This past weekend, in campaign events, President Obama used fear to talk about fear.
He wrapped up the campaign weekend Sunday night at a rally in Ohio, where he went Hollywood to make his point that special interest groups are "the Empire." "The Empire is striking back," Obama said. He then elevated the argument from Hollywood to hopes and fears, stating that this election is "a contest between our deepest hopes and our deepest fears." While noting "the other side is playing on fear. That's what they do."
That's what they do? Hold on -- he just labeled the other side "The Empire." This weekend, it was not enough for Obama to blame the other side. He said that the voters are also to blame, because they are scared. According to Obama, voters' fear due to the current economic state is the reason that voters are not in favor of his administration's policies.
"Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now and facts and science and argument does not seem to be winning the day all the time is because we're hardwired not to always think clearly when we're scared. And the country's scared," he said, "and they have good reason to be." Maybe what Obama does not realize is that voters are scared because of his policies? Let's look at facts and arguments.
According to a Gallup Poll released Oct. 13, more than half, in fact 59 percent, of Americans believe "the federal government has too much power." Fact: Obama wants to give Americans more government while they are saying they want less.
"We're doing the grinding, sometimes frustrating work of delivering change -- inch by inch, day by day," Obama said.
While Obama and his administration are working at grinding it out, 58 percent of Americans say the government is doing too much, according to the same Gallup Poll.
Fact: He wants the government to do more; we want the government to do less. "I know it's hard to keep faith when a family member still hasn't found a job after months of trying," confessed Obama, "or another foreclosure sign is hung on the house down the street."
This impact can be seen in Americans' views of how things are going in our nation. Gallup released Tuesday its poll regarding U.S. satisfaction, noting that only "21 percent of Americans (are) satisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time."
Fact: We're terribly dissatisfied. The headlines say that the recession is over, but Gallup reported more than 10 percent unemployment this month. When the underemployed are included (those working part-time who would like to work full-time), the total rate is 18.6 percent.
Fact: Almost a fifth of those who want to work are not working to their full potential.
Not deterred by this great loss of human capital, our government is running an almost $1.3 trillion deficit in 2010.
That's a lot of money to spend. Was it spent wisely is the question voters will ask in less than two weeks when they are in the polls. A Rasmussen poll released Sunday noted that "an overwhelming 70 percent of adults say the government does not spend taxpayers' money wisely."
Fact: As a country, we don't believe that the additional $1.3 trillion borrowed and spent was spent wisely. As taxpayers, however, we're still on the hook for paying it back.
To pay it back, we need economic activity. We need jobs. We need employment. Only people or companies who make money can pay taxes.
The Congressional Budget Office employment forecast predicts "a slow rebound in employment, with the (unemployment) rate falling to just below 9 percent by the end of 2011, and then declining more rapidly to near its long-run sustainable level of 5 percent by the end of 2014."
We've spent an extra $1.3 trillion this year that we don't have, but we're not going to be back to normal employment for four more years. Almost one in five of us want to be working more than we are currently.
We're scared all right -- scared of too much government, too little employment, too much borrowed money and the belief that our representatives are not spending it wisely.
It's time to take control into our own hands. That's what the election in two weeks is all about.
Moving toward a future with less government, less taxes, less spending -- and less fear.
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