Why Do Democrats Hate the Working Class?

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 4

foodstamp For years the media has claimed that the mean old Conservatives (especially the Tea Party) only care about the rich, and don’t give a damn about anybody else. Only progressive Democrats care about the poor, the average Joe, the “working class family.”

Huh?

Wasn’t it the Democrats who rammed ObamaCare through against the wishes of the majority of Americans? This is the program that cuts the work hours of millions of “working class” employees, forces them to buy insurance that they don’t want or can’t afford, raises the cost of their existing insurance, or causes their employers to drop coverage. Here’s a dirty little secret – most of the working poor who are not already on Medicaid are not going to buy their own insurance whether you threaten to punish them at tax time or not. They don’t know how, won’t learn how, don’t pay taxes, and frankly aren’t interested. They will still be getting their medical care at the nearest hospital emergency room – after all, the hospitals have not been relieved of the legal responsibility to care for everybody regardless of ability to pay. Remind me again now, how does ObamaCare help the poor?

Wasn’t it the Democrats who fought like crazy to stop drilling and fracking and pipelines for oil and gas, and mining for coal – resources that would create millions of jobs, lower the cost of energy for all Americans, and get the economy back on track? Instead they continue to print fiat money, devaluing the currency so the average Joe can’t even afford to put gas in the family wagon.

Wasn’t it the Democrats who refused to allow working-class families to choose the school that will best meet the needs of their children, and instead herds them into chronically under-performing, high-cost schools, wasting students’ time with ideological nonsense instead of teaching them how to make a living? Don’t even get me started on Common Core.

Wasn’t it the Democrats who destroyed the manufacturing job base in our country by taxing our corporations at the highest rate in the world, making them move production facilities overseas? We could straighten out our negative balance of trade and bring those jobs back in a few years with some intelligent management of tax rates and tariffs to level the playing field with China, who continues to eat our lunch and demand dessert.

Wasn’t it the Democrats who demanded amnesty for illegal aliens, and called for open borders so that the few available low-tech jobs open to Americans are even harder to get, and pay third-world wages?

Wasn’t it these same Democrats who destroyed the American family, the traditional work ethic, and the economy by replacing the role of working fathers with a huge and growing “entitlement” culture? Fewer than half of our citizens pay income tax, and one in five families is on food stamps. Illegitimacy is normal now as single mothers no longer need to worry about feeding and housing their children.

The news media has been little more than a propaganda wing of the progressives for a long time. All of their so-called “compassion” since the onset of LBJ’s Great Society has only resulted in more misery for the poor, the average Joe, the “working class.” And they didn’t do it alone – some corrupt and self-serving liberal Republicans along the way did not exactly help the situation.

Conservatives do care about the poor, the average Joe, the “working class.” We know that a functional free-market economy offers the best opportunity for everyone to succeed, and is healthy enough to care for those who deserve help. History proves that heavy-handed, top-down, corrupt big-government enriches those few in control, and steals freedom, opportunity, and wealth from everyone else.

Next time some phony Beltway progressive politician or MSNBC lacky feigns outrage because “Conservatives don’t care about the poor”, you might hear a loud bang – that would be my head exploding.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

With you by my side
They can’t keep us down
Together we can make it baby
From the poor side of town

The Poor Side of Town – Johnny Rivers

Montanans Used To Tell “North Dakota Jokes”

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard Reply

In the 1970s we Montanans thought we had it going on, and we snickered about our poor sister state to the east. The “North Dakota Joke” was all the rage back then, and we regaled each other with the latest North Dakota Jokes every morning over coffee. (Did you hear about the power outage at the University of North Dakota library? Thirty students were stuck on the escalator for three hours!)

A Great Falls radio jock made the North Dakota joke a staple of his programming and the focal point of his entertainment career. He even published books of North Dakota jokes. I still have one buried somewhere in my stuff. They were the same old jokes that have mocked every sub-group (Polish, Hillbilly, Ole and Lena, etc.) for generations, except now recycled with “North Dakotan” as the subject of derision.

