Day720 Saturday 08/18/12

ran 2.6 miles

Thank you, KOBFM-New Mexico, for sharing the opportunity to speak with the president of the United States of America and asking him the most irrelevant possible questions you could possibly think of during one of the most critical points in America's modern history. This interview is no different than having a comedian on the other side of the phone line and asking him what his thoughts are on America's stubborn unemployment, devastating national debt, skyrocketing food stamp program, failed health care, Israel, and what exactly he plans to do for the next four years that he hasn't royally screwed up already.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 171.8

Here is what happened one year ago on Day355.

Day719 Friday 08/17/12

ran 4.5 miles

Because Barack Obama has nothing better to campaign on he is continuing to kick the dead horse that is the release of Mitt Romney's tax returns. Obama campaign manager, Jim Messina, offered a schoolyard challenge to Romney campaign manager, Matt Rhoades, today suggesting that if Romney would release the past five years of his tax returns then maybe (fingers crossed) he would no longer antagonize him over it. The proposition was pretty much a lunch time "twinkie for an apple" sort of deal followed by a punch in the face by the biggest bully in Chicago---and, by the way, President Obama, why don't you release your college transcripts, which you have paid for to be locked away?

Here's the offer:

Dear Matt:

I am writing to ask again that the Governor release multiple years of tax returns, but also to make an offer that should address his concerns about the additional disclosures. Governor Romney apparently fears that the more he offers, the more our campaign will demand that he provide. So I am prepared to provide assurances on just that point: if the Governor will release five years of returns, I commit in turn that we will not criticize him for not releasing more — neither in ads nor in other public communications or commentary for the rest of the campaign.

This request for the release of five years, covering the complete returns for 2007-2012, is surely not unreasonable. Other Presidential candidates have released more, including the Governor’s father who provided 12 years of returns. In the Governor’s case, a five year release would appropriately span all the years that he has been a candidate for President. It would also help answer outstanding questions raised by the one return he has released to date, such as the range in the effective rates paid, the foreign accounts maintained, the foreign investments made, and the types of tax shelters used.

To provide these five years, the Governor would have to release only three more sets of returns in addition to the 2010 return he has released and the 2011 return he has pledged to provide. And, I repeat, the Governor and his campaign can expect in return that we will refrain from questioning whether he has released enough or pressing for more.

I look forward to your reply.

Jim Messina

Obama for America Campaign Manager

Here's the response:

Hey Jim,

Thanks for the note.

It is clear that President Obama wants nothing more than to talk about Governor Romney’s tax returns instead of the issues that matter to voters, like putting Americans back to work, fixing the economy and reining in spending.

If Governor Romney’s tax returns are the core message of your campaign, there will be ample time for President Obama to discuss them over the next 81 days.

In the meantime, Governor Romney will continue to lay out his plans for a stronger middle class, to save Medicare, to put work back into welfare, and help the 23 million Americans struggling to find work in the Obama economy.

See you in Denver.

Thanks,

Matt Rhoades

Romney for President

Campaign Manager

And, just for kicks, here is our vice president in campaign mode: 

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 169.2

Here is what happened one year ago on Day354.

Day718 Thursday 08/16/12

ran 3.4 miles

Above is the average amount of tax dollars you stand to lose in 2013, depending on what state you're in, if the Bush tax cuts expire.

I took the liberty of adding up the sum of money the average individual in each of the fifty states and Washington D.C. stands to lose ($120,214) and divided it by 51. That number is $2,357. If you multiply that number by a rough population of 314,159,265...let's make this easier with round numbers---lets round all the way up to $3,000 and all the way up to 315,000,000 Americans. That would give the federal government 945 billion more tax dollars. Even if Barack Obama ended the Bush tax cuts completely across the board of earners it would still only be enough to knock out a mere 16.93% of our national debt. Obama's stimulus package was nearly $800 billion---only $145 billion short of taking every single federal tax dollar we are saving from the Bush tax cuts in the entire country for a year and spending it on something that had so few results. And this is not even considering the hundreds of other things tax dollars get spent on from welfare programs all the way up to national defense.

Point is, why are we arguing about who should be taxed more and how much they should be taxed when it clearly makes no difference in contrast to how far behind our nation has slipped economically. Our national debt is out of control and our president is doing nothing to stop it. His latest budget did not receive one single vote in the Senate---and the Democrat-led Senate has not even made a budget in over three years. Who lives like this?

The government doesn't have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. 

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 164.7

Here is what happened one year ago on Day353.

