By Arthur Solomon
I’ve often expressed my political opinions on this Web site. And always have given reasons for my views. And unlike “anonymous,” I intend to do so again.
Several times I have written that I voted for John McCain in 2008. And for the past three and three quarters plus years I intended to vote for Mitt Romney. But happenings over the past few weeks changed my thinking. I cast my vote for President Obama.
Here’s why:
- After watching the foreign policy debate and hearing Romney’s “me too” performance, I didn’t see any difference between his policies and Obama. (Of course, with his ever changing positions it’s impossible to know what Romney really believes. Obama says what he believes and I often don’t like what he says, but at least you know where he stands.)
- Romney’s not pulling his endorsement of Indiana’s Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, after Mourdock’s shocking “God’s will” rape remarks, and his being silent about Gov. Sununu’s racist comment regarding Colin Powell’s endorsement of Obama troubles me.
- Romney’s much ballyhooed “major economic speech,” was nothing more than what he has been saying during his stump speech without one new idea.
- What also bothers me about Romney is that what he has proposed, like returning some federal programs to the states is fraught with danger, considering how it took federal action to force the states to act democratically in the past.
- Romney looking into the TV camera and denying he said what I heard him say troubles me.
- Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan for vice-president has always bothered me.
- I found Romney keeping quite about the demands of the religious right troubling. (I am a strong believer that any one is entitled to their thinking but to try and foster their beliefs on others is too much for me.)
- It troubles me when a candidate wants to be president so badly that you can’t believe what he says.
That’s why I decided to go against my inclinations of almost four years and vote for Obama.
I wrote this on election day at 3:18 p.m. I don’t have the slightest
idea who will win the election. But to my surprise, and that of my wife and friends, I hope Obama wins another term.
As Macbeth said in act 2, scene 2, of Macbeth, “the deed is done.” It can’t be undone until 2016. And that’s okay with me.
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Arthur Solomon was a senior VP/senior counselor at Burson-Marsteller, handling national and international sports and non-sports programs, including the Olympic and Asian Games organizing committees and sponsors. He can be reached at [email protected] |