"Political Conventions Unnecessary"
By Capt. Fred Davis
Published: Saturday, September 8, 2012






As I write this column, the Dems are opening their convention. I believe the cost of the two conventions to be enough to put a dent in the national debt. Sixty-five thousand (less a few scared off by a storm) attended the Republican event and a similar number are expected to show up for the current one, why?

Conventions in the past were where the final decision on who would be the party’s candidate was determined. I recall some states would go on record, joining others in support of possible candidates. At the conventions several seekers of the party’s support were put forth and a favorite chosen. Acceptance speeches were made and the convention concluded.

Why have conventions now? They seem like popularity contests with party members taking the podium to impress whom – each other? Perhaps the Tea Party was not finished shouting and its queen; Ms. Bachman needed another chance to sound foolish. It may be those who attend, AT TAXPAYERS EXPENSE just need an excuse to “party.”

I for one did not understand why Clint Eastwood was a speaker at the Republican convention. Was he there to demonstrate you might as well talk to a chair if you’re asking to hear a plan? Perhaps he was there to show Clint could understand a chair talking back.

What should be done at a gathering of party leaders is demands made that chosen candidates lay out and detail exactly what their plan for the country is if they are elected. The time spent trying to find out if anyone is better off than they were four years ago or how much a person has in foreign banks is not what will carry our country forward. Discussions on gay rights, same sex marriages, abortion, gender values etc have been repeated for years. These supposed current problems should have been settled; didn’t the Supreme Court rule on them?

As I see it, if the above listed topics and their related problems have not been taken care of after all the years of debate, they should be set aside and our politicians should begin addressing more urgent issues. The financial status of our country and how to get control of spending would be of highest priority. Instead of debating who should receive tax relief, we should set a budget enabling us to determine how much to collect in taxes to live within that budget. Instead of spending first and borrowing to pay, we should collect resources first then spend. Families are forced by limited incomes to live like this, why can’t our government?

The Republican theme of looking back and asking are we better off is worn out and why are they still looking for a birth certificate? It’s sad that we can’t find candidates, running for any office, that have nothing to hide. People who want our votes without a promise of special action or favors returned.
Why can’t people who will commit to a plan and tell us how they will execute it run for office? Why can’t the two parties work together to better our country and begin to return us to stability.

New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman declared on Meet the Press last week, “I have seen Romney’s plan and it cannot be carried out.” That statement is probably true but Obama’s plan when elected in 2008, if he had one, was never carried out either. Did he put forth his plan for the next four years at the convention this week? Was anyone listening?

 

 

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