Ten Reasons to Continue Believing in America

I've got some thoughts about the Republican National Convention ahead of tonight's acceptance speech from Mitt Romney.

Romney/Ryan

First, WHOODATHUNKIT? Seriously, given the divisive and combative primary season we went through earlier this year with all the predictions of a divided party and a brokered convention in a party so badly fragmented it could never be put back together again, it seems unity, enthusiasm and genuine HOPE for the future have broken out this week in Tampa.

Second, the parade of GOP governors who have spoken about turning around their impossible fiscal conditions in the various states that were underwater has been impressive. We've heard from Christie of NJ, Kasich of OH, Haley of SC, Pawlenty of MN, Martinez of NM, Walker of WI, and each tells a similar story. They took on impossible odds, balanced their budgets, put their public employee unions in check, and ended up with surpluses. They did it without raising taxes. And they aren't the only ones, just the ones who have spoken this week. You can't leave Daniels of IN and Perry of TX off that list. Audrey Hepburn was once quoted as saying, "There's no such thing as impossible, the very word says 'I'm possible!'"

The New First Couple of America

Third, optimism is contagious. Yes, we are in dire straits financially, and most of it is of our own making, but isn't it interesting how hope always rises in America? I believe we have a lot of room left for optimism based upon what I know about the American dream. You simply cannot kill it, even though we've done a pretty good job of it these last four years. Only we can kill ourselves on that front! I hope no one thinks nothing can be done.

Fourth, I remember how discouraged I was when Jimmy Carter was elected POTUS. Four years later I was even more depressed. Carter was a certifiable genius, and he micromanaged everything he could get his arms around. He slept rarely, and when he did it was only for a few hours a night. He was an ideologue and a devout Christian who often combined his faith with his belief in government to deliver on his Christian ideals. His liberal and progressive ideology was much like Obama's. The difference between the two is Carter at least LIKED America and was trying his level best to make things better. I get the feeling Obama is doing exactly what he said he would do - substantially "TRANSFORMING" America into something I don't recognize or appreciate. Obama's vision is antithetical to the American dream.

Fifth, something we call "the American dream" is still alive. It might be on life support, but it's still struggling to be reborn based upon the assertive declarations we heard last night from Paul Ryan. This is the Ryan pledge to America, right out of his mouth from last night: "We will not duck the tough issues, we will lead. We will not spend four years blaming others, we will take responsibility. We will not try to replace our founding principles, we will reapply them." That's how you keep the American dream alive, and if these are more than mere words that can be translated into deeds, we will see America come roaring back in growth mode.

Sixth, I am aroused and encouraged because as voters we still control who’s in Washington. It's all in our hands. No one has repealed the right to vote. We can still get involved in the political election process, as Justice John Roberts suggested in his majority opinion on upholding Obamacare. We can choose who represents us in Congress and in the Executive Branch. When we exercise our right to vote, we control our own destiny. Just as Roberts reminded us, no one will bail us out of the consequences of our bad choices. We still control our own destiny.

Seventh, I will never allow myself the luxury of saying, "Well, it's too bad, that's just the way things are, I have no power to make a difference, and there's nothing I can do." Call me Pollyanna if you wish, but I will not accept the inevitability of fatalism. You can call me the stupid guy with a blog if you wish, but I still like to be reminded, as I was last night, that America still holds the promise of its dream for anyone who reaches for it.

Ann Romney, Mitt Romney, Condoleezza Rice

Eighth, Condoleezza Rice was a poignant reminder of America's promise last night. Her most recent accomplishment is breaking through the "grass ceiling" at Augusta National Golf Club. She and one other businesswoman are the first two women to be admitted to membership, no small feat. She came from nothing in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, and her parents told her at a young age when she was refused service for a hamburger at the Woolworth deparment store lunch counter that if she wanted to she could become President of the United States. She became Secretary of State. Who says America is not the greatest country on the face of the earth? You can rise above your circumstances in America. You can have a share of the "pie" and you don't have to criticize or envy anyone who gets a bigger share than yours. Being "fair" means something very different to a liberal progressive, who believes that means government will redistribute pie to make all the pieces equal.

Ninth, the overhang of government debt and spending has been killing the American dream. Perpetual taxing to pay for spending can't keep pace. Spending is the problem. Regulation throttles down the American dream, as Condie Rice reminded everyone last night. Innovation has to be embraced and encouraged no matter where it comes from and must be allowed to incubate and grow outward to become bigger and better. Government regulation is inhibiting innovation and the investment of private capital.

Tenth, we will never rev up the American engine without sustainable and renewable energy sources that are homegrown. We've got to REALLY do it this time, not just talk about it since the days of Nixon and long gas lines at the pumps. Why can't we figure out the best way to jumpstart the economy is attacking the one commodity that affects every American? We need to start drilling our own oil and capturing our own natural gas resources. I'm naive enough to believe we have been given ample energy resources by our Creator. I do not for one minute believe we are in a scarce world. Imagine what would happen to the economy if gas were priced even $1 lower today.

I reject absolutely, now and forever, the idea that the American dream is dead. I reject the lie that government provides the answers and the resources to every social ill that afflicts us. I reject the notion the government will somehow rescue, coddle and deliver me to a cushy cradle until I die. The government never manages ANYTHING better than a private business can do it. We've been setting up businesses to specialize in everything since the day the Republic was born. That's WE I'm talking about - the individual WEs in our wonderfully diverse society. WE designed government and granted it VERY limited and defined powers. WE got away from our fundamental founding principles. WE trusted Republicans and Democrats to manage our government and it got out of control. Now we have to be reminded once again. . .

