Opinion: Are Regular Guys What America Will Ultimately Vote For?
It’s apparent that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are going for the “campy” image which screams “we’re just regular guys” on the 2012 campaign trail. America has never seen the final stretch of a presidential campaign like Obama and Biden are presenting this time around.
President Barack Obama has often shown up at bars and other unusual casual locations for his photo opportunities, and Vice President Joe Biden is doing much the same. In the past week, we’ve seen our president picked up by a powerlifter inside a “ma and pa” establishment where beer and pizza are the main fare. In the photo that has gone viral, the owner of the pizza place who is a 6-foot 3-inch tall muscle-laden weight lifter is holding Obama with his feet dangling. Does it make the president look strong? No. Does it make him look cool? It oddly does to some potential voters.
Then we have Joe Biden, the man who would be president of the United States should anything happen to Barack Obama that does not allow him to continue doing his presidential duties, snuggling up to a female biker at a bar on the campaign trail. While this may not surprise anyone in the least bit, is it the image that is purposely being portrayed of Joe Biden to make him look like “one of the guys” as well? It very well could be in the plan to make our president and vice president simply look like two “regular guys” who want to lead the free world.
The underlying message in all of this – at this campaigning point in time – is that Obama and Biden are cool, and GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan are not cool.
As a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll revealed via new questions on the poll, more people would rather have dinner with Barack Obama than with Mitt Romney. Additionally, the poll asked potential voters which of the two presidential candidates would they prefer take care of them if they were sick. Again, the voters clearly chose to have Obama take care of their personal ills over Romney. And the final new question simply asked: Which of the two candidates would you prefer to make a friend of yours? Again, Barack Obama is the choice over Romney.
Lucky for America, the survey also revealed that these personal attributes aren’t swaying how voters feel about their votes to be cast on November 6. People are still looking at the economy more than anything else when they are deciding who they are going to vote for in this election cycle.
Naturally, that’s a good thing. If you want Obama instead of Romney to come over for dinner, good for you. If you want Obama instead of Romney to assist you with a bout with the sniffles, good for you. And if you would rather make Obama your friend than Romney, good for you. If you’d rather see Obama and Biden schmoozing in the beer and the bars instead of in front of a crowd of refined supporters as Romney and Ryan campaign for votes, good for you.
However, if – instead - you’re voting for president based on the economy, jobs, foreign policy and relationships, and other factors that have a significant effect on the entire nation’s well-being, that’s good for everyone and not just “good for you”.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.
