Sherffius_GOP_noProbably the thing that has surprised me most after the election of President Obama is how large swaths of this country simply cannot accept the tenants of our representative democracy.  Instead a large minority continue to demonize and mischaracterize the very progressive policies that people voted for even though conservative have failed America.  We still hear after a president that doubled the debt, destroyed the economy and expanded imperialist America a large minority of people who still believe that the policies that caused those disasters where not to blame.  In fact the day after the GOP takes back power someday they will repeat the same policies of Bush with more tax cuts, more deregulation and international interventionalism.  Yet people will willingly follow the GOP into the abyss.

There are numerous components to the success of a president which automatically is related to the success of the nation.  But two major reasons for success are policies and the attitudes of the people.  Under Republican presidents we seem to have people willing to give them time to succeed.  Reagan was three years into his presidency before a substantial recovery ensued.   Well into 1982 the unemployment rate was almost 11%.  However now people on both ends of the political spectrum are declaring Obama’s presidency a failure 8 months in for things changing too fast towards Socialism or not changing fast enough depending on you political slant.

The other major reason for success is policy.  We have seen Republican policies fail no matter how much support they get from the people when they are implemented.  A Democratic president has one year to implement their policies and then politics intervenes.  No Democratic president since Carter has had a Democratic congress for more than 2 years.  So with a Republican president you have the support of the people and terrible policies and with a Democratic president you have the right policies and tepid support from the people at best.

There are structural and political problems in our system as well that hinders any progress as a nation.

First and foremost the Constitution sets up a power structure where enforcement powers are far concentrated in the Executive Branch.  We have seen over the centuries more and more power concentrate in the executive branch, especially powers associated with domestic and national security.  The endless creation of enforcement agencies that occur after every major security threat is cutting the corners on our liberties from administration to administration.

Second, the Senate is build to resist any real change not only with it’s archaic 60 vote cloture rule that is abhorrently undemocratic but with it’s disproportionate makeup.  It’s ridiculous for states like Nebraska, Alaska and Montana to have as much power as California, Texas or New York.  That is the reason we have conservative rural states with conservative Democrats holding back healthcare legislation.  When a gang of several people who represent less than the population of NYC are determining the healthcare legislation for the whole nation something is very wrong with our system.

Third, corporate person-hood that gives them all the rights of individuals like “free speech” which is only a term used to funnel corporate money into a corrupt campaign funding system.  Until the notion of corporate person-hood is defeated the law will always support corporate sponsored government.  That’s why McCain-Feingold is a failure and will probably be struck down in courts anyway.  Corporate sponsorship of candidates is another reason that blocks viable third parties in our system today.

Fourth, no matter what Americans say we never want to sacrifice.  Taxes need to be increased, especially the payroll tax ceiling.  Otherwise Social Security and Medicare benefits must be cut.  But raising taxes is political suicide in this country since the days of Reagan.  Like usual even though all private healthcare premiums have gone up Congress in one of it’s bipartisan spineless acts has frozen premium increases so Medicare will be insolvent even sooner.   So the Republican goal of starving the beast is still working.

Fundamental attitudes in this country need to change for real change to occur.  Not just change during elections but after elections.  Democratic leaders spurred on by progressives need more than one year to implement their policies.  It took almost 30 years for Republicans to institute the policies that are destroying this nation and some Democrats have embraced conservative policies for personal political reasons.  We need a few more election cycles to purge these conservative attitudes in congress.  But while the right wing echo chamber plays on the progressive base feeds right into their hands due to inpatients with it’s leaders who will probably not get 30 months in power let alone 30 years.  Nobody has all the answers but I certainly know deregulation, tax cuts and global interventionalism is not the answer.

8
Leave a Comment

Please Login to comment
4 Comment threads
4 Thread replies
0 Followers
 
Most reacted comment
Hottest comment thread
3 Comment authors
KevenSevenKQµårk 死神nellie Recent comment authors
  Subscribe  
newest oldest most voted
Notify of
nellie
Member

Mr. Obama’s election has been an eye opener. It’s difficult to tease out from the hysteria the following components:

1) Media hype — always going for the outrage
2) Racism — shocking to see it worn so proudly by so many Americans
3) Vast right wing conspiracy — Bill Clinton is spot on with his recent comments
4) Celebrity fever — he is the number one celebrity in the world right now. Any hype is good hype
5) Corporate fear — the goodies might actually go away (or at least diminish)

Personally, I thought his administration would be much more of a bore. The president has a wonkish policy agenda that 80 percent of the country agrees with. So why all the spectacle? Why do people stir up so much drama?

Because they can. And everyone is riding the president’s coattails in whatever way it benefits their own little piece of the pie.

What I am enjoying about this administration is the giant civics lesson that seems to be going on in this country. People actually know what it means for a bill to be voted out of committee. That is a really good thing.

For me, it’s too soon to get any kind of read on whether this president is going to be a real game changer or not. But if the Ba-Rock Star can make people pay attention, finally, to the way our government works, maybe it will catch on, and maybe that’s worth all the headaches. I think we’re going to see a success with this man. He doesn’t seem to settle for less. And in spite of all the backlash, the country likes him. The world likes him. And that might have just as much to do with a president’s success as anything else.

KevenSeven
Member

The filibuster is a rule of the Senate. It is in no way part of the constitution. The Senate can abandon it. I am not amazed that the Dems are reluctant to dispense with it. Political power is a fleeting thing.

KevenSeven
Member

Among your many good points, I note the make-up of the Senate.

The Dem caucus represents 65% of America. The Rethugs represent 35%. Where do they get off playing the party of No?

KevenSeven
Member

Did you mean your title to read “America”?