LETTER: People made big difference

To the Telegram:

The comments made by Mike Nichol’s in the Nov. 9 Telegram were unusually clear and cogent. His list of all the things revealed to be not so important was completely correct. However, I think he failed to encapsulate adequately what really was most at stake.

The re-election of President Obama happened at a time when our unemployment rate was just barely under 8 percent, and during a slower-than-expected recovery. It happened at a time when we had, and still don’t have, a solution to the Congressional gridlock that threatens us with a catastrophic fiscal cliff.

But because the president’s people were so energetic and dedicated, Obama was able to remain monetarily competitive with the many super PACs and massive donations to the Romney campaign.

Mr. Nichols needs to recognize though, that more than all these influences, the president was re-elected because a majority of voters were able to judge his character. In the end, more voters felt a president coming from a working class background and managing to graduate at the top of his class from a prestigious university knew a little more about struggle and adversity — the real issues weighing on today’s middle class.

To Romney’s detriment, voters decided a silver-spoon borne millionaire with off shore accounts really did not fully understand those challenges.

Then there were Romney’s constant flip-flops and contradictions, which effectively worked against him. Voters witnessed him portray himself as a man who wanted to strengthen the middle class, while simultaneously cutting many of them down with his candid remarks, unwittingly recorded, about the 47 percent and their supposed “unwillingness to take responsibility for their own lives.”

Romney also adamantly opposed a health care reform bill patterned after those he drew, personally, to enact his successful Massachusetts health care bill — compete with an individual mandate.

And although billionaires and secretive super PACs contributed ridiculously large sums of money to elect him, in the end, it was the people who chose Obama again.

Next time, if a Democratic candidate fails to be as charismatic as Obama, or lacks such a dedicated and energetic team of volunteers, money may indeed win.

So the issue of doing whatever it takes to repeal a misguided and basically stupid Supreme Court decision, is still just as important. And, the idea of fair disclosure needs to be revisited as long as it takes to require mega-corporations and mega-donating individuals to simply reveal their identities.

Overall, it’s amazing that a president who was held responsible for economic controversies he did, and did not cause — and who lacked the virtually unlimited money supply of his opponents — was re-elected anyway.

It is equally amazing that a multi-millionaire — born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and who refused to reveal the traditional number of tax records — came so close to being elected.

Miracle of miracles — thank God sanity won anyway.

Peter W. Johnson,

Superior

Tags: opinion, letters