Times have changed. North Dakota now occupies the top rung of the economic ladder, and Montana lags in the bottom quartile. How did that happen? Montana is richer in natural resources, with abundant coal, agricultural land, timber forests, mining, and tourist attractions.

All North Dakota has is some fertile black soil here and there, lots of snow, and the Bakken shale oil and natural gas reserve. But the Bakken extends into eastern Montana, too. And Montana has other proven reserves of shale oil and natural gas. So one still must ask, why is North Dakota doing so well while Montana looks wistfully over the fence?

I have a friend from my adopted Montana hometown who is not well-educated, but is good with his hands and industrious. He is a good mechanic, can weld, and is strong as an ox. But even these attributes are not enough to make a good living for his young family, so like many of his fellow Montanans, he is headed east for work. He said:

“I can make $12,000 a month in North Dakota, with no expenses. Room and board are provided in a man-camp, I work 28 days on and then get 14 days off. Pretty long days, but I get paid weekly and get a bonus just for showing up.”

The difference between the two states? Many would say it comes down to conservative values, work ethic, and plain-old common sense.

Montana changed dramatically over the 23 years from when I left the state for a corporate career to when I came back home to recharge in the beauty and character of the Big Sky. It was a place where miners, loggers, and ranchers worked hard and played hard. They loved the land and put it to good use. An honest, fiercely independent bunch, they had little use for government interference, preferring to solve problems and seize opportunities on their own.

When I returned, some of those people were still here. But I was astonished at the numbers and political reach of environmentalists, government bureaucrats, and zealous newcomers who wanted to recreate our state in the socially-conscious image of California or Washington. “Diversity” and “sustainability” were now the order of the day. As the federal government took a firmer grip on the administration of the state, as outside influence without benefit of Montana history and values grew, and as priorities shifted from creation of wealth to redistribution of it, Montana’s economy slid downhill like springtime snow in the high peaks.

Meanwhile, North Dakota just kept chugging along, taking care of its own and eschewing federal influence and controls. When opportunity arose, North Dakotans seized the day. “We’re very old-school pro-business here,” said Vicky Steiner, a Republican state representative who serves as executive director of the North Dakota Association of Oil and Gas Producing Counties. “In some states, people say ‘not in my back yard.’ Here, we believe that our resources should be developed.”

The political conflict in Montana continues, and the Big Sky state will take center stage in the 2014 federal elections. The Obama administration is adamantly opposed to fossil fuel development, and virtually all Democrat officials – state and federal – tend to fall in lock-step. Drilling, fracking, and pipelines are under assault. The leftward lurch in Montana has been not economically favorable over the last few decades, and it remains to be seen if Montanans will stop or reverse the trend.

If not, we may soon be hearing “Montana Jokes” on a Bismarck radio station.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Don’t think I’m being funny when I say
You got just what you deserve
I can’t help feeling you found out today
You thought you were too good you had a lot of nerve

Laugh, Laugh – the Beau Brummels

Here’s a very short video of a very solid Bay-Area band from the mid-sixties. Enjoy!

Top Priority: Gay Marriage? Get Serious!

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 2

gay marriage - photo from LA Times Here we go again – the ruling class and the media avoid all of the big problems our nation faces by staging a mudfight over minutiae.

The bold type all last week was “gay marriage”. According to the Census Bureau, gay couples constitute less than 1% of American households. But most people think the number is 20% or greater. Could it be because the Democrats constantly pound gay/lesbian rights as the most compelling issue of our time?

Among gay couples, how many want to be married? Most heterosexual couples are not married, why would gays be any different? If even half of gay couples actually want to be married, now we are talking about less than one half of one percent of US households.

I really don’t care if gays are married or not. Actually I believe there are churches in every state which will perform the ceremony. Regardless, THIS IS JUST NOT A BIG TICKET PRIORITY FOR OUR NATION.

