Finally getting it

I admit that I am a political junkie. I love this season of political jiggliness and comedy when anything can happen, and usually does. I hate the Supreme Court decision that now allows unconscionable amounts of money to pour into campaigns. But it does have the effect of changing all the rules, allowing marginal candidates to hang on way past their fifteen minutes of fame. Just wait long enough and every single tidbit of 'baggage' will be examined. Even Romney's trip to Canada with the dog strapped to the roof.

My neighbors in this small southern town,whom I respect, are the canaries in the coal mine, so I keep a sharp ear out for what they are thinking. I know they have a great sense of self interest, fairness, and frugality. This translates into 1. Don't touch my entitlements, 2. I got where I am through my own hard efforts and others should do the same, and 3. Somewhere, I forgot where, we were told to spend less. (They also want to shoot guns.)But the main thing about doing away with an Obama presidency is that he's not "one of us". This is not exactly racism, yet it is. These folks may be Christian but that is not quite it. (Obama is Christian!)They are afraid and they do not know who the enemy is and it must be somebody who is not one of us.

Some of my neighbors have children who are openly gay, and none of my neighbors have vast numbers of children, so I must conclude that homosexuality and birth control, even abortion, are not important issues to them. But they are all either getting older or are retirees and depend on Social Security and Medicare.They worry about unemployment for themselves and their kids. They rely on unemployment checks.

So why might they support a GOP candidate who wants to shrink entitlements and continue to give such generous tax breaks to the one percent? Economics is a hard topic to understand and if all you get is Fox soundbites affirming "free enterprise", where do you come out? Especially, where do you come out if you are not a "one issue" voter who will vote for the candidate who has your issue at his back?

After crossing off the candidates who might reduce your entitlements,you go for voting for the least offensive candidate who is trying to vote out Obama (who is not one of us). By this time you are so confused by the issues as laid out by the many candidates you are picking your choice by his clothing or personal warmth or even the family dog (who did or did not go to Canada strapped to the roof of the car!)

So, it's just the beginning. Enjoy the ride.