Obama Promises Prosperity---Can We Afford to Find out if he is Wrong...Again?

60 days from today, Americans will chose the leader to guide our country in these uncertain times.

The conventions are over, the nominations have been secured, bases have been rallied and each side has made their case to the American people.  The race is on.

Last night, President Obama delivered a crucial speech.  Expectations were high and many expected him to knock it out of the park.  A lot was riding on this speech.  After all, Obama's future is hinging on whether or not he can convince us again that he is the man for the job.

Did it work?

Image from NPR.com

As Obama took the stage, he wasted no time pledging to the American people that the path he has set us on will lead to a prosperous future.  He assured us that "Our challenges can be met" and that he can lead us to a "better place."

He asked for patience and assured us that he is in the fight to "restore values that built the largest middle class and strongest economy the world has ever known."

It all sounded really nice...hmmm...and remarkably familiar?

Many political pundits have pointed out today, that several of things he said last night were plucked directly out of speeches and State of the Union addresses that he has been giving for the last four years.

No wonder we were a little bored.  We have already heard this.  No wonder his delivery was a little dry, he has already made these promises dozens of times.

The only thing remarkably different about his speech?  It lacked passion and I would argue that it is because he lacks the conviction to know he can actually get it done.

***

The president made promises, but these are promises that have already been made and sadly, these are promises that have already been broken.

He already promised us a prosperous future.  He already promised us that "change" was possible.  He already promised us that his path would strengthen the middle class.

He has been wrong about it all.

It would be difficult to believe that we are truly on a "path to prosperity."  Our country is now burdened with $16 trillion deficits, unemployment remains above 8% for almost two years straight, GDP trends now mirror trends of the Great Depression and our federal leaders are completely incapable of finding compromises and solutions.

This president has overseen it all.  This is the path to prosperity?

I am not buying it.

Image from Daily News.com

The president is asking for patience---patience that we frankly don't have.   He is now pleading for a second chance---yet millions of Americans have lost their chance to pay their bills, find a job and stay in their homes.  Obama wants to strengthen the middle class, but under his leadership 2.3 million Americans have slipped out of the middle class and have joined the 1 in 6 Americans now living in poverty.

***

By all accounts, his speech last night was not his best.

He has been criticized for a speech that was void of specific changes for a second term.  With all the talk of "Fair share...fair shot...fair rules," one can only assume that his "Big Idea" for his 2nd term continues to narrowly revolve around raising taxes on the wealthy.

Does anyone want to remind him that he already tried to pass his "Fair Share" bill back in May?  It failed to pass.  What if it fails again down the road?  Then what?  Time and again his promises and "big ideas" have come up short.  We are not better off and it is still remarkably unclear if we will be better off 4 years from now.

The president is asking for a chance to make things right.  He wants to prove that change just takes time.  But can we really afford to find out if he is wrong....again?

No thanks.

I will continue to support the candidate who has demonstrated time and again that he knows how to actually make change happen.  The candidate who has shown that he can actually solve difficult problems.  The candidate who as a lone Republican in a sea of Democrats turned a $3 billion deficit into a $2 billion rainy day fund.  He did it in 4 years and he did it without raising taxes and without borrowing a single dollar.

Image from NYDailyNews.com

The president's speech left even his greatest supporters scratching their heads, saying "That's it?"  But I am hoping that the president will soon find out that in America, our leaders aren't judged on the oration of their speeches, but rather the execution of their goals.

This is where the president has come up short.

The Labor Department's dismal job report today showing unemployment remaining over 8% reflects this failure perfectly.  Therefore, I am hoping that Obama's days in the oval office have dwindled to 60 because Americans are desperate to really get on a path to prosperity.  We just need the right leadership to get us there.

Go Mitt.

One thing is clear: Obama is no Bill Clinton

William Jefferson Clinton.  Democrats love him and admittedly, even some Republicans are now longing for the good ole' days when the disdain we felt for our liberal president was based on a little blue dress and an intern named Monica.

Longing for the good ole' days when bipartisanship was attainable and compromise was achieved.

Last night as our former president took the stage, he reminded us of his successes and the achievements he experienced during his presidency.  He talked about his legacy and how his approach to governing brought about real results.  He then boldly endorsed Barack Obama and made the case that despite our broken economy, trillion dollar deficits and high unemployment, this president has placed us on a path to prosperity.

Really?  Sounds good.

Hmm.  Still not buying it.