The gay marriage issue may directly affect a few thousand people in the US, at most. In comparison, how many Americans are unemployed or have dropped out of the work force? How many are working ungodly hours, sacrificing family time to put food on the table and pay their taxes? How many families struggle financially because the only work available is low-wage service jobs? How many Americans have little or no savings and just squeak by, paycheck-to-paycheck? How many families wait for a parent to return home from costly and dangerous military campaigns with no palpable objective? How many suffer from medical crises, disabilities, substance abuse, and urban violence?

I guess our real unemployment rate of 11.3% is not important. Our $17 trillion (and growing) debt just doesn’t matter. Our nation’s declining status and security in an increasingly threatening and unstable international climate – who cares? Gay Marriage! That’s what really matters!

Come on. Let’s get serious.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Let’s get serious
Let’s get serious
Let’s get serious
And fall in love

Let’s Get Serious – Jermaine Jackson

Here’s a cut by the “forgotten” Jackson, Jermaine. Damn good musician, and never seemed to have the personal drama that plagued his siblings, although he has had his share of marriages and flings. He is now a devout Muslim and credits that for his calm demeanor. Jermaine was nominated for a Grammy for this song.

Livin’ In a Land Down Under

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 2

kangaroos I spent a day with some friends from Australia last weekend. It’s sad to say, but they were more engaged in and knowledgeable about American politics and economics than most fellow Yankees I meet.

We had riveting discussions comparing the political and economic situations of our two countries. One thing became obvious right away – wage rates “down under” far exceed ours. While the Aussie dollar and the American dollar are near parity, Australian laborers earn $25 or more per hour, while the norm in my American city seems to be about $12 per hour. Australian professionals appear to earn considerably more than Americans do as well, but taxes take a pretty healthy bite, and prices are high on some items.

Our three guests were all government employees, yet they were very fiscally conservative. One was a nurse who works for a government-owned and operated health care system. She explained that citizens who purchase private health insurance can choose their own (presumably superior) doctors and care facilities. No one is refused care at the public hospitals.

I was surprised to learn that the unions and government are combatants in Australia. And my friends were shocked to hear about the circle of corruption in the US, where government employees’ unions get politicians elected in exchange for favors and more government jobs. They wondered why they had not heard about some of the issues I presented, and I explained that for many years our news media have been bedfellows with the democrats, and their reporting is rigidly slanted in that direction (with the exception of Fox News, for whom my guests had no respect). The Aussies are not impressed with the dearth of real news here, lamenting that they never hear their nation even mentioned in the media.

When we expressed our concerns about vote fraud in recent elections, especially in Montana, they described how their election system requires each citizen to vote – and failure to do so results in a hefty fine. “We don’t use voting machines, it’s all done manually under great scrutiny,” we were told.

They weren’t pleased that their current prime minister, Julia Gillard of the Labor Party, was not elected by the people. She assumed office in 2010 when her predecessor, Kevin Rudd, was ousted as the Labor Party leader. “And she won’t be elected this September, either!” they announced with firm resolve. It bothered me greatly that until our visit I didn’t even know who the leader of Australia is.

We shared common concerns about the leftward (and downward) drift in education, and the over-reaching environmental movement. They understood our worries about illegal immigration: “You mean your immigrants don’t have national identification cards?” they asked. Of course their border is protected by a rather large ocean.

The big eye-opener for the Aussies was our commitment to the second amendment. At age 30, one of our guests had never seen or touched a gun. I showed her mine, and it was as if all the oxygen was sucked out of the room. My wife and I explained concealed carry permits, and our belief in the fundamental right to protect ourselves, our families, and our property. They insisted that the bad guys in Australia don’t have guns, so the good guys don’t need them either. I hope they are right about that. In our case, unilateral disarmament would be suicidal.

Our friends are well aware of the United States’ tenuous economic condition and our stifling $16 trillion dollar debt. We pondered where is the “best place” to be, economically and politically, in a world where trouble lurks in every corner.

