Anyone But Mitt...One Voter's Opinion

The following article is an opinion piece. Isn't it great that in these United States people can have an opinion and can make that opinion known. I may be the only voter in the U.S. that holds these particular opinions. They are mine. I have chosen to share them. I do not expect anyone else to hold these opinions, although I believe that there are other voters in this fair country that may believe in a few of the following statements.

It seems to me that the national media experts are perplexed. They do not seem to understand why Mitt Romney has not been the undisputed favorite Republican nominee for president of the United States. I don't know how other voters feel, but I know that I have not quite been able to wrap my head around Mr. Romney as a presidential candidate.

The man, Mitt Romney, evokes to me, images of a rich, spoiled preppy kid. A know-it-all fraternity type, living off of his rich parents. "I say, Skip, Bif, Bink, Kip, Winnie, Chadwick, Mitt!" From the Preppy Handbook, a nickname "bespeaks a certain in-ness and inaccessibility to outsiders. It's like being in a secret society minus the degrading ritual."

I don't really believe that Mr. Romney is a spoiled brat living on his father's wealth. I know better. But, that is the image he projects to me. And, I know that Mitt isn't the only candidate to sport a nickname. Newton Leroy Gingrich goes by the name Newt. When I hear Newt, I think of the young cowboy in the book and movie Lonesome Dove . Tough. Patient. Loyal. Do I place these attributes upon the shoulders of Mr. Gingrich. Well, the jury is still out.

While watching portions of the debates, I have caught myself thinking, "Mitt's hair looks greasy, slicked back, like a...a greasy sleazy politician. Unfair? Maybe. But, the hair works with his fake smile. I have actually been embarrassed for him several times when he flashed that smile inappropriately. Or, inappropriately in my thinking.

I haven't watched all of the debates. I haven't even watched one complete debate. But, I have seen portions of most of the debates. I have seen enough to form some basic opinions about the participants. Should haircuts and smiles that seem to me to be phony matter? Maybe not. But they do matter. Human beings form opinions using whatever information is available to them. I will never meet Mr. Romney in person, so I must use the data that I have been given to decide if this is the person that I want to see as the leader of our country.

Should I be able to make a decision based on what the candidates say? Well, at this point, I have come to believe that politicians will say anything to get elected. So, I don't think that I can believe everything that I hear.

I'm hearing a lot of words, but I'm not really hearing the information that will help me to choose a candidate. I hear all of the Republican presidential wanna-be's saying that they will repeal Obama Care. But, they are not saying what they are going to do to take care of our healthcare crisis. At this point I don't really know if I am for or against Obama Care. That is probably because I don't know what is in the Obama healthcare plan. I don't hear any of the Republicans saying why they will repeal the program, or how they will repeal the program.

I am very tired of the back-stabbing, name-calling, put-downs between the presidential hopefuls. I only want to know what they are going to do to improve the economy, encourage jobs, raise pay scales, pay off the government's deficit, curb federal spending, you know, all of those little things that actually affect our lives. Those things may not affect the politician's lives, but they definitely affect my life.

I personally don't care about a candidate's sex life. I don't care how many times he has been married and divorced. Spare me. We all make mistakes. Maybe it is just me, but the fact that John F. Kennedy was unfaithful to his wife did not keep him from facing down the Russians during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was a child during the Cuban Crisis. I remember how strong and decisive the president was during that time. The media has ruined many a man as they feel the need to make millions for their companies' stockholders and of course, keep the ratings up.They need to stop thinking about ratings and get back to the business of reporting the news.

The national media outlets can't seem to understand why some voters are finding it so hard to accept Mr. Romney as the Republican presidential candidate. Many people are just plain tired of the major media outlets. They conduct monthly, daily, and during debates, even minute by minute polls. It seems that the polls choose our elected officials before we ever make it to the voting booth. We don't even know who the pollsters are polling or where those polls are being taken.

The media seemed to have chosen Mr. Romney as the Republican presidential candidate from day one. They took it for granted that no one could defeat him. They began pushing him down our collective throats. I believe that the American voters are smarter than the media hounds know. I don't need CNN or Fox News telling me who I should be supporting for the presidential nomination.

And, now Mr. Romney can't seem to find his tax returns for the last several years. Really. I know exactly where my tax papers are located. And, I pay a lot more than 15% on my income. That is income from my retirement pension, which I paid into for 38 years and two part time jobs. I make a bit above minimum wage and have no benefits. I pay for my own healthcare insurance. The policy I have is more like a discount plan than an effective insurance program. These are part time jobs that only a retiree can afford to hold. A man or woman supporting a family could not exist in these jobs. In my part of the country there does not seem to be a lack of jobs, there are plenty. But, the jobs are low-paying, no benefit jobs that would not allow a working family to make a decent living. And, the holders of these jobs pay more than 15% on their salaries.

Mr. Romney is telling people like me that he will release his tax information in April after he is nominated as the Republican candidate for president. And, what about that money that he has sitting in a Caribbean bank? Do I believe he is a tax cheater? No. I believe he is doing what all millionaires do...making money. Does all of this look bad to people like me that have to count every penny? Yes. It makes it look as if he has something to hide, whether he actually has secrets or not. Did I save money for my retirement? Yes. I did without a lot during my working years to insure that I could retire. I enjoy working. I don't mind paying taxes. I believe it is my duty to pay taxes and make sure that my country is strong. But, is our tax system fair? Absolutely not!

And finally, the fact that so many Washington Republicans are supporting Mitt makes me feel that they want him to be president for a reason. Is it that they don't want someone to move into the White House that might spoil their party, rob them of the opportunities to rob the citizens of the United States? Am i anti-politician? Absolutely. Do I believe that all senators and representatives in Washington D.C. should be replaced? Yes. Do I see Mitt Romney as a buddy to the Washington scoundrels? Yes.

Once again. This is an opinion piece. These are my beliefs, right or wrong. If Mr. Romney or anyone else wants to be president of the United States of America, I believe they should spend some time living the life of the common American. The advisers they hire should not be rich, yes- men or women, Washington insiders, media specialists, or politicians. The candidates' advisers should be common American men and women, the people that are working to make a living or looking for a job that will mean that they can make a living for their families. Politicians live in a make-believe world. It is time for a real change in America. I don't believe that Mitt Romney is the person to bring about that change.