My friend and former colleagues from our CBS News days Robbie Vorhaus sold his successful PR company and now enjoys the challenge of commentary that often appears on the Huffington Report. Robbie recently sent me the following contribution (with a link to the full text). He was clearly moved by the rhetoric at both nominating conventions. So was I. Here's Robbie's contribution and my response. cheers peter Good Morning, Peter, After watching both political conventions, I thought it would take real guts, and garner real votes, to give this speech: Click here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robbie-vorhaus/say-this-and-ill-vote-for_b_1855463.html Here are is an excerpt of what I wrote in the HuffingtonPost: Dear President Obama and/or Governor Romney: I will vote for you, and work tirelessly in support of your campaign, if you were to say this: Dear friend and fellow co-occupant of our glorious planet, and citizen of the great United States of America, My opponent is a good man with honorable intentions. I respect him, and I encourage you to do the same. He, like us, loves his family, is devoted to a higher power, cherishes his liberties, and is a powerful advocate for democracy and the values we as Americans hold dear. Although our ultimate goal is very similar, our ideas, plans, strategy, and tactics to deliver those results differ. Allow me this opportunity to now discuss with you my specific, straightforward, constructive, and attainable action plan, which I, along with my team, believe will achieve measurable results in the areas of the economy, health care, our national debt, education, taxes, government reform, energy and the environment, social security, homeland security and defense, the current state of politics, immigration, woman's issues, crime and justice, campaign finance, endowments to the arts, and other important issues influencing our national, international, and global success and sustainability. Then, on the morning of November 7, 2012, the day after the election, regardless who wins this race for the most humbling job in the world, the president of the United States, we will work together to heal our divisions, inspire all Americans to join together, and despite any differences, as our founding fathers wrote, "form a more perfect union." Would you like hearing a speech like this, too? As always, I love hearing your thoughts, or if you want others to see, leave your comments under the post. Hope to see you soon and all the best, Robbie On Sat, Sep 8, 2012 at 8:48 AM, peter m herford wrote: 1. You have to stop smoking those funny cigarettes! 2. Your suggested speech reminds me of a great routine the comedian/ad guy of 30-40 years ago did around the recording of a new soap commercial. "Bloopers soap is real good." That was it. A radio ad. The announcer reads it and it sounds fine. Click from the control room. "Ah the client would like you to hit the product a little bit harder." "OK, take two." "BLOOPERS soap is real good." Click from the control room. "Ah, the client thinks it might help if you added "soap" to the juice you put behind BLOOPERS." "Sure, here goes: 'BLOOPERS SOAP is real good." You get the point, the final take has the announcer screaming into the mike. The client loved it. Now the serious part. I don't like your suggested speech because it does just what the US doesn't need: you obscure the differences under a veil of politesse. Bill Clinton had a good line when he said: I don't have to hate the opposition to disagree with them." The worst of the right wing hates anyone who disagrees with them. As the shrink would say: Get that out on the table and deal with it. The USA has a lot of anger inside. Yes, much of it can be attributed to tense economic times (made more tense by vicious rhetoric). But politesse only makes it worse. From Passive-Aggressive to taking to the guns, the solution is not found by papering over the anger. Nail the SOB who opposes you with facts. Not fudged facts, but facts that will stand up to scrutiny. Not "if my opponent gets his/her way then the consequences will be.." But a graph like this: "40% of the USA is undereducated and illiterate. 20% of Americans are absolutely illiterate, can't read or write; the highest rate in the developed world by far. 20% of Americans are functionally illiterate. Can't read a simple how-to manual (and who writes those monstrosities anyway?). Guess what folks. That evil Communist Fidel Castro took an island of illiterates and has achieved 99% literacy. It will take (research the figure) to give the USA what it has lost, the best free secondary ed system in the world. And I emphasize free. I don't want any child missing the first step on the ladder to success because his parents cannot afford it." I have sections on public transportation, infrastructure, to say nothing of health care, and the defense budget that go the same way. Not "my system is better than your system" (Read length of penis.) But the bold facts, day after day, each day a new reality and what I will do about it, and how much it will cost and what you the voter will sacrifice. Its called social responsibility. various gods teach it, yet instead we fight religious wars. OK, I think benevolent authoritarianism is worth a try. One of two outcomes. Election by acclamation, defeat by acclamation. In the latter case there is a solution: its called Canada, which ain't perfect but a damned site better in public policy Climate tends to suck though. Cheers peter