“We think we have it pretty straight,” they said. I couldn’t disagree.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Livin’ in a land down under,
Where women glow and men plunder,
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover!

Land Down Under – Men at Work

Change – Be Careful What You Wish For

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 1

obama_change_01 I had an interesting conversation with a liberal this week – a junior manager who works very hard, earns a modest salary, and would like to improve his family’s standard of living.

Our business conversation had turned to the hesitancy on the part of business owners to invest. “No one is willing to pull the trigger on any major spending in the current political climate,” I said.

My friend asked, “What does politics have to do with whether or not a business owner wants to invest?”

I pointed out that politics and economics are inseparable. After all, the only thing a government can do is spend other people’s money. Everything the government does affects the economic environment, and conversely, voters and supporters of candidates make decisions based on their own current financial situations. Business owners are not confident right now that risking additional capital will provide them with any financial reward.

“Well I have always been a liberal,” my friend said. “And I agree with you, nobody wants to spend for anything right now.”

I let him talk.

“Nobody wants to upgrade their facilities or hire more employees. They just don’t know if customers will be able to afford to buy their products.”

I nodded. Keep thinking, young man.

“You know,” he continued, “wages sure aren’t what they used to be – if you can find a job at all. People can’t afford to buy houses and cars and other things because they just aren’t making enough money.”

He was on a roll.

“If nobody can afford to buy things, why would you want to build a new store or hire more people?” he concluded. “Times are tough.”

I wanted so badly to deliver my speech about how government waste, corruption and misguided overspending takes a huge bite out of our GDP and personal wealth. About how government social policies discourage savings and personal responsibility. About how federal fiscal policy has devalued our dollar, destroyed our balance of trade and built an insurmountable debt. About how we have become a nation of undereducated, disengaged sheeple, victim to any media-savvy, slick-talking promiser-in-chief.

I wanted to ask, “So why are you a liberal?” Instead, I shook my head and said, “Gee, I wonder what has changed?”

He didn’t answer. But the concerned look on his face told me he knew.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

I still don’t know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets
Every time I thought I’d got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet

Changes – David Bowie

If I Had a Million Dollars, I’d Live Like a Retired Govt. Worker

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Tom Balek Standard 9

As a kid I thought it must really be something to be a millionaire. We read “Richie Rich” comic books and imagined how cool it would be to live in a mansion, with servants and cooks and an indoor swimming pool.

Of course, it was the impossible dream. Only a rare few Americans could ever be that rich, and they were born to wealthy families. Still, back then, life was good for most Americans. Dads went to work, paid the bills, bought modest homes and Chevies, and took the family on a summer road trip to Mount Rushmore. Moms stayed home, raised the 2.1 kids, attended PTA meetings, and always had a hot, healthy meal ready when Dad came home from work.

What happened?

A million bucks sure isn’t what it used to be. With CDs paying maybe 1% interest at best, those who worked hard and saved a million dollars can now look forward to a retirement income of – wow – $10,000 a year. Add that to social security income, of course, but still. No indoor swimming pool. No servants.

And it’s not like there are other investment opportunities for retirees. The only guys making money in the stock market are the hedge fund operators and the machine traders buying and selling at the speed of light. Municipal bonds pay a couple percent and are tax free – oh that’s right, most city and county governments are bankrupt.

There is one group of really wealthy American retirees. Retired unionized government workers get guaranteed pensions. Most receive over $60,000 per year. There are many government employees who toiled for 25 or 30 hard years, sometimes even working over 35 hours per week behind a hard, cold desk with only 7 weeks of vacation and 15 holidays off each year. Poor souls, at retirement they must make do with $100k per year plus full medical benefits.

Do the math. In order to pay a retired teacher $60k per year, we American taxpayers are putting up $6 million at 1% interest. The retired county engineer who receives a $100k pension requires a taxpayer investment of $10 million to fund his checks.

In an economy where many moms and dads both work long hours and are barely able to feed their families, let alone save anything for retirement, it’s hard to feel sorry for government employees who will retire with multi-million dollar nest eggs.

