Wednesday, September 15, 2010

A case for crybabies and cowards

Currently the Tea Party has upset 8 established Republican candidates. Christine O'Donnell just claimed the latest victory in a stunning upset in Delaware last night. Political pundits are going crazy trying to analyze what this means in the general election come November. Will these victories send a shocking message to the nation come November or will it all be for nothing is too soon to tell.

The Tea Party has been controversial to say the least. It has been fraught with claims of racism, infighting, and most important a general lack of substantial plans, just ideological pandering. While its ideology that wasteful government spending is bad, there have not been any clear cut plans presented to change how Washington does business. Every election, Republicans campaign on the 'cut spending' marketing ploy and every year they get elected they continue to pass bills that include pork projects just as the Democrats do. Why do the American people believe candidates that align themselves with this Tea Party movement believe these people will be any different? Can you think of any politician that wouldn't claim they were the second coming of Christ if it meant people would give them campaign money and allow them to achieve their goals and ambitions? There is a reason why politicians are considered sleazy. Believing an "anti-establishment" candidate cares more about Joe Blow and Mabel the Mom is like believing Lady Gaga cries when winning VMA's because her fans are that special to her.

The question remains. Will these Tea Party upsets be for nothing other than 'sending a message to Washington', that won't be listened to anyway? It will depend on the big donkey and elephant in the room, the Democrats and the Republicans. Republicans are notorious cry babies when they don't get their way and the Democrats are notorious cowards when things aren't going their way. Will the Republicans shy away from backing any Tea Party candidate in the general election like they said of Christine O'Donnell? Will the Democrats continue to be in the corner weeping and assuming defeat already? It will be interesting to say the least if Democrats will begin to rally using the Tea Party victories as a battle cry for its base and Indpendents alike.

The Democrat campaign seems like a no-brainer. They must start firing up their base to get to the polls. Keep, actually correct that. Start pushing the Republicans into a corner about extending the tax cuts to the middle class while cutting them off for the wealthy. Hammer away that nearly every Republican with the exception of John Boehner has said they would allow the tax cuts to expire on all Americans if the rich didn't get breaks too even though all of them are saying raising taxes is the wrong thing to do. Democrats need to start standing behind the things they have done in the past 2 years rather than hide from it. Hiding just makes them look like they've done something wrong which is the entire premise the Republicans are using to fire up their base.

Tea Party victories also mean another important campaign strategy for the Democrats, the Sarah Palin card. Democrats and most Independents hate what Sarah Palin stands for. It would be easy to hedge bets on the fact that their loathing for her has actually multiplied since she was running with John McCain. Polling had indicated her approval numbers are at an all time low. The more visible she has become, the more the love affair has fizzled out. Democrats need to use the notion that to vote for a Tea Party candidate is casting a vote for the Sarah Palin type politicians. Sounds like an easy formula, but will they do it or will they continue to hide in the corner, sucking their thumbs and saying, "I so scared."? There will be upheavals and seats lost, that's a forgone conclusion, but at least fight for those seats and go out with the guns blazing. Go to the old Facebook and Twitter pages, put a map with pictures of the competition with cross hairs on their face! Lock and Reload! When Palin did it and there was controversy about the dangers in doing such a thing, she said the media was lame stream. Question is, will it be lame when the cross hairs are on her and her crew?

For the Republicans to win as many seats as originally projected, they will have to stop with the crybabyitis and support the Tea Party candidates. They face a tricky problem on the tax cut issue but have time on their side. Telling the media they would not support the tax cuts for the middle class if the rich do not get them too will resonate with the voters. With 98% of the population not 'the rich', it will in essence hold the middle class and poor hostage as the Democrats are claiming. Again with the crybabyitis. How do the Republicans idea that  'if you won't let me have all of my way, then you get nothing' stance will go over? They can stall until they go on break for campaigning and claim they will vote to extend the cuts, but will they actually do it after elections are over? Republicans proved what they are all about just days ago. Only 2 Republicans voted for the small business bill that would allow small business $55 billion in tax breaks in the next 2 years. Those 2 Republicans are not up for re-election interestingly enough. Republicans have long fought for fewer taxes and have been hammering the message that cutting taxes will stimulate the economy, so why oh why would they not vote for a bill that gives those small businesses they claim to be a champion for the tax breaks? Even more noteworthy, will the Democrats use this proof of crybabyitis and holding Americans hostage to gain leverage?

