President Obama's Second Term and the Tea Party Movement

In marketing, there is a saying that everything comes down to a two horse race; Coke-Pepsi, Ford-Chevrolet, Toyota-Honda, Fox-CNN, etc. All the others just try to hang on and live off the scraps. The same is true in politics. Everyone is talking about the Tea Party movement. They are saying it is a combination of Republicans and Democrats who are dissatisfied with the current political landscape and want a change. I like the sentiment. However, I do not agree that a third party is the answer.

The presidential election of 1992 showed how this works. Ross Perot came out as an outsider to the political game and garnered a lot of support from regular Americans. He campaigned on his business savvy and his folksy demeanor. Then, at the height of his popularity, he quit. No real reason was given, he just quit. Then, again, he changed his mind. He continued as a third party candidate. What were the results? The defeat of a sitting, Republican president to a nearly unheard of governor from Arkansas. Bill Clinton won with only 43% of the popular vote. George Bush had 37%. Ross Perot took the rest with 19%. I am not saying this was the only reason George Bush lost to Bill Clinton. Believe me, it is not. He was not a good president. He did not seem to learn anything from his predecessor, Ronald Reagan. I do believe Ross Perot’s campaign was the major factor in his loss.

I see the same thing about to happen in 2012. Both the Republicans and the Democrats are held prisoner by their far, extreme components. Both parties are rife with corruption, greed and apathy for the American people. The Tea Party Movement is the logical outlet for those who are not extremist (Don’t care what the media says). I view the Tea Partiers as teenagers who are rebelling against the restrictions of their old fashioned parents who do not understand. Eventually, they will come back into the fold and grow up to be the backbone of their respective parties. I think it is very healthy for these people to blow off steam. I especially like the fact that more people who have before never had much of an interest in politics are getting involved. They are voting, rallying and speaking their minds. In that sense I support them.

Today’s Republicans are infamous for being spineless and weak when in power. Remember the Contract With America? They talk big when out, but when in, they suck. Even today, they bitch and moan about the current president and his policies, but do they actually do anything? Hell, no! They claim that since they are not in control of the house or senate, they are powerless. I remember when they had the presidency, house and senate and were still worthless. They were not dangerous, just worthless. Coming from California, which has no real Republican party, I saw this firsthand.

I do not see the Tea Party Movement winning anything big. They may get some local stuff and maybe even a house rep at most. When these people calm down, they need to go back to their respective parties and take control of them. Even though money is the mother’s milk of politics, you can still have a vote. That is what the primaries are for. If the powers that be do not put up someone you like, vote for someone else. If enough people vote for the same person, that person will be the candidate.

Watching the Republicans fumble around in the dark like Mr. Magoo makes me sad. That was why I left them during the first George Bush’s term. They have lost their way. They are so splintered they cannot even provide leadership much less a candidate for 2012. This is where the Tea Party can help. Given the current state of things, I predict President Barack Obama will be re-elected in 2012. The old boy, Republican Party will put up Mitt Romney to lose to him. The Tea Party Movement and the Republican Party will point fingers and blame each other as our country sinks further into the abyss of socialism. I am ready to be proven wrong.

What Are You Afraid Of?

What are you afraid of? It is a logical question given the times we live in today. One of my favorite Batman villains is the Scarecrow. His real name is Dr. Jonathan Crane. He is a psychiatrist who was picked on as a child because of his appearance. He became the Scarecrow to strike fear in the hearts of those who persecuted him and the world in general. He has no super powers. He usually uses some type of gas or other toxin to make people afraid. Given today’s climate of fear, you would think he is real.

There is a healthy type of fear. We are told to fear God and keep his commandments. Those in the military have fear when they go into a potential life threatening situation (I am talking fear, not cowardice. There is a difference.). There is that fear people have when diagnosed with a terminal condition. There are certain rational fears of the unknown.