When I see a headline like this:

Obama Sequester Speech: Republicans Are Putting Economy At Risk To Help The Wealthy

I shake my head in amazement at the level of deceit our President and his followers continue to get away with.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

If I had a million dollars
We wouldn’t have to walk to the store
If I had a million dollars
We’d take a limousine cause it costs more
If I had a million dollars
We wouldn’t have to eat Kraft dinner

If I Had A Million Dollars – Barenaked Ladies

Marriage – Gay and Otherwise

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Tom Balek Standard 3

We hear so much talk about gay marriage. It was a major election issue. Three more states approved it and others are working on it. Many votes were based solely on a candidate’s position on gay marriage.

Before I go any further, let me go on the record. My official position on gay marriage is: I don’t care. If two men or two women want to commit to each other, I think it’s great. Is a law required? I don’t know. I do worry about kids without fathers, but that’s a separate issue.

With all the airtime, bandwidth, and hand-wringing over gay marriage, one would think it must be something important to the future of our nation. Is it? How many gay couples are clamoring to get married, anyway? A thousand? Ten thousand? What impact does gay marriage have on our floundering economy, our national security, or our crushing debt?

Here’s an issue that has a HUGE impact on our floundering economy, our national security, and our crushing debt. Heterosexual marriage.

It is statistically undeniable that married couples and their children enjoy many advantages over singles. And it is no accident that as the proportion of Americans who are married continues to decline, so does our economy. As our economy declines, so does our national security. And as individual economic performance declines due to the missing support structure of marriage, personal debt and dependence on government increase – resulting in seemingly unstoppable national deficits and debt. Not to mention the other ills of poverty: substance abuse, violence, undereducated and poorly-raised children.

Most married people are wealthier, healthier, happier and more productive than single people, especially single moms. Most children from married families have a better life and future than single-parent kids. I don’t even have to bore you with the statistics because it’s common sense and you know it’s true.

Our political leaders and entertainers either avoid or deny the importance of marriage. In fact, our society has decided that cohabitation and single motherhood and the absence of commitment is just fine for heterosexuals. But it is critically important that gays are married.

Enough already about gay marriage – why don’t we ever talk about the importance of MARRIAGE?

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side
(thanks and hugs to my bride of 39 years)

Going to the chapel, and we’re gonna get married
Going to the chapel, and we’re gonna get married
Gee I really love you, and we’re gonna get married
Going to the chapel of love

Going To The Chapel of Love – the Dixie Cups

How Good Are You At Dumpster Diving?

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Tom Balek Standard 1

The reports from Spain are heartbreaking – well-educated, young professionals hiding their faces in shame as they pick through dumpsters for scraps of food.

I have been wailing for years about America’s sucking chest wound – our failing economy. The debt, the deficit, our plunging individual earnings and net worth, the unemployment rate, the huge government share of GDP – all components of a dying economy. Nothing is more threatening to the future of our nation and our kids.

And still, the media dwells on Mitt Romney’s tax returns, and who should pay for Sandra Fluke’s birth control pills. The Senate leader, Harry Reid, who doesn’t bother to write a budget or perform any other meaningful work for years, questions Romney’s religious purity. President Obama yuks it up with Whoopi Goldberg instead of finding solutions and leading. The progressives and their special interest groups stop every attempt at economic development, including our amazing energy opportunity. The Fed prints more money and freezes interest. No serious attempt is made on any front to stop our nation’s bleeding.

I know how passionate both conservatives and liberals are about social issues. But they don’t make a damn bit of difference if our economy fails. Our government must recognize and solve the fiscal crisis before we spend one more dollar or one more ounce of effort on anything else.

Here’s the cold reality, our choice is stark and clear. We can drop the political correctness, the victim-worship, and the lame excuses, and make a serious effort to put America back to work. Or we can continue our headlong lurch into socialism, larger and more intrusive government, increased entitlements, and disdain for wealth creation. Just like Spain.

