It doesn’t matter.

Click here to listen to the broadcast of You Tell Me on KTBB AM & FM, Friday, Nov. 16, 2011.

For once I agree with President Obama. Speaking last Sunday to Steve Kroft on CBS’s 60 Minutes on the prospects as to who he will face in the 2012 election he said,

“It doesn’t really matter who the nominee is gonna be. The core philosophy that they’re expressing is the same. And the contrast in visions between where I want to take the country and [where] they say they want to take the country is gonna be stark.”

I couldn’t agree more, Mr. President. The differences between you and any of the Republican contenders for the nomination couldn’t be more profound.

You want an ever-expanding role for government in the economy. You have the prototypical liberal vision of a Leviathan government overseen by a benevolent philosopher king that dispenses favors to the people. The Republican candidates to a person want just the opposite. The Republican candidates point to bankrupt entitlements, a trillion dollars in wasted stimulus money and a burgeoning regulatory apparatus that stifles enterprise while doing little to actually protect anyone. In the face of that sorry record, the Republican candidates to a person argue for a smaller government.

Mr. President, you believe in the health care law that is nicknamed after you. You hold this belief even though most Americans didn’t want Obamacare enacted in the first place and it became law only through legislative trickery. By way of contrast, your potential Republican opponents to a person have vowed to repeal Obamacare and in so doing repudiate your signal legislative accomplishment.

You, Mr. President, oppose domestic oil and gas production at nearly every turn. On this one, I’ll give you credit. Judging by your stance on the American oil and gas industry, no one can say that you will abandon your core principles for mere political gain. The fact that the American oil and gas industry could go a long way toward bringing down the high unemployment that will dog you all the way to November has not kept you from stifling industry efforts at nearly every opportunity. On the other hand, the Republican candidates to a person want to unshackle the American oil and gas industry to the betterment of the economy and national security. As you say, sir, a stark contrast.

You want to raise income tax rates. The fact that it can be proved mathematically that taxing million dollar earners at a rate of 100 percent would not have an impact significantly above the rounding error of the current year budget deficit matters not at all to you. Raising taxes is a core belief of yours.

The candidates to a person oppose raising income tax rates. Note, however, that none is opposed to higher tax revenues. They simply oppose raising tax rates in the demonstrable belief that higher rates seldom translate to higher revenues. On this, the most demagogued of all political issues, the Republican candidates speak as one.

So you are correct, sir. In the final analysis it doesn’t really matter who the nominee is. The thing that matters is which vision of the country the voters want – yours or that of any of your Republican opponents.

Unless things are a whole lot better by summer, I’m betting that whomever it is that wins the Republican nomination will do better than any of us now thinks.

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Paul Gleiser

Paul L. Gleiser is president of ATW Media, LLC, licensee of radio stations KTBB 97.5 FM/AM600, 92.1 The TEAM FM in Tyler-Longview, Texas.

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7 Responses

  1. Danielle says:

    You are a prejudice and igorant bigot that abuses freedom of speech. The things you believe and say are going to lead you straight to hell. But I do pray that you and the fellowers of the Tea Party get saved. Because most of comments reflect hate towards our nations President. Reguardless the color of someones skin you should not show hatred in your actions. Again pray that you find Jesus.

  2. C M Solomon says:

    The Almighty and Blessed Redeemer has been appointed by the Holy Democrat Party and has been crowned President Obama by a righteous majority of the American people to correct the social injustices of many generations of powerful and selfish Americans in high places.

    He has declared that he was sent to TRANSFORM this country into one that follows a benevolent version of the Constitution that he believes should be interpreted to enforce POSITIVE RIGHTS: “what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf instead of a Constitution that is a charter of NEGATIVE liberties: what the states can’t do to you, what the federal government can’t do to you.”

    “The Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth … of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. It didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution.” All hail the quotes of our President Obama.

    President Obama is the most powerful official on Earth and is simply fulfilling his calling to replace evil with good for the benefit of the World at large. He has superseded the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. Anyone that opposes Him is either ignorant or evil or both.

    King George III would be proud of our new President.

  3. L Miles says:

    You know you have hit the TRUTH nerve when someone who idolizes our precious President brings up hate and race without justification.

  4. Linda E. Montrose says:

    The race card is all obamites have to counter with, justified or not! It is the alinsky way, the obama bible, if you will. Trying to change the subject is another alinsky trick…it isn’t working! People are catching on to this way of running campaigns when the record is so damning to them, they can not do otherwise.

    Now, to the subject at hand. I disagree that ANYONE of the republican candidates are better than obama. There are two that are on the same level with obama but are trying their best to change their spots. Romney is just a white obama, pure and simple. He has never been consistant with anything in his life! He was pro-choice, then he was pro-life. He was for global warming, now he is against it. You can NOT TRUST anything that comes out of his mouth. Romneycare in Mass is a true example of what we can expect from romney…do you REALLY believe HE would repeal obamacare???? Mitt Romney is like a willow in the wind, bending which ever way the wind is blowing. You don’t have to be a democrap to be a socialist.
    Now we come to Newt. AHHH yes, Newt. Here we have another willow in the wind, bending which ever way the wind is blowing. If newt is sooooo smart, like everyone says he is, WHY does he stick his foot in his mouth all the time. He made a commercial WITH princess pelosi about global warming(what was it said about his intelligence?). He isn’t going to do a thing about immigration, as none of the others will either! I have always been told there is a very fine line between genuis and insanity. I know where I put newt, do you? Oh sure he had his fifteen minutes of fame back in the 80’s and 90’s, but even then he was eating his feet at every turn.
    Now you Ron Paul supporters out there don’t get riled, but no. He is great on how to get us out of debt but he sadly lacks in keeping this country SAFE! You can NOT cut our military and expect to be safe. Read some history and you will find that EVERY civilization in history who thought they did not need a great and strong military, soon vanished. Rome fell because they thought they were too great to need a strong military. We do NOT have a well rounded individual in this race except perhaps Michelle Bachmann. As much as I like her, I just don’t think America is ready for a woman as President. Thatcher’s are as scarce as Reagan’s are.
    IT DOES matter WHO we choose to go against obama…not just anyone will do! Since Herman Cain dropped out, I just don’t see anyone worth my vote!

  5. L. Williams says:

    HERE, HERE Linda M.! I agree wholeheartedly with every word. It is frightening how ignorant so many people are about this president and about our constitution, in general. Study your history, people!

  6. S. Drake says:

    short simple question….How can Obama stand in front of the American people and say “everyone should pay their fair share” when 45% to 49% pay no taxes at all. What is their sacrifice toward making America great? Granted there are those in our great country who are unable to work. God bless them, and I’ll help any way I can, BUT let’s get the gimme crowd to pay their fair share as well.
    My brother was a quadrapalegic for 17 years but never took a penny from the goverment. He became a counselor to those with similar injuries, and a preacher. A productive, freedom loving, patriotic American in a wheelchair.

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