Time to do a little tea leaf reading…
The midterm elections are over, but what does it all mean? Other than it almost seems as if someone other than the American electorate cast most of the ballots Tuesday. How else to explain polls that polls show Congress with less than an 11% approval rating and 96.4% of them getting reelected.
If 89% of us disapprove of the job they’re doing, exactly who voted for them?
This is the first year I felt completely without a legitimate choice of candidates.
There’s such an inherent arrogance among the people running and the process that the cynical voice in my head was screaming, “Heres’ the salt, there’s the wound, start rubbing!”
Never have I been so weary of TV spots portraying one candidate as the second coming of Christ while claiming his opponent eats babies.
Only to be followed by an opposing spot making all the same claims by the other candidate.
So while the Republicans won, the Democrats didn’t exactly lose. This wasn’t the same as midterms of the past. On this trip to the polls voters took a swing at President Obama and his policies as opposed to actually voting “for” something.
And many of the Republican wins were in conservative leaning states with Democratic loses in states where incumbent Democrats were stepping down. It all made for easy pickings given the overall climate.
So while Republicans claim a “W,” they actually got a smaller percentage of women voters than they did in the 2010 midterms. And with the GOP now in total control, if they use that power for evil rather than good, they will see another decline in women voters in 2016.
Whats that mean?
That the GOP would be even more reliant on the rock solid support from its base of white males. That’s a two fold problem; you’ve lost women and you’re relying on a voting block thats diminishing in numbers and value.
Face it, there are less and less white dudes.
President Obama spoke Wednesday about the devastating blow and lack of confidence shown in the election results. If you weren’t discouraged enough, his speech did little to help. The President comes across as just another defeated leader who refuses to accept the fact his own hubris is the enemy.
While the President says he got the message, he made it clear he’s going to keep doing things the same way. He said they won’t like all the things he wants done, and, he’s sure he won’t like all the things they want to do.
Can you spell status quo?
On a positive note, Vice President Joe Biden took his foot out of this mouth long enough to say the only sensible thing, even if its not believable.
“We have to be more direct and clear about exactly what it is we’re looking to do (and be) ready to compromise,” Biden said.
It takes two to compromise and there’s only one hope for the Republicans to come out of this if they want to look like anything other than the obstructionists they’ve been.
The Republicans need to score some first downs…
There are some differences both sides could agree on if only they would.
Immigration reform is by far the easiest to tackle on a bipartisan basis. Both sides agree we need a secure border. Both sides agree we need something that looks like a visa in – visa out procedure. Both sides could agree we need to do something about the immigrants that are here today, but draw a line in the sand for all those who come after. Anything short of that and we’ll be discussing the NEW immigration problem 10 years from now after an additional 11 million illegals are here.
Common ground can be found on this issue; find it, implement it, and pretend you’re acting in our best interest. The Republicans can’t engage in fiscal battles, government shut downs and arguing for arguing’s sake.
Things that make the GOP look as dysfunctional as it really is:
The Republicans have to change to redeem themselves within their own party. They have a chance to strike while the iron’s hot.
President Obama was largely disinvited from the Democratic campaign trail. Instead, candidates looking for that old, black magic, decided to share the campaign spotlight with Hillary and Bill. This is the first time they cast that spell on the voters and it didn’t work. Candidates lost anywhere the Hill and Bill train rolled into town. Brailey in Iowa, Pryor, in Arkansas, Grimes in Kentucky, Burke in Wisconsin.
The Senate sweep Tuesday guarantees nothing for the GOP in 2016, but if they harness that momentum and do the right thing…
“So while Republicans claim a “W,” they actually got a smaller percentage of women voters than they did in the 2010 midterms. And with the GOP now in total control, if they use that power for evil rather than good, they will see another decline in women voters in 2016.”
– according some this blog/elsewhere, Billary Clinton is a shoe-in the 2016 Presidential election. Kerouac doesn’t believe that for one second. If said be prescient, Republicans might choose do as much damage as they can, while they can, the ‘D’s agenda; certainly can’t make any bigger mess of things than Obuma et al/acolytes have done to date.
