Election Nonsense

I am very happy that Election Day is finally here.  In a few more hours, we will no longer be subjected to countless inane political commercials broadcast on every form of media available to the campaigns as well as those "non-partisan" (sic) 501(c)(3)'s.

Those that know me also know that I am a fiscal conservative who typically votes Republican in national and state elections.  That is, unless the candidate is an idiot (paging Todd Akin), clueless (Sarah Palin), or entirely out of their freaking mind (Michelle Bachmann).  There are exceptions to every rule.  This election is a fairly easy one for me since I honestly believe that Gov. Romney is far more qualified, prepared, and able to get the economy back on track and create jobs.  What's not being said in this election is something everyone already knows...when unemployment is low and the stock market is doing well, no one really cares all that much about funding for PBS, Planned Parenthood, or even abortion for that matter.  For me, solve the big problem and the little ones have a way of taking care of themselves.

What's difficult is trying to make that point to democrats or socially-conscious liberals.  I boil it down to big-picture vs. small picture politics.  Big picture equals jobs, low unemployment, and an economy where where it's possible to make more than $0.02 a year in your savings account.  Unfortunately, we're a long ways off from achieving any of those goals.

As a final note: I attended an open enrollment meeting yesterday to discuss my company's health care plan for 2013.  Like clockwork, our premiums are going up by 100%.  That's right, 2013 will cost TWICE AS MUCH as what we paid in 2012.  Why you may ask?  Well, it's called the Affordable Care Act of 2011!  Ironically, the only thing "affordable" about it is for people who weren't paying anything for health care in the first place.  I particularly enjoyed President Obama's claim that "if you like your current health plan, you can keep it!"  What he didn't say was how much it's going to cost you & your employer for the privilege...

Happy Voting America!  I hope I have good tidings to share in the morning.