Election Day Thoughts

• Please vote, it's downright embarrassing how few people actually vote, especially in the mid term elections.  Every vote counts people, make a difference.  Don't let those who don't want you to vote win.  Don't overlook those state and municipal elections either. 
• Don't believe everything you hear about how bad the economy is.  When President Obama took over the White House in 2009 we were in the midst of the worst recession since the great depression of the early 1920's.  Since that time the economy has stabilized, we have had positive job creation for the past 56 months, the unemployment rate has dropped below 6, first time claims for unemployment are at a 14 month low, the DOW and S&P are at all time highs, consumer confidence is at it's highest rate since 2007, gas prices are plummeting, GDP is rising, the uninsured rate is at it's lowest rate since the 1990's, the deficit has been cut in half, auto sales are soaring and the housing market has recovered. That's a whole lot of positives. 
• Granted, we still have problems, there are still too many people looking for work, way too many people who are underemployed and income inequality continues to grow.  Let me ask you this though, wouldn't it be better to entrust those that have ideas to solve those problems in charge rather than those who created many of these problems?  Tax cuts and austerity measures will not fix these problems and that's about all the Republicans have in their tool box.  Changing paths now back to those who created the problem is beyond shortsighted.  
• Why on earth would you reward a political party that has spent the past 5+ years of doing everything within it's means to block and obstruct any type of progress just so that they could blame the President?  We are on the pace for the least productive congress ever because of this strategy (with last year holding the previous record).  I beg of you not to fall for this slight on hand, in my mind it's downright treasonous and the media should be ashamed of themselves for not calling out the GOP on it.  And please don't believe the GOP's claim that it's the Democrats who have been doing the obstructing, it's pure hogwash, House Republicans have been passing bills with very little to no Democratic participation that they know have no chance of getting passed just so that they can contend that they are not the problem.  If they really wanted any of those bills to pass they'd have tried to include Democrats in their crafting of them.  Don't be fooled.  Wouldn't we be better off if we got rid of the obstructors rather than adding more of them? 
• Despite claims to the contrary, there is a war on women and it's the Republican party that is waging it.  I can't for the life of me understand why any woman would vote Republican, they oppose a woman's right to choose, they are passing personhood amendments and requiring vaginal probes, they blocked the fair pay and violence against women acts and have fought against insurance coverage of contraception and military sexual abuse measures. Ladies, you are better than this.  
• Don't think for a second that putting more Republicans in control will alleviate congressional dysfunction.  Make no mistake, Democrats will be looking for payback, they will be blocking anything and everything they can that even sniffs of right wing ideology.  Don't forget, President Obama still has to power of the veto too, the ACA isn't going anywhere.  My best guess is that we will see no progress in important issues like climate change, comprehensive immigration reform, campaign finance reform, free trade or tax reform for another 2+ years.  What we will see is plenty of folly, lots of Benghazi, perhaps an impeachment attempt, a few more lawsuits, perhaps another government shutdown and more blocking of judicial nominees.  In other words, lots of chaos as the Republicans try to position themselves for 2016. 
• Jan Brewer and her Republican cohorts in the Arizona legislature have made Arizona into a national punchline and they are preaching the doubling down on more of the same (if not worse).  Some moderation is badly needed in this state.  
• As for national defense issues, need I remind you that George W Bush and company created most of the unrest in the middle east in the first place, do we really need more imput from them on how to solve the problems?   I think not.  Oh yeah, let's also not forget who got Osama Bin Laden.