Obama’s burden and Romney’s

When Democrat Shirley Franklin was elected mayor of Atlanta it turned out to be in worse shape than she expected. Then these nice young men from Bain offered to help fix it. As I understand it, it is what Bain does: fix things that are broken. Bain’s Mitt Romney did a great job with the Winter Olympics in Utah in 2002, although I am sure the very controversial dragon dance honoring the White Buffalo as the harbinger of Aquarius sent most conservatives to the fainting couch. Maybe they didn’t notice. Here are three things Bain might also fix: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and America.

The Democratic Party: "Will these Clinton-era people ever go away?" Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos (and columnist for The Hill) asked years back. Not likely. Bill's conspicuous support for Romney’s work at Bain when the Obama camp is on the attack is characteristic of the narcissistic Clinton cult. They hope Romney wins so they can run Hillary in 2016. Obama is, in my opinion, the best candidate of the Dems in the post-war period — meaning better even than Jack Kennedy — but is hampered by the Roosevelt tradition and freaky types like Bill and Hillary and their poisonous generational tails like Bill Maher. It needs modification. A thought: Replace the decadence of the Clintons with the character of Susan Eisenhower. A lifetime Republican, she endorsed Obama in 2008, announcing that she was becoming an independent. She said to the Democratic National Convention in 2008: “I stand before you tonight not as a Republican or a Democrat, but as an American.” It is a historic paradigm shift and change of temperament, but the Dems haven't recognized it. Surely David Axelrod sees it. And like the angels in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” she comes with a gift of three words: “Simple, sustainable and affordable.” Start again from there.

The Republican Party: Like the Democrats, they are also plagued by tradition. The albatross hanging from their necks is George W. Bush. As the bloated and aging middle mass of the Dems can think of nothing but Clinton, so too the metalheads on the right can think of nothing but Bushes. Romney gets it and will bring a new agenda for a new century if he arrives. But like the pitiful and disloyal Clinton cult, which hopes for a Romney victory, many here hope for an Obama victory so they can run brother Jeb from the broken state of Florida in 2016. Possibly as VP mate to Gov. Chris Christie from the broken state of New Jersey.

America: America was designed in 1776 to package three cities and a forest. It was a great design but — and I am sure any competent young Bain manager would notice this — we have since become a place full of people. The Western states are no longer lines drawn on a map, exactly like those T.E. Lawrence drew with a stick in the desert to create the morass that is the Middle East today. They are real places now and will mark their own destinies. They will need more responsive representation.

Since 2009 the West and the middle of the country has vehemently stepped forth to claim its self-identification. Twenty-nine states have opposed the eastern establishment on ObamaCare and 30 against gay marriage. These changes must be accommodated or there will be breakage. A western VP for Romney — possibly Texas Gov. Rick Perry — would begin to address this.

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