Election night developed into a great debacle that turned out to have been carefully constructed by the Democratic Party, itself. Voter concern turned to fear some time ago, then it deepened into distress and finally into anger as they saw the Democratic Party become the new cause of their problems.
Could anything have changed last night’s outcome? Yes. Two very simple steps would have resulted in EVERY member of the Republican Party being thrown out of congress. Here they are: 1) Not to let the republicans thwart so many bills by simply indicating they "likely would" or "might" filibuster their passage - but MAKE them filibuster EVERY bill that would have helped the American people. Put it all on camera, all the late night mumblings, all the reading of telephone book addresses, all the absurdity of obstructionism. And 2) Bring those tax bills, and funding bills to the vote and make the republicans vote AGAINST all these things, and make them vote against them again and again.
Could anything have changed last night’s outcome? Yes. Two very simple steps would have resulted in EVERY member of the Republican Party being thrown out of congress. Here they are: 1) Not to let the republicans thwart so many bills by simply indicating they "likely would" or "might" filibuster their passage - but MAKE them filibuster EVERY bill that would have helped the American people. Put it all on camera, all the late night mumblings, all the reading of telephone book addresses, all the absurdity of obstructionism. And 2) Bring those tax bills, and funding bills to the vote and make the republicans vote AGAINST all these things, and make them vote against them again and again.
Instead, what the American people saw unfold before their eyes slowly developed into what HAD to be a joint effort, a collaborative construction by BOTH the Democratic and Republican Parties to “fool” them, and by “playing dumb on purpose” - together - to keep the American people in their misery. The mistake to force the republicans to identify who they REALLY are - by filibustering and by voting no - may well have cost America its place among developed nations in the world. The world is changing too much and too fast to accommodate a nation that is returning to the politics of the 18th century and the economic structure of Adam Smith.
What is the cause of the problem? Almost four years ago I wrote a blog article
http://theprettypenny.blogspot.com/2007/02/articulate-bright-clean-and-nice.html
saying that Barack Obama was the wrong color to become president then - he was too green. I think he has proven that observation right. (And it was not mine alone.) Chicago politics and Illinois politics are tough - no question. But they are not world class. Obama’s election was perhaps the world’s last chance to avoid sliding back into a cycle of endless wars, planned poverty increases, consumption of the planet’s resources, and honoring the Ignorance of our Fathers. Perhaps now Europe can take lead.
What to do? Well, Obama WAS green, and he IS smart. He is now clearly beginning his last two years ever in government. I would like to see him “offer the olive leaf” to the members of the Republican Party, offer to work with them and to help them. And to try hard - and visibly - to do that. THEN - when that fails, and it will, to come out publicly and force the republicans into displaying their intention to elevate corporate capitalism to control the nation and its people, and to destroy the government of the United States. Can he do it? Probably not. It was a one-time deal - just like the itty-bitty stimulus. But the world is stranger than it needs to be. It is filled with astonishing developments and stunning things constantly happen. Sometime in the next two years we will all NEED government - and we will need it quick! Will Obama be ready?
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