Nov 12, 2012 2 min read

I find it very ironic that your Thursday editorial seems to advise Republican candidates on what they need to say to get elected. To me, that it is what’s wrong with our current political mess and leads to the current voter disenchantment with our system.

While I believe there were clear differences between the presidential candidates in this election, many people are under the impression that it does not make any difference who gets elected. Losing an election does not mean your message is wrong. Republicans need to continue to support their principles of a free marketplace and respect for our Constitution and individual rights rather than the Democratic Party’s group politics and free-lunch mentality.

Republicans should not hide their ideals and tailor their message merely to get elected. That is what Democrats do. We do not need two Democratic parties. It now seems the American people must believe that the government is Santa Claus, and as long as they get food stamps, unemployment benefits for 99 weeks, free health care and free cellphones, everything is great. Trillion dollar deficits year after year are not sustainable. The big problem with this scenario is that the bill is coming due very soon. We cannot continue to borrow from China and others and think there will be no reckoning. We are fast on our way to becoming Greece.

President Obama has certainly not demonstrated effective leadership during his first term, but at least he now gets a second chance. Effective leaders do not blame others for their failures. Leaders do not tell people what they want to hear but do things differently in private. Leaders inspire, not lecture. Leaders speak from their heart, not a teleprompter. President Obama has much to learn about leadership. I hope he can learn it on the job during the next four years.

Stephen Davis

Eighty Four