Am reminded of the lyrics to ‘Harry Truman’, performed by Chicago almost 40 years ago, circa 1975; D or R, not much has changed since then… has it?
‘America needs you
Harry Truman
Harry could you please come home
Things are looking bad
I know you would be mad
To see what kind of men
Prevail upon the land you love
America’s wondering
How we got here
Harry all we get is lies
We’re gettin’ safer cars
Rocket ships to mars
From men who’d sell us out
To get themselves a piece of power
We’d love to hear you speak your mind
In plain and simple ways
Call a spade a spade
Like you did back in the day
You would play piano
Each morning walk a mile
Speak of what was going down
Each honesty and style
America’s calling
Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin’ round and losin’ lots of ground
Oh Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love
Oh woah woah woah
America’s calling
Harry Truman
Harry you know what to do
The world is turnin’ round
And losin’ lots of ground
So Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love
Oh
Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love
Harry
Harry is there something we can do to save the land we love’
– Robert Lamm
Mr. K, I’m with you when it comes to thinking Hillary is not a predestined ordination. If the GOP are to have a prayer, they need to be laying the ground work now. They’ve been no better than the Dems, need to get their house in order and cough up a legitimate candidate. As of today, I don’t think we know who that is.
I have some staunch liberal friends that say they wont vote for Hillary if she runs.
They say they will vote for a REAL liberal candidate.
Nice write, as usual!
Lib, Im with you on this one. I dont think she’s the shoe in every one else feels she is. She was THE candidate last time, then, out of now where, comes this unknown black guy and steals it? Where was the Clinton political machine then? Where was the master, behind the scenes negotiator and string pullers then?
I dont think we know who the Dem candidate is yet, but I went on record two month ago saying she WOULD NOT be our next president, and took a lot of jabbing for it.
Every where they went this election cycle, candidates LOST. Some lost BIG. Im just not feeling it. Sure, it could happen, some people on here, one person on here, already has the electoral count at 240somthing, I think, but I just dont see it happening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6V3R9P0cBc
Harry Truman…..
Back in 2000, a rancher I knew in Iowa was supporting Bill Bradley. He was as Conservative as they came then.
He said Bradley was a man who was honest in his convictions and despite the ideological differences he found that more reassuring than what his party was offering up.
By avoiding the issues and feigning a difference with the President on immigration and the Keystone Pipeline, they tried to bluff. And they got called out by voters.
Jon Stewart had the best name for them, Obama and the Pussy’Crats.
These are strange times we live in
Hard games we play
Wager very carefully
And play’em as they lay
But don’t play no cards ain’t in your hand
So long Harry Truman
Goddamn it’s hard to find an honest man
http://danny-o-keefe.musikear.com/songs-lyrics/danny_o-27keefe-so_long_harry_truman
+1
Obama was very unpopular and the short term damage, as you say Paul, cost the Dems. If you think he was unpopular over the last 6 months, then just wait until the newest Obamacare mandates kick in.
The tax paying public is going to wear the Obama Care sackcloth right into the 2016 elections. It is an onerous and unjust punishment, fostered by a “Pen and Phone” self proclaimed autocrat intent on “Fundemental Change” (read Wealth Transfer).
Washington politicians, never short on the contempt they hold the electorate in, underestimated the resistance to Government by Fiat. Obamacare, the IRS and the litany of Federal Government missteps roused those old white dudes from their 4oclock naps and even scared a few Liberals. That in conjunction with Attorney General’s de facto permission to continue rioting in Ferguson over the death of a violent street thug, swung the middle to the right.
Obamacare was a bridge too far and Michael Brown was finally, actually good for something after all.
Chuck, as you know, when Obama get his biggest black eye from the real definition of the havoc his plan will create on the economy, he’ll be 5-10 years out of office. While his feet will never be held directly to the fire, he will be sitting next to Jimmy Carter in the Presidential Hall of Shame.
