Mitt-flop

Mitt Romney is a flip-flop plain and simple.

There is actually a website called mittromneyflipflops.com. It’s quite entertaining too. It’s incredible how one person could possibly flip-flop on virtually every issue presented before him throughout the course of a political career.

It is even more incredible still to me how that person could be considered one of the front-runners for the GOP nomination for such a long time. I have read that the reason he is still standing close to the top of the polls is his consistency, but the matter of the fact is that he isn’t consistent at all. Unless, of course, you are one of those people that counts being consistently inconsistent as some backwards form of consistency.

I am not.

I would rather elected someone to office with the direct antithesis of my beliefs than to elect someone to office that doesn’t know what he or she believes at all.

The man running for the presidential candidacy for the REPUBLICAN PARTY, the very party who’s Congressmen and Senators have been trying to repeal Obama’s health care bill, is the one that implemented the system that Obama’s is based off of while he was the governor of Massachusetts. I do not understand how people do not see this, or choose to ignore it when they vote in the opinion polls.

The man doesn’t know what he wants, and it’s as simple as that.

Yet he has remained a very serious contender for the GOP nomination, while other candidates with consistent ideals and messages like John Huntsman have hardly gotten looks.

I don’t feel like Romney has any star power either, which is also mind-boggling when you look at his politics. I mean, he's got to have something going for him right?

Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich (who is currently ahead of Romney in the polls) has plenty of star power, but definitely hasn’t always toed the party line, and has been anything but consistent throughout his political career. He does claim to have gone through a political rebirth, which has led to his recent successes, but we’ll see how long he goes with this new image. Nonetheless, I can see how Gingrich's personality would lead people to follow him, where as with Romney it is just another aspect not adding up for me.

Romney has flip-flopped on the issue of abortion, saying both, that he respects a woman’s right to choose and also that he was never pro-choice as Massachusetts Governor.

Jon Swaine of the telegraph.co.uk wrote a recent article about the issue of Romney’s flip-flopping and attacks being issued on the subject. Swaine writes that Romney “is under pressure for appearing to have become more Right-wing on abortion, immigration, climate change, health care and gay rights only in recent years.”

That list encompasses virtually every major issue that voters look at outside of the economy.

His support is dropping ever so slightly, but he still remains as unmoving as his hair has remained throughout his political career (his hair never moves). Amidst claims of changing his views and not being conservative enough, Romney has found a way to fasten down his name at the top of the GOP primary polls, and if the trends stay on the same course, I don’t see him losing any major ground soon.

It just baffles me that such an unsure figure could be considered a front-runner by so many voters in the incredibly harsh and polar political climate of the day. Why do you guys think Romney has remained so consistent?

Non-Politician Politics

The question at hand: Can someone who is not a career politician run for and win the presidential election?

I think that people are tired of politicians, and I think that the American people would choose to elect a prominent businessman or a powerful public figure to the presidency without them having much political experience.

I am however skeptical that someone without very much political experience can run a successful campaign regardless of how experienced their campaign manager is, or how successful they have been in other aspects of life.

Herman Cain is the perfect example.

Our country is currently in economic shambles (say what you want, but it’s in shambles), so who better to take on the task of fixing everything than a self-made businessman? Cain has been on numerous executive boards of companies and has been successful at vitually every company he has taken up residence with, so the natural progression (sarcasm) would be to take on the debt of an entire country and see what he could do with that.

In an ideal world this would be perfect. The man with the supreme gift of knowing how economics work and knowing how to balance a budget would finally be able to take the reigns of the most powerful economy in the world, and bring us back to economic stability. It sounds perfect. I bought into it for a little bit.

And so did everybody else. Cain was racing up the charts in the GOP primary race, and was even in the lead for a couple of weeks. He was the Republican Wonderboy who could do no wrong.

That is until the reality of the situation started to come about. Allegation after allegation began to come to light of sexual harassment from former coworkers and employees of Cain.

What would the seasoned politician do in the situation (unless your name is Wiener)? Be honest about it, say it was from a long time ago, and ask your constituents and the voters for forgiveness.

What did Cain do? He lied about it of course.

