s going to be the Republican nominee for president, this fall. This reminds me of the 1996 election when the Republicans selected Bob Dole for their nominee. In fact, I find myself asking the same thing now that I asked myself back then: Do the Republicans even want to win? The selection of a lukewarm, wishy-washy candidate like Romney suggests that they don't.
Now, there will be the hardcore Republican folks who will say, "Well, anybody's better than Obama." He might be better, but if he is, it's not by much. President Obama and the Democrats supposedly used Romney's health care plan as the blueprint for their own plan that they rammed through in 2010. He lacks enthusiasm, and hasn't really put forward any concrete plans to turn the country around. Furthermore, I don't believe that he is a true conservative. He hasn't said anything other than "I will repeal ObamaCare, if elected." That sounds like John Kerry in 2004. Remember "I was actually for it, before I was against it"? The same could be said about Romney and government-run health care.
So, it looks as though we're stuck with the same old choices. The Democrats will continue to push their liberal, unsustainable, union-backed agenda, while the Republicans will put up a lackluster fight, and all but apologize for being the least bit conservative. If you think the Democrats or the Republicans care about the poor or middle-class, you're sadly mistaken. Both parties have consistently let the American people down, and we continue to let it go on. The two-party system has failed America, time and time, again.
What can you do? First of all, speak up! If you don't like what is going on, call or e-mail your elected officials. If they don't respond, contact them, again, and again, if necessary. If they continue to ignore you, consider running for office, yourselves. The only way things will ever change is if we all get involved.
Mark Hartshorn
Marietta
