So I'm down at the gym and, because my headphones got run over in the parking lot a few weeks back, I'm listening to NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Here's the video feed:
Now... What really struck about this were the statistics. And these are from the WALL STREET JOURNAL, mind you: Ruppert Murdoch's own news rag!
In favor of Presdient Obama's Debt Reduction Proposals: 58%
In favor of Congressional Republican's Debt Reduction Proposals: 36%
Should Republicans compromise and agree to raise taxes?
YES: 62%
NO: 27%
Should Democrats compromise and allow cuts to Social Security and Medcicare?
YES: 38%
NO: 52%
To put those numbers in perspective...
% of people who voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984: 59%
% of people who voted for Walter Mondale in 1984: 41%
The Republicans are polling at least 3 points lower that Walter Fucking Mondale did in what ended up being one of the worst landslide losses in U.S. Electoral History.
The Democrats are polling within 1 point overall - and three points ahead on tax increases - of Raonlad Reagan, the Right's great hero, in his brightest hour. (What's more? That lone 52% on the Entitlements issue? Is still over a full point higher than Reagan polled in 1980 against Carter!)
So... here's my question: Why do we even NEED a gang of six? Why is ANYONE still listening, compromising, fucking PANDERING with ANY of these Right-Wing Ass-Hats? The Republicans have a position which is unpopular on a Mondalian scale and they're STILL trying to (and our Democratic leaders are letting them) shove it down our throats!
Mister President, Senate Majority Leader Reid, House Minority Leader Pelosi:
The way I see it, and according to Ruppert Murdoch's own Wall Street Journal about 200 MILLION AMERICANS agree with me, we can fix everything, keep all entitlemants intact, erase the deficit and render the Republican Party permanently irrelevant by following nine simple words:
Tax the rich.
Tax the rich.
Tax the rich.
That's it. Tax the rich. It will literally fix everything and harm nothing. And it will make you the party of the people once again. Screw this "gang of six" crap. Tax the rich and veto anything that doesn't. Leave Social Security and Mecdicare alone - or better: FIX THEM without cutting benefits - and veto anythign that doesn't. It is time to LEAD. You failed for two years to do this and you lost the house. So I implore you... It's time to grow a spine, step up, LISTEN THE AMERICAN PEOPLE and do what everyone (even the rich) know that you HAVE TO. I already like your chances in 2012. But if you stand firm and deliver what a SUPERMAJORITY OF AMERICA is askign you for? I'll actually FEEL GOOD about liking your chances.
I started to write a reply, then, as so often happens, it ran a bit long, so I made an entire post of it:
ReplyDeletehttp://lefthooktheblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/tragedy-of-obama-debt-ceiling-edition.html
Great post, as usual. (So people? READ IT. There's a reason this guy's in my HoF!) Sums up every thing I failed to.
ReplyDeleteNow, I know I supported Obama a LOT longer that you did, but I am SO done with him right now. I'm with you 100%. I seriously wonder, outside of the SCOTUS anyway, if McCain potentially wouldn't have have done LESS damage, depending on how this budget thing works out.
Oi vey.
Though I still gag when I think of the words "Vice President Palin," or "President Michelle Bachman" for that matter, so...
Yeah...
I guess it's still, "THANK YOU SIR, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?" for now.
But I'm not voting for him in 2012 if he caves on this. Not unless it comes down to Michigan, and Fucking Bachman's winning by one vote.
Gah! but I just can't stand the idea of giving these god-damned Republicans - ANY OF THEM - four to eight more years to FUCK THIS COUNTRY OVER in order to teach the Democrats a Lesson that hasn't been learned since before the CLINTON years. (I'm sorry: Bill was only marginally better in the big picture. The last remotely effecive Democratic leader was LBJ, for better or worse.)
(Al Gore would have been something though, wouldn't he have? That was the election that REALLY sent this country to hell. That was the election when we lost our last bid for lasting greatness as a Nation. It's so sad, and it tears me up to this day.)
Great post. I responded to Classicliberal's post too.
ReplyDeleteAs I said on The Left Hook, I think I am more forgiving of Obama because I had more conservative leanings (not the bad kind). I really had hopes that Obama would stick it to Republicans.
As you point out, Democrats are leading in the polls. DEmocrats control the Senate and they can block anything. Democrats have all the leverage, but Obama can't hide his hand worth shit (or tell a good one from a bad one).
We all know Republicans are frantically trying to end this debt ceiling nonsense. They know they made a mistake taking up this fight. We all know Republicans would probably have taken anything Democrats gave them at the last minute and then they would have spent the next year bitching about how Obama lied during the campaign and raised taxes.
Then Obama starts to talk tough but then goes right back to compromising.
Maybe I am more forgiving of Obama because given the GOP field, Obama is better than nothing (excluding third parties).
ReplyDeleteI've never been an Obama supporter, though I consistently (and correctly) argued he was the least offensive Democratic candidate during the primaries, when he was facing off against the She-Slug. I had, in fact, allowed Left Hook to go to seed for a few years, by then, and was inspired to restart it because of what I was seeing in Obama right after the election.
ReplyDeleteAs for the debt ceiling business, Obama has already caved on this. He's made one offer after another of big cuts in Medicare and Social Security. It is the case that Republicans have refused all of them because, in exchange, Obama also wanted to close a few of Big Money's tax loopholes, but he has made the offers repeatedly and forcefully. He's been "negotiating" with Boehner, who is centrally concerned with maintaining his own power and can't negotiate on behalf of his caucus anyway, when he shouldn't have been negotiating at all. If Republicans want to institute draconian cuts, they need to do it as part of the regular budget process; that has absolutely nothing to do with the debt ceiling, and Obama is establishing an horrendous precedent by even talking to them. By even doing so, he caved. But by offering them these cuts? Shameful.
It bothers me that Democrats don't go on media blitzes. They always allow Republicans to frame the debate. If they can get ahead of the message, maybe the President would stop offering concessions,.
ReplyDeleteK - I think you're 100% right about everything in that last comment, except for Oabam stopping offering concessions. I seriously think it's just in his blood becasue he seems to view bipartisanism as an ends rather than a means.
ReplyDelete