TOTAL rookie move…

Not long after he lied about the allegations his campaign began slipping through his fingers. He began losing support at just as rapid of a rate as he had gained it. I believe that if he would’ve handled the situation honestly he would have lost far less support. He might not have had any chance to win after the sexual harassment came to light, but the transparency in his response would’ve at least given this voter a second thought into his candidacy.

Donald Trump could be used as another example in this scenario, but I am convinced his supposed presidential bid was just a way to stir things up. But if he was serious about being a candidate, then the things that he said show further that a businessman, used to saying what he wants when he wants, probably won’t be able to keep his mouth shut long enough to be considered a legitimate candidate.

- Trump F bomb...

I think that a non-politician could be good for the economy, provided they have a long-standing track record of economic successes, and that if the right one comes along they have a great shot at getting elected. But let’s wait and see how Italy’s coalition of businessmen and professors do running the land of Ferraris and Calcio before we pass any further judgment.

Del Rocco case

The issues presented by social networking sites are very intriguing to me, and I hope everyone. I honestly think that a lot of the decision-making when it comes to these issues is a matter of common sense. Think about what you personally would do, or how you would feel if you were in that exact situation and someone used your Facebook or MySpace account without your direct consent for the good of a story and then make your decision.

For instance in regards to the Virginia Tech shooting where the article says that journalists were using the Facebook update feed to get leads on people to try to interview after such a wide-spread tragedy is amazing to me. In a situation like this, where multiple people have just died, that could or could not (you just don’t know) have direct connections to some of the deceased are posting on Facebook, they should simply be left alone.

I feel different about the Bailey and Del Rocco instance. Del Rocco has some information on her Facebook that is incredibly newsworthy, and could help in the formation of a current, local murder case. I feel that as long as her identity were kept hidden and protected that posting some of her Facebook statuses is not an unethical thing. She clearly wanted people to know the things she said, otherwise she wouldn’t have posted them on a website like Facebook for all to see.

Using some of the Facebook statuses, while protecting her identity is probably giving her more protection than she deserves. To put the things that she put on Facebook, she had to have known that all of her friends would be talking, and gossiping about the posts anyways, it’s why we put our every thought on Facebook, is to be talked about.

I think that Bass should have to look at the potential damages to her reputation (I don’t see any), and the newsworthiness of the information. I think that there would not be any damages and it is very newsworthy.

GOP merry-go-round

I love debates.

They bring out all the different sides of the candidates, and show each one in a different light each and every night they take to the podiums. It is fascinating to watch the candidates line up and drive their own points into the ground as fast as they can, while unearthing their opponents’ arguments and throwing them in the fire at the same rate.

It is a competition in it’s purest nature: repeated facing off with the same candidates, covering different discussion topics.

Think about how this would play out on the athletic front. Create all-around athlete super teams, and pit them against each other every year in an all-inclusive competition of all sports to prove to the world who the best team of super-athletes is. It would be awesome.

The system lets the cream rise to the top.

The competition being displayed by the GOP presidents this year is incredibly reminiscent of the Democratic primary debates of last cycle. This has to be encouraging to all GOP supporters, look how it worked out for the Democrats last time around. When it finally comes time to vote, the turnout will be great, and the passion for the primary election and presidential election will reach fever pitch.

Seeing the passion exuded by the Democrats during the last cycle and the Republicans currently is especially exciting for me.

Competition makes us stronger, and is the point of a democracy. The competition is on and the marketplace of ideas is open for business.

The GOP candidates are smelling blood: all of them. Each one sees the opportunity before them, and it’s all or nothing at all at this point.

Long-standing front runner Mitt Romney is beginning to be looked at in a less-flattering light, but still remains a strong contender. Watching the debates, Romney still exudes confidence with every word.

His success has largely been due to the fact that he refuses to slip up. He seems to be the most consistent candidate out there, but he doesn’t have the star power to take down President Barack Obama.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has enjoyed his fair amount of success as well. The devout Christian icon of Texas carries himself well, and tends to butt heads with Romney on most occasions. Despite his slip up in the last debate, his chances remain as strong as any.

Herman Cain has the political world on fire. The business mogul has had success everywhere he’s been in life (except for with the ladies, which is coming back to haunt him). The major question surrounding Cain is whether or not the allegations against him are going to sink his campaign to irreconcilable lows. If he can stifle the negative momentum he could still make a very strong push towards getting the nod for the GOP.