Image from BET.com

It was a feel good speech and Democrats are hoping that his rock star status will distract from the dismal record of this president.  Time will tell if it was successful, but there is one blaring reality to emerge from his speech: President Clinton was successful because he mastered the art of compromise.  Obama hasn't even tried.

Like it or not, President Obama is no Bill Clinton.

It is hard to sell the "Bill Clinton Success Story" when Obama's approach has been the exact opposite.  I think it is important to remember that starting on Obama's third day of his presidency, he brazenly declared to his rivals on the other side of the aisle, "I won."  No compromise.  No respect for the opposing position.  No interest in finding a middle ground.  Starting on day 3, this was our president's approach to leading his country.  This has been his approach from the start.

Is it any wonder that our government is broken?  Is it any wonder that his presidency is overshadowed by failure and lack of accomplishments?  Even his few successes only came about without one Republican vote.

Why doesn't it concern anyone that rather than follow the lead from his predecessor Bill Clinton and learn the "art of compromise," Obama is now bypassing Congress all together and is applying Executive Orders? (Namely immigration).

Yesterday, CNN contributor William Bennett quoted Newt Gingrich who once said that there are two types of conventions for a party in power: accusation conventions and achievement conventions.  Does anyone have to guess what type of convention has been presented over the past few days?

I don't think so.

Perhaps if Obama had been willing to follow the lead of the former president, it would be a different story.  Perhaps we would not be facing the fiscal cliff we are now facing.  Perhaps if Obama were showing signs of being willing to learn from his mistakes, he wouldn't be virtually tied with an "unlikeable murderer from Massachusetts."

Tonight Obama will make his case to the American people that there is somehow still reason to believe that he will get this done.

But the blaring truth that will haunt him?  Obama is no Bill Clinton.

Are You Better Off? Will You be in 4?

As the Democrats prepare to take the stage tonight, they are hoping to steer the attention away from the blaring question looming over the convention center.  The question, "Are you better off today than when Obama took office?"

Up until this point, the Obama team has been able to evade this question.  I guess that is what happens when millions of dollars are spent creating distractions from the economy by elaborating stories about how Mitt Romney is a greedy, vulture and a felon who callously kills people.

But things have changed.  From here on out, those distractions are going to be a little harder for them to pull off.  Like it or not, the American people have learned a lot about Mitt Romney.  We have learned of his remarkable leadership and innate ability to fix dire problems.  Over and over again in his career, Romney has achieved remarkable success and over and over, when hope seemed to be lost, it was Mitt Romney's skills and abilities which offered the solutions.

Above all, we have learned of Romney's kindness and that his life has been filled with quiet acts of service---hardly an individual Americans should fear.

Here we are, 63 days before a pivotal election.  The reality?  Four years into a president's term and despite everything that has been tried and promised, passed and overturned---things are not better.

Unemployment remains over 8% for an unthinkable 42 months.  GDP has slowed to an unthinkable 1.5%.  1 in 6 Americans are now living in poverty.  1 in 4 college graduates are now living with their parents.  23 million Americans are still out of work.  The debt has surged to an unthinkable $16 trillion and economic trends mirror those of the Great Depression.  Our nation is bitterly divided and sorry Mr. President, the rise of the oceans has not slowed and our planet is far from healing.

Four years into this president's term and the blaring truth is that the "Hope" we were eloquently promised offered nothing but empty rhetoric.

The economy has not stabilized and we are not better off.

The Democrats know that distractions are still needed and the DNC will be filled with plenty of them.  I am sure they are hoping to distract us by reminding us as often as possible of the 2008 campaign.  I have no doubt that we will see plenty of images of Obama's 2008 speeches to spark memories of Greek columns, tingly legs and people moved to tears.

We will undoubtedly hear themes of "fairness" and "rights."  And without fail, we will hear incessant blaming of a predecessor and plenty of talk of reason to fear Mitt Romney and why there is cause for panic.  But one theme will undoubtedly be missing: any mention of what Obama failed to achieve and the real state of our economy.

Here are a few reasons why the Obama Camp should be worried:

1) The debates are coming and Mitt Romney is going to hold the president accountable for his dismal record of job creation, deficit spending and inability to stabilize the economy.

Mitt Romney is a man whose "sterling" career was successful because he was always laser focused on getting results.  In contrast, Mitt Romney will show that Obama has been laser focused on blame and policies that don't work.

2) This election IS about the economy and we aren't stupid.

According to a recent CBS News poll, 54% of Americans cite the economy and jobs as the number one focus of this election.  For Mr. Obama, that is going to sting a little.  According to the poll, when registered voters asked who they believe will do a better job of handing the economy?  49% believe Mitt Romney while only 41% cite Obama.

