President Obama has boxed in Republicans once again! He has diffused their attacks upon him as a reckless, tax and spend, liberal socialist which just doesn't get any traction with the general public. Obama has very cleverly beat down his opposition by defeating them at their own game. He has found common ground that both the left and the right can agree upon like doing away with waste in government, immigration, and actually paying for any new government expenditures.
Most recently, President Obama has asked Congress to grant him the power to shrink the size of the federal government by merging trade and business agencies that would replace the Commerce Department, saving three billion dollars and cutting up to two thousand jobs over ten years. Also, he wants to decrease the bulging defense budget by streamlining the military with a smarter, high tech approach and a redeployment of troops. Most military experts agree it is the right thing to do. In doing so, it would be very difficult for his opponents to label him as a big government socialist. In fact, the Republicans have increased the size of government under Bush, along with the deficit, so it seems that they have lost all credibility on that argument too.
Obama's jobs bill was another example of a much needed program that was paid for and would have given the economy a second shot of adrenalin just at the right time. Included in that bill was money to repair our crumbling infrastructure which, in the past, was always agreed upon by both parties, and this was paid for without adding one cent to the deficit. Republicans want to keep Bush tax cuts which were never paid for, along with the two wars, the prescription drug plan, and the expansion of the Department of Homeland Security, all of which gave us record deficits. So who is the party of deficit reduction?
Tax cuts are another area in which Obama has demonstrated that he doesn't fit the label of "tax and spend liberal". He has never suggested a tax increase on the middle class but he has insisted on increasing taxes on the wealthy. Polls show overwhelming support for this plan but the Republicans refuse to give in, knowing we are in desperate need of increased revenues. Under Bush and Obama, emergency funds were needed to avoid a worldwide financial collapse. Republicans recognized the severity of those times and want to pay for them by gutting government rather than raise taxes on the wealthy. A tax increase on the wealthy is a small price to pay for avoiding a depression. Obama has since granted seventeen tax cuts to small businesses and has aggressively tried to bring manufacturing jobs back to our shores with his new insourcing program. The Republicans are usually the party of big business and should be cheering him on!
Obama has demonstrated a willingness for offshore drilling opening a record eighty new sites in the Gulf last year and he will approve the Canadian pipeline at the risk of losing the environmental vote. He has shown real toughness when it comes to immigrtation by deporting more illegal aliens than any other president. He is a reasonable man who has proven to the American people that he is far from this left leaning, liberal socialist that Republicans insist that he is. In essence, Obama has diffused their game and it will be very difficult for them to convince the informed American voter otherwise!
Perhaps more than any else, Obama has stripped away the mantle that Republicans are the party of national defense and are the only ones to protect us from terrorism. In this area, Obama has proven to be an intelligent Commander-in-Chief, making it a priority to get Osama bin Laden along with scores of other top Al Qaida leaders. From the very first threat from pirates in the Indian Ocean, right up to the victory in Lybia in which no American blood was spilled, this President cannot be faulted when it comes to foreign policy and national defense. He kept his word on pulling out of Iraq, and reneged when he had to on closing Guantanamo which was the right thing to do. He has worked tirelessly on sanctions against Iran which is really our only alternative. We cannot afford to attack Iran economically and doing so would be reckless. It is estimated that such actions would disrupt the supply of oil, cause the price of gasoline to go up to $10 to $12 a gallon, and set off a worldwide depression. I don't think anyone is in favor of that!
When you examine the decisions this President has made it is clear that he is an intelligent leader who has made the right choice regarding the economy and international affairs. Considering the fact that we as a nation have survived and are slowly recovering from the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression, our economy is not that terrible. Globally, we are still considered to be the best in the world. The dollar is getting stronger, the Stock Market is getting better, and unemployment is moving in the right direction. Obama saved the auto industry against the wishes of Republicans who would have let them go under, and now they are expanding, creating new jobs, and producing superior products. Even the much criticized health care program rejected the big government public option for a more free market approach.
On balance, you can't argue with success and even his harshest critics must give him credit for working hard, and making the tough decisions when they arise. Obama is in favor of tax cuts and he is for gradually balancing the budget, and making government more efficient. He is more of a center right President than the socialist he is made out to be and the polls show that the American people agree with more of his positions than Republicans. He deserves a second term and has proven to be far superior than anyone running against him. Wake up, America!
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