Top Ten Reasons I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney: # 6

Reason # 6 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?  
I won't vote for him because I know who he is beholden to--the far right of the Republican party, and the Tea Party (who assume even though their masters are Republican, they can call themselves "Independent").  
I remember the "Etch-a-Sketch" remark, do you?  Turns out Eric Fehrnstrom was telling the truth--Mitt Romney DID say whatever it took to win the Primaries, and now he's doing the same as he tries to get elected president.  
First of all, this is really not a quality we want in a president.  In this nightmare scenario, a President Romney tells one country one thing, tells another country the opposite.  NOBODY knows where the US stands on anything, and chaos erupts.  Globally.  Domestically, Romney rules by the poll--whatever the polls tell him to do, he does it.  I'm not making him to be something he isn't--time and time again, Mitt Romney has outright lied to whatever group he's speaking to.  
But I've talked about this already.  
Now I want to focus on who will have the president's ear if Romney is elected.  
First of all, remember who was also running for president?  I called them the Clown Car of Candidates, because the vast majority could not be taken seriously:  Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Perry, Donald Trump, and Rick Santorum.  Although, to be fair, Sarah Palin never officially announced--she just drove around for a while in a motor home.  
One by one, these people found reasons to drop out.  Almost by default, and by telling people what they wanted to hear, Mitt Romney was left standing.  Oh yeah, and in some states, he cheated to win.   
Along the way, he picked up some interesting endorsements:  

• The Tea Party
• Christine O'Donnell (I'm not a witch)
• Todd Akin (Rape doesn't take)
• Richard Mourock (Rape is gift from God)
• VA Governor Bob McDonald (transvaginal probe governor)
• All the "pro-life" groups in America, including those who advocate killing doctors
• National Organization for Marriage 
• The Koch Brothers
• the CEO of Papa John's pizza
• Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson
• Ann Coulter
• Focus on the Family
• Family Research Institute--an identified Hate Group

What's missing here are the "men behind the curtain", and of course the religious people who can't publicly endorse but who have plenty to say from their pulpits.  
It's this last group that really puts it over the top for me.  Because we do not--DO NOT--live in a Theocracy.  I have talked to Tea Party supporters, and they have told me, "If people need help, they just need to turn to their church.  My church has helped many people.  We don't need any healthcare reform.  We take care of our own."  
In one debate during the primaries, Mitt Romney was asked about de-funding FEMA (you know, that useless organization that's hard at work after Hurricane Sandy?!).  He said yes, he was in favor of doing that and allowing states to take care of their own disaster relief.  This is no surprise--he comes from a religion that firmly believes in "taking care of their own."  
So, my horror at the idea of a Romney presidency is driven by the people behind the man that we don't know, and the religious groups we do.  I fear many government programs, which do very good and necessary work, will be dismantled and replaced by that dangerous sentiment, "We take care of our own."  In other words, non-Christians, gays, people of color, Democrats...the list goes on...need not apply.
Think I'm going overboard on this one?  I'm not willing to find out. 
I'm voting against Mitt Romney.  I believe in a Republic.