The poll also showed that when it comes the federal deficit, taxes, and illegal immigration, Mitt Romney holds a commanding lead. (Click here for poll results).

3) It is no longer 2008.  
For many, "Hope" has turned to "Nope."

***

Are you better off today?  The answer is sadly, no.

And despite what the DNC presents, I refuse to be distracted by the fact that my friends and neighbors are still without jobs.  Our streets are still lined with foreclosed homes.  The cost of living is skyrocketing.  The cost of gasoline alone has jumped from $1.84 to $3.82.  The median income has dropped from $54,983 to $50,964.  Many of us are still barely getting by.  A college degree is becoming a luxury and the middle class is shrinking before our eyes.

Above all, I will not forget that we hired this president to fix those things and he promised that he would.  He promised that he could.  He hasn't.  He has failed us.

The Democrats are now asking us to again hold out on the "Hope" that Obama's second term will be better, but the "Hope" that was promised last time came at a too great a price.

Are you better off?  No, but that isn't the question.  Rather, we should be asking ourselves, "Will we be better off in four?"  The answer is simply I hope so.  Well, the president is basically asking us to give him another chance with the "hope" that he is right.

But this time around, can we really afford to find out if he is wrong....again?

Image from MPRnews.com

No thanks.  It comes at too great a price.

That is why I am standing with the candidate who believes we can do better and whose resume is filled with substance rather than empty "Hope."

Go Mitt.

Women Who Stand With Mitt

Day 2 of the convention is over and by all accounts it was a remarkable night.  There was plenty of red meat -- it fired up the base and has stirred up the critics.

One thing which continues to stand out more than anything?  The Women.

Much to the dismay of the left, the Republican party is saturated with strong, articulate and respectable women.  Women who love their country and are fighting for the promise that the American Dream is still within reach for anyone.  Women who ardently believe that our leaders must begin to exercise fiscal discipline and for the sake of our country's stability, these women demand that our leaders be confined to moral spending limits.

These women are leaders.  They have found their voice.  Above all, these women refuse to be defined or confined by the social issues of our day.

Susana Martinez, Gov. New Mexico; Nicki Halley, Gov. South Carolina; Mia Love, Mayor, Saratoga Springs, Utah, Condoleeza Rice, former Secretary of State; Kelly Ayotte, Senator, New Hampshire.

Susana Martinez 
First female Hispanic governor in America
Last night America was introduced to a remarkable woman, Susana Martinez, Republican Governor from New Mexico.   She talked about her humble upbringing in a town on the border where her family lived paycheck to paycheck.  She told of her parents determination to improve their circumstances and the risks they took to build a business that grew from one employee to hundreds and eventually spread to three states.

She candidly shared the poignant moment not too long ago, when as a Democrat she realized, "All be damned, I am a Republican."

Image from Foxnews.com

Martinez challenged Americans that this election must be about real issues.  She said, "Too many Americans are out of work and our debt is out of control.  This election needs to be about those issues.  Obama promised to bring us together, to cut unemployment, to pass immigration reform in his first year and he even promised to cut the deficit in half in his first term.  Do you remember that?  He hasn't come close."

Martinez made an impression on me and I have no doubt that her impact will be far reaching.

***

Condoleezza Rice
First African American Female Secretary of State
Her poignant speech has those on the left scrambling today because she spoke with authority on foreign  policy and domestic issues and boldly asserted that America's standing in the world has been impacted under President Obama.  She declared that America's future is uncertain if we continue to try to "lead from behind."

Image from the Wall Street Journal

Rice said the world has seen areas in the Middle East declare their desire for freedom, and yet the US has remained a silent spectator.  She said "The promise of the Arab Spring is engulfed in uncertainty; internal strife and hostile neighbors are challenging the fragile democracy in Iraq; dictators in Iran and Syria butcher their own people; all wonder 'Where does America Stand?'"

She said, "Our friends and foes alike, do not know the answer to that question."

In regards to domestic issues, she reminded us that while our economy is crumbling here at home, our standing in the world has been compromised.  She said, "When the world looks at us today they see an American government that cannot live within its means.  They see a government that continues to borrow money, mortgaging the future of generations to come."

Perhaps one of the strongest arguments she made, "The world knows that when a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny."

She whole heartedly endorsed Mitt Romney and artfully undermined the president and his effort to segregate our country based on financial and class standing.  She said, "Ours has never been a narrative of grievance and entitlement.  We have not believed that I am doing poorly because you are doing well.  We have not been envious of one another and jealous of each other's success. Ours has been a belief in opportunity and a constant battle -- long and hard--- to extend the benefits of the American dream to all -- regardless to circumstance of birth."

