It looks as if Mitt Romney has thrown his hat in the ring once again. Rand Paul, quoting Albert Einstein, implied that The Mittster is insane, to wit: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result."
Has Mitt really gone insane? Nah, I doubt it. He's running just because "I want to be president." Really! He's just a clueless rich guy, that's all. Does he honestly believe that his snide commentary regarding hard-working wage-earners being "takers" will have been forgotten? That remark was videoed for posterity by a resourceful guy working with a catering service at a lavish fund-raising event hosted by some of his fellow plutocrats. And, oh yeah, "corporations are people." Right?
Consider the roster of other Republicans who are making presidential noises. I mean who are we looking at? Jeb Bush (a so-called "moderate")? It shouldn't be forgotten that he was Florida's governor in 2000, when that state's electoral process was severely, and intentionally compromised. Brother Dubya was installed as our president in its aftermath. Rand Paul? (He'll never be nominated: too dovish. The military-industrial complex would never approve). Rick Santorum? Mike Huckabee? (Misogynists both). Scott Walker? (He alienated his state's public employees, especially teachers). Ted Cruz (The Joe McCarthy wannabe)? Marco Rubio? Bobby Jindal? Rick "Oops" Perry?
2016 should be a cakewalk for the Democratic nominee, right? Not so fast! Many Democrats have demonstrated an uncanny knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The 2014 midterm elections seem to bear that out. Instead of focusing on issues that most voters actually care about such as:
1) Declining wages and widening income inequality
2) Job and retirement insecurity
3) Corporate abuse, especially by Wall Street and the
mega-banks,
many Democratic candidates squandered precious energy and resources by running away from President Obama. (Allison Lundergan Grimes is a good example). Others ran lackluster campaigns: (Mary Burke, Scott Walker's opponent in Wisconsin, the gist of whose campaign was that she was running a successful business; and Martha Coakley in Massachusetts --- just a lousy campaigner and it was her second time 'round).
It's no wonder that so many potential Democratic voters didn't even bother to exercise their franchise. And of course, Harrumphing Old White Dudes always vote.
I dunno. Many political pundits have already anointed Hillary Clinton the Democratic nominee. Sure, I'd support her however reluctantly, considering the alternatives. But I'm not convinced that she would ever say or do anything that would antagonize her potential corporate donors. (She once sat on the board at Walmart, one of the nation's most abusive employers). One more reason why the Citizens United Supreme Court decision has been such a stain on our democracy.
I'd love to see a woman elected president. But ideally, I'd rather that that woman be Elizabeth Warren.