See you at the dumpster.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Oh – think twice
It’s just another day for you and me in paradise

Another Day In Paradise – Phil Collins

Yes Mom, He’s An Axe Murderer, But He’s So Cute!

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Tom Balek Standard 5

We bumped into a new neighbor the other day. After some chit-chat the conversation turned, predictably, to the sour economy – unemployment, inflation, the debt. The neighbor mentioned the weak real estate market and how difficult it is to sell or buy a house.

My wife chimed in, “I think everybody is waiting until after the election to make any major financial move.”

The neighbor said, “Yes, I know everybody wants Obama out because his policies have been terrible for the economy.” We agreed, assuming we had met a fellow conservative.

She continued, “I voted for Obama last time. And I suppose I will have to vote for him again.” My wife and I gave each other a puzzled look. “Why?” we asked.

“Well, I just couldn’t vote for Romney because of the way he flaunts his wealth.”

Huh?

My mind reeled at all the problems with this statement. Even if it were true, how is having money you earned yourself worse than deliberately destroying the wealth of American families?

When Romney was governor of Massachusetts he refused to take a salary. He also managed the Winter Olympics without pay. And he donated every dollar of his inheritance to charity. Stories of Romney’s incredible anonymous philanthropy are beginning to surface. Flaunt his wealth? Are Michelle’s expensive vacations not flaunting? Is sending a government jet to pick up Barack’s dog not flaunting?

And besides, what the hell difference does it make? We have important problems to solve!

I’m befuddled as to why people vote the way they do. It’s mind-boggling.

What is more important than the looming bankruptcy of the largest economy on the planet? Does it really matter who pays for Sandra Fluke’s birth control pills? Do you vote for somebody only because of his or her sex, or race, or personal appearance?

President Obama’s policies have been a dismal failure, resulting in annual deficits exceeding $1 trillion and driving our nation into a disastrous, perhaps irreversible decline. He shows no interest in straightening out the mess. And yet Obama continues to lead in the polls because he is “likeable.”

At the DNC in Charlotte, Peter Schiff interviewed a couple dozen delegates – these are the Democrat party’s best and brightest. With a big grin, he asked each of them, “Do you think corporate profits should be banned?” Every one, without hesitation, said, “Of course! That’s a great idea!”

This is the “new” American voter. God help us.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Don’t say nothin’ bad about my baby
Don’t say nothin’ bad about my baby
He’s good – he’s good to me –
And that’s all I care about!

Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad About My Baby – the Cookies

The “Grown-Up In The Room” – Still Herman Cain

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Tom Balek Standard 1

A few weeks ago I nominated Paul Ryan to the “Old Bean Counters” club, of which I am the founding member. We “Old Bean Counters” believe in the sanctity of honest accounting. We understand that careful budgeting and controls (fail to plan, plan to fail) results in success for businesses and for governments. And we believe we could save the nation’s economy if we were allowed to move in and clean up the books.

Today another eloquent statement in support of fiscal sanity was written by our level-headed old friend Herman Cain. I remain a huge Cain fan. He gets my top grade for leadership, common sense, and patriotism. Herman is still the “grown-up” in the room, and must be added to the “Bean Counters” club.

The War of Words: No One Wins
By Herman Cain

As someone who has spent a long career in the business world, confronting problems and solving them, I find that there’s something surreal about two weeks of political conventions in a nation that faces very big problems – and desperately needs effective solutions.

In the business world, when people are attacking each other, hurling accusations and leveling blame, the first thing a leader has to do is put a stop to that. In such an environment, it is extremely difficult to devise solutions, and it is almost impossible to implement them effectively.

Today’s political environment is exactly what I just described on a 24/7 basis. It is a never-ending war on words. And this is a war that no one wins.

This is not going to be one of those columns where the writer tries to appear above the fray by blaming both sides equally, and pretends not to be taking sides. Get real. You know perfectly well that I support Mitt Romney and that I oppose Barack Obama. You’ve read my criticisms of Obama’s policies in this space and others. I am not decrying all criticism because a) it is a healthy part of our system of government; and b) I engage in it as much as anyone.