Image from the Boston Globe

Rice awakened imagery of our country's greatness and the hope of a better future when she reminded us that "America has met and overcome difficult circumstances before."

She ended with the heart wrenching and emotional story from her childhood.  She said, "A little girl grows up in Jim Crow Birmingham -- the most segregated big city in America -- her parents can't take her to a movie theater or a restaurant -- but they make her believe that even though she can't have a hamburger at the Woolworth's lunch counter -- she can be President of the United States and she becomes the Secretary of State."

***

It was a powerful night.  These women and the others who shared that stage have awakened a yearning for America's greatness to be restored -- that the American Dream is still attainable for anyone -- and that leadership matters.

These strong women are all standing with Mitt.

These women have found their voice and refuse to be defined by the social issues of our day.  They boldly reminded the president the same message which I wish I could shout from my own roof, "Mr. President, you may speak for some, but you don't speak for me."

Ann Romney Exceeds Expectations & Nails It

The first day of the convention is over.  The delegates made their choice and Mitt Romney sealed the nomination.

The evening was full of boisterous speeches from Republican party elites who tried to make the case that our president has failed us, but Mitt Romney will succeed.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated speech of the night was from Mitt Romney's wife, Ann.  Expectations were high.   She was given the task to humanize her husband and let people see a side of their lives, which has been branded by many as out-of-touch.

As Ann Romney took the stage, she looked radiant.  Her striking red dress caught our attention, but her calm and reassuring demeanor captured our interest and respect.

She spoke from the heart.  She eloquently described her life with the boy she fell in love with at the age of 15.  She talked about the humble beginning to their marriage in a basement apartment with a desk made from a door propped on saw horses and their fold-down ironing board used as a kitchen table.

She described what it was like to be a young mom and the loneliness she felt as she supported her husband in his years of school and then stood by his side as he and a couple of friends worked tireless hours to launch their new business---a business which would later prove to be one of the most successful private equity firms in the world.

She described her struggle with the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis and her battle with Breast Cancer.  She said, "I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a 'storybook marriage.'  Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once.  And those storybooks never seemed to have a chapter called MS or Breast Cancer.

"A storybook marriage?  No, not at all.  What Mitt and I have is a real marriage."

Image from thenewyorker.com

Knowing that the Obama camp has ruthlessly tried to portray Mitt Romney's success at Bain Capital as a weakness, she addressed it head-on.  She said, "The jobs that grew from risks they took have become college educations, first homes.  That success has helped fund scholarships, pensions, and retirement funds.  This is the genius of America: dreams fulfilled help others launch new dreams."

She proudly highlighted Mitt's successful career and reminded Americans that to attack it is a foolish attempt to distract.  She said, "Let's be honest, if the last four years had been more successful, do we really think that there would be this attack on Mitt Romney's success?  Of course not."

In a subtle knock on the president, with his incessant blaming of his George Bush and his failed attempts fix things, she said, "We're too smart to know that there aren't easy answers, but we are not dumb enough to accept that there aren't better answers."

Wow.

Image from Foxnews.com

One of the most poignant moments of her speech came when she subtly addressed their wealth and financial status.  She said, "Mitt doesn't like to talk about how he has helped others because he sees it as a privilege and not a political talking point.  We are not different than the millions of Americans who quietly help their neighbors, their churches and their communities.  They don't do it so that others will think more of them.  They do it because there is no greater joy.  'Give and it shall be given unto you.'"

It was a powerful moment.

As she finished up her well-received speech, she encouraged America to get to know her husband and said that we can have full confidence that he will lead our country out of this stagnant economic recovery.  Looking straight into the camera, she firmly said, "I can stand here tonight as a wife, a mother, a grandmother and an American and I make you this solemn commitment: This man will not fail."

Ann Romney exceeded expectations.  She connected.  She delivered.  She nailed it.

Image from Bostonglobe.com

Her words cast a light on the character of these two people, the lives that they lead, the exemplary children they have raised and the influence for good they are having on the people around them.  She was seen as a respectable, likable and caring woman who has experienced trials and struggles which few can imagine, but she has endured it all with dignity and grace.

Perhaps the most important imagery to emerge from her speech? Mitt Romney has been at her side through it all.

Her speech had an impact. The media is in a spinning frenzy today because much to their dismay, the real Mitt Romney is beginning to emerge and I am confident that Americans are going to love what they see.

Go Mitt.