen before. Marco Rubio is a Cuban-American Republican Senator of Florida, with another cliche rags-to-riches story. He was the ideal person to introduce Romney on Thursday night, once again reaching out to the Latin vote. I must admit that second to Paul Ryan, he was a very charismatic speaker to be noted in the future. He went on and on about American exceptionalism as well as his own personal story. He demonstrated an admirable strength and passion on the national stage and he will surely pave the future direction of the Republican party.

Mitt Romney

So after about 6 years now, beginning sometime in 2006, Mitt Romney has finally secured the Republican nomination for president. At first glance he has the presidential qualities; cliche Caucasian in his mid 60s, full batch of hair, firm stature, and a strong persona. He is a loving father and a loving husband, with a trophy attractive blond wife. He is very involved with his Mormon faith and gives a lot to charity. At first glance Mitt Romney seems like Mr. Perfect. Yet then he opens his mouth, and reveals his ideals and personal history of sheer capitalistic prowess. Although he had a brief term as governor of Massachusetts he is ultimately a business man, not a government man, concerned more for profit than sustainability.

Mitt Romney was raised into a high-class life from the beginning through his father George Romney, governor of Michigan from 1963-1969. It is thus fair to say that he was handed success, and used that wealthy upbringing to only climb higher and higher. With his powerful network, Romney was able to climb the business ladder, through Harvard Business school and eventually managing a Finance Company known as Bain Capital. Here he demonstrated not only his business skills yet leadership and organizational skills to direct, save, and especially invest in many companies. Some may argue that his venture capitalist tactics were a sheer takeover method, and he was only creating his own financial empire. Nonetheless Romney attained a significant fortune from his investment and finanical career, and could thus turn to a career in politics.

He came to national prominence when he rescued the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic games, through his organizational leadership. He of coursed used this heroic national achievement to secure a governor office in Massachusetts. During his four years as governor he was able to turn the state's debt into a significant "rainy-day" fund, however also was noted for his statewide medical reform. This statewide medical reform is the exact law that President Obama passed in 2010, requiring all Americans to get health insurance. Yet now Romney has strongly stood against Obama's health care bill, calling it unconstitutional with a platform to repeal it. This is sheer nerve and total hypocrisy from Mitt Romney!

Yet his greatest flaw is not his business profile yet instead his disconnect from the people. Mitt Romney has come to the national stage at a time of economic recession and instability in the world. The gap between the rich and poor has undeniably continued to grow, resulting in widespread frustration. Romney represents the essence of the privileged 1%, who ruthlessly achieved their fortune through a powerful network and the hard labor of others. He is no doubt a strong leader, yet he is a business leader, that is out of touch with normal workers and normal people.

Romney would undoubtedly be an efficient and powerful leader yet his desire for power would undermine the infrastructure. Businesses would thrive beyond the global market, resulting in a sudden collapse of production. Time and time again history has shown that this free market approach, only leads to economic depression. The only sustainable approach for this country is a balanced economy that does not produce beyond its means. This is why government regulation is a necessity! My hope is that people can see through Romney's broken approach that favors 1% of the population and recognize Obama's genuine appeal to the other 99% of Americans.