Midterm Elections Of 2010

The Growing Chasm Politically In Major States, And Across The Nation!

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As a result of the midterm elections of 2010, we see California becoming a state where Republicans are a dying breed, failing to win one statewide office, not gaining even one House seat, and losing any control over what the state legislature does in either house! It is hard to believe that at one point, the Republicans dominated the governorship and House and Senate seats, and that this was the state of Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon!

But at the same time, the Democrats lost a couple of House seats in Florida, no longer have any influence in the state legislature, and failed to gain one statewide office, as the Republicans swept over the Democrats in all but black and Jewish areas of the Sunshine state. It is hard to remember that this was the state that once elected Bob Graham, Rubin Askew, and Lawton Chiles!

And Georgia, once the state of Jimmy Carter and Sam Nunn saw an equivalent GOP sweep, as did Texas and Oklahoma and Kansas among others!

At the same time, New York remained a dominant stronghold for the Democrats, as also occurred in Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, Vermont, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, among other states!

Finally, the Midwest saw a major GOP gain in such states as Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa!

What this all tells us is that the nation is becoming more and more divided politically, as we see the development of two nations–the Northeast Atlantic Coast and the Pacific Coast as Democratic strongholds more than ever before, and the South and the Great Plains and much of the Mountain West more Republican, and the Midwest tending in the direction of the GOP!

The political flux is amazing, having witnessed what seemed like a permanent GOP gain in the early Bush II era, succeeded by what looked like a permanent Democratic gain under Obama, followed by what now seems like a major Republican gain that could be long lasting due to reapportionment being affected by their triumphs in the state legislative battles of 2010!

Arrogance Of GOP Toward Media Should Lead To Public Repudiation! :(

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During the recent Congressional campaign, many Republican candidates took a hostile, antagonistic attitude toward the news media, refusing to be interviewed by or answer questions, except from “friendly” media.

This included Senate candidates Joe Miller in Alaska, Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, and Sharron Angle in Nevada. Notice that all of these candidates lost, and the American people should continue to defeat any candidate who is such a prima donna that he or she refuses to face the challenge of news media they do not like! 🙁

This refers to Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, both of whom have just made clear that they will not deal with liberal media sources, even though Barack Obama has had to deal with right wing media on a regular basis, despite their irresponsible and reckless manipulation of the news and of the truth! 🙁

As President, anyone has to deal with any challenge that comes his or her way, and if they are afraid or unwilling to deal with news media they do not like, then it indicates that they are not qualified to lead this great nation into an uncertain future!

Barack Obama And The Bush Tax Cuts: If Extended For The Rich, A Political Disaster For The Democratic Party! :(

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President Obama will meet next week with Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress after his return from his Asian trip, and he MUST stand strong against the GOP demand for continuation of tax cuts for the top two percent of Americans, who already have too much of the entire national income!

Just because the Democrats lost approximately 60 seats in the House of Representatives, the most since 1938, does not mean that we need a Democratic Party which acts as if it is the step sister of the Republican Party!

If Obama caves in on this matter, he will lose much of the base of his party, and endanger future economic recovery, and cause the likelihood of a challenge in the Democratic Presidential primaries in 2012!

If that happens, while Obama would almost certainly win the nomination–as William Howard Taft did in 1912 over Theodore Roosevelt, Gerald Ford did in 1976 over Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter did in 1980 over Ted Kennedy and Jerry Brown, and George HW Bush did in 1992 over Pat Buchanan–it would certainly weaken him for the election campaign, and likely cause his defeat, as it did for all four of the above Presidents challenged in the past century for the nomination of their party!

No one can seriously consider that Obama intends to do anything about the burgeoning national debt, if he permits an additional $700 billion to be added to the debt over the next ten years, just to keep “peace” with the Republican party, as that party has no interest in cooperation, and has made clear their major goal is to cause Obama to be a one term President!

So, Mr. President, show some guts and courage, and do NOT cave in to the GOP! Refuse to go along with tax cuts for the wealthy who do not need it! Show principle and conviction, and know that loyal Democrats will be there defending you, and know that the average middle class American, including many Independents, who are struggling to survive and keep his or her employment and housing, will regain their senses by 2012, and reward you and your party for being truly the party of the middle class, unwilling to continue the GOP plot to enrich the top two percent at the expense of the rest of the population!

Marco Rubio: A Rising Star In The Republican Party Future, And A Warning To Progressives! :(

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Senator-elect Marco Rubio of Florida is, obviously, a rising star in the Republican party, as a result of his win over Governor Charlie Crist and Congressman Kendrick Meek last week, winning more votes than the two of them combined!

The son of Cuban exiles, Rubio is telegenic, well spoken, and a fierce advocate of the Tea Party message of less government, lower taxes, and lower spending, but he was careful not to associate too closely with the Tea Party during the campaign, although he has made clear that the Republican party must change its habits of the past on spending under President George W. Bush, if it is to retain the House of Representatives and win the Senate and the Presidency in 2012!

