Trust is an invaluable asset for any leader. It's promised in every political campaign. But trust must be earned and reearned every day, and it's hard to regain once lost. President Obama came into office promising hope, change, and unprecedented transparency. After four years of unimpressive economic progress, unabashed partisanship, and imperial power politics, he's asking us to entrust him with another four years in office.
Are you ready to trust him again? Has he earned your trust or do you have serious questions that go unanswered? Why would he sign bills that had to be passed for us to find out what's in them? Why would he create a law that impacts 1/6 of our economy that doesn't fully take effect until after the election?
With his promise of transparency, why has he not faced the White House press corp on US soil since June 8th and had no formal White House press conference since March 6th? Why has he limited his interviews to local affiliates and safe entertainment shows?
What questions would you like to ask? Here are questions I'd need answered before I could even consider voting for President Obama:
You have complained about Romney's five point plan, but your stated plan to hire more teachers, invest in infrastructure and alternative energy, incentivize businesses that manufacture in America, and tax the rich sounds much like what you've been doing that has failed to stimulate a strong economic recovery. What do you promise to do differently to produce better results?
Since your last budget that you submitted to Congress received not a single vote from Republicans or Democrats, what specific cuts and changes will you propose this year to break your track record of annual trillion-dollar deficits?
You were recorded saying that Putin could expect more flexibility in your diplomatic negotiations with Russia after your election. Just what does that mean in terms of concessions?
Why have you claimed executive privilege on Attorney General Erik Holder's role in the "Fast and Furious" scandal where there are questions about possible obstruction of justice?
You guaranteed that if we made less than $250,000, our taxes wouldn't go up, but can you explain why 12 of the 21 tax increases in Obamacare hit the middle class?
Finally, as it relates to the terrorist attack on Benghazi and the loss of four Americans, we have unanswered questions: Since intelligence and real-time video clearly show that it was a terrorist attack, who authorized the talking points that stressed that the attack was a result of a demonstration over an offensive video even two weeks after all the facts were known? In response to the call for help at the embassy and annex, who authorized that no military support would be sent? Did you know about and support the decision to refuse additional security when it was requested by the ambassador well prior to the attack? In light of your promise of transparency, why didn't you authorize a press conference where all of the key figures, including yourself and Vice President Biden, could go on record with what they knew, when they knew it and what they did or did not authorize. Finally, if elected, will you step down from the presidency to avoid another Watergate faceoff, if it is proven that you lied to Americans and covered up your role in this travesty?
If you have not yet voted, take a long hard look at whether this president has earned your trust. People won't willingly follow a leader into the unknown unless they can trust that person's instincts, choices, and values. We did it once, but are you truly better off than you were four years ago?
Truth matters. Transparency matters. Lies matter. Values matter. With President Obama, it is becoming increasingly clear that he knows the exact calibration of political dishonesty and dodging that he can get away with. To Obama, it's politics and power that matter most.
Mitt Romney has a proven track record in the private and public sector. He is a man of strong values, and he has lived those values in and out of the public eye. Once Americans had a chance to see him unfiltered by media bias in the three live debates, his poll numbers soared. If elected, he will still have to prove he is worthy of our trust, but he has given every indication that he is worthy of that trust. President Obama has not. Tomorrow we will get beyond the polls to see who America will trust with the next four years.
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