September 10, 2012--The "Food Stamp President"

At dinner, the conversation drifted to last week's Democratic convention.

"The Democrats won the convention battle hands down," our friend Iris said. "Can you believe that the Democrats were the ones to focus on social issues such as a woman's right to choose and same-sex marriage while the Republicans had relatively little to say about that? Quite a reversal in strategy."

"And who kept talking about our soldiers and their heroic sacrifices?" Tom asked. "I didn't pick up a single reference to our troops or veterans from the Republicans. Another unexpected reversal of strategy."

I said, "When after the GOP convention Romney was asked about that, he said, there are too many things to talk about in a speech and therefore he focused only on 'important things.'"

"Which," Rona added, "meant that our military people aren't as important as tax cuts? Whatever you thing about the specific issues, it sure wasn't politically smart."

"So why doesn't Obama have a five point lead in the polls?" Iris wondered. "I am surprised that it's still considered a tossup."

"It's continues to be 'the economy-stupid,' and people maybe care about only that. And though it's true, as Bill Clinton said, that no one, not even him, could have cleaned up the mess Obama inherited in just three and a half years, they are holding Obama responsible for all the worry and uncertainty. As well, of course, for the number unemployed or those working more part time jobs for less money."

"I also think," Tom said, "they are holding him responsible for the dramatic increase in the number living off food stamps and other forms of government assistance."

"What's really corrosive," Rona added, "is that not-so-between-the-lines they are claiming that it is Obama's intended purpose to see more people on food stamps--read minorities--in order to get them to vote for him and to make this a socialist country where everyone is on the dole."

"That's what you hear on talk radio," Iris confessed, feeling a little guilty that she listened to some of it.

"So this is why Republicans want to get rid of all these safety-net kinds of programs," I suggested. "To cut the federal budget as well as to have less government in people's lives, even when it comes to feeding people and providing medical treatment."

"I don't agree with that," Rona said.

"With which part?" I asked.

"All of it."

"You mean that Republicans really don't want to cut or eliminate these programs?

"Exactly. They say they want to do that because it fits the Tea Party ideology, but in truth they want to see these programs continue. Especially food stamps."

"Because?"

"Because having them continue, while pretending to want to cut them, contributes to the resentment people who are struggling economically feel about those who are being helped. It plays out every day all over the country at supermarket checkout counters. You're standing in line with a basket full of groceries and the person in front of you, with an equally full basket, pays with a government credit card, which is easy to spot because it has an American flag on it, while you have to pay with cash."

"That happened the other day at Hannaford's," I said, "where the checkout cashier who, after the person who paid with food stamps left, with a smirk pointed out for all to hear that the food-stamp woman had a fancy manicure while she, working six days a week, can't afford to have her nails done."

"And there was a lot of head nodding by the people in line behind us."

"So if you were a Republican strategist," Rona said, "would you want this program to go away? Every time something like this happens it's more votes for Romney and Ryan and every GOP member of Congress."

"Good point," Iris said, "They have it both ways--they pretend to want to get rid of the program but by arranging not to do so keep it alive and make sure anti-government resentment builds."

"In previous elections," Tom chuckled, "gay marriage and abortion were the wedge issues that got conservative voters all worked up, now it's food stamps. Like the so-called Welfare Queens of the 1960s who, conservatives claimed, drove to welfare offices in Cadillacs. It's perversely brilliant."

"That's why I'm worried about the poll numbers," I said. "Obama's been far from perfect and he is in fact responsible for some of the continuing bad news, but it's stuff like this that makes working people crazy and much of their resentment then gets directed at him. So much so that saving the U.S. auto industry and actually cutting taxes for the middle class and beginning to rein in the banks is ignored or taken for granted."

"I think we need another bottle of wine," Tom said. About that there was universal agreement.