Day717 Wednesday 08/15/12

ran 3.3 miles

Following the news each day for the past couple years, and especially now that we are getting close to the election, the news stories get more and more ridiculous. What is the Obama administration and our government doing to our nation right before our eyes? If there is one thing I can say with certainty throughout this experience of running against Obama it is this:

If I were ever given the task to divide and conquer America then I would do exactly what Barack Obama has done. First, I would make a sweetheart out of national media. I'm not sure what methods would be necessary to seduce and coerce such a powerful entity into my bedroom, but our president knows. Then I would capsize our economy with out of control spending and finish it off with a sharp elbow of health care reform from the top ropes (which a majority nearing 60% of Americans do not even want). In between I would not only grant amnesty to illegal aliens but I would have tax payers finance their educations and opportunities while the tax payers themselves are already struggling to make ends meet. I would treat illegal aliens with more respect and grant them more government help than I do United States veterans. As the election for a second term neared, knowing I had done much to infuriate a majority of this nation, I would play the old reliable race card and convince the courts that being illegal, deceased, are voting numerous times, due to not having identification or laws demanding it be presented, had nothing to do with voter fraud (even though the Washington Post conducted a poll yesterday resulting in 75% of Americans wanting voters to present identification at the ballot boxes---how is this even an argument for Eric Holder and the Department of Justice?). These are just a few of the things I would do. And once I did get that second term, well...

Or, if I were assigned the task of waking America up to how much they have forgotten about their nation's history, I would do exactly what Barack Obama has done. If I were told to make Americans once again appreciate so much what they have neglected and forgotten, I would do exactly what Barack Obama has done. If I were told to remind Americans about our Constitution and how fed up we are with our federal government, I would do exactly what Barack Obama has done.

This man, through the actions of his first term, has woken up a sleeping giant and that giant is the American people. 

I'll leave you with a trailer for an upcoming movie. This is a documentary filled with enraged ex-SEALs, CIA agents, and Generals, who all have something to say about the Intel Leaks that have been casually slipping through the cracks of the White House under the Obama administration.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 161.3

Here is what happened one year ago on Day352.

Day716 Tuesday 08/14/12

ran 3.4 miles

Erskine Bowles, Clinton White House chief of staff, praising Paul Ryan nearly one year ago at the University of North Carolina. This video could be the most inexpensive ad for Republicans in presidential campaign history. It speaks for itself. 

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 158.0

Here is what happened one year ago on Day351.

Day715 Monday 08/13/12

ran 4.2 miles

On April 4, 2011, President Obama signed the proper paperwork to begin his re-election run and, since then, here are a few of his crowning achievements:

• 200 fundraising events (George W. Bush had 88 at this point in his re-election)

• 45 rounds of golf (this is an awesome site that has taken the liberty of itemizing each of his numerous golf outings with locations and timelines)

• Unemployment has remained above 8% for this period of time (although it has been above 8% beyond April, 2011)

• Barack Obama has met with his Jobs Council one single time since then, in January, 2011

I'm sure there are many other notable achievements but these are some of the highlights. Check out more here.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 154.6

Here is what happened one year ago on Day350.

Day714 Sunday 08/12/12

ran 3.2 miles

Today ends week 102 of running against Obama. I ran 23.6 miles this week, averaging 3.37 miles per day.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 150.4

Here is what happened one year ago on Day349.

Day713 Saturday 08/11/12

ran 3.1 miles

Romney and Ryan it is. I was taken aback at first but this is the decision that was made and that reality makes it easier to rationalize all the different things this means. I knew Ryan was on the Veep short-list but he struck me as a man who would energize the Conservative base. The thing is the Conservative base doesn't need any energizing. I think most Conservatives would vote for a plank of wood running against Barack Obama. So why Ryan?

It is common knowledge that approximately 45%-47% of Americans on each side of the aisle know exactly who they are going to vote for and they cannot be dissuaded. I am one of them. That leaves 6%-10% who are undecided and they are the individuals who are going to decide this election. So, again, why Ryan?

As a side note, this small fraction of individuals who comprise the undecided votes of America are a mystery to me. How someone can be on the fence about two such extreme directions in government and the future of America is incomprehensible to me. It's like arriving at the most important fork in the road of your nation's modern history and long-term future and genuinely being baffled as to whether you should turn left or right. Indecision like this is usually left to children who can't decide whether they want blue shoe laces or red shoe laces. 

Why Ryan? The first thing that comes to mind is Florida and Rubio. Florida is a critical state to win and Rubio would have energized Florida the same way Ryan will energize Wisconsin. Perhaps Romney is confident in Florida---and Wisconsin is the controversial state Scott Walker governs and has recently succeeded in overcoming a recall election fueled by the heavy union presence in the state. Wisconsin is about as divided as a state can be, but Florida still seems more critical to win.

