Sunday, September 04, 2011

I'm just sayin' ...

•The US Congress is consistently rated below 20% in overall approval in several different polls and there was a substantial shift in power in the US House this past election, yet it seems incumbency still enjoys better than a 90% advantage for career politicians. What does this say about US voters in general?

•Speaking of the Congress and its general inability to get things done, I wonder what would happen if we randomly selected even just 100 (the number of US senators) registered voters, two from each state, to come together and discuss the nation's problems. How many votes of confidence do you think this body could garner? I do not pretend to fully understand the dynamics of the Congress, especially when one party controls the Senate and the opposing party controls the House, but it seems pretty clear that no one - and I mean NO ONE - looks forward to that first day in Congress and eagerly anticipates the historic opportunity to "work with" other Americans to address our problems. My guess is these 100 randomly selected Americans would each show up with their own agendas just as each member of Congress comes with theirs.

•The president is going to give another speech, this time about jobs. He's been in office nearly three years now. I cannot help but to wonder ... why now?

•Stimulus is almost certain to be a part of his overall package (that is if he actually has specific, concrete proposals at all), and Congress will likely consider further stimulus to be just what the doctor ordered. Stimulus has not worked in the past (under any president) and has only been a drain on the US budget to no real end. Reckon they think it will work if they put some "stank" on it?

•The people have generally lost confidence in the US government, and church attendance continues to spiral downward which can only mean people believe only in themselves. The government has let them down, the Church has let them down. Could this be a substantial step toward anarchy?

•Mitt Romney, a Republican candidate for president, claims he will issue a jobs package proposal in a couple of days, two days before the president will deliver his jobs speech to a joint session of the Congress. Is it me, or is this the first time a presidential candidate will have actually stepped forward with more than platitudes and bumper-sticker slogans? Of course, Mr. Romney's proposals remain to be seen. I'm just sayin', I wonder if his proposals will fit on a bumper sticker?

•President Obama faces continual criticism for his job performance and is constantly being beaten up for not having had any real, practical experience that would have helped him in what must be the toughest job in the world. Is this not more than a little redundant? My guess is, if this man is of above-average intelligence (and I think he is) he has surely had his own doubts about whether he was (is) ready for the job. In fact, I would question the mental capacity of any person who steps into the Oval Office and just knows what to do.

•The Congress and the President have been at odds for a very long time. Wonder what might happen if they did not intentionally antagonize one another?

•The 10th anniversary of the dreadful attacks of 9/11 is a week away. One cannot board an airplane without being already under suspicion and treated as a potential terror threat. Can we really say we've learned anything?

•Polls ask whether Americans think the country is still in recession. If the majority says no, does this mean there is no recession?

•America is all aquiver over whether or not Sarah Palin will declare her candidacy for the US presidency. Do we really believe she is better prepared for the job than President Obama was?

•Speaking of which, what makes anyone think Michelle Bachmann is any better prepared to take on the monumental task of being the president?

•Does Rick Perry's belief in creationism really matter?

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