"Americans Are Sick to Death of Both Parties: Why Our Politics..."

[jtuck004]

... Is in Worse Shape Than We Thought"

AlterNet / By Walter Dean Burnham,

...
December 17, 2014 |
The way many pundits tell it, the Democratic debacle in the 2014 midterm elections sounds like a perfect storm of bad breaks. The President was aloof. The party’s message was weak and muddled, in some races focused almost entirely on gender issues. Meanwhile record or near-record breaking waves of political money (for off year elections) cascaded through the political system while voter turnout plunged to levels last seen in 1942.

The real story is much uglier: 2014 was fundamentally a democratic debacle. It likely heralds a new stage in the disintegration of the American political order.

Though Republicans jubilate now, the trend is probably as threatening to them as it is to the Democrats. The reason is stark: Increasing numbers of average Americans can no longer stomach voting for parties that only pretend to represent their interests.
...
The other reason for the messaging failure is graver, because responsibility for it cannot possibly be fobbed off on the Republicans. Though the full figures are still coming in, we are confident that what Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Chen demonstrated to be true in 2012 will hold for 2014, despite claims to the contrary in parts of the media: The President and the Democratic Party are almost as dependent on big money – defined, for example, in terms of the percentage of contributions (over $500 or $1000) from the 1 percent as the Republicans. To expect top down money-driven political parties to make strong economic appeals to voters is idle. Instead the Golden Rule dominates: Money-driven parties emphasize appeals to particular interest groups instead of the broad interests of working Americans that would lead their donors to shut their wallets.
...

Be interesting to see what the victims of one's "recovery" will do in a big election, with their incomes down about $5-6000 a year because the politicians they elected decided to give their money to the thieving banksters that supported their election...

Maybe that partly why the numbers of "conservatives" are growing among those in poverty, for the first time ever in this country.

Alternet, Here.

[JonLP24]

1. Terrific article

Perfect. I can't see how anyone could do a better job.

Said everything that needed to be said.

As David Stockman, President Reagan’s Budget Director once all but confessed, in the modern era the party has never really pretended to have much of a mass constituency. It wins elections by rolling up huge percentages of votes in the most affluent classes while seeking to divide middle and working class voters with various special appeals and striving to hold down voting by minorities and the poor.

I wish I could post everything--one of the most important articles I've read lately.

[busterbrown]

2. Conflating Democrats with Republicans..

I’m not buying it.. How come no mention of Republican’s main agenda.
Destroy Obama w/o regard to how and where. The middle class ended up paying the price
for this play and article spends little time addressing issues such as Republican filibustering any bill
which might include a job bill. A job bill which would have addressed our collapsing infrastructure while creating good jobs for millions..

[jtuck004]

6. " A job bill" For example: A WPA for 2014, created by executive order, like the last one, despite

the opposition.

There are always excuses. But just like pointy fingers, kids can't eat them.

[busterbrown]

11. Congress passed the last job bill..

Needs funding, doesn’t it? Thought so..

[jtuck004]

15. Which doesn't have fuck all to do with what is possible.

I won't need to waste time reading anything else you write.

[Cali_Democrat]

16. How would Obama fund an executive order to create jobs? nt

[jtuck004]

18. I'd rather ask how we can leave kids in poverty while making bankster donors richer.

Like these folks...

...
Goldman Sachs $1,034,615
Harvard University $900,909
Microsoft Corp $854,717
JPMorgan Chase & Co $847,895
Google Inc $817,855
Citigroup Inc $755,057
...

$$$

Could have saved peoples's lives with the money banks got, instead of sending it to the thieving donors to the party that stole from and destroyed the lives of tens of millions of our neighbors.

But I guess we will never know, since only one President has had the courage to sign off on a WPA that would benefit the people instead of the banks. And he (though it was really Mrs. Roosevelt that pushed it) didn't whine and carry on about how mean the opposition was or who wouldn't let them do whatever, like the so-called supporters do today.

In this age, some people accept excuses a lot easier than others.