Top Ten Reasons I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney: # 7

Reason # 7 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?  
Because I believe every child living in the U.S. has a right to be educated at a public school.  I believe these schools should be safe, sound, and have the highest quality teachers, books, and materials.  I believe we should offer education to preschool through high school, and I believe the curriculum should be as rich and diverse as this country.  
Basically, we pay now or we pay later--we pay to educate now, or we pay to build the jails and to help those in poverty later. 
I believe we, the adults in this society, should pay for the education of future generations.  ALL of us should contribute; perhaps the most wealthy should pay more, because they will reap more of the benefits from having an educated workforce.  But then again, we all will benefit from having educated doctors, police officers, scientists, writers, explorers, nurses, construction engineers........
Public education is by no means a new phenomena in the United States.  The first settlers set up schools and universities (my guess is that Native Americans had their own education system as well).  Almost as soon as the United States became a country, public schools opened and citizens were encouraged to send their male children.  Shortly after, public schools for girls were opened, followed by schools for the deaf and the blind.  Immigrant children were guaranteed an education, even when it meant there were 50-60 in one classroom  But they learned to read and write in English, because their new country believed in education for every child.  
Yes, there is a belief in a universal education system in this country, but we have struggled throughout our history as to how that system should work--"separate but equal" educations were considered "good enough", and to this day, there are plenty of unsafe buildings and schools where children are rapidly discouraged, not encouraged.  Schools in America struggle to find the resources to teach children whose first language is not English.  We believe in educating every child, and yet there are pressures to cut funding for children with handicaps.  Jobless, homeless families need a great deal of societal support.
The single greatest determinate of educational success of a child in America?  Socioeconomic status of the family.  
But that doesn't mean we stop trying to educate every child.  That doesn't mean that we throw up our hands in dismay at the state of disrepair.  That doesn't mean we take the easy way out, and say, "Here's a voucher.  Go find a good, clean private school for your non-handicapped child who doesn't have learning disabilities and who already speaks English."  Because that's not what Americans do.  
But that's what Mitt Romney wants to do.  Mitt Romney, who attended private school, whose sons attended private school, and whose grandchildren have never set foot in a public school either.  He's playing it close to the vest, but plenty of other GOP candidates are willing to talk about dismantling the Dept. of Education and handing all of you a voucher.  Make no mistake--"Choice" in education-speak = vouchers.   
They have no plans for addressing the single most important factor in the educational success of a child--poverty--but they have plenty of money to spend on vouchers.  For certain special people.
How un-American.  How very Mitt Romney. 
Bleah.  I'm not voting for him.  I believe in public education.  I believe in our future.

 

Top Ten Reasons I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney: # 8

Reason # 8 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?  
Social Security.  I will need it, you will need it (unless you're already retired, and even then you still need it).
I've been employed, full-time, for about 8 years.  I worked part-time before that, and before I had kids, I was employed full-time.  So, I've worked--as a full-time, paid employee, and as a full-time mom.  I've paid into the Social Security system, and so has my employer.  I'm an eternal optimist, so I believe when I retire, I will get Social Security benefits.  I hope that, along with my pension, will allow me to live without being a burden on my kids.  
Yes, I know the Social Security system has problems, but can you imagine life without it?  I can't.  I don't earn enough to afford to take care of my aging parents, nor do any of my siblings.  I don't know many people who do earn a sufficient income, nor do I know a lot of aging seniors who could manage without Social Security and Medicare. 
I am not ready to give up on the Social Security system.  I am ready to hear ideas to reform it, but give up?  Uh uh.
Mitt Romney is reportedly worth $250 million.  I say "reportedly" because this guy, running for president, has managed to NOT release his income tax returns.  So, we don't really know how much money he has, nor do we know where he keeps it.
But suffice to say, he will not need to move in with his kids in his twilight years, nor will they need to move in with theirs, nor their kids with theirs--they have a great little retirement scheme all their own.  
Bully for them. 
As for the rest of us?
Well, we're really not sure.  I even checked the official Mitt Romney website, and there are only sketchy details there.  My fear, shared by others, is that Mitt Romney will listen to his running mate, Paul Ryan.  Ryan would like to privatize Social Security--going to Individual Retirement Accounts; accounts that would be invested in the Stock Market and with banks.  Perhaps Mr. Ryan slept through late 2008.  If we were already using Individual Retirement Accounts back then, our seniors would be in a whole world of hurt right now--their investments would have been lost, and only now slowly recovering.  
No thanks, Mitt Romney.  Social Security?  Yes, please. 

