Henry Payne

• Editorial Cartoons
• Payne & Ink Columns
• Car-Toons
• Books
• Art Portfolio
• Articles
• About

• Search Cartoons
• Comic Archive Select Month June 2013  (25) May 2013  (53) April 2013  (62) March 2013  (72) February 2013  (63) January 2013  (60) December 2012  (39) November 2012  (66) October 2012  (65) September 2012  (62) August 2012  (80) July 2012  (64) June 2012  (54) May 2012  (63) April 2012  (60) March 2012  (56) February 2012  (64) January 2012  (63) December 2011  (57) November 2011  (46) October 2011  (53) September 2011  (60) August 2011  (62) July 2011  (60) June 2011  (56) May 2011  (58) April 2011  (61) March 2011  (52) February 2011  (62) January 2011  (43) December 2010  (54) November 2010  (61) October 2010  (62) September 2010  (70) August 2010  (63) July 2010  (78) June 2010  (85) May 2010  (91) April 2010  (134) March 2010  (128) February 2010  (121) January 2010  (120) December 2009  (145) November 2009  (135) October 2009  (125) September 2009  (69) August 2009  (49) July 2009  (86) June 2009  (79) May 2009  (54) April 2009  (42) March 2009  (50) February 2009  (53) January 2009  (51) December 2008  (1) November 2008  (3) October 2008  (4) September 2008  (1) August 2008  (1) July 2008  (1) June 2008  (2) May 2008  (1) April 2008  (3) March 2008  (2) February 2008  (3) November 2007  (2) October 2007  (5) September 2007  (2) August 2007  (3) July 2007  (4) June 2007  (3) May 2007  (2) April 2007  (2) March 2007  (3) February 2007  (1) January 2007  (2) December 2006  (1) November 2006  (2) October 2006  (1) September 2006  (1) August 2006  (7) July 2006  (3) June 2006  (3) May 2006  (3) April 2006  (3) March 2006  (4) February 2006  (1) January 2006  (4) December 2005  (2) November 2005  (6) October 2005  (4) September 2005  (3) August 2005  (4) July 2005  (5) June 2005  (2) May 2005  (3) April 2005  (4) March 2005  (3) January 2005  (5) December 2004  (2) November 2004  (4) October 2004  (4) September 2004  (3) August 2004  (4) July 2004  (5) June 2004  (1) May 2004  (4) April 2004  (4) March 2004  (5) February 2004  (3) January 2004  (2)
• Payne Store

  
  
  
  

Payne: Queen Michelle

Posted by hpayne on September 5, 2012

In Charlotte Tuesday night, Michelle Obama made a case that she and her husband care more about Americans because they were raised by regular families that cared about regular people. Yet, in four years the Obama’s have never visited Detroit’s mean streets (or any other inner city) where children face a bleak future of poor schools and poor job prospects because families have imploded after decades of anti-family, Democratic welfare policies.

Instead of applying fundamental family principles to America’s needy, the Obamas have prominently devoted their time in the White House to the government elite’s obsession with expensive organic foods and alternative green energy.

Contrary to the Democratic Convention fable, Michelle has jet-setted around the world to lavish hotels, lectured us to adopt expensive organic diets (at a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet on a Wal-Mart budget), and pranced about in $500 designer sneakers. Her husband, meanwhile, has worn a path to Malibu where he talks trendy Green politics with his rich Hollywood friends while shelling out $7,500 tax breaks to Leo DiCaprio to buy $100,000, government-subsidized Fisker Karma luxury sports cars.

This is America’s couple next door?

The Obamas are part of America’s new ruling government elites- the nomenklatura to use the delicious term coined by Soviet dissident Michael Voslenski – that makes society’s rules while never having had the private sector experience of making anything. They occupy a sphere very different from the entrepreneurial culture of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Their’s is a culture of self-reliance and business success that – in my experience – is intimately in touch with America because they hire and work with America’s working class. If Obama knew business, he would not allow the thousands of blue-collar layoffs occurring in coal country today due to his EPAnomenklatura’s War on Coal.

The now-famous story of Romney mobilizing his Bain workforce to rescue a colleague’s lost daughter is touching – but also a commentary on the entrepreneur’s passion for his fellow employees. It is an instinct quite different from the distant corporate cultures of GE and GM where Barack Obama has found his business cronies.

Ultimately, it is entrepreneurs – not the nomenklatura - who are most passionate about America’s needy. Just look at Detroit.

The people most passionate about Detroit’s comeback are wealthy entrepreneurs like Karmanos, Gilbert, Penske, Ilitch. Where elites believe that government should take their wealth so that the nomenklatura can redistribute it to organic farms and Leo DiCaprio – cities like Detroit crave job creators because they create charitable foundations and build businesses.

It is no accident that businessman Governor Rick Snyder is a much more visible advocate for Detroit success than was Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm. For Snyder, Detroit needs business to succeed – whereas Granholm needed Detroit government unions to succeed to keep her in power.

Michelle and Barack Obama talk of being normal. But in four years, they haven’t walked among the Detroiters who yearn for a normal, middle-class life if only Detroit’s nomenklatura (unions, city councilmen, environmental regulators) would get out of the way and give them – not organic food and electric cars – but safe streets and economic opportunity.