Paul, first off, this was a really good piece. I don’t disagree with a single thing you wrote.
secondly, while I’m an admitted Dem. I fully agree that Jimmy Carter deserves the spot in the HOS.
thirdly, however I disagree with your assessment of “havoc” on the economy and how history will view O and the ACA. For years and years before the ACA came about, the US was spending about 17 – 20% of the GDP on healthcare. Our current GDP is in the neighborhood of $17 Trillion, so let’s say we are spending $3 trillion on healthcare. No other developed nation in the world spends more than about 10% of their GDP so one might deduce that we are wasting/overpaying/whatever, $1,5 Trillion for our healthcare. But we are getting the best care, right? Actually, wrong. The quality and delivery of healthcare to Americans doesn’t even put us in the top 35 as ranked by the World Health Organization. Havoc has been running rampant on the US economy way before the ACA came about. One needs to look more closely at where the dollars really flow ( hospitals, drug companies, providers, insurance companies) . ACA is only bringing out in the open and assigning those dollars that had been hidden.
Again, good effort Paul. It’s nice to have a civil disagreement.
Thanks, as usual, Stomp.
You are correct on our health care cost, percentages and where we rank with the rest of the world, but I’m sure you knew that.
Insurance companies have raped and pillaged, pharmaceuticals have spanked it for their fair share and a trip to ANY ER will find a line of illegals getting treatment for the common cold, construction injury or the delivery of the random anchor baby. The latter has to be a huge drain as you know that’s completely written off.
Thanks, as usual, for bringing it!
People believe what they want to believe until they don’t.
People believed they could keep their doctors.
People believed they could keep their health plans.
People believe their deductible wouldn’t be so high that they would eschew trips to the doctor for check ups on those pesky tumors.
This list incomplete even at this point. It will grow like that same pesky tumor with the new mandates.
Believe whatever makes you feel good. The exit polls have me believing that the electorate believes Obama Care is a deleterious, poorly constructed piece of overreach by an incompetent Fed populated by Socialist morons.
Stomper’s information and Mark’s anecdote areinteresting. Kinda like Peyton Manning’s stats last Sunday night. They look great until you see the score.
Change is a bitch for sure. The current system is clearly not working and we all know what they say about repeating the same behavior and expecting different results.
As always, Chuck, thanks for your insight.
This coming from a guy who gets his healthcare from the closest thing to universal coverage this country has, the VA.
If we were all lucky the VA would leave you in a hallway to die, Lowe.
The VA is a huge clusterfu*k, ask Mark Smith. I quit going there for the exact reasons that Obam Care will fail.
Get cancer in your eyes Rex.
Continued the havoc on the economy would have been more accurate.
Bush-litish
To me one of the most important issues is that only 1/3 of the electorate showed up to vote. Nice going democracy. But this isn’t a concern for Republicans because low voter turnout puts them in the win column. If you could get 3/4 of the population to vote, it wouldn’t matter if old white men woke up from their naps.
As an aside, I still don’t understand republicans’ criticism of the Affordable Care Act. I work in healthcare and own a business. Last time I checked, the insurance companies are still running everything and making more money than ever.
Mark! I’m so impressed you came by for a read and a comment! I guess my concern with ACA is the math isn’t going to work out, long term. Not enough low claim young people signing up to off set the high claim older customers.
Thanks again for reading all the way from New Mexico!
Hey, I enjoy your articles. Nice work!
wrong again and again…if the law is followed (like your
buddy Romney did) it can work. When you have cheats like the
repubs lying as they have from day one saying this was not
their idea even though they designed and implemented it in
force you have misconceptions of the plan.
truth is that every poll issued when the public was presented
the aca as it really is the majority of americans were for it.
You now have almost 11 million americans insured at lower
costs than previous attempts but that makes no difference
to shoedog…his facts are always wrong and he knows
nothing about what he talks about.
as far as the insurance companies making more money…
that wasa tradeoff for their support. They’ll end up
with more customers.