Top Ten Reasons I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney: # 9

Reason # 9 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?
His lack of foreign policy experience, lack of foreign policy positions, and his unwillingness to be serious about international relations.  
Back in 2008, Hillary Clinton released a memorable commercial during the primaries.  Basically, it asked, "Who would you want to answer the 3 a.m. call in the White House?"  Of course, we would want Hillary to take that call, because of her vast foreign policy experience and international connections.  It was an effective ad, highlighting in a very clever way the deficiencies in Barack Obama's resume.  
Ultimately, Barack Obama was nominated, and he chose Joe Biden for his running mate--an elder statesman with a ton of foreign policy experience.  When John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate, the difference was glaring.  
Then Barack Obama was elected president, and what he did next was brilliant--he asked HILLARY CLINTON to be his Secretary of State.  Yes!  She was going to be answering some of those 3 a.m. calls!  Our reputation around the world, which was pretty much in the toilet when George W left office, has vastly improved in the last four years.  As a matter of fact, if citizens of the world could vote, they would vote for President Obama for a 2nd term. 
Barack Obama's stellar relations with other countries leaders is due in large part to the advisers he has; not only Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, but a host of others.  It proves that he took foreign policy and relations seriously when he was running, and after he was elected.  He took time to visit other countries and speak with their leaders, and their people.  He used his experiences to make campaign promises in 2008, and he has kept many of those promises.  Most importantly, people saw a stark difference between him and John McCain, and they welcomed that fresh way of dealing with the world, instead of the same old, same old, "Guns a Blazing" approach.  
Mitt Romney?  He visited England during the Summer Olympics, and he insulted them.  Next stop:  Israel.  I've spoken of his love affair with Israel, at the expense of the Palestinians, and it showed.  Next stop--Poland??  "Meh," was their reaction. 
Three countries on your tour, and you manage to insult more than you appeased?  Not a great record.
So, you say, maybe Romney will surround himself with superb foreign policy experts?  Welllllll......no.  Romney's foreign policy team includes 17 (out of 24) advisers from President George W Bush.  These advisers include Cofer Black, the guy who really, really, really liked to waterboard people (he's undoubtedly the reason why neither Bush nor Cheney can leave this country, lest they be arrested for War Crimes).  Another adviser, John Lehman, is probably responsible for Mitt Romney's statements that RUSSIA is our greatest threat.  Yeah, Russia.  
Stop and think about what I'm saying here--Mitt Romney has surrounded him with George W Bush advisers.  And we all know how that turned out.
Also, I ask you to watch clips from the third Presidential Debate--the Foreign Policy debate.  Oh yeah, he said all the right, banal things about human rights (presumably only available if you're male and heterosexual) and his plan (except he didn't mention specifics except the need to build up the Navy....yes!  The Navy!  Got some major donors with steel companies, do we??).  But most of the rest of the evening was spent either agreeing with President Obama, or trying very, very hard to talk instead about domestic policy.  Which was totally not what the debate was about.
Finally, a thought from the very intelligent Rachel Maddow:

"It turns out you don't get to decide what sort of presidency you have.   George Bush was essentially saying he wanted to have a domestic policy presidency.   Remember compassionate conservatism? H e wanted less of a role in the world.   You don't get to decide what circumstances confront you and you don't get to opt out of your responsibility.   And some presidencies, for better, for worse, sometimes for a year at a time, sometimes for whole presidential terms, sometimes those presidencies end up being about America in the world.  And the commander-in-chief part of the job.  Sometimes presidencies end up being about war. George Bush I don't believe set out to have that kind of presidency, but that's the kind of presidency he got.  Into the vacuum of his lack of any sustentative idea on foreign policy at all stepped a well-organized group of unelected, opportunistic radicals who over the course of the next eight years brought upon this country the most disastrous foreign policy in American history and we're not over it.  Now while we're in the 12th year of one of the wars started in that era, the Republican party is offering another choice for president who is promising a non-foreign policy presidency.  Mitt Romney did not mention the issue of foreign policy in his closing statement at the foreign policy debate last night.  This is not his field and he's not pretending that it is.  He doesn't want it to be his field.   Nobody has perfect foresight about what their presidency is going to be like, what they are going to have the option of working on or not working on.   But the pressing nature of this issue now is not that it's hypothetical.   It's about seeing what's going on right now.   We are still actively coping with one of the foreign policy disasters left over from the last time a guy said he didn't want to work on this as an issue….that but is a lack of seriousness about something that affects 68,000 American families directly. 68,000 American families who have real skin in the game right now because a family member of theirs is in Afghanistan,  which is our war. 68,000 Americans whose lives will be in Mitt Romney 's hands if he's elected.   He can't be bothered to come up with a position on it.  This is not a question of whether you agree with Mitt Romney or if you disagree with Mitt Romney on whatever his policy of the moment is. The amazing thing here, and the reason the debate was important, is that the Republican party just four years after George Bush, the Republican party has nominated somebody to be president who doesn't seem to take this part of being president seriously.   He doesn't care about this as a matter of policy. He doesn't think you do either.  He doesn't think it's relevant.   A group of Mitt Romney foreign policy advisers told The New York Times that even they are not sure that Mitt Romney even reads his campaign's own briefing materials on the subject of foreign policy."

Mitt Romney does not care about the rest of the world.  Really, he doesn't.  
I know people who have loved ones with "skin in the game".  I care about them.  I DO NOT want him to take that 3 a.m.call.  For that matter, I do not want him to take a 9 a.m. call.  And most of the world agrees with me.