These next three months will unravel and what will be will be. I'm a big fan of Paul Ryan, always have been, but my only concern is that he simply makes way too much sense and employs far too much rational logic to the problems America faces to appeal to the short-term memory and low attention span of the average voter, which is a really big slice of the demographic pie. His ideas are just too realistic for our federal government.

That being said, as it sinks in I am getting excited about this guy. As I stated above, I assumed Romney would have picked someone who would persuade some of the undecided fence hoppers to join his side. Instead, he chose one of the most fundamentally fiscal conservatives in Congress. It was a bold decision and I like the idea of not settling for a running mate strictly based on his or her ability to finagle a few extra blocks of voting support from people who are too indecisive to pick what pair of socks they want to put on their feet each day. America's bigger picture is much larger than these decision-challenged individuals who keep leaving every presidential poll within its margin of error with their 6%-10% of uncertainty.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 147.2

Here is what happened one year ago on Day348.

Day712 Friday 08/10/12

ran 3.6 miles

In 2008, Goldman Sachs financial services companies gave three-fourths of their campaign donations to Democratic candidates, committees, and Barack Obama's campaign---$6.1 million to be precise. 

Then Barack Obama got elected and here we are four years later. Employees of the New York-based Goldman are now giving 70% of their donations to Republicans. So far, Goldman employees have given $4.9 million to Republican candidates, committees, and Mitt Romney's campaign. An unprecedented reversal among the 25 companies whose employees have given the most to candidates and parties of interest since 1989 is unfolding in this 2012 presidential election. 

Some of the more recognizable companies include Goldman, Bank of America Corp., Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase & Co. (four of the top five financial institutions), Citigroup Inc., and UBS AG (UBSN).

(SOURCE)

That's a big statement. No doubt this will be fodder for Obama's ruthless campaign team to push the OWS agenda, but he sure wasn't complaining in 2008 when he was receiving the money and it was yet to be determined how much of a failure he would become.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 144.1

Here is what happened one year ago on Day347.

Day711 Thursday 08/09/12

ran 3.0 miles

Over 110,000,000 Americans are currently receiving some form of government welfare. This is not even including Social Security and Medicare. That is more than a third of our entire population. Under President Obama welfare programs have exploded and are projected to grow exponentially ($800 billion on food stamps alone in the next decade).

The numbers in the chart above represent not only American citizens but non-citizens, as well. In case you didn't know, America has partnered with Mexico to boost food stamp enrollment among non-citizens, migrant workers, and foreign nationals.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), or the food stamp program, has expanded from providing for 17 million in 2000 to 45 million in 2011.

(SOURCE)

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 140.5

Here is what happened one year ago on Day346.

  

Day710 Wednesday 08/08/12

ran 3.5 miles

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 137.5

Here is what happened one year ago on Day345.

Day709 Tuesday 08/07/12

ran 3.7 miles 

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 134.0

Here is what happened one year ago on Day344.

Day708 Monday 08/06/12

ran 3.5 miles

Here are 70 facts about America's economy that President Obama will definitely not be campaigning on. It is frightening how far we as a collective nation have let America slip. This list puts into perspective how petty most of the news that is gathered for us and distributed in mass quantities is. 

Why are we talking about things like Chick-fil-A and Mitt Romney's tax returns? Chicken, gay rights, personal beliefs, and the obvious fact that Mitt Romney is filthy rich can't hold a candle to the more important issue of what we are going to do with our economy and how we are going to take on this national debt.

Here are a few examples from the list:

• The price of gas – When Obama took office, a gallon of gas cost you $1.85. Today, it's up to $3.59 per gallon.

• 71% of small business owners believe we’re still in a recession — Despite government claims that the recession actually ended years ago.

• You have to work 107 days each year just to pay Federal, State, & Local taxes – That means you don't earn a penny until April 18.

• More than 30% of unemployed Americans have been out of work for more than a year–In 2007, that number was 10%.

Many more disappointing statistics here.

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 130.3

Here is what happened one year ago on Day343.

Day707 Sunday 08/05/12

ran 3.2 miles

Today ends week 101 of running against Obama. I ran 22.6 miles this week, averaging 3.23 miles per day.

Special treat for you today. The following is a cartoon from over fifty years ago warning Americans of that time, and future generations, of the exact dangers that have befallen us presently. Apparently, not enough of us saw this prophetic cartoon in time. Highly recommend checking it out! Our modern state of affairs have made a fortuneteller of this cartoon. 

2,080 miles from Lafayette, LA to Washington D.C. and back + 126.8

Here is what happened one year ago on Day342.