The newest (and oldest?) Republican to take center stage is Newt Gingrich. See my last post for information on him. I can't get a read on Gingrich yet, but he claims to be a changed man, and he definitely has the star power.

Michelle Bachman, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum all maintain confidence as well that they are in a good position to secure the primary election.

I don’t know who will end up on top, but what I do know is that this presidential election cycle will be every bit as entertaining as the last one was. Let’s just wait and see who pulls a Hillary first and cries on national TV.

More updates to come!

Gingrich back from the dead?

Newt Gingrich.

I repeat: Newt Gingrich.

Ladies and Gentlemen: take a moment and welcome Newt Gingrich to the GOP primary race. Then take a moment and think about what I just said. And keep on thinking about it…

Newt Gingrich is a political enigma. Who would have thought that the small Pennsylvania born and raised boy would become the boisterous political spearhead of the far right that he is today? Gingrich is one of the most polarizing controversial, and interesting figures in the history of the Republican Party.

-See his views

Gingrich has been the center of numerous scandals. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives under President Bill Clinton, and was a major contributor to the government shutdown of 1995 and 1996. He has been married three different times, with the first two marriages being ended by affairs. He has married double digits his senior and double digits his minor. Hardly conservative by any standards.

Controversial as he may be, none can deny that the man possesses immense leadership qualities, and a personality that can drown out a room of movie stars. Most importantly he has the power of persuasion. He still maintains that the government shutdown he contributed to led to a balanced budget deal a year later, and despite his continued marital unfaithfulness, he continues to claim devout faith in his Catholic denomination of the Christian faith.

His ideas are mind boggling to both those to the left and the right of political equilibrium, infuriating to some, and a rallying cry for all to one side or another.

Despite his oft illogical, brash statements and ideologies, he is a political titan that cannot seem to be controlled for any extended period of time.

Look back at the polls from the summer and early fall and you will see his name on the straw poll ballots, but getting little to no recognition by anyone. He was out of it.

Even the man himself thought that his career was headed for the dreaded “Elephant Graveyard.” He told CNN in a recent article, “I’ve done this for 53 years. And the two hardest months were June and July.”

What he did not take into account in the summer heat was the fickle nature of the GOP voters as they scavenge the pool of potential presidential candidates for the one that might be able to topple over President Barack Obama.

Or maybe he was right in thinking his career was dead. Perhaps his career did die. Perhaps the GOP mourned the death of Newt much like we mourn the death of loved ones, forgetting their past transgressions as we fondly recall every positive moment shared throughout the life of the deceased.

The one crucial difference lies within the composition of a political career when put next to the composition of the human body. Once the person is gone, we cannot have them back. But in the case of Gingrich’s political career, it seems to have experienced a resurrection of sorts.

Gingrich claims to have undergone a rebirth, asking the public to place his past transgression in the past. It’s working. At least for now.

He is soaring up the polls at the moment, and is appearing to assert himself as a true challenger to the presidential candidacy.

Will this be simply the next in the ever-growing line of Republican flavor of the week candidates? Will his mouth get him in trouble and stifle his momentum like it has so many times in the past, or could this finally be his moment of glory? It will certainly be entertaining to follow at the least.

Supreme Court to take on Obamacare

Universal healthcare: healthcare for all people. Doesn’t sound too bad to the average person, does it?

But what comes along with universal healthcare?

Higher taxes. When those two words are shoved together in virtually any context, most Americans begin to squirm in their seats.

Ever since we stuck it to the Brits and their Stamp Act in Boston Harbor, a distaste of high taxes has been an inherent quality of every baby capitalist to be born on the red, white and blue soil.

It is this hatred of taxes that has led Americans to battle the idea of universal healthcare from taking root here ever since it’s inception as an idea. So when President Barack Obama pushed Obamacare through the House and Senate during his second year in office, naturally there was an uproar from all corners of the country.

Obamacare, was one of the President’s main platforms when running for office, which is the aspect that confuses me. Obama never hid his desire to enstate a form of universal healthcare in the US, yet he was still elected into office, and jeered from members of both parties for his efforts to enact said system.