    

Top Ten Reasons I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney: # 10

Reason # 10 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?
He has an agenda for Day One, which includes beginning the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act.  But do you know what he's also promised to do on Day One?  

Reinstate the "Global Gag Rule".  You know, that obnoxious and harmful restriction that has been used to deny federal money for family-planning work abroad to any organization that provided information, advice, referrals or services for legal abortion or supported the legalization of abortion, even using its own money.

Merely talking about abortion could cost groups not only federal money, but also useful technical support and American-donated supplies of contraceptives, including condoms for distribution in the communities they serve.

In a Romney presidency, Big Brother is literally watching and listening to you if you're a woman in another country.  You don't get to control your own body--the United States government does.  

But, it gets "better"...unless you're a woman in another country, that is.

Mr. Romney also vows to block the United States from contributing to the United Nations Population Fund. This fund supports programs in some 150 countries to improve poor women’s reproductive health, reduce infant mortality, end the sexual trafficking of women and prevent the spread of HIV.  Following in the steps of George W Bush, Mr. Romney has embraced the bogus charge that the Population Fund supports coerced abortions in China, ignoring a State Department investigation that found no evidence for that claim. In fact, the fund has helped promote a voluntary approach to family planning.

So, at a time when experts are warning we are fast approaching the population tipping point, Mitt Romney wants to add even more people.  And, at the same time, he's willing to kill women, or impact their reproductive health so severely that they will not be able to contribute in any meaningful way to the economic stability of their families.  

Because he can.  It makes no sense, unless you're the kind of guy Mitt Romney is.  The dangerous kind.  

And if Mitt Romney's mother were alive?  She'd smack him upside the head and send him to his room until after the Election.  

Reason # 11 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 11 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?
I take pride in the fact that I am an educated voter.  Unlike my grandmother, who came close to voting for George Wallace because he looked like a nice man, I take time to read, to listen, and to evaluate a candidate's positions on various issues.  Voting is a right that should never be taken for granted. 
But when it comes to Mitt Romney, I find I am constantly frustrated.  His positions on very important issues keep changing--not as in being tweaked, but as in flip-flopping.  Telling the "Right" what they want to hear, then turning around and trying to look moderate.  
Mitt Romney will not get my vote.  His pat answer, "Trust me.  We will release that after the elections," doesn't fly.  I want positions to be thoughtful and written down.  I want them to be quantified and analyzed and reviewed for effectiveness.
Is that too much to ask?  
   

Best New Thing in the Political World.....

"You Don't Own Me" PSA from You Don't Own Me on Vimeo.

Reason # 12 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 12 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?  Answering a question with a question;  Did you see the Foreign Policy Debate?  
So much to say, so little time.
I think I will focus on one country in this reason; what I say may be controversial, and let me assure you that I am trying to be thoughtful, not provocative with my words.  
I won't vote for Mitt Romney because of his odd position on Israel.  I really can't understand him, and some of what he says is troubling. 
First of all, let me make one thing clear--I completely believe Israel has a right to exist.  They have a right to a peaceful existence.  But they do not have a right to be a bully in the region, especially not when it comes to the Palestinian people.  
It's not a unique thing to Israel; plenty of countries around the world have border disputes with their neighbors.  Plenty of countries hate their neighbors, some for very justifiable reasons.  
But here's what I don't understand:  Mitt Romney's seemingly utter, blind, devotion to Israel.  He's vilified President Obama over and over for the administration's relationship with Israel, and yet I don't hear that criticism coming from anywhere else except the far right in the US.  What is it about Israel that Romney finds so "special"?  Why does he seem to want to coddle a nation that seems perfectly capable of taking care of itself?  I mean, have you heard about its security forces?  Seen Israel defend itself over and over again?  I don't think they are lacking for anything when it comes to defense--from cyber to traditional warfare, it's quite covered.  And the US has always defended Israel--the current administration is not an exception. 
Here's what I think.  
I think Mitt Romney, and the far right in this country are terrified---horrified---to think that Muslims are living so close to so many "holy sites" in that region.  Those pagans are just getting too close to the holy spots of the true religions.  Ironic, since Mitt Romney's religion was founded in the US, and that's where their holy spots are.  
Yes, it all boils down to religion, and that's such a dangerous thing.  Religion--THE worst reason to go into war, or to keep conflict going, and until all humans in this world stop believing their "God" is #1, we will never see peace.  
If Mitt Romney wants to make an impact on this world, if he truly wants peace (he did go on and on about that the other night, didn't he?), then maybe he needs to consult with me on this issue.  
Because here's my solution--a perfect solution for that little bit of land that every major religion thinks is so important, thinks it's worth killing over:
Close it.  
Yup, close that "holy land".  Remove every last person for a 50 mile radius.  No houses, no farms, no dwellings of any kind.  The only structures allowed would be those that could be closed down at 9 pm. and opened again at 9 am.  Rental only--payable to the UN.  Nobody owns the land, and you can only visit it.  You're a Christian?  Go to your holy site and visit.  Go away at the end of the day.  Need to visit the Wailing Wall?  Go ahead.  "God" will hear your prayers while you're there, and most likely, while you're not.  Muslim?  Go in, be filled with  love of your religion, and then leave.  
I would consider voting for Mitt Romney if he had the fortitude to suggest such a thing.  If his solution for the region was, "If you can't play nicely, then nobody gets to live there."  
But he won't.  He will continue to coddle Israel.  At the expense of true peace.
I say "Imagine".
I say I"m not voting for Mitt Romney.

