Grimesy Campaigning

It's that time of year again.
The time if year when it matters not what one has done -- it matters what the other guy has done worse. Or can be inferred to have done worse.
"Worse" being relative.

The necessity for smear campaigns or mud slinging doesn't seem to matter.

Senator (I think) Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is a good (or bad) example of this.

Now, I can only offer an outsider (Ohioan) point of view, but it seems that Mr. McConnell has been good for Kentucky. He does his job, which is more than can be said for the majority. He has weighed the options, made deals, voted for or against many policies and projects.
All he needs to do to campaign for re-election is say "Here is what I have done for you, my people."

Instead, he has chosen to attack his opponent, Allison Grimes.

And the grounds he is using as an attack platform are dubious, at best.
One attack was that she supported Obama.
Well, she's a member of the Democrat Party. I would be much, much more disturbed if she did NOT support the majority of her party's politics. I don't know about you, but I don't want to vote for someone who does not support her own support network. Who cannot be loyal to those she promised loyalty to.
Nope, I would not want to vote someone who stands for nothing.
Not even her own standing.

Her first ads that I saw represented facts about McConnell's attendance and voting record. His supporters immediately started screaming that she had her facts wrong and besides that, who was she to cite any such facts, when her record for another position may (or may not) be just as dubious.
Reminds me of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck arguing over Rabbit or Duck season.

Now, the 'scandal' of Ms. Grimes is that she won't say who she voted for.
The media is making a big deal of her refusal to answer.

Shouldn't they be making a big deal of the invasion of her civil right to a secret ballot -- an American institution, especially for presidential elections.
Besides that, who cares?
No one, it seems to me, except Mr. McConnell and his supporters, who are not in favor of voters having rights, apparently.
If she voted for Obama, she supported her party. Good for her.
If she voted for someone else, she voted her conscience, Good for her.
Why is this an issue?

Ms. Grimes has, for the most part, not dignified that issue with any comment. She certainly is not making it a campaign issue. Nor a publicity point.
For that, I would almost vote for her myself.

It should only be about who will do or has done a better job. Nothing more, nothing less.
The candidates that meet that criteria will be the ones who get my vote.
In any race.
In every race.

The American Way; The Butt of the World

Once again, in an effort to GET THEIR OWN WAY, our duly elected Congress has moved to make the USA the butt of the joke in the global community. They have approved an action to sue the President for not being a good president.

The idea does have some intriguing possibilities. These Congressmen (and women) might want to think carefully about what doors they are opening. Imagine if we could all start suing politicians for being liars or for not keeping their promises!
Although, of course, they would limit the sue-ability to the president, I'm sure.
As they have done/are doing with the term limits question. (In case you missed it, it is okay to limit the tenure of the presidency, but term limits for the Congress are unconstitutional.)

But that isn't the issue.

The issue is that they are making the American Way of government into a Joke and a Failure in the eyes of the world. Something that, were they doing their jobs, they would be making great efforts to resist.
But it's okay. They can blame it all on the president, and the gullible (and mostly nonvoting but vociferous) citizens of the USA will jump on the bandwagon and Facebook and yell "Hell Yeah!"

Don't get me wrong. I do not think Mr. Obama is the world's greatest president. I did not vote for him. He wasn't my choice. He isn't my choice.
And, (speaking of term limits) he will be gone in a brief but endless couple of years. We've survived six years; we can endure two more.

But he was the choice of the percentage of the population that cared enough to get off their butts and actually vote. I have to respect that. If I can't respect the results of an election, why am I voting?

Once elected, the President should have the public support of his (our) Congress, and of the, for the, and by the people who cared enough to elect him.

Privately, there is always room for discussion, argument, discord, dissent, and any other word you want to use for being adamantly opposed to everything you disagree with.
That's the American Way.

I object to the American Way being made a mockery of.
I object to the American Way being made a joke in the eyes of a world watching to see if a democratic republic is a viable form of government for longer than a couple centuries.
I object to the American Way being exploited for financial gain and publicity by some rich white guys having temper tantrums when they don't get their way.

Oh, didn't you know?
Most of the Congress is lawyers, judges, etc.
They make up their own laws and collect their fees.
At your (and my) expense.

If you don't like this president, get off your duff and vote for someone you do like.
THAT is within your power.

In fact, that IS your power.

Just do it.