MASON CONSERVATIVE

PBS Election Special on Obama and Romney

Did anyone else watch this?

My main takeaway is that Romney might be as gullible as Obama should he win.  Obama came in really thinking he could bridge the racial and partisan divide in this country because he had done this in his life.  He did it at Harvard Law, he did it in Chicago, he did it when he won the US Senate seat, and he did it when he won the Presidency.  He was wholly ignorant at how Washington actually works and all that stuff that he did personally means nothing once your president.  Romney is running as a turnaround artist who has done it his whole life.  He turned around business, the Olympics, the state of Massachusetts, his own campaign from the '08 failure to the '12 victory (assuming he wins).  Neither has any extensive political leadership in their background.  Romney was a governor for only four years with an 80% Democratic legislature, he put all his chips in the Health Care law and that was it.  He has had a believable built-in excuse for not doing much.  Obama was a senator for only about 2 1/2 years when he started running, and lord knows senators don't do anything of consequence.  In a way, they both have the same naivete and should Romney win I worry he will have too much confidence in his own ability and not enough respect for how this town actually works.

Anyways, if you haven't seen this I suggest you check it out. 

Tucker Watkins

I was sorry to hear of his passing and I wish his family the best.  I actually did meet Tucker once and it remains one of more fond memories in politics.  I was invited to the GOP Gala back in 2007 where Fred Thompson spoke as he was gearing up for his presidential run.  I was 26 at the time and I drove down to Richmond thinking I would grab dinner and get a picture with Thompson, who I really wanted to run at the time.  Anyways, it ended being that the drinks were free and by the end of the night I was really in no condition to drive home so I grabbed a hotel room.  

The next morning I'm checking out and I have my badge or whatever it was in my hand and this good ole' boy comes up next to me and looks at my badge thing.  It was Tucker Watkins, who of course I had heard all about.  I'm hungover, mind you.  He immediately introduces himself, shakes my hand, asks me some questions about myself and told me a few stories about various Northern Virginia politicians who come down to Southside.  I forget all the details but the man spoke to me as if he had known me his entire life, gave me a big handshake after about 30 minutes of chatting and clasp on the shoulder.

I never spoke to him again and I have no reason ever to think the man knew who I was past that encounter.  But I thought it was an nice anecdote to seems to capture who he was as a man based on everything else I've heard.  I hope he has found time to finally rest now.  God bless Tucker Watkins.

RIP