Reason # 13 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 13 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?
Because I believe in progression, not regression.  
Because I want the gains we have made under President Obama to stick; not be overturned by a President Romney.
For all of Mitt Romney's flip-flopping, one thing is very clear to me:  he despises LGBT people.  Does not care about us, would not grant us "special" rights, and certainly does not think of us as humans of equal status.  
And, he will probably rescind at least two Executive Orders issued by President Obama: 

• Don't Ask, Don't Tell:  Mitt Romney is a little squeamish the issue, saying "I believe it should have been kept in place until conflict was over."  However, his advisers are more outspoken.  If we can't return to the "good old days", they want to at least see "Separate but Equal".  AND, there was that horrible, but very telling moment in a primary debate, when a gay soldier was booed, and not one candidate spoke up for him.  
• Hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples.  This is VERY important to so many of us, and it's such a basic right.  President Obama recognized this.  Mitt Romney does not.

I will return to LGBT issues later in my countdown, but for now, know this:  when I vote in November, I will take some people into the voting booth with me.  I will take the young LGBT of our country, who are too young to vote, and I will take future generations of LGBT with me.  They can watch as I use my vote in an effort to hold off a return to the dark days of shame, darkness, and lying.  They can look over my shoulder as I cast my vote--my vote for equality, for freedom, for the pursuit of happiness.   
I'm voting FOR President Obama.

Reason # 14 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 14 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?  Because I can't trust the Republican party.  Why can't I trust the Republicans?  
It ties in with Reason # 15.In 2010, the GOP ran with a campaign promise of "Jobs, jobs, jobs".  Once elected, this same GOP abandoned that promise and instead set to deny women the rights to their own bodies.
What could be more heinous than that?  
It's a basic human right, to have control over your own body.
Unless, I guess, you're a woman, living in the United States in the 21st century.
My grandmas must be turning in their graves.
My mom can't understand it.
They fought so hard for us.  Fought so hard for birth control, for access to safe abortions.  For the right.  
In 2010, the GOP threw out a huge smoke screen, a huge promise of jobs; promised they would improve the economy.  
Instead, they targeted the majority of the country--set about to deny them the most basic of rights.  They could do it because:  1)  The GOP held the majority in state legislatures, and 2)  There weren't as many women in power.  
Don't believe me?  Believe this:

Oh, some of the laws were real doozies.

• Instead of helping you get a job in Arizona, the State legislature makes you ask your employer if you can have contraception.  You, a grown adult, have to ask permission.
• Instead of helping you get a job in Mississippi, the State legislature (and the governor) are working to close the only remaining abortion provider in the state.  
• Instead of helping you get a job in Virginia, the State legislature offered women a trans-vaginal ultrasound, thus basically fucking you one more time before your medical procedure.  Because they could.  AND, you have to pay for it!!!!!!  HA HA HA HA HA.  Those guys are hilarious.
•  Instead of helping you get a job in Tennessee, the State legislature passed new, restrictive laws, and at least one health clinic is closing.  Ummmm, doesn't that mean a loss of jobs in Tennessee?
• Instead of helping you get a job, the State legislature in 10 states got really busy working to defund Planned Parenthood.  So, not only did they not help create jobs, but if you can't afford health care, you can't go to Planned Parenthood for help.  Thank goodness President Obama stepped in.
• Instead of helping you get a job in nine different states, these State legislatures have introduced "Personhood" amendments.  In other words, these legislators want to define "life" as beginning at conception.  Oh, yes, they care so much about human life.  Until that life is actually here on earth.  And then they don't.  Because most of these same "humanitarians" have gutted education, health care, and support services in their states too.  

