Choice. I have two daughters who I love dearly. I worry about their future and the opportunity they have for a good life. Choice to me goes well beyond healthcare decisions. It includes the right to decide: what and where to study, what job to pursue, what items to buy, who (and whether) to marry, how to invest for retirement, pretty much everything that entails a choice.
The availability of health options is fundamental, because without good health, little else matters. I read today that a Michigan judge decided to allow an employer to withhold free contraception from his employees because of his religious beliefs. While I respect a person’s religious beliefs, no one has the right to impose them on another person. Republicans love consumer choice and abhor the Nanny State, but for some reason it is OK for one’s employer to make decisions that restrict employee choice. I don’t get how you can have it both ways.
War and Foreign Policy. If you have never been to war, please talk to someone who has and ask them how they would feel about returning to Iraq or fighting a war in Iran. Mitt Romney hasn’t served or sent any of his sons to serve in defense of our country, but he is happy to send yours. He is happy to reduce educational opportunities for disadvantaged economic classes (read, Black, Hispanic), because if you can’t borrow from your parents for your education, the Army will offer those opportunities.
Romney’s performance at the debate was absolutely frightening. He has threatened to upset our relations with China (not even going to talk about the money he made off of his China investments). He has already embarrassed himself on the world stage by insulting both the UK and bizarrely misrepresenting our relations with Russia. And after all that, he conceded during that debate that his plan is basically to do exactly what Obama did only “stronger,” whatever that means.
Obama’s guiding principle is Diplomacy first, then sanctions, then action. He means what he says and follows through strongly. Romney’s scare politics mean forget diplomacy, strengthen sanctions and get ready to hit Iran fast. Iran has shown some willingness to talk (not that I trust that at all, but…) but they are waiting to see who is president first. To me that is more frightening than all the talk about “four years closer to a bomb.”
Regarding Benghazi, Romney’s response was alarming. Even Condoleeza Rice, George W. Bush’s Secretary of State, said on Fox News that actionable intelligence is not always available early on in an incident. They were still trying to sort out what was going on when Romeny accused Obama of lying and withholding the truth. I don’t want a leader that jumps the gun on delicate international matters when lives are at stake, even, or especially, if lives have already been taken.
Economy. Unemployment is at 7.9%. 171,000 new jobs in October. Obama’s economic policies helped us avoid sinking into a Depression. It is correct for Romney to point out that people are still hurting. But the 12 million jobs Romney says he will add in the next four years is the MINIMUM expected by any economic report regardless of who is president. We had eight years of policies that decimated a healthy surplus and crashed our economy. We are supposed to go back to these same policies and trust companies who are hoarding capital to turn this around? Seriously?
On a side note, if you are worried about the price of gasoline, go to data.BLS.gov and check the CPI index for gas prices. It stands at $3.817 as of September. It’s high, but not as high as the height of the economic crisis in 2008, where it varied from $3.338 to $4.469 before the election then fell to $2.637 by December. Not that a president can do much to affect prices, as it tends to follow international economic trends and also can vary a lot locally, with the highest prices, curiously, in Red States. (Gas is about $3.50 in NYC today, $3.55 nationally, despite the hit by Hurricane Sandy.)
Federal Aid. Many of you know that I am very interested in emergency management through my work with the NYC Office of Emergency Management. I have very personal experience with major disasters that require national and international assistance. I breathed the dust of 9/11 and witnessed the outpouring of response to that tragedy from all corners of the world. Recently, I’ve seen and welcomed the support post-Sandy from FEMA, the National Guard and Reserves and I just can’t fathom what we would do without coordinated aid. Romney wants to get rid of FEMA and other Federal aid and let states fix their own problems. Have you seen the pictures of New Jersey? Is New Jersey supposed to fix it themselves? Do we really think the devastation in New York City and Long Island isn’t going to have an effect nationally? Governor Christie hasn’t been lumping praise on Obama for nothing.
In sum, I am worried about our country’s future. I trust the man who has two daughters and cares, as I do about creating a future that will be best for our children. A future of choice, community and responsibility.
