http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_174140655929676
On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 9:07 AM, Bruce Majors <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 9:05 AM, GregfromBoston <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Angry democrats sucking on sour grapes is getting old, and its only >> Friday. >> >> On Nov 4, 2:53 pm, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: >> > Angry Voters Choose Government Gridlock, Investigations and Shutdown >> > >> > -by Bob Cesa >> > >> > There are a variety of explanations for the frustratingly backwards >> > outcome of yesterday's election. >> > >> > Clearly Americans were dissatisfied with the objective reality that >> > the Obama administration and the congressional Democrats actually made >> > things better by cutting the deficit by an historic $122 billion; >> > creating upwards of three million new jobs; ending the war in Iraq; >> > passing the largest middle class tax cut in history; and rescuing the >> > economy from the brink of collapse. Not good enough, obviously. >> > >> > Or did voters simply not know about these accomplishments? That's >> > entirely possible given the Democratic Party's uncanny penchant for >> > running away from its successes, while also fumbling very basic >> > add-water-and-serve marketing chores. (And, by the way, adding to the >> > party's failures to ballyhoo its accomplishments, the progressive >> > movement was systematically out-hustled, out-gunned and outmaneuvered >> > for much of the last two years.) >> > >> > Of course there's also the Flailing Rage Factor, which I tend to favor >> > as a reason for yesterday's outcome more than ignorance or lack of >> > Democratic marketing chops. For two years now, Americans have been >> > incited by fakery and horror stories to the point of being pumped up >> > into a 'roid raging mob chanting shallow platitudes and bumper sticker >> > zingers -- incoherently attacking Speaker Pelosi's face, and bent out >> > of shape by the fact that there's not a doddering old white guy >> > stumbling through the West Wing spinning grandfatherly yarns about >> > American mornings and saintly cowboys. >> > >> > Ultimately, what Americans voted for yesterday was divided government, >> > which admittedly isn't new in American politics. We typically like the >> > idea of two sides, Congress and the White House, locking horns and >> > ultimately compromising on the important matters of the day. >> > >> > Unfortunately, this is a "pre-01/20/09" mindset. It's a mass delusion >> > based on antiquated political attitudes. >> > >> > The era when Republicans would, at least reluctantly, compromise with >> > a Democratic president is long gone. >> > >> > What voters unknowingly asked for yesterday was gridlock: immovable, >> > unprecedented, insufferable gridlock of the worst kind, and at the >> > worst time imaginable. >> > >> > The Republicans have no intention of handing the president any >> > successes. They'll never in a million years compromise with this White >> > House, or the Senate Democrats for that matter, because any move in >> > that direction will bring down the loud, screechy tweet wrath of Sarah >> > Palin and the Tea Party who will neither accept nor support anyone who >> > appears to be leaning in the direction of the Obama agenda. >> > >> > How do I know this? There's two years of precedent, naturally -- and >> > the Republicans weren't even the majority party in the House during >> > that time. They voted against anything and everything that came down >> > the line, regardless of how politically awful it looked (health care >> > for 9/11 workers, bonuses for the troops, etc.). Now imagine what >> > they're going to accomplishment in the name of "Hell No You Can't!" >> > now that they enjoy a decent majority in the House and a narrow >> > minority in the Senate. >> > >> > Now that they're in control of appropriations and all House >> > legislation, they'll only take up business the president would never >> > in a million years sign into law, because as soon as he signs a bill, >> > any bill, it becomes a win for the White House. A victory, however >> > minor, that the president would be able to campaign on in 2012. >> > Consequently, the Republican Party and its Tea Party base will only >> > deliver far-right crap on a stick, with deceptive names and >> > semi-hidden, unacceptable amendments that will make the legislation >> > instant veto fodder. >> > >> > So it's difficult to imagine a scenario whereby anything gets done >> > from January 2011 through, at least, January 2013. >> > >> > Strike that. >> > >> > Yesterday's election launched America headlong across the zero barrier >> > of the Darrell Issa Decade. Welcome, my friends, to the suck that >> > never ends. Let the cartoons begin! >> > >> > Brace yourself for a wide variety of investigations designed to slowly >> > fester into an all out impeachment necrosis. The Republicans will >> > absolutely investigate ACORN, those two Black Panther guys in >> > Philadelphia, birth certificates, Joe Sestak's (unpaid) job offer, the >> > oil spill response, the tax records of anyone even remotely associated >> > with the White House and, for good measure, I'll go out on a McCarthy >> > limb and predict another congressional witch hunt for commies, with >> > maybe even a bonus witch hunt for Muslim evildoers, in the Obama >> > government. >> > >> > The cable news media will enjoy this thoroughly. And by "enjoy" I mean >> > "inject it into its bloodstream like black tar heroin laced with >> > permanent orgasms." And we can all rest assured knowing that, with a >> > few obvious exceptions (Maddow, Olbermann), the coverage will be >> > framed with advantage Issa. >> > >> > Oh, and did I mention the inevitable government shutdown? Just wait >> > until the House attempts to de-fund health-care reform in the next >> > budget and, predictably, the president refuses to sign it. The >> > government will shut down and all of those >> > anti-government-health-care, anti-socialism retirees stop receiving >> > their Social Security checks and Medicare reimbursement checks. And >> > why? Who knows. They'll tell you something about "freedom" and >> > "slavery" and trail off when they begin to slowly realize that they >> > can't pay the bills that month because they elected a Congress that >> > would rather torment the president than actually accomplish the >> > business of governing. >> > >> > See, unlike the Democratic Party -- and the pre-Bush-era Republican >> > Party for that matter -- the modern Republican Party, driven by the >> > contradictory memes of the Tea Party movement, doesn't require or seek >> > legislative success to thrive as long as there's fear, inchoate rage >> > and a mega-funded media apparatus (Fox News and talk radio) to spread >> > the nonsense far and wide. So why bother digging into the ugly >> > business of compromise with the other side? There's no need. The total >> > lack of legislative accomplishment can simply be masked over with loud >> > noises and sloganeering aimed at blaming, you know, the black guy. >> > >> > Again, how do I know? The strategy paid off bigtime yesterday. >> > >> > One final thought: I wonder if this will help to ameliorate a slow >> > growth economy. Don't bet on it. >> > >> > More: >> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/angry-voters-choose-gover_b_7... >> > -- >> > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. >> > Have a great day, >> > Tommy >> >> -- >> Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. >> For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum >> >> * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ >> * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. >> * Read the latest breaking news, and more. >> > > -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