The system is based off of the Massachusetts system that was installed under the leadership of former governor Mitt Romney, which ultimately requires all Americans to purchase health insurance, sign up for government insurance, or pay a fine. Employers are also forced to pay for health care for employees or be fined. The basic premise is that all Americans will have health care, which sounds good.

But not to everyone.

A coalition of 26 states and a group of small business owners have teamed up and taken Obamacare to the courts, and now to the Supreme Court in an unprecedented format.

The Supreme Court normally hears one case at a time, and gives just over an hour to argue the case. In this case though, they have agreed to tackle four different issues that surround the bill over a span of five and a half hours.

-See what the Obama administration and the GOP leaders have to say about the bill being taken to the Supreme Court.

Is it constitutional? The Obama administration certainly is convinced that it is, while the coalition against the bill is certainly convinced of the contrary. One thing is for sure; the bill toes a fine line. That line separates freedom and capitalism from government regulation and a more socialist system.

But the question isn’t whether it is good or evil, but whether it is unconstitutional or constitutional. I think that the courts will ultimately rule it unconstitutional for it’s sweeping overbreadth of power under the Constitution, whether it be for the better or worse.

The results of the ruling to be made by the Supreme Court could be the tipping point in next year’s presidential election. If the decision comes up lame on Obama’s end, it could push him straight out of the oval office, while if it is deemed constitutional it could be the final momentum push to send him into a second term.

Many do not care about the healthcare bill so much, but feel as if Obama neglected the economy for two years in order to push his healthcare bill through.

If his bill is upheld, Obama will be able to justify the work that he has done while in office, but if the bill is struck down, watch out for the GOP to make a strong run in the 2012 election.

Tell me what you think about the bill and it’s chances of being upheld!

Change for the Better

“There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”

-John Adams, 1789

I am sick and tired of turning on the TV, or picking up the paper, or getting online and seeing article after article and talk show after talk show discus how nothing ever gets done in our governmental system.

The two party system that we “enjoy” today arose through natural causes. The founding fathers never enacted a two party system, or called for it. They even warned against it. Warnings or not, it just happened.

Lots of things “just happen” in life: your favorite sports team loses a game to Texas Tech to take them out of the national title race, you lose a loved one in an accident, or your dog runs away and never returns. We cannot directly effect the outcomes of these situations or situations like these, but they still make us angry to think about.

This is not one of those cases. We, the American people, cannot sit back and watch as the two lumbering behemoths, better known as the Democrats and the Republicans, become the iceberg waiting to sink the Titanic that is the United States of America.

Due to the polarizing partisan nature of our political systems it currently seems as if everything in our national policy making bodies has come to the final stalemate. The unstoppable force has met the unmovable object. Two political parties holding all the chips in the most powerful country in history, each wanting absolute power in a balanced democracy that will NEVER grant it to them.

So what do they do? They use all the power that they do posses in the three branches of government to block the power the other party posses within the three branches of government. It is a vicious cycle, and the repeat button has been jammed to the floor.

We are in a debt crisis, a jobs crisis, an education crisis and a healthcare crisis. Sounds fairly similar to every other civilized democracy in the world, so what’s the big deal you say?

We Americans took what the Athenians did when they created democracy: what worked and what didn’t, and formed the best and most imitated balanced democracy in the history of government. We need to continue being the trend setters for the good.

The question remains though; what would be better than what we already have, and how could we do it?

Listen to this debate on NPR (if you have the time) and then continue reading.

The parties simply have to go. Our government has turned into Democrats and Republicans trying to get a leg up on one another, when what they should really be doing is focusing on making our country a better place to live. One might think that it is the politicians fault, but I don’t believe it is.

Politicians often begin as good people that are in politics for the right reasons, but are forced by our system to act in ways that they wouldn’t normally act, or risk losing party support (a.k.a. funding from lobbyists and corporations). In order to toe the party line and keep their campaigns funded, they are forced to change many of their beliefs and policies, or make them more extreme than they initially were.

What we need is a system of non-party primaries, where candidates are chosen on their personal merit, and not simply from the GOP and Democratic circles. Right now Americans are only allowed to look at the north and south poles. Let’s open up the rest of the world for business. Lets elect leaders based off of their campaigns rather than their mascots.