My mom grew up at the height of the Cold War. Her greatest fear was she would not live to be an adult. She would never marry nor have children. She had been so taken in by the political and media propaganda that she had an actual fear of nuclear annihilation. Eventually, as she grew up, her fear subsided and she did marry and have my brother and me.

Fear is a by-product off ignorance. Today, there is plenty of both to go around. If we do not know or understand something, the immediate reaction is to fear it. If you see a vicious dog snarling and barking at you, you may be afraid because you do not know if it will attack. If it is behind a fence, you are not as afraid since the dog cannot attack you through the fence.

I have watched this culture of fear and paranoia percolate through our society through the last few years. I do not know where it began, but it seems worse today.

After September 11, people were afraid to search and detain people of Middle Eastern descent. They were afraid it would be considered racial profiling and people would think badly of them. So, to allay that guilt, they strip search little old ladies and confiscate their apple sauce and water. I do not have a problem with profiling in certain situations. Imagine there is some 80 year old woman in line that bought a round trip ticket to Florida. Next to her is a 25 year old, bearded man in robes, named Mohammed Al-Whatever, carrying an overnight bag and a Koran, who purchased a one way ticket with cash. Guess who I want searched? It is not Aunt Martha going to see the grandkids. When little old ladies start blowing up and hijacking airplanes, then I want her searched as well. Meanwhile, a middle-aged black man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, flying to Boston on a ticket paid for by his company credit card is not much of a threat. Do you think Israel is shy about profiling in its airports? Think, again.

Most of the fear exhibited today is irrational. When President Obama was elected, people were terrified to criticize him because he was from mixed race and mixed cultural background. That is silly. I criticized him because I do not like his politics or his choice of inner circle members. I don’t care what color he is or where he was born. Same thing is going on in Arizona. They pass a bill upholding federal law where the federal government will not enforce that law. It is immediately called racist. The people breaking the law are from Mexico, Central, and South America. Therefore, they are the ones in violation. It is not a matter of race. It is a matter of right and wrong. It is a matter of obeying the law and breaking it. If this was Montana and the people coming across were Canadian, the law would still be the same. Illegal aliens are illegal no matter where they are from; Mexico, Asia, Europe, Central America, South America, etc. The issue is the law, not the nature of the person breaking it. Besides, most people opposed to the law have not read it. Therefore, ignorance is leading to fear.

The latest is the fear in cyberspace. Everyone is fear mongering about social networking sites like My Space, Facebook, and Linked In. There are even commercials offering services to scrub your name from the internet. People who are unemployed are terrified some potential employer will find something on one of these sites as reason not to hire them. I recently saw something suggesting your taste in music may be keeping you from getting a job. I think that is fear mongering at its highest levels.

If you are that paranoid about what is out there about you, stay off the internet. I googled myself to see what was there. There was my Facebook page. There was my Linked In page. There were a couple of newspaper articles I was quoted in. That was about it. It has even been suggested these essays I write could poison the well and prevent me from getting a job.

Here is how I see it. I do not post anything I would not want the entire world to see. That goes for pictures, opinions, beliefs, etc. If a company does not want to hire me because I am a Mason or I like Lynyrd Skynyrd or Marvin Gaye or I am conservative, that is okay with me. I would probably not want to work there in the first place. I am not ashamed or afraid of who I am. I am not perfect. But, I do not flaunt my flaws on my Facebook page. I do not have a criminal record. I do not engage in questionable behavior. My friends are my friends. I have no malice toward any particular racial, religious or lifestyle group. I like to think I am firm in my beliefs. I consider myself reasonably honest and forthcoming. If any of those qualities prevents me from getting a job, so be it.

What I am saying is there are real fears and irrational ones. Common sense can dictate the difference. Fear is the greatest weapon known to man. That is why terrorism is so effective. People are afraid they may be the next victim. Politicians are fearful of speaking their minds because they want to make everyone happy and not offend anyone. In the end, they offend everyone with their double speak and insecure posturing. Everyday people are afraid to speak their minds because of how they will be perceived by their friends, bosses, rivals, etc.