WE control the American Dream. It's our time to choose again.

How Miserable Are You?

"So I says to Barack, 'I knew Abe Lincoln, and you ain't no Abe Lincoln'"

It was Abraham Lincoln who once observed, "People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be." In other words, happiness is a choice. Do you believe it?

During the Reagan-Carter campaign of 1979, somebody came up with something called the "misery index." It's the sum of the inflation and unemployment rates, two nasty statistics when totaled together equate to economic misery. You'll be relieved to know the Obama administration's misery index hasn't reached the highs hit by Jimmy Carter's.

It's hard to believe but I still remember, so I looked it up today to be sure. Carter's yearly average of 20.8 was reached by 1980 and was the all-time modern high. Obama's administration hit a monthly rate of 12.8 in June of this year. Just so you can compare and remember the "good old days," the average misery index over George W. Bush's two terms was only 8.1, and Bill Clinton's administration was even lower at 7.8.

In one of their debates toward the end of the campaign Reagan quipped, "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" He closed the deal with the American people, who decided they weren't and handed Reagan the presidency, making Jimmy Carter the poster child for one-term failure.

There are many today who are comparing the Obama administration to the Carter administration and coming up with the obvious similarities. Many of us hope the crowning likeness will be the one-term comparison.

However, nobody in America wins when the president is weak. I had at least hoped for the best a few months after Obama took office, but his steadfast adherence to his flawed Keynesian economic model is killing us. The lurch to the left went beyond traditional Democratic tax and spend philosophy. It went right off the charts into Democratic Socialism. His stimulus spending to the tune of $825 Billion did nothing. You can ignore all the rhetoric about "creating jobs" or "saving jobs." When the August number came in there were zero jobs created, and that hasn't happened in America in a very long time.

Add to it something called the "Public-Private Investment Partnership," nothing more than Obama's version of Bush's TARP, and all that happened was more toxic assets were transferred to the government, which of course translates into the taxpayers - YOU!

Remember how successful "Cash for Clunkers" was? Remember nationalizing the automotive industry to rescue it from bankruptcy? Somebody at Ford should be crowned King of Captialism for refusing the government handout when GM and Chrysler are still owned principally by the taxpayers.

Remember Obamacare? I have hated the idea since it was first introduced, largely because of the staggering costs involved. It reformed little and the cost was extraordinary in a time when America could afford it least. We won't know what its full effect will be until (and if) it takes root. I'm betting the SCOTUS will strike it down as unconstitutional because of the individual mandate. Whatever that eventual outcome, the short-term effect has been businesses by the droves are getting out of the business of providing private healthcare coverage for their employees. If you've loved Medicare and Medicaid, then you're just going to love government-sponsored health insurance exchanges.

Remember the national debt clock? It's still ticking at a more rapid pace now than ever before in our history. It has now exceeded $14 Trillion and will hit $15 Trillion by the end of September (yes, this month). When it happens, don't expect a flurry of headlines, because the story will be tucked away somewhere on page 10 below the fold. It will be the first time since World War II that the debt will exceed the GDP.

Remember the first downgrade on our debt in our history from "AAA" to "AA?" Unless Congress takes substantive steps to change course this fall in the supercommittee, the credit markets will continue to react negatively.

Remember "tax the rich?" He's still thumping that theme as recently as yesterday in his stump speech. I was heartened yesterday to hear a report that thirty-six senators from both parties are now calling upon the super committee to enact sweeping tax reform as part of their work product. Knock on wood. With an approval rating of 12%, Congress had better do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to demonstrate their willingness to do the bidding of the American people who employ them. The polling data is suggesting there are very few who are inclined to send the same members of Congress back in 2012 unless they prove worthy of their hire.

We're running up debt for the next generations of Americans that will prove to be impossible to repay unless the growth engine in our economy is jump-started and begins to hum again.

There are those who say it isn't fair to hold Obama or any POTUS to the same standard as private business measurements for success. Honestly, why not? If he were CEO of America, Inc., no board of directors worth its salt would retain him given his record. Here's a stunner for comparison: This "recovery" has been underway for two and half years and employment has actually dropped by a full percentage point. The only other president in American history to have witnessed negative job growth for a comparable period is Herbert Hoover. I'm certain when Barack Obama took office he wanted to be considered an historic president, but I doubt this is what he had in mind. Nor did any of us.

Despite the clear record, he continues to blame George W. Bush for the mess we're in. I have stated repeatedly it is more complicated than blaming your successsor. Presidents, let me say it once again, DO NOT create jobs. Their policies, however, provide either an environment for job growth or an environment that stifles job growth. So what does this failing president flail away at? The same failed European economic model that won't work, and he keeps doubling down on his bets.

Obama might do well to take a page out of Bill Clinton's playbook. Clinton lost control of both houses of Congress in 1994. But Clinton the pragmatist, wanting to be re-elected, decided a 180-degree turn was in order. He put Al Gore in charge of downsizing the federal government and he worked with Republicans in Congress. Together they passed the North American Free Trade Act, they reformed a badly broken welfare system, and (listen for the drum roll) they enacted and achieved a balanced budget!!!

It's been done before. When correct principles are applied they work.

Barack Obama is no Bill Clinton, and he's certainly proven he's no Abe Lincoln, but he needs to pick a new path and try something dramatically different than giving another speech before a joint session of Congress about all the jobs he's going to create with government debt and deficit spending.

I just hope it's not too late before he becomes another Jimmy Carter.

On the other hand, there are only thirteen and a half months left until the next election. Maybe we'll all just have to be patient.

Until then, I choose happiness instead of misery.