Looking forward to the November elections for President, We here at Mytwocent$ thought it would be interesting to breakdown the election as the heavyweight fight we wish it was. Leaving corruption aside, when fights are scored - they are scored by the round. The winner gets 10 and the loser gets 9, unless it is a complete blowout, which is scored 10-8. What follows are 13 (rounds?) items which will influence the outcome of the upcoming election - scored Boxing style.
Round 1 Political skills.
What better place to start than with the fact Obama was able capture the presidency four years ago with the thinnest of resumes - steamrolling the Hillary express in the process. With the exception of Bill Clinton, that kind of political skill is unmatched our lifetime. Romney has his party's nomination by default, its his turn - just like it was mcains turn 4 years ago. While Romney may be accomplished in the real world, Obama is accomplished in the political world. Big difference. 10-9 Obama.
Round 2. VP's
Is there really any doubt who would make a better president - Biden or Ryan. One is a new vibrant on the rise Ayn Rand disciple, the other an old out of touch career politician with a claim to fame of being this nations most accomplished plagiarist. Sounds like a Romney knockout, except recent history would argue picking a young, vibrant, vice presidential running mate is a surefire way to lose. Palin, Edwards, Ferraro, and Quayle all lost VP bids to older, experienced, more accomplished opponents. Fail to learn from the lessons of history, and ruin awaits. In deference to history, Score this 10-9 Obama.
Round 3 Leadership
Great leaders are resourceful. They have an uncanny ability to unite, meaning they get more from the whole, than the sum of the parts. And most importantly, they live in the moment. We would argue all of those traits could be found in Romney - a man who has successfully turned around multiple companies. On the other hand Obama - the consummate divider - keeps a very tightly controlled image. That is a sure sign of someone who never resides in the present. Image freaks are wheedlers ….always measuring, primping, persuading, manipulating, using, selling, acting, but never being. Mentally, they are always somewhere else. Its why Obama struggles without a teleprompter. His Ego demands he stay on a script (where he is comfortable), instead of just being himself (where he is not comfortable). While this makes Obama a master manipulator, it also makes him a poor leader. 10-9 Romney
Round 4 Demographics
This one intrigues Bagholder. There are a number of groups who went big for Obama 4 years ago, which today, are probably feeling a little disenfranchised. For example, the young. How many young college graduates in debt up to their eyeballs with student loans, struggling in the worst job market in decades, are really anxious to pull the lever for more of the same? How about all those folks who voted for 'Change' 4 years ago. That is a huge group of people feeling cheated. These are just a couple examples of the groups which will be abandoning Obama in droves. In the meantime, Bagholder cannot think of a single group who went Republican 4 years ago, that plan on switching to Obama. 10-9 Romney
Round 5 Clinton
In honor of the most skilled politician in my lifetime …Its the Economy, stupid. The electorate votes their pocketbook, end of story. You would think that make this a 10-8 round for Romney, but the gross number of folks receiving government checks has grown significantly on Obama's watch. It hardly seems likely the welfare class will vote themselves out of a check. Then you must consider Gman's (ministry of truth?) July report, stating the rate of inflation in the US is zero. Bagholder is in awe of the temerity (another Clinton specialty) required to actually claim Zero inflation in the United States today. Then again, the bigger the Lie, the more they believe. The fact most people blindly believe nonsense like this disturbs Bagholder. Meaning too many people, can be convinced too easily, this economy is in recovery. 10-9 Romney
Round 6 Numbers
Its really a question of which numbers will hold sway. Bagholder believes 11 million lost jobs on Obama's watch should matter. However, that 11 million is likely trumped by the 21 million currently working for Gman or receiving unemployment benefits. Bagholder also believes $9 for a box of cereal should matter, but that $9 is trumped by the 48 million currently receiving SNAP cards. Bagholder believes Trillion dollar deficits should matter. However those trillions are likely trumped by the millions of teachers, junior Gmen, and Gman contractors those trillions payoff. Perhaps the most important numbers though, are 4 & 8, as in Obama could only perpetrate another 4 years of damage, while Romney, theoretically, could be at the wheel for 8. Bagholder can do the four standing on his head. Obama 10-9
Round 7 Focus