I guess losing my career and home in California took my fear away. Maybe that is why I am unemployed. I do not have enough sense to be some trembling, spineless jellyfish who only does what they are told and not question it. A person who does not discern right from wrong because they are afraid of what others will think. I may not be successful, but at least I am not a slave to my fears. I do not tell my kids to stand up to bullies while I shirk from some overbearing boss or co-worker. I do not teach my children to express their thoughts and feelings while I hide mine for fear of being politically incorrect. My way may not be the path to fame and fortune, but, at least, I do not lie to myself about it.

The Job Hunt of 2010.

Unemployment data was released today. The nation gained 431,000 jobs in May. However, 411,000 of those are temporary census worker jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to a whopping 9.7% from 9.9%. I have been out of work since October 31, 2008, when I was laid off from my contract position at Volvo Cars North America in Irvine, CA.

Unemployment has become quite the cottage industry in America these days. There are networking sites, seminars, job posting sites, recruiters, etc. all vying for your attention and money.

I have tried many of these, so let’s take a look at some of them.

I started off with a job seminar back in CA. It was $150. I learned about teamwork, resume polishing, elevator speeches, how to exaggerate the significance of your contribution to the greater good. Some of these I already knew. Resume padding is not a new concept. I have seen it for years. I choose not to engage in such practices because first, it is dishonest. Also, there are really good chances of someone catching your lies on a resume. Today, there are no secrets. I learned how to write a proposal and pitch it to a perspective employer. I learned to network and work in groups. It was like those projects in school where a couple of people do all the work and the rest just hang on and attach their name. Our group was pretty good overall. I made a couple of friends from it. I enjoyed the course and did my best to keep up with all the homework and assignments.

What were the results? I was out $150. I have a new resume. I have a couple of new friends. I have a report on inventory control at a dealership. I still have no job. I don’t think anyone else in my group has gained employment, either. I sent my special report to every dealership in the Richmond area. I did not get a single response. Everyone I have asked about my new resume tells me it needs work. In the end, I still do not have a job.

Now, let’s talk about these job search websites. The first thing they tell you is that your resume is crap. It does not matter when or how you did it, it is crap. It does not matter if you have paragraphs, bullet points, SWOT analysis, core competencies, etc. But, if you will pay them between $300 and $700, they will write you the perfect resume. Also, for $15 to $50 a month, they will let you in on their secret jobs that no one else knows about. Even though when you apply for these, they send you to the corporate website to apply, again. I could save the money and just go to the corporate website and apply myself. Also, you fill out your resume on the site. Then, when you go to apply, you have to fill another one out for them. So, what exactly, are they doing for you for your monthly fee? The free sites like monster and hotjobs are not any different. You fill out a resume on their site. Then you search for jobs. Then, you go to the corporate website and fill out their forms. I am seeing a pattern developing, here.

Then, there is the old fashioned cold call. That is where you mail in a resume and cover letter and hope someone calls you back. That tends to be a waste as well. Even though, it is just as effective as the other methods. So far, the end result has been the same.

The biggest craze right now is social networking. This is where you and a group of strangers get together and swap war stories about how you became unemployed and how bad it is out there for jobs. There are places liked LinkedIn.com and Facebook.com for this activity as well. Everyone is now saying that networking is the key. That may be for some. The social butterflies of our society may love this method. But, those of us who prefer not to be out in public are not that crazy about it. The old saying about it’s not what you know, but who you know has taken root here. It may be true. But, again, I do not see a lot of results from this, either. Some of these groups ask for “donations” as well.

I do not have the answer. I am still looking for a job. I am still trying some of these methods that do not cost me money. Like I said, I am out of a job. How am I going to pay you to find me one with no income? I still get unemployment. Barring any more extensions, that will run out this summer. That, in itself, has become a disincentive to find a job. Now, you have to find a job that pays you more than you are making on unemployment less travel and meal expenses associated with the world of work. But, I will save that for another time.