But there’s a difference between honest criticism and simply saying anything you have to say for the sake of your own power. This is the phenomenon that was on display at the Democrats’ convention in Charlotte, and it was astounding.

Consider the fact that the Democrats apparently have decided the word “voucher” can be used in a negative way to hang a political anvil around Republicans. Repeatedly, they attacked Republicans for wanting to replace Medicare with what they call “Vouchercare.” What made this so appalling was not the mere fact that there’s nothing wrong with a voucher, which is simply premium support that seniors can use to purchase their own insurance. No, what made this so appalling is the fact that, even as the Democrats were tossing this word around as if it were a euphemism for a concentration camp roundup, the Obama Administration itself was in the process of moving 2 million seniors into vouchers as a pilot program designed to improve Medicare.

In other words, they don’t even mean what they say. They simply say it because it’s tested well with focus groups or something. Attack vouchers and land blows against Republicans. You know it’s total BS, but it works.

Another example is their constant use of the phrase “middle class,” usually accompanied by a denunciation of “tax cuts for millionaires.” You’d think, to listen to these guys, that the middle class was doing great under them – since they warn darkly of its fate in the event of a Republican victory. In fact, middle class incomes have fallen by more than $4,000 per household since Obama took office. The people who constantly drone on about the middle class have nothing to offer the middle class. But the words sure sound good.

Republicans can be susceptible to the same thing. They spent a lot of time at their convention attacking out-of-control federal spending. And rightly so. But they did that in 1994, and were handed control of Congress by voters who agreed with them. The Republican Congresses of the 1990s did control spending for awhile, which is why we got the balanced budgets that Bill Clinton attributes to his own excellence in arithmetic. But by the time we hit the new millennium, congressional Republicans had discovered that they liked spending too – and pretty soon fiscal discipline was a thing of the past. Yet here they are in 2012, saying the same words. It might win them the election. And if it does – and they remain mere words – no one will have won.

It’s easy to blame this on political consultants who poll-test every theme and concept, and put it before focus groups to see how it will play. It’s easy to blame the shallow news media, which covers the horse race and the strategy of every campaign as if there’s no such thing as governing that comes after the election.

But ultimately, it’s the candidates who choose to follow these strategies, using these words to get elected knowing full well that they don’t mean what they’re saying.

This country is in big trouble. The national debt, now at $16 trillion, is more than our entire gross domestic product. Our unfunded entitlement obligations run into the hundreds of trillions. We have 15 percent of the population on food stamps. We have 15 percent of the population either unemployed or underemployed. And the federal government is spending a quarter of our GDP every year in a futile attempt to somehow fix all this. It is not working.

Under these circumstances, it is absolutely mandatory that the nation turn to leaders who are serious about solutions, serious about honest data and willing to give it to us straight about the nation’s situation. It is still possible to fix this mess, but it can’t be done by people who are unserious, dishonest and willing to say absolutely anything to remain in power.

In the business world, you need to understand facts, test your ideas and be honest about when solutions to problems are not working. Otherwise you will never make the necessary adjustments. People who do this are respected, because they are the ones who ultimately get results. Those who are out of ideas, and offer nothing more than the same ideas that have already failed, are fired. Sometimes, if they have integrity, they recognize that they are not the right people for the job and they step aside to make room for more competent leadership.

That’s why business leaders solve problems but the political class never does. And it’s ultimately the responsibility of the voters not to put up with this nonsense. If our only response to the very real problems facing this nation is a war of words, people need to understand that is a war that no one wins.

We still need ya, Herman. Welcome to the Bean Counters club. And keep reminding us it’s time to grow up.

Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side

Come back when you grow up, girl
You’re still livin’ in a paper-doll world
Livin’ ain’t easy, lovin’s twice as tough
So come back, baby, when you grow up

Come Back When You Grow Up – Bobby Vee