Even on Satellite Radio

I thought Romney came through clear and uncluttered, and to the point.  And even on radio, Obama sounded defensive.  And even referred to his own health care policy as "Obamacare", which some find disparaging.

Then again, do debates sway voters?  They say the slice of undecided voters is quite thin this time around.  So Romney would have to steal votes.

Which is possible.  Can't wait for the foreign policy debate, just 2 weeks before the election.  Then again, I've already declared myself a Paul Ryan voter - with now his human running mate Mitt Romney.

Beyond the Rhetoric

It could have been someone like Condi Rice, or Rob Portman, and then I would have a choice.  Or it could have been someone like Marco Rubio, or Chris Christie, which would be interesting.  But Paul Ryan.  Lets give him some credit.

The rhetoric and devil names are already coming out, since I still seem to be on Mr Obama's favorites email list.  I get to hear about all the rich and famous movie stars he will be dining with.  Is this supposed to make me think he can solve fiscal policy problems, and get us on a sustainable path to the future? So that my kids won't have to pay for my medical bills when I am aged, and their kids don't have to wait till generations hence to cash in that Millenium Barbie (please try to save it till Year 3000)..

As they explained on Poli-Optics, when our own Ron Wyden joined up with Mr Ryan to propose Medicare reform, well some of us wrote letters of praise.  Yes, bipartisan cooperation!  Yes, a chance at real reform!  But Poli-Optics explained how Wyden was chastised so badly by the Democrats that no one else was going to stick their neck out.

It is going to be painted as an epic battle between good and evil.  Light and Darkness.  Before you believe, like apparently half the cspan callers-in (the other half are authentic!) the rhetoric, stop and think.

Who is actually trying to solve our fiscal problems.  Who is actually putting forth solutions - maybe not perfect ones - but even trying to start the conversation.  Who cares about the American economy and is not willing to give up on it, and let us sink into a hand-out society.  Which is really what we've become.

Beyond the rhetoric, give Paul Ryan a chance - he is authentic.  And now Romney has my vote too!

Andresson Watch

Its always fun to determine trends from one data point.  Case in point, Marc Andresson.

If you don't know who he is then you are too young, or too old.  But if you've been following the internet since its inception, you know, when Al Gore invented it, then you know he was the entrepreneur behind Netscape.  Which was a popular browser, no doubt engaged in mortal lawsuit combat with Microsoft, who of course always likes to have the shiniest toys on the block, even if they have to bully their way to it, and buy up all the other browsers on the block, and buy ice cream cones for everyone too..

In the 2008 Obama Presidential campaign, Mr Andresson gave the maximum in campaign contributions to Obama.  I don't know what the amount was back then, but assumably some amount where you can use a 'fraction' and 'a million' in the same sentence.  Probably not 3/8 of $1Million (does not have a great ring to it), though it might have been.

In the current 2012 Obama campaign, perhaps to hedge his bets, he gave $100K to the Romney campaign.  Of course all of this is public record, unless of course the money went to a "Super PAC" which then can give money to anyone, and its all legit.

Is this the pulse of Silicon Valley politics?  Steve Jobs, when hammered by Obama about caring about jobs in the US, responded that he didn't have any responsibility to create jobs in the US.  Quintessential business, and the mantra of the last decade (and this) was "maximize shareholder return".  Notwithstanding the cute "happiness index" that some economists like to play with - hey, beats Solitaire I suppose.

But why would this Silicon Valley entrepreneur give real money to the Romney campaign, instead of to the Canmpaigner-in-Chief?  I think Steve Jobs answered this question quite well, and for many business people.  But alas, does anyone remember Mr Andresson?  On the revered Tim Farley Morning Briefing show, he was referred to as 'Mr Anderson', as if he was one of those drones who control The Matrix.

This isn't France, and Obama is not a socialist.  But businesses aren't in it to tend to the poor among us, or to tithe their income, or to satisfy the ole Democratic Party.  They are in it for capitalist freedom, which the US still espouses.  Now thats not in your Constitution, but maybe because of our Constitution, we have more private sector freedom that most nations.  And the Andressons of the world would like to preserve it.