Good Luck to my fellow job hunters. Also be wise about how you search and who you pay for it.

Today would have been Bob Harrod’s eighty-second birthday if he had lived. He vanished from the face of the earth on July 27, 2009, without a trace. He lived across the street from me for several years. He was one of my best friends and I one of his. I last spoke to him on July 19, 2009. That was the day before I left California to move to Virginia. I miss him.
I do not know a lot about Bob’s life before he moved into our neighborhood. I knew his daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Jeff, next door. When he moved in, his wife, Georgia, was still with us. She was very sick and passes away in March 2008. He and Georgia were married for fifty-four years. They had three grown children.
Bob had been so used to taking care of Georgia for several years; he placed the same care on their dog, Sassy. When Sassy became too sick and had to be put down, we took her to the animal shelter and put her to sleep. I then buried her in the back yard for Bob.
Not long after Sassy died, Bob received a call from an old sweetheart, Fontelle. It was a twist of fate that broke them up and another that brought them back together. Fontelle and Bob had been sweethearts in 1950. Bob had joined the Marines and was shipping off to Pasadena from Kansas City. He gave Fontelle a ring. He told her if it was too much to keep up a long distance relationship, he would understand. He did not hear from her for almost sixty years later.
It turned out the people Bob was staying with wanted him to marry their niece, Georgia. The uncle had never given Bob any of the letters Fontelle had written him. He thought she had given up on him. He married Georgia and had a wonderful and fulfilling life with her. Meanwhile, Fontelle had thought the same and went on with her life as well.
One day, Fontelle’s daughter was playing around on the internet and found Bob. She asked her mother if it was the same man. She did not know. Her daughter dialed the number and handed the phone to her. Bob answered. He was just as glad to hear her voice as she was his. They talked for hours. Since both were now widowed, they talked almost every day.
In May, 2009, they started making plans for Fontelle to come visit Bob in Placentia. She did. They decided to pick up where they left off and got married when she came out in June. It was an incredible story. The Orange County Register covered it in several articles. I wish I could say they lived happily ever after. But that was not to be.
Fontelle had gone back to Missouri to get her things to move out to California and live out the rest of her days with Bob. I was getting ready for my move to Virginia. On that last day we talked, Bob told me about Fontelle and his love for her.
I had never seen him so happy. He had started going back to the doctor to get himself together, again. He had neglected his health for years taking care of Georgia and then Sassy. He told me he wanted twenty good years with Fontelle before he died. He was eighty at the time.
A little over a week later on July 29, I received an email saying Bob had disappeared. His son-in-law was working on his house to get it ready for Fontelle. Bob was having things cleaned, painted, and repaired for her. She was due back on July 30. Jeff went to Home Depot and get some lunch. When he came back an hour or so later, Bob was gone. His car and his glasses were still there. The only thing he took with him was his wallet.
The Placentia Police started to investigate. They tried to brush it off as some senile, old man who wandered off. There was speculation he got cold feet just before Fontelle was supposed to arrive. There were other stories as well. I was one of his closest friends and I was never contacted by the police about him or his state of mind. The only people who talked to me were a private investigator, a reporter from the L.A. Times, and an attorney for Fontelle.
Almost a year later no one knows what happened. Sometimes I think Fontelle and I are the only ones who still care. The police have been useless. To call them the Keystone Cops would be a step up for them. His three daughters are completely shut up about the whole thing. I contacted them about putting a facebook site together for him. They never returned my messages.
I have no illusions that Bob is still alive. If he had just wandered off, someone would have found him by now. Yes, he was forgetful at times. You will be too if you make it to eighty. But his mind was still sharp. Today, on his birthday, I miss him all the more. His favorite author was Patricia Cornwell. I used to give him her latest book for his birthday. This year, I see the book on the bookstand and miss him all the more.