Voting Against Himself - White Men and Romney

By Columnist TRB - Why would someone vote against their own interests? Why would someone vote for a man who might hurt members of his family and loved ones? Specific to this article, why would white men vote for Mitt Romney?

College-aged white men who vote for Romney can expect deep cuts in their student aid programs, and as a result might not be able to afford to get their degree. If you are relying on your parents to pull you over the top, guess again. Romney has promised tax-breaks for the wealthy and tax increases for the middle class. So there goes your college fund. People close to Romney will tell you that he believes too many young people are in college. He would rather see them in the Armed Forces, or the workforce or technical schools. The idea of technical schools "to meet the recquirements of the 'new technology' means a lot to Romney, and although he is hazy on the skill sets these new schools would teach, he can ltierally talk for hours about them without really saying anything substansive.

Romney talks about the 12 million jobs he would "create," but that is another fabrication. Twelve million jobs will be created over the next four years, with or without Romney; it is just the natural consequences of an economy on the rebound.

Romney will raise your taxes, by some estimates $3500 over four years to pay for the tax breaks he has promised the people who don't need them.

And still a significant number of white men are expected to vote for Romney.

Perhaps the most profound change that will come into your life next week if Romney is elected is what he will do to the woman you live with or are married to. First he will dismantle Planned Parenthood, an organization that has been providing healthcare and contraception for women for decades. They have performed medical tests discovering early breast and cervical cancers, prolonging woman's lives. Would you vote for Romney knowing that he plans to end Planned Parenthood and put your loved-ones lives at risk? Does he mean more to you than the women with whom you live or your daughter?

Romney has not taken a position on equal pay for equal work, but his VP Paul Ryan has and he's against it. There is every reason to beieve Romney will be against it too. Couldn't you and your wife use the extra money, especially since Romney is going to raise your taxes?

He would do away with Obamacare, that would have saved you thousands in the future, as it brings more competition into the marketplace and will drive rates down. He would do away with Obama's extension of your children's life insurance from your policy, extending it into their 20s. He will deregulate Wall Street and turn a blind eye to the unethical practices in the financial markets that existed when Bush II was President. Remember, Romney was a "pioneer" in unethical practices" on Wall Street. Think of all the individual pension funds that were converted into cash for his bank account.

Do you still want to vote for this man?

But let's go back to your girlfriend or wife for a moment. As you know, Romney is "pro life." Nothing wrong with that; it's a free country afterall. Or is it? If Romney wins next week he will probably get a chance to choose a Supreme Court Justice or even two. Roe v Wade, the law allowing your lover or wife to make her own decisions about birth control and her reproductive system would be overturned. Abortion would be illegal except under limited conditions. Does you admiration of Romney exceed your concern that your loved one should be able to make decisions about her her own body?

And last but not least, Romney's VP co-authored a pro life bill in the House a while ago that defined something called "personhood." Briefly, personhood would give every fetus the right to own property, among other rights. If the fetus became ill and it's presence in the woman's body threatened her life so that an abortion had to be performed, things could get pretty interesting. Some DAs around the country have said that under the personhood law legal authorities might be able to charge the doctor or, even the mother with manslaughter or second-degree murder.

The personhood law never went into effect because the Senate shot it down. But its author Paul Ryan is Romney's running mate.

If you are a white man and you are thinking of voting for Romney - think first of your children and the woman you love.

And please man up.