I continue to ask people what they think of Rep. Paul Ryan, the GOP's VP pick. What do you think of Ryan?
The reactions have been neither being threatened by his ideology nor by his popularity. Many say: now we can talk about social security, that is good. A lot of Florida voters are now becoming bluer. There are a lot of retirees in Florida. No, this election is not as bad as the one in 2000. That was ugly.
All seem to be good in Illinois indeed. There are quite a few volunteers in the local Democrat office and more for the coming up events. I support the President, they would say, is there a way to get involved? We would tell them you are welcome to join us, just drop by. We are open Thursday and Sunday evenings.
What surprised me there was that when I brought up the subject of budget. Did you watch Ryan accusing the President on the mandatory spending cuts? Well, there is no good in getting excited about the issue. While the topic is rather a sensitive one, we can at least talk about the issue. Is mandatory spending a sensitive topic as the assault weapons ban issue?
The race brought some issues to light. Ryan's insider trading; President Obama's promises on assault weapons ban; Romney's tax records.
So what of Ryan's insider trading case? He allegedly traded bank stocks right after a meeting on bank finance when the financial crisis hit the nation.
Darlene was not exactly showing resentment on the Ryan's insider trading case. Those lawmakers are rich anyway, she said. They are not totally honest about their assets, she continued. I wondered if she was referring to the tax cuts for the riches, which surely has brought some internal and external arguments on this crucial issue for the election 2012.
Let us hope the election gives us the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to us, be it the disparity or public safety.