January 21, 2010
Just two days ago we witnessed the most incredible election this young country has ever had. Never before in the history of the Republic has there been such an election the magnitude of the one in Massachusetts. What really happened and what does it mean? Today we look at the big picture.
The democrats will tell you the electorate was angry and they took it out on the party that is in charge, which just happens to be the democrats. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Oh the electorate is angry, but their anger was directed at the right party.
Barack Obama was not elected because people thought he had better ideas. Hell, no one knew what his ideas were. He didn't tell you and he wasn't properly vetted by the press. No Barack Obama was elected because the electorate was mad at the Republican party for abandoning it's core beliefs of being fiscally responsible and for growing government.
Most of the country is to the right of center. Most people will tell you that they are "moderates" or "middle of the road," but when you ask probing questions of them, you will find they are actually conservatives. What is a conservative? There are many definitions, I addressed that in a previous post labeled my encyclical.
Most people are not liberal. Most people are not what the press likes to call "Right Wingers." Most people are conservatives. They believe in the conservative values and beliefs, less government, lower taxes, the government staying out of their business and affairs, etc. Most of these people now call themselves "Independents." They don't want to be associated with the Republican or democrat party. "I vote for the person, not for the party."
In some areas, like Pittsburgh the electorate is very parochial. "My grandfather and father was a democrat and so am I." Some, though thankfully not all, are directed by their union. But most of the time they want to vote for someone who thinks like them.
If you really break things down you come up with something like this:
Left wing liberals 20%
Right wing conservatives 20%
Democrats 20%
Republicans 20%
Independents 20%
Of the democrats, Republicans and Independents, 80% of them when really questioned are conservatives.
The liberals and those that call themselves democrat will vote for the democrat.
The conservatives and those that call themselves Republican will vote for the republican.
The most desired are the independents. Depending on the electoral winds, they are always the deciding factor.
When they elect these people and they let them down, they become angry and take it out on the one's they placed their trust in.
This was the case in 2008. The Republicans abandoned their core beliefs. Budget after budget was increased. Government was grown, we were funding two wars at the same time we were increasing the budget for "non-essential" expenditures. But most importantly, the government and the elected officials were not listening to the voters. They became comfortable in their positions and when the financial crisis hit, the controlling party, no matter who was to blame was kicked out.
In comes Obama and following the mantra of Rahm Emanuel to "Never let a crisis go to waste," started spending more than the last bunch of losers they just kicked out. The bailed out banks, insurance companies and the auto industry. They started work on the largest tax increase in the history of the world (Cap and Trade) and they attempted to impose nationalized health care. Suddenly, enemy combatants were given rights and lawyers and were to be tried in American court rooms. Special interest groups no longer just had access, they had a seat at the table. Everything from transparency in government, to having time to read the bills online which were promised were out the door. People started to understand what "Spread the wealth around" really meant.
People started to look around and said, "This is not what I voted for."
So they formed groups, The Tea party, The 9-12 Project, etc. Some dove right into the waters, while others remained on the sideline, agreeing with the premise of the groups, just not wanting to get involved. Then the leaders of the democrat party started calling these people "dangerous, Nazis, Astro-Turfers, Teabaggers." The people in the groups and now their friends on the fringes saw and heard this and became angry. When the democrats didn't see that this anger was real and didn't recognized that it was grassroots, they paid a price. The final straw came on Christmas Eve when they tried to ram the health care bill down people's throats.
The democrat leadership says that this is need so badly because thousands of people are dying each and every year because they don't have health insurance. This must be passed now, right now, this day or more will die needlessly. They can't explain why if this is so needed now, why does it not take effect for four years.
They think and hope that people are that stupid.
It was also the smug and arrogance of the leadership that contributed to this groundswell. The Republicans realized after the 2008 election what they did wrong and started to go back to their core beliefs. While the RNC had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the table, there is a sense now that the Republicans are finally getting their act together and going back to their core beliefs.
The Republicans had better get their house in order or in two years, THEY will again be on the receiving end of the voter's wrath.
There were warnings. The elections in Virginia and New Jersey should have sent red flags and warning bells off at the DNC but it did not.
Then came Massachusetts. A senate seat that had been held since the 1950's by Jack Kennedy and then Ted Kennedy. There was NO WAY a republican was going to win that seat. The democrats could have run Bonzo the Chimp for that seat and won.
In a state that already has universal health care, where the wait for an office visit was reduced from 20 days to 58 days, where the emergency rooms are filled to capacity. Where everyone is happy with the government mandated health care, along came this guy in a pick-up truck named Scott Brown.
Scott Brown said that he would be the 41st vote against this health care bill.
Scott Brown said that he favored water boarding to get information from terrorist.
Scott Brown said that federal money should be spent to kill terrorist, not to provide them lawyers.
Scott Brown is the new senator from Massachusetts.
Scott Brown had better be the real deal. Scott Brown had better do what he said he was going to do, or Scott Brown will be the former senator from Massachusetts real quick.
But still the democrats don't get it. Pelosi says we will get health care "One way or another." Obama has admitted to mistakes but adds, "People need to realize that this situation did not happen overnight. It is a result of the previous eight years."
They haven't a clue.
Some do. They are what the press are calling the "Blue Dogs." They know that their jobs are on the line. They heard their constituents in the summer. They know that the anger is real. They look at Massachusetts and see that NO seat is safe. They worry about who is running against them when they wouldn't have given it a thought two months ago. They are not so ready to hitch their wagon to the Obama, Reid, Pelosi Express now. Hell, they know that come November, Reid may be gone, Boxer may be gone, Lincoln may be gone, Specter will be gone. They look around the House chamber and wonder who will be back and who new will be sitting next to them. They even wonder if THEY will be back.
They are now looking at the weather maps and the polls to see how big the hurricane is. They are now starting to ask what do the people want? They should know that.
Less Government, lower taxes, more business opportunities which produce meaningful jobs, less government intrusion into their lives, respect of life, protection from terrorist and those who wish us harm, secure borders, less dependency on "entitlement" programs and respect from their elected officials just to name a few.
This election was a referendum on the democrats who control congress and the white house, plain and simple. They don't want excuses, they want results.
Obama and his advisers still believe the only way to get out of this economic crisis is to have another "Stimulus" package. They reject the idea that FDR extended great depression for 13 years (as major liberal academia have stated) and feel that throwing more money at the problem will change it.
I have a friend who has a morning syndicated talk show that goes "ocean to ocean, coast to coast" and he has a list of his laws. These laws are things that are inevitable, such as law #1. Law #1 states that "Liberalism always generates the exact opposite of it's stated intent."
Obama seams to forget or at least hopes that Americans will forget that it was Reagan who came into office facing the greatest economic downturn since the "Great Depression." Unemployment was over 10%, interest rates were at 21%, inflation was at 21%. He didn't whine and keep saying that he "inherited" it. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work. Reagan "stimulated" the economy by lowering taxes, allowing workers to keep more of their money and allowing investors to invest their money which created new jobs. Reagan didn't raise the debt ceiling or print new money. He lowered the debt by paying it off with money from taxes generated when NEW jobs were created and more people had a job. That led to the longest and greatest time of prosperity in the history of the world.
Obama and the democrats had better take note as well as the Republicans. The people don't want big government and they don't want to be controlled by the government. They want a government that works for them, not the other way around.
The democrats don't have a clue. That's why we are watching them implode yet again.
The revolution has started.
No comments:
Post a Comment