Finding common ground in an election year

To my liberal friends:As the presidential election comes ever closer, are there some areas -- any areas -- on which we can agree?

Let's agree that the Bush-era Medicare drug plan, plus the cost of two military conflicts brought on by the Sept. 11 attack, put our country in a financial tailspin.

But let's agree that the massive spending on highly questionable, shovel-ready jobs and an avalanche of Obama-mandated regulations added to the financial quagmire.

OK, can we agree -- just for discussion, mind you -- that our president is a role model for many, a concerned and attentive father and an articulate spokesman for the progressive movement?

But can we also agree that this president's history of alignment with highly radical positions has been largely ignored and in some cases hidden by a favorable and forgiving national liberal media?

OK, let's try an easy one.

Let's agree that Mitt Romney's life of privilege has little in common with most of us in the Heartland.

But come on, my liberal brethren, tell me of your commonality with a Muslim-educated young man from an un-American upbringing, who championed some of the most radical positions of America's system of government.

Are we getting any closer?

Are you bothered by the fact that Romney's business experience resulted in the dismantling of some companies and the loss of jobs while making millions of dollars for his investors?

Then you must be bothered by Obama's absolute lack of business experience that equates only to taxpayer-funded jobs with a massive favoritism to union jobs and not private sector employment.

I assume that you, as a liberal backing the policies of this administration, support higher taxes on those evil 1-percenters and using that newfound revenue to expand the safety net for the poor.

But surely you can do the math and see that the liberal's higher tax model will not make a dent in our national debt and is just part of the "level playing field" symbolism that drives class warfare.

Since I'm searching for areas of agreement, can we agree the "birthers" pour fuel on the flames of division in a time when division is the last thing we need?

If you nodded your liberal head in agreement, then can we find agreement that the president's public statement on the Trayvon Martin tragedy -- you know, "If I had a son ..." -- was about as divisive as the "birthers" quest?

If we look hard enough and long enough, we might just agree on something.

And right now, agreement on anything would be an improvement.