According to the NPR debaters 37% of registered to vote Americans are registered as independents. People don't feel represented by the parties anymore.

The people are choosing to take matters into their own hands by engaging in civic action activities instead of completing their civic duty of voting, because frankly they feel like they aren’t represented even if they do vote because of our current system.

“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they’ve tried everything else.”

-Winston Churchill

We have tried it all in the current system, and it just doesn't work. We should view ourselves as Americans above all. Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, we all need to fight for our freedom to be represented by people that will lead our country instead of their party. Let’s choose to do what’s best for the country that gives us such great freedom to succeed and fail.

Land of the Free, Home of the Hypocrites?

The recent developments with Herman Cain and his scandal pose this serious question: What standard should we hold our politicians to?

Has the United States of America become the “Land of the free, home of the hypocrites?”

Turn on basically any TV station during primetime and what will you see? There is a better-than-not chance that you will see a program laced with constant sexual humor, sexual activity and infidelity. Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl, and even top medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy have strong sexual undertones. Sex sells.

At least when it isn’t real.

Politicians and athletes when confronted with sexual allegations often try their very best to sweep them under the rug and act like they never happened. What they are really trying to do is hide their humanity.

But there is good reason for this. If the public finds out about a sexual slip up made by one of these celebrity politicians or athletes, often times their careers and reputations are taken to irreparable lows.

The simple fact of the matter is that people love to point fingers, and people love to feel superior to others. Humans inherently make mistakes, it’s part of our nature. But what’s to say that the mistake of a celebrity should carry more weight than a mistake you or I make?

Take a look at Tiger Woods; hands down the most talented golfer ever to step on the lush green grass of a golf course. Woods was once the most recognizable and loved athlete in the world, in the realm of the Michael Jordans and Peyton Mannings. He was a titan, an untouchable, a golden boy that people could look to when they needed direction in life.

This all changed one fateful night when Woods was discovered crashed into a tree at the end of his driveway while fleeing from his then golf club brandishing wife. This was followed up by hundreds of allegations by women claiming to have slept with Woods while he was a married man and his subsequent divorce. He then became the most scrutinized man in America.

Woods, who was famous for being a professional golfer not a role model, was thrown under the bus by virtually everyone in the civilized world simultaneously for cheating on his wife and sleeping with hundreds of women. I understand this, and I share the sentiment with the Tiger haters out there: I am one of them. But for me, I always hated Tiger (I’m a Phil fan) and infidelity is my number one no-no in life.

However if you told most men that they could be married to a Swedish super model, be one of the richest athletes in the world and sleep with hundreds of other women without being caught for years upon years I can guarantee that they would take it. Yet millions of men around the country that would fall into this category jumped right on the Tiger-hating bandwagon.

So should we throw someone under the bus, and gather like an angry mob calling for their blood to be spilled for them doing something that probably over half of the members of the mob would do, or have already done in their lives?

Herman Cain was in the process of a meteoric rise to the top of the polls when allegations of past sexual harassment charges came to light regarding Cain and former women he had worked with. The debate has raged on since these accusations first emerged as to the credibility of the accusers, but regardless of the truth or falsity of the accusers, Cain’s reputation has taken a hit.

Last month on Fox News, Cain was actually beating Obama in a potential match up poll 43% to 41%. The most recent poll has Cain losing that same matchup by 10%.

I don’t by any stretch of the imagination think that people shouldn’t be accountable for their actions. I think quite the contrary, rather that people should be held absolutely accountable for his or her own actions.

I simply think that before we jump on the hate bandwagon of the next politician or celebrity to make a mistake, that we should look at our own values and actions. The change starts with the man in the mirror, and if we want a more moral public, and morally charged leaders then we should start with our own families and ourselves.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

-Matthew 7:3

Herman Cain: The new kid on the GOP's block

An interesting reality struck me as I was flipping through the news this week.

Herman Cain, a self proclaimed "dark horse" candidate, is a legitimate contender for the Republican primary election. At least for now. He hasn’t been in the national spotlight enough just yet to have his dirty laundry, whatever it may be, strewn across the national lawn.