Rubio served in the state legislature for eight years, and was the House Speaker in 2007-2008, and surprised everyone when he challenged Governor Crist for the Senate nomination this year, and came from way behind, forcing Crist to leave the party and run as an Independent, but still failing to overcome Rubio!

Not yet 40 years of age until May 28 of next year, Rubio is already being considered a possible Vice Presidential candidate for the Republicans in 2012, and in some circles, even as a potential Presidential candidate!

His appeal would be to Hispanics all across the political spectrum, plus Tea Party Movement followers, and social conservatives, and his youth could also appeal to younger voters!

While he is anathema to Democrats and progressives, for them to ignore the potential of Rubio as an opponent would be foolhardy, as it is clear that as a senator from the fourth largest state, he will play a significant role in the future of the Republican party, Florida, and the nation as a whole!

South Florida Conservative Talk Show Host Joyce Kaufman And Congressman Elect Allen West: Two “Wingnuts” That Will Make News! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

One of the most notable Tea Party Movement favorites who won election to the House of Representatives last week was Allen West, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, who was forced to leave the military after inappropriate treatment of a prisoner In Iraq in 2003, and who has been associated with right wing, pro gun groups!

With large amounts of money, including support from Karl Rove associated groups, West defeated Congressman Ron Klein of Boca Raton, in one of the most confrontational campaigns in the country! 🙁

West is a “wing nut” who will make lots of news with his comments and actions, seen by many as an African American male counterpart of Michele Bachmann, Congresswoman from Minnesota, who is constantly making outrageous statements and calling for extremist actions against the opposition party, and confrontation in foreign policy!

It is bad enough that West will be a “nightmare” in Congress, but he has now appointed right wing “nut job” talk show host Joyce Kaufman, who is a South Florida “wannabe” replica of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity on the local level! 🙁

Kaufman has been an outrageous talk show host on WFTL in Fort Lauderdale, spewing poison, hate, and nastiness, calling for violent actions against illegal immigrants, war against Islam, and ridiculing Democrats in despicable language, such as calling Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Debbie Wasserman Schmutz (dirt in Yiddish)! She has used similar assaulting language against other Democrats, including former Congressman Robert Wexler, and other Democrats on the national scene, and has been totally negative in every way toward President Barack Obama!

She will now gain national attention, which she craves, as the Chief of Staff to Congressman West, and she is sure to be a “lightning rod”, drawing controversy by her statements and actions, instead of being a quiet, behind the scenes figure as Chief of Staff!

It is odd for a political figure to pick a media personality to be the leader of his staff! It is also weird that Kaufman, who constantly promotes states rights and hatred of the federal government, will now be a federal government employee and be paid by taxpayers for her work!

Interesting example of total hypocrisy on her part, and it also brings to mind that she somehow expects to be a “correspondent” for her radio station while working for West, which is seen by people on Capitol Hill as a conflict of interest, and totally inappropriate, and possibly illegal to boot!

But then conservatives like to rail against government, and then feed at the public trough as they pursue their agenda to make this country a land of the elite doing everything they can to make the rich richer, the poor poorer, and the middle class slipping constantly down in the direction of poverty!

The voters of the 22nd Congressional District of Florida will eventually realize the blunder they have made, brought about by large amounts of corporate cash without limit, thanks to the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case in January of this year! 🙁

The States And The Economy: Calamity Ahead! :(

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As conservatives and Tea Party activists are applauding the Republican takeover of the House, many new Republican governorships, and a gain in seats in the Senate, the American people are apparently unaware of the economic calamity that faces us in the next two years! 🙁

The emphasis is on cutting taxes in a totally irresponsible way, which will increase the national debt! But of course, the GOP answer is to cut spending as well, which will mean MASSIVE cuts in public jobs in the states ( teachers, firefighters, police officers, prison guards, librarians, park workers, other state and local government agencies), adding to the unemployment rates!

It also means a tremendous drop in public services–larger number of students in each classroom, fewer firefighters to respond to fires, fewer cops to fight crime, fewer staff for prisons, fewer hours of libraries and parks, fewer locations and hours for state and local government services, which will all worsen the quality of life for all Americans! 🙁

All of the states will have massive deficits, with the larger states in true crisis mode–California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey–and with all of the above states run by Republican governors, except California, New York and Illinois!

No stimulus money will be coming from the federal government, as the GOP will have the “power of the purse”, so we will see massive deprivation and poverty, and we will be on the road to far worse conditions than we are in at the moment! 🙁

This harsh, hard line approach in the states and the federal government will bring millions more unemployment and home foreclosures, and the potential is there for the Great Depression of the 1930s to be perceived as minor, compared to what might be happening over the next two years! 🙁

Also, the danger exists that if there is great human suffering and deprivation that we could see the horrors of the breakdown of law and order, and see bloodshed in the streets of America!

