Matters of Church and State

TO LAUGH OR CRY

          No matter where you are on the political spectrum, it’s disturbing to see what’s happening on the campaign trail.  As a lifelong Democrat and a strong Obama supporter, I should be cheering to see Governor Romney self- destruct.  But, as an American, it’s hard to take too much comfort in that because I can’t help but think:  What if Romney won?

          That’s a scary thought, but it’s not out of the question.  And Obama supporters who think it’s all over and they can rest on their oars haven’t been paying attention to the dynamics in politics.  There’s a large segment of America that likes the loony comments that Romney has been making, whether it’s in relation to the 47 percent of Americans who are allegedly dependent on Government handouts or his comments on the Middle East.  Both of these are sad and laughable on their face.  But talk to your neighbors or see what’s posted on Facebook.  Or just read the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal.  You’ll get a different perspective.

          Moreover, look at the polls.  The President is still nip and tuck in a head-to-head battle with arguably the weakest Presidential candidate in recent memory.  Pundits will say:  Given the state of the economy, the Republican candidate should be way ahead at this point in the campaign.  True, but I keep thinking:  With a clueless candidate like Romney, the President should be a shoo-in, regardless of the economy.  But he’s not and this race is going down to the wire.

          And, don’t ignore the racial factor in the Presidential race.  People go crazy when I bring this up, but to ignore it would be to ignore the obvious.  Case in point:  Check out the best sellers in Politics and Current Events on your Barnes and Noble or Amazon websites.  They are dominated by right-wing conspiracy folks writing entire books on how President Obama has destroyed America.   Not just the usual Right vs. Left or the role of Government in American lives – perfectly legitimate discussions – but the murkier stuff about how Obama really doesn’t understand America because he’s a “Kenyan anti-colonial.”   After all, how could he understand America?  He who may not even been born in America (that’s still out there in big numbers) and who spent a large part of his youth in Indonesia, with the largest Muslim population in the world.  That sort of stuff.  About as subtle as a train wreck.  But it works in that dark political demi-monde of racism and bigotry.

          And then, among other factors, you have Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu getting involved in the Presidential race in hopes of electing his friend Mitt Romney.  He is doing this by demanding that the President draw a “red-line” with respect to the Iranian nuclear buildup.  To his credit, the President is ignoring the demand for perfectly good reasons – good for Israel as well as for America.  And he won’t run up to New York to meet “Bibi” at the upcoming United Nation’s session either just to pander to Jewish-American voters.  Despite the fact that he may be the strongest Presidential supporter Israel has ever had, the President wants to be and to be seen as an honest broker in the Middle East.  Contrast this with what Romney has said about the Palestinians – that they really don’t want peace in the Middle East.

          So, given all these factors and more – including further uncontrollable problems in the Middle East and the huge amount of campaign money Romney has at his disposal to buy ads and television time in the waning weeks of the campaign – President Obama is anything but a shoo-in for re-election.

          But, if President Obama’s supporters need any further incentive to stay engaged and on point, I have two words for them:  President Romney. 

Gerald E. Lavey