I could go on and on, but this news is just depressing.  And the point is made.  

The GOP is again running on "Jobs, jobs, jobs."  I guarantee they are lying to us.  Especially to women.  Women, you have much to fear, and much to lose, if you vote for any Republican at any level this year.  

I wasn't fooled in 2010, and I won't be suckered into it this time.  
I'm voting for the Democrats.

  

Reason # 15 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 15 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?  Because I can't trust the Republican party.  Why can't I trust the Republicans?  
In 2010, the GOP ran with a campaign promise of "Jobs, jobs, jobs".  Once elected, this same GOP abandoned that promise and instead set to dismantle labor unions.  
In Indiana and in many other states, the first order of business in the 2011 legislative season was to pass "Right to Work" laws.  Democrats fought hard to prevent such laws being passed, but because the GOP had control of many state governments, they were powerless to prevent it.  In Wisconsin, the utter contempt for the democratic process shown by the Republicans led to recall elections for some legislators.  But not before the damage was done.  
When the dust settled, there were 23 states with "Right to Work" laws.  23 states where the voice of the working person was muted, to the point of not being heard at all.  In Indiana, the need for such a law was pointedly questioned, as a similar "Right to Work" law had been repealed by the state because it was ineffective.  
Here's what I really don't get.  I really don't get the insatiable greed displayed by the heads of so many corporations in this country.  I've asked it before, and I will keep asking until someone answers me:  "How much money is enough?"  How much money does one person need before they say, "I have enough?"  Because for a lot of CEOs, there never seems to be "enough" for them.  And yes, I firmly believe that for many, the money is not the object.  Power is.  And it's all a game.  With the poorest of society as pawns.  
"Right to Work" laws really mean this:  Right to work...for less.  Right to work...with nobody to speak on your behalf.  Right to work...with no say about working conditions, pay, benefits.  Right to work...for less money and no health care.  Because your bosses need more money--for themselves.  
You have the "Right to Work" until you can't.  And then?  No pension for you.  Because the head of your company?  Does NOT give a shit about you.  
But hey!  Vote for those Republicans again.  Because they're running again on the "Jobs, jobs, jobs" platform.  
Or don't.  Because you're smarter than that.
As George W. Bush once said,  "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."
I wasn't fooled in 2010, and I won't be suckered into it this time.  
I'm voting for the Democrats.

Reason # 16 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 16 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?

His Five Point Plan.  

 I'm feeling very lazy today, so I will bow to the much more intelligent.  Mitt Romney's Five Point Plan has been analyzed, and will...fail...
But don't take my word for it:
Paul Krugman, writing in the New York Times:

"[Romney says]...And unlike the president, I have a plan to create 12 million new jobs. It has 5 steps.
[1] First, by 2020, North America will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables.
[2] Second, we will give our fellow citizens the skills they need for the jobs of today and the careers of tomorrow. When it comes to the school your child will attend, every parent should have a choice, and every child should have a chance.
[3] Third, we will make trade work for America by forging new trade agreements. And when nations cheat in trade, there will be unmistakable consequences.
[4] Fourth, to assure every entrepreneur and every job creator that their investments in America will not vanish as have those in Greece, we will cut the deficit and put America on track to a balanced budget.
[5] And fifth, we will champion SMALL businesses, America’s engine of job growth. That means reducing taxes on business, not raising them. It means simplifying and modernizing the regulations that hurt small business the most. And it means that we must rein in the skyrocketing cost of healthcare by repealing and replacing Obamacare.

