The media-friendly catch-phrase "It's the economy, stupid" appeals to those who like their politics, and their government, simple. By and large people do vote their pocketbooks. But those same people have sons and daughters in the military, work for companies with international operations, and are threatened, at least to some degree, by terrorists in dark alleys of foreign capitals. Let's call this globalization. Our economy, and the jobs it does or doesn't produce, now exists in an international set of complex networks.
So the economy the "stupid" candidate talks about, whether specifically or more likely vaguely, cannot be separated from this world. This means that our leaders, especially the president and vice-president, better know something about the world in which we operate and to whose financial, banking, communications, security, environmental and a host of other systems we are connected.
All of which suggests that the traditional three categories of policy -- economic, foreign and defense -- are interconnected and international. Thus, knowing a good deal about the 21st century world, having traveled it and experienced it, is more crucial today for a president than ever before in our nation's history.
On this scale, Obama-Biden beats Romney-Ryan hands down. President Obama, as the "birthers" dementedly remind us, had an African father and was schooled for a time in Indonesia. Yet he is an American, born in America. Vice-President Biden made foreign policy his focus in the Senate. Like the president, he is comfortable in the widest variety of international arenas. They both know how to relate to and communicate with foreign leaders and peoples.
Their opponents, on the other hand, have only the scantest experience in today's world. Mr. Romney served in a Mormon mission in France in his youth. Mr. Ryan has yet to share his international experience and outlook, quite possibly because he has spent his public life trying to calculate how to lower taxes and balance the budget without both shredding the social safety net and destroying all the discretionary spending that keeps our food, environment and streets safe, our workers trained and healthy, and virtually every other public service necessary to a civilized society.
We should not hold out much hope that the media will focus on this wide difference in tickets. This is in part because most political journalists have yet to understand the degree to which our economy -- jobs -- is internationally dependent and because the new strategy of campaigns, especially on the Romney-Ryan side, is to prevent the candidates from answering difficult questions or departing from a simplistic, scripted "message."
In a perfect world, the focus of this campaign would be international and the degree to which creation of jobs in America is so closely interwoven with world affairs. If that were to be so, this election wouldn't even be close.
Follow Gary Hart on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gary__hart
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 |
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
You know, back when I was an activist in the party of Reagan, before the GOP left me with its theocratic Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell/Franklin Graham/Tim Pawlenty/Michelle Bachman/Christine O'donnell/Sharron Angle (etc.) agenda ...
I hated you with a passion. I was a "simple minded" (43m61l65 below) minion of Rush Limbaugh back in the day...and did the same knee-jerk reaction as we see so often today.
But your knowledgeable column was very enlightening.
I'm not big on globalism as relates to the GOP's outsourcing of our manufacturing sector to their soulmates in Communist China and other slave-wage nations...
...but there is no doubt that the world is connected now, as was evidenced very clearly by the Arab Spring and social media.
Great column and you're right: Barack and Joe understand not just the common folks like us, but also the importance of global interaction. It's why, according to Daily Finance, the world's financial leaders have stated very openly that President Obama is the right one to ensure sound economic policies for the world in which we live.
They know what happened last time around when the GOP caused all the problems here at home and abroad...$15 trillion in debt and counting and facing the challenges of fixing failed GOP policies for years to come.
Actually, as the serial coward that he is, he was dodging the draft, after organizing counter-demonstrations to the anti-war protests on campus where he was living with his silver spoon and beating up on people who he thought "might be" gay.
In reality, the dollars you so covet for the USA to keep will certainly stay here....in the pockets of the top 1% that you are soldiering for.
Surely, not one red cent is coming your way.
But hey, it's free to vote against your own interests.
"Mr. Ryan has yet to share his international experience and outlook, quite possibly because he has spent his public life trying to calculate how to lower taxes and balance the budget without both shredding the social safety net and destroying all the discretionary spending that keeps our food, environment and streets safe, our workers trained and healthy.."
Mr Ryan has not tried to lower taxes and balance budget WITHOUT shedding the social safety net. That is not his goal. He has a Randian ideologue, a purist who is trying to apply his theoretical beliefs onto our country.
Mr. Ryan doesn't want people to suffer, but he does believe that privatizing social security and Mediare is somehow the way. He wants people completely and singularly responsible without any collective effort, he has said, for their destiny.
Government and it's social welfare programs exist because people came togeather to solve social problems of society which they had not been able to solve successfully as individuals.
Ryan actually believes that the social safety net as we know it is a crutch that supports victimization ONLY and it is better to get rid of it. I've seen him communicate that in his own words.
Obama had no economic experience, and it shows. He lacks the ability to relate to the average person, and it shows. He was just another friggin' lawyer that comes out of the woodwork, a dime a dozen!
Gary Hart is only trying to distract the electorate from our real problems; that is, a president that is in over his head with no executive experience other than being a community organizer.
Saved the domestic auto industry with loans (since paid back)
Accomplished a degree of health care reform - for better (kids & pre-existing conditions) or for worse (individual mandate?)
Facilitated the elimination of Bin Laden and countless other Al Queida leaders
Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection (crackdown on unethical credit card practices)
Much improved foreign relations (you see Romney getting crowds of 150,000 in europe?)
Emphasizes importance of education (this one pisses off most republicans)
Cut taxes for 95% of America's working families, lowest rate since 1950
Ended Iraq War
A complete list: http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
Cheers.
Can you say bin Laden?
Can you say: the dismantling of the financial infrastructure of Al Qaeda.
Can you say: the vast majority of foreign nations support President Obama for his economic policies over the draft-dodging Willard Romney?
It's no wonder you have only 5 fans...
...and just how many screen names do you have to try to convince yourself that anyonw "values your (mindless and thoughtless) opinion? Really?"
1. What is wrong with being arrogant and trying to influence the outcome of other countries to help ours??? I am really tired of apologist for america's greatness. Our model of free market capitalism is why we won the 20th century.
2. Our lack of action in Egypt has resulted in leadership that is now meeting with Iran and trying to figure out how to attack our only ally "Isreal" in the Middle East.
A. You think the Egyptian people are better off? Thats nuts.
B. They are performing crucifixions and already going after media that is against their views. Shame on them.
3. Don't you dare attack Israel for having nuclear weapons. They are surrounded by people that want to wipe them off the map. With friends like Hullp who needs enemies.
4. It is necessary for America to be the dominant influence in the world. Have you seen how other countries treat their people??? Your policy of apathy will undoubtedly lead to America's decline.
5. Look how Russia treats us now? They don't even send their President to the G20. You show weakness they feed on it like sharks.
We are all one human race and we must depend on each other.
Thank you Mr. Hart for reminding us that the stakes are high in this election and that only the HYBRIDS like president Obama have the skills to lead us into the future.
Hilarious. Any discussion of the economy would mean Obama would lose in grand fashion. There is a reason that the Dems are pushing trivial things like tax returns ("Taxer" is the new "Birther") and "international plan". It's because Obama's economic record is dismal and his understanding of basic economic principles rivals that of your average 7th grader.