Negative Campaigning harms more than it helps

As the date draws closer for the primary in Maryland, less than a week away, one has to look at what consistently happens during campaigns, especially as the time to vote draws near.

One word comes to mind:

Negativity.

While every candidate wants to win, it is important to stand for your ground, stay focused on the issues, and the issues this election are economy, health care, jobs, spending, deficit, and national debt. These are some of the main issues this country is facing right now, and the more one focuses on attacking another candidate, the more the focus is taken away from the important issues.

When a more conservative democrat isn't happy about the way things are going with the current administration, its important for a different party to show them what they have to offer in the way of solutions, negative campaigning towards a party member takes away from the issues, and that member who may be unhappy with their party, won't look elsewhere because of the fighting and negativity in some campaigns, thinking that's not a solution.

And while the press is great at twisting and turning words to make things sound worse than they were meant (Romney Etch a Sketch for example). Not only did Rick Santorum have to explain, and re-explain what he meant, Romney had to defend himself at times against a comment and that could have been time spent on the issues that this country is facing.

We can disagree with candidates, I've had disagreements with candidates, but in the end, it shouldn't be about negativity, it should be about where each candidate feels they can take this country and change the direction of this country, how they can make a positive impact on negative policies that have been allowed to happen.

What I find truly amazing is how some candidates are able to rise above the negativity and keep focus on the issues and not what another person is saying about them. And I think at times its not easy, but I've heard candidates themselves say they are not going to stoop to that level, and they remain focused on the issues and their campaign.

Publish Post

Here's wishing for a mud free slinging campaign for the rest of the time before the primary.

The Obama mentality: Do as I say, Not as I do?

With the internet being 'scrubbed' of the story of the first daughter taking a spring break trip to Mexico with 12 of her friends and 25 secret service, the first thing everyone seems to wonder is:

How much is this vacation costing taxpayers?

And that is exactly what I find on sites that still have this news article up.

But the next thing one has to wonder is why did Barack and Michelle allow such a trip when Americans are advised not to travel to Mexico? A quick stop on the internet to http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html shows that Mexico is on the list of places that Americans are advised NOT to travel to. The advisory was put up on February 8, 2012, so just over a month on the list, and the Obama's think its ok to send their daughter to Mexico with 12 friends?

Oh that's right they'll have 25 secret service agents protecting them. But isn't the agents responsibility to the First Family? If there were trouble would they protect Malia first, and then the other 12? Would that not be a concern for a parent sending their child. Not to mention the cost to Mexico, or the cost that Mexico is going to present to the U.S. because their police force is used.

Those are the first 2 main points everyone brings up, not that she should get a spring break, or take a vacation on spring break, but a costly taxpayer trip to a country that American's are advised NOT to travel to, that's already got people upset.

But let's take it one step further. Let's look at the economy, the fact that most people are struggling to make monthly commitments, put food on the table, struggling to fill up the tank with gas, and yet here we are watching the First Family live high on the hog like the United States isn't in a recession, paying for yet another extravagant trip, when so many can barely afford the necessities of life. It's not that they can't afford they can, but the amount they pay is likely not near as much as the tax payers end up paying, and when when many of us can not afford a vacation, maybe a few days off to a local place a couple hours away, one has to wonder just how out of touch the Obama's really are with how hard most American's are with this recession.

Doing some research on the vacations former President Bush took, many of them were to his ranch in TX, so it didn't cost the U.S near as much as it does with the vacations, Barack and his family take.

Is it to much to ask that they get in touch with reality and cut some of their spending on vacations to help ease the cost of tax payer money in fuel, security, planning, etc?

I remember Obama asking Congress not to spend lavishly before the holidays in 2011, just before he and Michelle and the kids went to Hawaii, on 2 different flights. Again, it really comes across to the taxpayers that he is out of touch with reality, and has no clue as to how much so many people are really struggling.

I don't need pictures or details of the trip, I'm already furious that I have to pay for yet another vaction for the Obama family, and the cost that goes along with it. That's all I want to know is how much is it costing us the taxpayer, and to tell the media they can not report this citing safety for the child, uh if safety was such a concern, maybe you shouldn't have sent her to Mexico in the first place. Or am I one of the few that believes a 12-13 year old is NOT old enough to travel alone to another country without her parent(s). Oh that's right, I forgot she's got 25 secret service agents to protect her.....The secret service may be there to protect her, but Michelle and Obama, they aren't baby sitters. I know each one of those men would give their life for her if necessary, why should you put them in a country where the risk is higher that they may need to do so?

So once again it appears the Obama mentality is:

Do as I say, not as I do.

copyright©Mari Muccioli