And here’s a fact for stomper and shoedog…not one lie or
b.s. statement that the opposition said about aca before or
after its implementation has come true. Sure there were
start up problems but when youo do something on that
scale things can go wrong…..but it was corrected and now
lies about coverage/rates/etc. has been proven to be
wrong. My costs went from 750 to 356…and I got
excellent coverage from Coventry.
But aca required the insurancecompanies to pay out
a per cent of their premiums in benefits…same thing as
mr. Romney.
Then….stomper says “havoc has been running rampant”
the onlything running rampant has been the insurance
cut off cash to the doctors along with medicare and
Medicaid. These doctors were ripping off the system.
The insurance providers cut their payouts to the doctors
and now doctors are heading to work at the hospital by the
droves because they never could make money once they
got compensated based on the insurance companies rates.
As for shoedog…where didyou get your information that
bill and Hillary did nothing. Another bald face lie and
bull shit from you. I don’t expect facts from you…you know
nothing. the reason the reps won was a protect vote (see the
polls) and that women/blacks and Hispanics didn’t come
out for a midterm election (they never do)….
All left was old white racism fueled old men and women
and if you look at the numbers which I have you’ll see
that 2016 will be a romp for the dems. the tables are turned
on the repubs in the senate…and the dems have a nominee
who will get (based on myprojections) 340 or more electoral
votes. This election was an anomaly and look for Obama
to run these repubs nuts. They’ve done nothing…and they’re
happy to keep doing nothing.
Then the stooges say “no one spend more % on health care
than we do”…do you know why…the pols won’t negotiate
rx prices…they’ve been taken over by the insurance lobby…
the repubs cut back critical research every time….and
we’re the only developed nation in the world that has
to fight to get health coverage for all the citizens and have
this train wreck of a health care system because the repubs
are in the pockets of big pharma and the medical industry..
You two together make no sense.
ACA is here to stay boys. Obama will flip the repubs the
bird and thru executive order give amnesty….as he promised.
He will use executive order to what he wants now…
The repubs are threatening to impeach him and he could
give a shit.
As kerowacky…yes repubs got fewer women voters…just
the redneck old white male vote that is dying off and with
it any chance of electing a repub president ever!
As I mentioned …this election is perfect set up for dems
in 2016…the repubs don’t want to do anything but
cut taxes and give to the rich.
It’s over for guys like shoedog….and chuckles the clown…
its just 7 months of fighting…Obama has the veto pen..
the repubs will be seen for who they are…nothing…
and the political world will shift like never before
in 2016….a wave election is coming.
get ready…but for guys like shoe dog and chuck with
their old time outlooks their days of mattering are over.
And kerowacky…10,000 into escrow on the 2016 election…
your football picks have been running at under 40%…almost
as bad as glazes. I can onlyassume that the rest of them will
be wrong. Even flipping a coin is better than the
b.s. crap you put out. If youneed to recall your picks
we can do that too.
The tsunami is coming..and all you old guys will be washed
away into irrelevancy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh how I opine for the easier days of Todd Akin and legitimate rape.
Dude, there’s a puuuuurfect example of how someone gets crucified over a well intended comment. All Akin was doing was placing a differentiation between a girl who parties one night, has consensual sex with a guy, wakes up the next morning, changes her mind and files a rape charge, as opposed to a girl who is “legitimately” raped. There’s a big difference in the two. One is buyers remorse, one is… ahhh…. LEGITIMATE rape.
Worst of all, the operatives spearheading the attacks new exactly what he meant all along. They were a problem looking for a incident.
