Sunday, May 20, 2012

Interview with Sergio Politics

We were interviewed briefly by www.sergiopolitics.org Here is that brief interview along with the responses

What are your thoughts about Mitt Romney as a GOP candidate?

I am not impressed with Mitt Romney. He talks the talk, but will he walk the walk? That seems to be the question with myself and my fellow conservatives these days. He will have a lot of trouble explaining why he's against Obamacare (as the President's health care initiative is called) seeing as he had accepted a similar idea in Massachusettes while governor there. On a lesser note yet one no less important, he will be portrayed as the candidate born with the silver spoon in his mouth; that may not hurt him, if the United States as a nation is tired of Barack Obama. Yet on that more practical level, Romney will surely be seen by some as a typical Republican: rich, white, and unable to understand the plight of the middle class. I think such charges are unfair, but they will be leveled. It should help the GOP in Michigan that he is something of a native son, but it will difficult for him to carry Michigan, which hasn't went for the Republicans in a Presidential contest since 1988.

What do you think about Obama and his chances for re-election?

Right now I believe that his chances for re-election are around 50/50. It will ultimately depend upon how many gains the Republicans will make; we may see a sort of reverse coattail effect in 2012. By that I mean, rather than a strong Presidential candidate helping candidates for the House and Senate, strong races by many local Republicans will get people voting Republican across the board. Further, there won't be all that many sentimental votes for the President as there may have been in 2008, because we are now past the point of showing that Americans will elect a minority President. My personal prediction this minute is that he will lose by a slim margin.

What do you think will be the main issue in November election?

The economy. It almost always is, and that's sad. Quite frankly, there are more important issues than the economy. Yet people tend to vote for the shallowest reasons. They vote for how they feel things are rather than for how things really are or how they ought to be. Even if their personal economic situation is good, they will vote for a change if they think the overall economy bad. Many folks don't vote on principle. They vote on feelings. They forget feelings change, and all too often for light and transient reasons.

How do you think Social Media will play a role in this campaign? and can you compare it to Obama's campaign of 2008?

I doubt that its role will be a great as it may have been in 2008. Social media isn't new anymore and as such will not affect the sensations of the moment as they might have in the last Presidential election. In 2008, social media probably helped Barack Obama as it was more the province of the young. But the youth vote won't be there on 2008. Young people are feeling the pinch of the economic crisis as much as, if not more than anybody else. PLus, young people tend not to vote if they aren't energized. They do not appear anxious about the 2012 race.

What is your opinion of Super PACs and its influence in this race?

I have no strong feelings about Super PACS. If we are a country which believes in freedom of speech (the left only believes in freedom of speech when it serves their purposes) then I don't see how we can hamper them. Like it or not, the rich have as much right to voice themselves as the poor and middle classes. If we really want to reduce the influence of money in political campaigns, we would reduce the amount of and influence which the government has on the economy and in our daily lives. But that won't happen. Too many people or every stripe have too much invested in big government.

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