Point by point:
1. This describes what Romney wants to see happen, not what he’d do to make it happen. But to the extent it means anything, it means scrapping environmental protection so that we can drill, baby, drill. Why doesn’t he say that? Because voters care about the environment.
2. Again, what does this mean? If it means anything, it means school vouchers — which are unpopular.
3. Trade agreements per se aren’t big job creators — they increase exports, but they also increase imports. And while a confrontation with China is the implicit subtext of the second part, Romney is apparently unwilling to get explicit.
4. Romney’s claim that he will reduce the deficit rests on the assertion that he will offset huge tax cuts by closing loopholes — but he refuses to name a single example, because tax breaks are popular. Also, Medicaid — his biggest single spending target — turns out to have substantial public support, too.
5. Tax cuts for small businesses actually means tax cuts for rich people; there’s a small subset of rich people who own small businesses. But Romney has to cloak the real policy in mom-and-pop rhetoric."


And in case you're interested, here's a fact check....
So, to summarize--Mitt Romney has a Five Point Plan--he kept referring to it at the debate Tuesday night.  At last--we've heard a PLAN!  However, it sucks.
So I won't be voting for Mitt. 

Reason # 17 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 17 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?
He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
On Day One.  
He's not quite sure what he will replace it with, but he is absolute (on this one issue) that he's really, really, truly going to repeal it.  
Except....
He would keep the part where people with pre-existing conditions could not be denied coverage.
And........................that's about all we know.  
He's talked generally about replacing it with "options" and "block grants", but most experts agree that it would be prohibitively expensive to repeal "Obamacare", AND the vague proposals of Mitt Romney would be disastrous for almost everyone except for the insurance companies.  Are we surprised by that?

And if you're a woman??  Bad.  Bad.  Bad.  Back to the bad old days.  Because, you see, Obamacare "remedies sex discrimination in the insurance market by requiring coverage for maternity care, prohibiting gender rating, and eliminating pre-existing condition exclusions. Obamacare also makes health care more affordable by guaranteeing no-cost coverage for recommended preventive services such as mammograms, Pap smears, well-baby care, contraception, gestational diabetes screening, lactation supports, and much more. " 

I need to remind you of 2 things:  1)  In 2008, the number one issue on the minds of voters was health care reform.  The voters really wanted something done to reform the system.  They knew costs were rising, and their employers were having to devote more resources to provide health insurance (anyone here have to forego a raise because their employer had to pay increased health care premiums?  Show of hands?  Ah yes, lots of us!).  2)  President Obama was elected in part because  of his plans to reform the system.  He had great ideas.  Most of his ideas were shared by Republican members of Congress too.....until he tried to get his ideas passed into law.  Talk about flip-flop--the GOP members of Congress gave us whiplash.  And then the masses were riled up by those "grassroot" organizations which were really billionaires playing a game with us; the Tea Party was result.  And President Obama was forced to compromise.  He admits his healthcare reform act is not perfect; it needs tweeking.  But it sure as heck helped a lot of people so far---women, seniors, students.....
So, if you're s woman, a senior, a student?  You better be DEMANDING to see Romney's plan.  To make sure you're still covered.  I'm willing to bet you aren't.
And it's going to be gone on Day One.  THAT he's guaranteed.

As for me?  I've lived in the land of the Queen.  My daughter lives in the land of the Queen.  Healthcare was something we never, ever had to worry about.  I cannot tell you how liberating that was.  No bills for hospitalization, birth control, doctor's visits.  

In a perfect world, we would all be treated like royalty.  For now, I'm not voting for Mitt Romney.  I refuse to be a peasant.  

Reason # 18 Why I Won't Vote for Mitt Romney

Reason # 18 why I won't vote for Mitt Romney?
Income Tax Returns.  He won't release them.  He thinks he doesn't need to, that it isn't relevant when selecting our next president.  I've written about this before, so I  belabor the point, but really?  You want to elect someone as President of the United States of America, knowing he's worth a shitload of money, but not knowing exactly where he keeps his money?  You're OK with the fact that some of that money--could be all of it--is kept in banks outside of the US, instead of being invested here in our country where it could be used to help our citizens?  For loans, mortgages, small business investment?  To help stimulate OUR economy?
If you have ever called President Obama un-American for any reason, then I've afraid I'm going to award the "World's Biggest Hypocrite" prize to you, because you are.
Nothing, nothing President Obama has done can compare to how unpatriotic Mitt Romney's off-shore accounts are.  Your grandparents, your parents would get that--they heard over and over about the importance of investing in America.
I get it.
Mitt Romney?  Off-shore banking guy?  Screw him.  I'll vote for someone who actually wants to help the likes of me.