Excellent read, PW. When it comes to healthcare and general economic policies, the problems actually seem too large to tackle. Such complex issues that have NO simple solutions. The problem is that one side or the other always seem to have the “answer”. What these buffoons just refuse to realize is that it takes really smart people on BOTH sides of the aisle to work together to provide a solution that works for the majority of Americans. I don’t think anyone would disagree that all citizens should have healthcare of some form. If you have millions and millions of people without healthcare, everyone ends up paying for that anyways. Sadly, I don’t have much faith in ANY of the current leadership (Rep’s or Dem’s) in DC to be able to tackle this issue.
Guess we’ll all sit back until the next “worst president ever” is elected. They will either be thumping the Bible or hugging a tree. Either way, the opposition will declare them the “worst” ever since…..
Amen and well stated.
+1
As you can imagine, a rich 1% er, I am still too busy, as are my fellow Democrats, to actually read the bill we passed that took over 1/6th of the entire fuc&ing economy. It was another good decision on my part. Why bother when the taxpayers who are paying for it will figure it out on their own.
ACA is workingbetter htan expected. Go see the results after just
one year. whoever wrote this never worked in the medical area…that’s
why they are fool. Golook at the surveys…go read the truth…look who
started the program….look at the 10 million and all the kids who now
have insurance.
Do you have insurance “nancy” in real life. Anybets you have it or
you’re just another filthy lying loser living off the government.
Which would not surprise me looking at what you say.
So far there have been few problems. Go find the truth loser.
go look at the positives that will happen now and in the future.
Don’t looklike a fool like the rest of these geezers!
Appreciate your take, Harry. Funny thing, it must be genetic; you write like your homosexual brother Harley Douchenozzle. The brain damage didn’t fall too far from the tree.
I don’t think it is brain damage. That would require that he had a brain in the first place!
Harry, you sound like a functional illiterate. So I know I wasn’t the only one who didn’t read the bill.
I guess the difference would be, I can actually read.
Nancy, I love you, gurl. Thanks for giving us the best line ever; “..we have to PASS the bill to know whats IN IT!” Ahh, yeah, you are a gift. I had no idea you were one of me “readers, fans and dici3ples.” First Mark, now you, Im as giddy as a Jr Hi school girl. Wait till I tell me friends…..
The BEST excuse for a Dem loss yet, coming from the camp of Wendy “Barbie” Davis;
“Zac Petkanas, a spokesman for the Davis campaign, chalked up the loss to the national Republican wave that swept over the midterm elections. “The losses that you are seeing in very blue states are simply amplified in states like Texas where there is already a structural advantage for Republicans,” he said. Another challenge, he said, was that Texas was at the center of two issues — immigration and the Ebola scare — that helped drive Republican voters to the polls….”
The only part Ebola played was the Obama administration making as much hay as possible from it as a distraction from other news, just before the vote.
It is certainly time for the Democrats to have some self reflection but I get so sick of the existential despair that liberals go through every time an election doesn’t go their way. When that happens to Republicans it pisses them off and they push hard to mobilize. The Republican message isn’t always on target with the mainstream but it almost always resonates with the base voters who turnout for elections. Democrats just get mopey and blame apathetic liberals (namely 18 – 34 year old voters). The Democrats did not have anything resembling a cohesive message and pushed away from Obama who is their best damn campaigner! What does that tell your base voters? That they don’t care about the base. They just want that always elusive “independent” voter and they end up sending mixed messages to liberals or no message at all.
Truer words were never written; excellent take, Jimmy.
MAKES NO DIFFERNECE….THE DEMS STILL CONTROL THE
NATION…
THERE WON’T BE ANOTHER REPUB PRESIDENT IN YOUR
OOR DWIGHTS OR HEARNES LIFETIME…THEREFORE
GET USED TO IT SHOEDOG…..
number don’t lie and when the 11 million Hispanics are
registerd it won’t even be close. they’ll get their cards and
voting ids at one time.
And its not pretty for the repubs future.
Unfortunately it will be one party rule…which really never
works out well for anyone.
but Harley is the political expert here…he knows what
is happening…and as the only real political expert in this
country..Harley get it righteverytime!!!!!!!
Liked the images, i really like the among %image_title%, perfect.|
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