This is a human crisis of major proportions, and it is hard to see “the light at the end of the tunnel”, a term from the Vietnam War era! 🙁

Independents Wanted Parties To Compromise: Instead They Have Produced Greater Polarization! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

It has often been said that Independent votes decide elections, and certainly the majority of Independents supported the Democrats in 2008, and this time backed the Republicans in midterm elections.

Independents have always been those who condemn partisanship, and call for the two major parties to cooperate and work together toward compromise, but ironically, what they have done this time is to produce total stalemate, gridlock and polarization bound to be greater than the first two years of the Obama Administration! 🙁

The “Blue Dog” Democrats and some “mainstream” conservative Republicans have been defeated, and instead we have the most liberal Democrats and most conservative and “Tea Party” Republicans becoming dominant in their parties, which means no real chance of “crossing the aisle” and moving toward compromise! 🙁

So expect no real progress on the economy or other significant issues, but rather “fireworks” and heated rhetoric over the next two years! 🙁

The question is how Independents will vote in 2012 for Congress and the Presidency. Will they blame the GOP in the House of Representatives, or the Democrats in the Senate and the White House for the failure to deal with America’s problems? Which party will be in control of the Congress and the White House in 2013?

One thing is for sure: the great “theater” of politics will be in full swing, entertaining us and mortifying us at the same time, in 2011-2012! 🙁

Reality: The Youth Vote Dissipated As Compared To 2008! :(

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One of the major factors in the Democrats losing control of the House, and six seats in the Senate, was the deteriorating youth vote, those 18-29!

23 million young people voted in 2008, many of them for Barack Obama and the Democrats, but only an estimated 9 million voted this time, and overall, only 11 percent of young people voted!

Many young people have excuses for failing to vote, including “being busy”, “not being aware of the issues”, etc., but they are lame! 🙁

All these excuses are just that–excuses–and it has been a constant battle to convince young people that being a voting citizen is important, no matter what their political and partisan views!

All over the world, people have died for the right to vote, and the battle for the 26th Amendment was fought in the 1960s to give young people 18-21 the right to vote, and it is frustrating how people of 18-29 years of age seem to fail to realize their responsibility, and the necessity of voting!

The old saying is that people get the government they deserve, so as long as young people in large numbers fail to vote, those in government will ignore their issues and problems, until they learn of the absolute necessity of being mature citizens who realize they have an obligation to vote!

Reality: Tea Party Movement Caused Loss Of Senate Majority To Republicans!

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The Tea Party scored some major victories on Election Day, taking a substantial number of seats in the House of Representatives, making the job of Speaker Designate John Boehner of Ohio all the more difficult to accomplish anything over the next two years!

But in the Senate, the Tea Party Movement actually caused the loss of what could have been a GOP majority!

Tea Party candidates Christine O’Donnell of Delaware, Sharron Angle of Nevada, and Ken Buck of Colorado came across as unqualified and loony, and therefore lost those states which could have gone to the GOP if mainstream candidates Mike Castle, Sue Lowden, and Jane Norton had been the Republican nominees!

So these candidates, along with other Tea Party favorites Linda McMahon of Connecticut and John Raese of West Virginia, in effect, caused the loss of a Republican majority in the Senate!

And Joe Miller, by his arrogance and weird stands and statements, also allowed for the possibility of incumbent Senator Lisa Murkowski to win a Write In victory in Alaska, declaring opposition to Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Movement, another slap at both!

The Tea Party will be more of a burden to the Republican Party than a blessing, and the “establishment” Republicans will soon be fully recognizing of that reality! 🙁

The Major Losses Of The Democratic Party In The Midterm Elections! :(

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It is true that the Democratic Party had major losses in the Midterm Elections of 2010, particularly in the House of Representatives, but it is also true that much of the loss in that chamber was of “Blue Dog” Democrats–moderate to conservative Democrats who were afraid to take a stand for the Obama Administration on many issues, tried to act like Republicans, and were rejected by voters who preferred the “real” Republicans to phony Democrats!

So if one looks at who were the major losses for the Democrats, they are as follows:

Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin
Congressman Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, Senate nominee
Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio
Alexi Giannoulias of Illinois, Senate nomineee
Jack Conway of Kentucky, Senate nominee
Bill White of Texas, Gubernatorial nominee
Scott McAdams of Alaska, Senate nominee
Congressman Ron Klein of Florida
Congressman Tom Perriello of Virginia
Congressman John Boccieri of Ohio

At the same time, there were many satisfying victories for Democrats, and the advantage now is that the Democrats who survived or were elected, in most cases, are REAL Democrats with sharply different views of issues than the Republican Party!

What the country does not need are TWO Republican parties, one “real” and one phony! 🙁