A Simple Question

In the 1980 Presidential debate, Ronald Reagan looked into the camera and summed up his argument for why he ought to be President. Actually, it was an argument not for why he ought to be President, but for why Jimmy Carter should not be allowed to continue being President.

Reagan said, "When you go into that voting booth, ask yourself one simple question: Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago?"

Thus began the validation of simple minded political discourse. It was perfectly appropriate, fair, incisive and legitimate to boil things down to a simple one sentence question.

The American people loved it. As H.L. Mencken observed: "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

So Barack Obama had better have an answer ready for Mitt Romney, when he stares into the camera and asks the same question.

I am hoping Barack Obama will pre-empt this attack with a question of his own: "You had better ask yourself, are you better off now than you were in the year 2000? That is the year when the Republicans effectively seized power of the government and started running the economy. Even my own election has afforded only a two year respite from the onslaught of Republican trickle down, voodoo economics. What you've got is basically Republican winner take all politics, with the richest one percent protected at all costs, and the 99% spurned."

"Or you could ask yourself a more interesting question: What would have happened if the Republicans had got their way and we had not bailed out General Motors, or the banks, much as we hated doing it? What sort of Depression would we be in now? And what would you have to look forward to, if the Republicans had the votes to vote through Coupon Care instead of Medicare, as they tried to do, but were prevented by the slim majority of Democrats in the Senate?

"If you like simple questions, here's one for you? Are you now among the one percent? I'm not asking whether you think you will be some day or whether you think the one percenters are the job creators or are a benign aristocracy looking out for the other 99%. I'm asking you, are you now among the one percent? Just remember, if you're not there now, the Republicans have cooked the tax books so you never will be."

Or Words to that effect.

Wouldn't you love to see President Obama look into the camera and throw those punches?

Oh, if pigs could fly.