Obama vs Romney: Are They Any Different?

As a large part of the world may know, the United States is nearing the end of a heated presidential campaign between its current Democratic president, Barack Obama, and Republican candidate, Mitt Romney.  In 2008, when Obama was campaigning against John McCain, a Republican senator from Arizona, millions of Americans wholeheartedly believed that Obama would be the solution to the problems that were brought about by George W. Bush’s administration.  Now, four years later, many of those same people appear to be looking to the Republicans to repair the damages that Obama has not been able to.

Despite Americans’ desperate hope for a president who will lead them out of their economic woes and help the country escape the stronghold of its draining wars, Mitt Romney is not that person.  At a private fundraiser back in May, Romney commented that Palestinians “have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace” in the Middle East, specifically between themselves and the Israelis.  This statement may come across as hypocritical to some people considering the fact that, in the mid 1980s, Romney went to Miami, Florida and collected between $6.5 million and $9 million from families who funded death squads in El Salvador, which made up approximately forty percent of the money used to start Bain Capital. Of course, over the years, Romney has made inconsistent remarks about whether or not he knew of the families’ involvement in the death squads, but never directly denied being aware of it.

Aside from collecting millions of dollars from families associated with mass murders, Romney has also stated that, if he became president, he would work to increase sanctions on Iran in order to prevent them from “achieving a nuclear weapons capability.”  A second part of his approach to this situation would be to expand U.S. military presence in the area and coordinate with Israel in hopes of getting assistance from them as well.

This assertion alone tells us that a Romney presidency is not the answer to improving the condition of the United States’ war-ravaged economy.

It has also been proven that Romney has great difficulty relating to the ordinary American.  At the same $50,000-per-plate dinner fundraiser in which he carelessly claimed that Palestinians possess no interest in peace, he also famously criticized the people of his own country who pay no federal taxes.  He remarked that 47 percent of Americans view themselves as victims and depend upon the government for housing, food, and health care.  Romney continued, saying that his job is “not to worry about those people.  I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

Many Republicans have gotten behind Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate when it’s blatantly obvious that he could never represent the country as a whole if he looks down upon and insults nearly half of its population.  If Romney were truly serious about being a leader for the entire country, he would have acknowledged that many of the individuals who don’t pay taxes simply don’t earn enough money to have to pay them.  This does not mean that they are dependent on the government to carry them through life; however, it does mean that the lower class is growing if 47 percent of Americans don’t pay taxes.  This development could directly result from people like Romney who focus only on their own profit with no regard that it takes away from others’ ability to provide for themselves and their families.

So, what does all of this lead us to conclude?  True, Obama has failed many Americans as their president, but Romney has made it clear that he is only out to represent those who are more like himself.  He is not the solution to Obama in the same way that Obama has not been the solution to the problems caused by the Bush administration – but why?

The answer is simple: Democrats are not the answer to Republicans, and Republicans are not the answer to Democrats.  It’s time to really research your candidates, America.  Care about your nation and your future.  Break away from the system that only benefits the wealthy.