Guide to Political Rhetoric this Election

It amazes me how little people understand about rhetoric.  You can take any topic, spin it and morph it into rhetoric, load it into a cannon, aim it at your opponent and attack him\her with political bombshells.  Rhetoric and propaganda have been used by those in power against the masses because it is so effective.  We are all too stupid to differentiate the truth from the crap.  Most of us have our beliefs and do not seek balance on issues.  We don't want to understand both points.  We want those that disagree with us to die.

For those few people who do want to know how to understand the whole issue, or for those that just like some giggles, here is a guide to understanding the issues of this political election.

1) Mitt Romney hates gay people and is trying to figure out a way to destroy them.  This is total nonsense.  The states are leading the way with providing gay-rights.  Maryland will most likely pass Question 6 providing for gay marriage.  Many other states are moving close to this opinion.  Does it matter what the President thinks?  The Federal government is most likely not going to make any federal laws banning gay marriage.  G.W. Bush had the opportunity with the Republican majority in Congress during his first term and it didn't happen.  With a split Congress (the best kind), no laws against gay rights will be passed at a Federal level.

2) Mitt Romney hates women.  This is one of my favorite arguments this political season.  If you are against women's rights, which are synonymous with abortion, then you hate women.  Let's ignore the fact that some people think that unborn children have a right to live and not be chopped up with sharp knives and thrown in a trash can.  Who hates babies?

3) Obama hates unborn children.  See #2.  If you're in favor of women's rights, then you obviously hate unborn children, right?  Whose rights are more important?  The rights of the unborn child or the rights of the woman who is inconveniently impregnated while (usually) not taking the proper precautions.  Let's leave the absurd defense about the ban on abortion even for rape and incest victims to the politicians that want to lose the election.

4) Obama saved the auto industry.  Mitt Romney wanted it to fail.  The ridiculousness of this argument seems more obvious to me that anyone at the Huffington Post.  We have bankruptcy laws in this country that allow corporations and individuals to restructure their debts, reorganize, and continue operating.  Going bankrupt does not mean going out of business.  Obama, on the other hand, didn't really save the auto industry himself. He directed the funds, but that money came from you and me, the tax-payers.  Oh, and China and Saudi Arabia who loaned us billions of dollars, whom we now owe with interest.

5) Big evil greedy corporations are telling their employees that they must vote for Obama or they'll lose their jobs.  Several companies put out newsletters recommending that their employees vote for Mitt Romney because it will be good for business.  Then liberal blogs paint a broad brush-stroke across all corporations and scare America into thinking we're all going to get fired.

6) Wall Street is evil and it must be destroyed.  I once heard one of the idiot DJs on 98 Rock say that she would never put money in the stock market because it cannot be trusted.  What she fails to realize is that pension plans, 401(k)s, IRAs, 403(b)s, annuities, and such are all invested in stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments that are managed by financial companies that comprise "Wall Street".  If you hate the fact that Americans are saving for retirement, saving for college, getting mortgage loans, managing foundations for education, and managing money for organizations that provide benevolent care, and providing for others, then I guess you really do hate Wall Street.  But don't be ignorant of the fact that the monetary system of this country is managed by companies that may not reside on Wall Street.  Some are on Pratt Street and Michigan Avenue and most are actually honest decent companies that hire millions of people who work hard.

7) Republicans are trying to prevent black people from voting.  This isn't the 1870's when the Democrats were trying to suppress the black vote.  Nor is it the early 20th century when the tables turned in the South. But when Paris Glendening reportedly won 107% of the votes from eligible voters in Baltimore, you kind of have to wonder if all the votes are legit.  The phrase 'vote early and vote often' is often attributed to former Democrat and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, though I'm not entirely sure how accurate that is.  When politicians are regularly throwing that phrase around and states like Maryland are providing easy opportunities to break the law, then it has to make you worried.  In fact, the election judges get mad at you when you try to prove that you are who you say you are.  They don't want to see your identification.  To be honest, I'm pretty sure both parties are doing some voter suppression in some areas.

8) If you vote against Question 7, you hate children and education.  Anyone that's read up on this issue knows that state law dictates how much money the state spends on education.  The state government is already going to spend that amount.  The money from more casinos will not add to that total.  That money will go to the state's general fund, which can be used for anything such as paying for abortions at state funded clinics to more state highway trucks to dump thousands of tons of salt on the highway when there's a snow flurry spotted.

As you can see, understanding the rhetoric of the political season is actually a lot simpler than you think.  Don't be fooled by the ads, the Huffington Post, and any other slanted sources.  Be educated and make your own decisions!