Making choices

Haven't felt much like writing lately. I'd like to say it's because there's nothing going on, but that certainly isn't the case. I mentioned going to vote that morning, but didn't write anything that evening, or the next morning. A side note that I implied in that post, but didn't say explicitly: I think everyone should vote, whether they agree with my views or not. One thing that really torques me about current debate. Why is this a partisan issue? Everyone should want as many people as possible to vote.  Isn't that the whole point of a democracy?

I actually didn't stay up that night to get the results (having gotten up so early to vote, I was rather tired, and the interim results I was seeing when I was debating going to sleep weren't encouraging), so I saw them in the morning paper.

It was kind of weird, in a way. When I went to bed, the news was showing Virginia (my home state) at 65-35 (roughly) for Romney. I forget what percentage of polls had closed then, but it wasn't a small number. That blew my mind. Hearing that it ended up going for Obama was certainly reassuring, but felt a bit bizarre.

The final results were a huge relief; I certainly don't think Obama is a terrific president (well, in some contexts, but his civil liberties positions are awful.  Which is especially disappointing as he campaigned on improvements there, but they've actually gotten slightly worse), but I am certain that Romney would have been an unmitigated disaster.

The referenda I heard about were very encouraging as well. Hearing the voters explicitly approve gay marriage in two states, and fail to disapprove it in two more, was very encouraging for the future. And having Colorado approve pot use is also encouraging. Far too many people have been killed and imprisoned for something that's far less dangerous than alcohol.

So let's keep moving this country forward, starting with not getting suckered into continuing the Bush tax cuts. If it takes letting them all expire, that's much better than keeping them all.  I guess we'll see what happens.

Ryan-air?

My daughter had a swimming class yesterday, and as my son and I were waiting for her, we caught a few minutes on the TV of Ryan's acceptance speech of the vice presidential nomination under Romney.

I don't have a whole lot to say about the whole thing.  I think he'd be a disaster for everyone who isn't extremely rich, but, under Romney, there's nothing new there.  It certainly brings up the question of whether Romney would also be for ending Medicare in all but name.

That would certainly be a good way to prevent large, future budget deficits, once Medicare enters the red, but it'd be a disaster for anyone needing medical care.  Especially if, as promised, Romney does find a way to repeal "Obamacare".

The government's share of costs might well decrease (in fact, I can see no way in which it wouldn't), but the costs themselves would explode.  Well, maybe not if that repeal happens, but only because so many elderly would find themselves unable to get medical insurance at all.

Anyway, we'll see what happens with respect to that.  One thing I found amusing, though, was that the coverage sometimes pulled back (the cameras were mostly in tight on his face), and when it did, we could see (one of?) the teleprompter(s?) he was using.  Not that I think that's a big deal, generally, but when one attacks another for using them, one should be significantly embarrassed to then use one themselves.

Ah well.  I'm curious to see what right wing reaction to the nomination is.  My guess is "ho-hum", but it'd be interesting if it wasn't.

Honest Mitt

Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?

Mitt was finally caught today in an unusually blatant lie.  He's been saying that he retired from Bain Capital in 1999, and that Bain's subsequent actions therefore don't reflect on him at all.

But he apparently told the SEC that he was Chairmain, CEO, and sole owner of Bain as late as 2002.

So, did he perjure himself before the SEC, or did he blatantly lie to voters?  Either way, it's hard to believe he can still be taken seriously as a candidate.  (There are some other issues, as well, in terms of companies he dealt with while heading the Olympics effort, but those are less well-known, and will probably be ignored.)

But he's still part of the political elite, so I'm sure Obama won't start an active investigation into the possible perjury.  Granted, it'd look like a highly political act, but it'd be nice to get Mitt speaking under oath.