In today's America, it is virtually impossible to succeed in anything without working hard. I read a NY Times article recently which stated Obama has played hundreds of rounds of Golf since becoming President. Speaking as a Golf Junkie, How hard could this guy be working? Contrast with Romney… He has successfully ran multiple companies because he understands part of diligence is accepting responsibility for what is, and moving forward. This is where the big O fails. In the last 4 years Bagholder cannot recall one instance where Obama has owned this economy. Even today, he still blames everyone else for this economy, while acting like he is the only President in history to be handed a bag of shit by his predecessor. There is no moving forward with Obama, because he will not accept the reality of what is. This round goes 10-9 Romney
Round 8 Reagan
Are you better off today than 4 years ago? It worked for Reagan In 1980, as people looked around and saw mass unemployment & soaring inflation. That vision was confirmed by Gmans own statistics, so Carter never had a chance. Today, those same stats (unemployment & inflation) are conveniently (for Obama) not tracked the same way. In fact they are rigged purposely lower to paint a prettier picture than what actually exists. In contrast to 1980, People today are left wondering if they should believe the inflation & mass unemployment they see with their own eyes, or the statistics they hear from Gman, which say there is no inflation & unemployment is falling. As poor as the economy ACTUALLY is today, this should be a 10-8 round for Romney. With Most voters predisposed to believe what they hear rather than what they see; Obama has a lot better chance than Carter. So we score it 10-9 Romney
Round 9 Morality
It is difficult to believe either of these two could win a morality contest. Romney seems to have it, when its convenient; which at a minimum makes him both disingenuous & hypocritical. Interesting though is his choice of Ryan as VP, because Bagholder has never met a Rand disciple who didn't have a moral compass. It seems as though Romney is aware of his glaring weakness, and sees Ryan as the cure for what ails him. This self-awareness puts him ahead of Obama in the morality department. Obama has never had to be introspective, living his whole life in the fantasy worlds of academics & politics. Those are two worlds where individuality is dismissed in favor of group think, in other words……. no morality required. 10-9 Romney
Round 10 Beer
Speaking as someone who has occasionally tipped a few, with whom (Romney or Obama) would you prefer to share a few pitchers of beer? Bagholder is not completely convinced Romney is not a Robot built by some wall street techies. He is very machine like in his demeanor. At times he sounds like a recording, of himself. Obama, due to many of the character flaws mentioned here, somehow seems more, well, human. Easier to connect with, dare I say, more likable. While Obama has no chance of getting Bagholder's vote in November, He would get Bagholder's vote in a contest for whom we would like to share a few brewskies. Score this round Obama 10-9
Round 11 Electoral Map
The map is a daunting one for Romney. He would have to hold ALL the Mccain states AND pull 97 electoral voles from states Mccain lost. The most logical route to 97 would have to include Florida, Ohio, Indiana, N carolina, Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin. Obama's well known stepping on the coal industry could cost him in NC, Va, and Oh. Indiana is safely in the Romney column already. Ryan will be needed in Wi just as the Republican machine will be needed in Florida. Romney has no margin of error, as there are few other states he can be competitive in, let alone win. While it can be done, its the math equivalent of trying to hit a 7 team parlay. Anyone who has ever been to Vegas could tell you, They almost NEVER hit. 10-8 Obama
Round 12 Charisma
Bagholder defines Charisma as the uncanny ability to get people to overlook your bad side, because they really like the good side. Reagan had it because he spoke his mind in a concise manner. Clinton had it because he could fake sincerity whenever the situation demanded it. As for Obama & Romney, well they only have charisma in small doses. While Obama is incredibly smooth, his disarming manner is not so beguiling as we would overlook his playing hundreds of rounds of golf while the US economy burns. For the record, what most Americans would describe as a smooth disarming manner, Bagholder would describe as scripted, and therefore disingenuous. Romney is just as disingenuous as Obama. Unlike Obama though, he is comfortable with his own hypocrisy. This allows much more time to focus on others, as opposed to say, preening. 10-9 Romney
Round 13 Choices
You want Change? Or more of the same? ….. You want more government in your life? Or a lot more Government in your life? ….. You want to Change Obamacare, or do you like it the way it is? ….Do you like a broader tax base with more paying & less taking, or do you like a narrower tax base with those of us who pay, paying more - and those who take, taking more? …. You want to elect a guy who has a track record of turning around broken companies, or a guy with a 4 year track record of blaming his predecessor? …..While the choices above are not the choices Bagholder would like, they are still clear-cut and thus easy to make. We can elect someone who who knows how to do, or we can elect someone who knows how to blame. Gee, let me think …. Romney 10-8
The next President, by a score of 124-121, will be Mitt Romney.