Presidential Candidates: 6 of 1/2 dozen of the other

by Virginia DiBianca | September 12, 2012 9:49 am

 

 

 

 

 

BY VIRGINIA DIBIANCA. Being a registered Democrat, it has been my position to go with that party’s candidate as the first choice. In most presidential elections, however the choice has not been so cut and dry. I have voted Republican in past campaigns when my heart just could not go for the Democratic candidate (Carter in 1980, Dukakas in 1988). The truth is, to me and to those on the fence, neither candidate is completely right.

2008 vs 2012

Statistics show signs of recovery in areas such as inflation and unemployment. In others such as public debt things are worse.

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics[1], unemployment in 2008 was 5%. It is now at 8%
• The Bureau of Public Debt[2], a division of the Treasury Department, reported cumulative public debt went from $5.14 trillion in 2008 to $10.95 trillion.
• The Consumer Price Index[3] tracked overall inflation was down from 4.3% in 2008 to 2.3% in 2012.

Small Business Supports Romney

If you are a small business owner, Romney is your choice.

“Obama just doesn’t understand small business,” says hair salon owner Tina Caputo. “Banks are unwilling to extend credit and I am not inclined to add new products or services with an economy that is not encouraging people to start spending again.”

Caputo feels that with Romney’s background in business, he will support programs that stimulates consumer spending.

Healthcare & Social Programs

When it comes to Obamacare, the health program benefits the public but kills businesses, especially small businesses who must pay for additional coverage.

Glen Buchanan, partner in a printing company in New Jersey supports Romney who he feels is a strong business man paired with the political experience as a governor.

“I am convinced Obama does not understand the facts about foreign outsourcing or Green energy investments ”.

Social programs may be more Obama’s thing but it may come at a price. I’m not the 47% but I do understand when someone’s health precludes them from making a living and needs help with food stamps or disability benefits.

Economic History Repeats Itself

I have been through bad times with economic and housing downturns.  October 1987, the stock market crashed. In the same year,  Wall Street saw the demise of insider trading with tycoon such as Michael Milken [4]and Ivan Boesky[5]. After that, corporations such as Dennis Kozlowski of Tyco [6]and Bernard Ebbers of WorldCom[7] forged their records to appear more profitable then they were. No one thought it could happen again and then came Bernard Madoff[8].

Each time a Wall Street scandal is uncovered, it leads the way for new rules and regulations to prevent it from happening again. Unfortunately, now the recovery seems harder because banks are afraid to take chances and deny loans to those who desire to make their dream come true with a start up business. Government needs to be part of the fix on this and offer incentives to financial organizations to get things economically moving.

Ideally, I would want a candidate with a good business mind but has their pulse on the American people. What I do not want is a president who looks at being successful within his own term without a thought as to what comes next.

The Republican top down approach didn’t work very well under Bush so I am not convinced it will this time around either. At the same time, I wonder if all these social programs under the Democrats are going to cost us dearly in the long run.

As former President Clinton [9]stated at the Democratic convention, simple arithmetic tells us that the Republican’s cannot do what they say they are going to do without eliminating beneficial deductions that put us on track with fixing the economy.

That was a candidate I understood and who understood me.

 

 

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