As it stands today, I think that the name and image of what Herman Cain is to the GOP voters is beginning to gain some serious momentum.

What originally sparked my interest in Cain was a poll published by Fox News, which has Cain in a close third to GOP hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Perry respectively. I also saw that in a daily straw poll, taken by Fox News (I swear I watch other news) that had Cain as the frontrunner in the Republican primary.

Now, I don’t know about you, but before this election cycle began I had no idea who on earth Herman Cain was. And when I first heard his name thrown in the ring with all of the other GOP candidates, I never dreamed that his entrance into the presidential race would be such a serious one.

Will he be more than a flash in the proverbial presidential pan? I’m not sure. But I do think that it is important to tell people some about Mr. Cain, because if you are anything like I was, you know little to nothing about him.

So, where did Herman Cain come from, and what makes him think that he would be able to run this country successfully?

Cain was raised in Atlanta in a two-parent home, where he claims to have learned the value of hard work from his parents, which is proved throughout his life’s body of work so far. He earned his Masters in computer science from Purdue in 1971, while simultaneously working full-time in ballistics for the U.S. Department of the Navy, where he was responsible for developing weapons control systems for both ships and fighter planes.

He went on to work for Coca-Cola and then on to Pillsbury, where he managed 400 Burger King locations, and was later put in charge of all of Godfathers Pizza (both Burger King and Godfathers were Pillsbury subsidiaries). He used masterful business skill to bring Godfathers from the red to the black, and retired from his CEO position at the pizza giants in 1996 to take up the CEO position of the National Restaurant Association, a trade and lobby group. He has been on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, as well as Aquila, Inc, Nabisco, Whirlpool, Reader’s Digest, and AGCO.

He went on from his illustrious business career to become a commentator on Fox Business, as well as writing a syndicated op-ed column that is widely distributed, and hosting his own Atlanta radio talk show.

A very impressive resume indeed. The more I learn, the more I’m impressed. At least so far.

Now on to Cain’s politics.

He has been involved in politics for a while, known as one of the leading opponents to President Bill Clinton’s healthcare plan, serving as an adviser on the Dole/Kemp campaign in 1996, briefly running for the GOP presidential nomination in 2000 and running for one of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats in 2004.

---Check here to see his campaign’s views on the major issues at hand for the election.

Needless to say, he seems to be a hard working man from a hard-working family. He has uncanny business smarts, and has had success everywhere that he’s been from a monetary standpoint. He has experience in politics, all of which leads him toward making a strong push for the GOP nomination.

In my post about the American Dream I boldly stated that I thought President Obama is a perfect picture of the American Dream lived out to it’s fullest. I was wrong. Herman Cain’s life story looks just about as American Dream-ish as I can imagine. Sorry Obama, you’ve been replaced on my American Dream totem pole. Now we will have to wait and see if the American public continues the infatuation with Cain. If it does, he will have the chance to go toe-to-toe with Obama, in what would likely be the most famous election in the history of the United States of America.

The Beginning of the Great Job Debate

What is the most pressing issue on voter’s mind at the moment? Jobs.

What we saw in the 2008 election with the healthcare debate will doubtlessly be mirrored in the 2012 election by the issue of creating jobs in America.

Despite the issues facing our country, such as education, the war and healthcare, a recent study done by democracycorps.com shows that 46% of Americans believe that economic recovery and jobs creation are the most important issues facing us today.

In the same poll participants were asked what they thought the most pressing economic issue facing the USA is. Out of the nine options given, high unemployment came in first with a 41% selection, and in third came the outsourcing of American jobs with 23%.

So get ready for it. Because the job debate is 100% without a doubt about to take over the airwaves and the web.

How the candidates handle this issue will be the breaking point for which GOP candidate is elected to run, and probably will ultimately decide if President Obama is reelected or if we see a new Commander and Chief for the next four years.

With this defining issue of the election year looming large, lets take a look at the stances and past policies of the candidates as well as the president on jobs.

Since President Obama has been in office, the unemployment rate has risen from 9.7% to 10.1% in the beginning and fallen to 8.8% earlier this year, but has now risen to 9.1% where it has remained for the last five months.