Whether Republicans win enough seats to gain control of the House, Senate or both, one thing is for certain, bipartisanship is dead which means our country will continue to head south. If the donkeys and elephants can't play nice when so much is on the line, I wouldn't hold my breath that it will get much better just because a different party is voted in. If the Republicans gain control, will it then be the Democrats obstructing even though it will mean they do so against their own President? Sadly, it may actually happen that way.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Could be a check mate, but the game was already over

This weekend President Obama unveiled his newest FDResque ideas to stimulate the economy. There are the investment in infrastructure and small business tax cuts ideas. Both will most likely never pass this year due to campaigning for the fall. The White House has made clear that Obama will not compromise on extending the Bush tax cuts to the wealthy. Will these ideas call out the Republicans for their obstructionism? The Republicans are stomping the Democrats in the polls because they are fighting like wet cats by hammering the idea that the Democrats have lost touch. Odd, how just a couple years ago the Democrats used this mantra. The big argument you hear the Republicans use is cuts vs. spending. Although they'll have a field day bashing the infrastructure investment, what can they do with the tax cut ideas? If they refuse to compromise on extending the Bush tax cuts to the middle class, they will be called out for looking out for the wealthy.If they refuse to pass the small business tax cuts, it will prove the Democratic assertion that they are the party of 'no'. Obama may have check mated them, but it's too LATE! The game was already over. Why wasn't this done long ago?

The Republicans have spent all year turning the tide, why didn't Democratic leaders lay the smack down and call them out for not passing anything worthwhile? Why aren't they speaking to every news outlet and calling out the some of the lies and setting the record straight? It's ridiculous! The answer is Democrats are notorious cowards. They only rally to elect Presidents, not Congress. What good does it do to get a Democratic President in office if the Republicans have control of Congress? Why do Americans consistently CAUSE this to happen? The Republicans taking over the House and Senate is nothing new. Every time a new party wins the presidency, two years later, just about the time the President is getting the hang of his new digs, the American people vote in his opponents. Why? It's like we have a sick obsession with banging our heads into a brick wall and then whine and complain that its all the politicians fault for our problems.

Is it, is it really? No, it's our cultural problem with patience. We want things to change instantly and when the elected don't deliver, out they go. We fail to see beyond our own noses. Why are so many Americans placing all the blame on the Democrats for this mess? Both parties voted for the stimulus after all. Republicans that did oppose it are handing out big, fake checks in their states and attempting to take credit for the money their state got for a  project, when in fact it was part of the stimulus dollars they opposed and tout their opposition!! Do Americans turn a blind eye to this kind of posturing and bullshit or are we just completely ignorant to using common sense or researching some of the claims both side of the fence make? Why aren't opposing Democrats using those photo ops to hammer away the fact that these people are full of crap? Tonight I was called to take part in a political survey. One of the questions was if I approved or disapproved of Obama's job performance. Tough call. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt and am smart enough to realize it could take years to get out of this economic mess. The Great Depression lasted for 6 long years. I also believe he has accomplished quite a lot in the past 18 months for having so many issues to deal with and working with a legislative body that was more interested in proving Obama couldn't pass anything than to actually work for the benefit of the American people. I believe he's doing okay considering, but I am very unhappy with his leadership.

He is not the inspiring man of the campaign.I actually did not like Obama until I was forced to pick between him or Palin. McCain of yesteryear wasn't too bad in my eyes, but Palin pretty much ended that. So I was left with Obama who beat out my choice, Clinton. He has lost his spark and his willingness to fight back. He has lost his ability to rally his wimpy Senators and Representatives. He and his party have come undone, which truly is sad to me. People have forgotten the entire cause of the economic crisis and are completely willing to go back to failed ideology. This election year will be a very sad day indeed. It will prove that, no we can't change.