The President’s newest job incentive, The American Jobs Act, focuses on tax cuts for specific groups, as well as government-funded infrastructure jobs. It includes tax cuts aimed at helping America’s small businesses hire and grow. This incentive would cut the payroll tax in half for 98% of businesses on their first $5 million in payroll.

There is also a “Returning Heroes” program that provides tax credits to encourage the hiring of unemployed veterans. It includes the hiring of people to build up the infrastructure of the USA much like Roosevelt's plan. There are benefits for companies that choose work sharing over layoffs, and a tax credit for employers choosing to hire long-term unemployed workers. A pay cut is to be given for half of the American workforce as well.

The bill says that the Joint Committee will come up with additional deficit reducing measures required to pay for the Act and to still make the deficit goal. According to businessinsider.com, the total cost of the bill would be $447 billion.

On to the GOP candidates.

The leading candidate for the GOP election seems to be (at this time) Rick Perry. Under Perry, Texas has created jobs the fastest of any state since the recession began at 2.2%, although the state still has a staggering 8.7% unemployment rating. This is due to the fact that since 2007, Texas’ labor force has grown twice as fast as the second fastest growing state.

Most have said that Perry has created unsustainable government jobs, and that is why the job growth has been so great, however over the last year, Texas has shrunk its federal employment by 31,300 while maintaining the growth mentioned above.

Now for Perry’s biggest competition in the primaries, Mitt Romney. Romney made it easy on me by issuing an outline on his jobs plan if he were to be elected.

His plan looks to reduce the regulations and taxes on companies, getting rid of several taxes, utilizing more US energy sources, and slashing federal spending. He also looks to take on the economic behemoth that is China, and looks to push them towards raising the value of their currency, which would eliminate the amount of American jobs outsourced to China.

Whoever wins this election, will doubtlessly have to prove to the United States of America that he (or she) can and will make jobs. And lots of them.

The American Dream

The United States of America. Freedom. The American dream.

Take a minute and let the glory of the American dream sink in. The dream that anybody from any ethnical, financial or religious background can succeed with a lifetime worth of hard work. The very principle that this great nation was founded on. The very principle that has led the United States of America to be called the greatest country in history.

The greatest country in HISTORY.

Now that’s a long time folks.

But how can such a young country be considered the greatest? How can a country lacking in history be considered on par with the grandiose empires and dynasties of old?

Enter the American Dream.

The principle that a common born person from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma can, with a high school diploma and a work ethic the size of the Great Wall of China, make millions of dollars off of true grit and hard work.

There is no nobility. There is no caste system. There is nothing holding us back other than our own lack of ambition. This is an idea that was instilled in the original colonists. This same idea has lead millions of immigrants to this country, and is the cause of the constant flow of immigrants into America today.

This dream was inspired by the free American spirit, which promoted hard work through a capitalistic society, centered on hard work of the individual as opposed to the “greater good” philosophy the majority of the European countries have employed throughout the years.

Some might believe that the American dream is dead. It is not.

But there has been a crucial change on a grassroots level of the American culture.

People once flocked to these shores looking not only to be a part of the American Dream, but also to be in every sense of the word, an American. They came seeking refuge in the land of the free and the home of the brave, wanting not only for this land to give them wealth, but wanting to lay down permanent roots. They wanted to become American citizens, and for the generations following them to be American citizens, giving them the opportunity to pursue their own version of the American Dream from birth.

America was called a “melting pot” of cultures, symbolizing the all-encompassing American culture, which seamlessly assimilates all cultures into it’s own.

America was recently called a “salad bowl” of cultures by one of my professors. Meaning that all of the different cultures are the parts of the salad, and America is the bowl. This view on America has become more accurate as of late, with the majority of people coming here to utilize the opportunity presented by the American Dream, but without becoming American.

It is an interesting change that I, and others I’ve talked to have observed, which is not okay.

Our president, Barack Obama, is a living testament to the American Dream. Whether or not you approve of his policies, he is a picturesque example of the American Dream lived out, and utilized to its fullest potential.

The dream will continue to live on in this country so long as the government doesn’t breach its boundaries of allowing capitalism to flourish.

I can’t wait to talk some about the upcoming presidential election candidates, and what the election will have to offer as far as advancing this dream.