[Cali_Democrat]

19. Above you mentioned a WPA jobs program for 2014. How can it be funded? nt

[jtuck004]

20. The dollars we are taking from working people and giving to banksters would do nicely.

I am guessing, with all your naysaying you don't remember Kennedy, a President, told us we were going to the moon.

We didn't know how - it wasn't even technically possible, we didn't have the money, and it would take years and today's equivalent of trillions in training and schools and much outside of the space program.

It took enough of a leader to start it, and then the people came.

[Cali_Democrat]

21. Congress needs to appropriate the money. Good luck with getting Boehner on board. nt

[jtuck004]

22. You seem infatuated with Republicans. I don't care what they think. I care about my neighbors.

And if got a few million of them together to fight these assholes, there wouldn't be any more of your excuses.

But I would rather spend my time talking with people who have something to offer. Bye.

[Cali_Democrat]

23. U seem to be unaware of how government works and how funds are appropriated. nt

[mother earth]

25. How gov't works? Or maybe how it does not in the oligarchy. Obama appoints insiders while the AG

never went after the too big to fail aka the too big to jail. In these times people see right through the two party system, they are both united in serving their big donors & our "side" is great with rhetoric and big, on giving it away. The midterms were rife with issues, but not a damned politician is going to tackle any kind of reform, gotta maintain the illusion of a right vs. left, as if it matters.

Get a clue, this recovery is right on track with what's to come, but then it will be blamed on the right, who are poised for more and more giveaways. In our "recovery", the biggest winners have been the wealthy. Now, tell me, who are the knuckle draggers?

Sorry for the interruption, I leave you with your fantasy of a right vs. left working gov't.

[busterbrown]

30. thanks cali... I was working all day...

Seems our friend has his mind all made up.. It’s just about politicians, no difference... All the same..
Perfect coverer for Repubs,, Correct?

[project_bluebook]

3. Less people voting is always a big win for repugs

It is true that the Dems and the pres were very uninspiring this time around, afraid to piss off the deep pockets that keep elections funded. Only way to solve is to get money out of politics. Mikhail Gorbachev is right, the US needs its own Perestroika.

[NBachers]

4. I might buy into this, except that every single Democratic candidate invaded my email inbox

pleading and begging for money to help their campaign. I know this happened with every person who contributed to Democratic candidates, like I did.

They were all looking for mega-doses of small contributions. It seemed to me like they were looking for help from small-money sources.

[liberal_at_heart]

5. Since Citizens United it has become a horse race to see just how much each side can raise.

And of course the goal is to out raise the other side. They were trying to get any money they could from any body that would give it, be it big corporations, rich individuals, PACs, or small donations from average Americans.

[JonLP24]

8. Even before that

2008 was the most expensive election at the time with Goldman Sachs, Citi, & JP Morgan pouring millions into the races (same time they got their bailout check as well).

[liberal_at_heart]

31. True. It is important to get Citizens United repealed, but we also have to reform

campaign finance or the 1% will continue to buy elections.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. You think the Republicans DON'T suck up what they can

from their near-poverty True Believers?

Compare the 2 parties on Big v. Little money. They aren't all that different.

[RobertEarl]

7. Circling the drain

Down we go. We have the best government money can buy, and it is bought. Bought by those who can afford it. Obama caused such a negative reaction from the rich who believed that just because he was black, he'd take all their money and give it to blacks.

Well he sure proved them wrong!! He made sure the rich made even more money and let the worst of them off the hook for past transgressions. It would certainly have been better for the country as a whole if he had taken away the richie's money and given it to black people and others who are oppressed. Spread the wealth. Instead we continue on with the RR trickle down theory of the rich pissing on us with what they can afford to piss away.

As it is what we had is going down the drain into the bankster's accounts, insurance companies, big oil, and other bigger companies. The poor man can't afford land so that part of the American dream is flushed, and the jobs with which we subsisted on are now going to cheap labor overseas which is protected by our navy.

In the meantime our debt goes up every year, partly to pay for that navy and to subsidize businesses that won't pay a living wage. The government has to help house and feed the poor who make minimum wages, as the wage payers get even richer.

Don't they understand we are on a hellbound train?

[quaker bill]

9. When you vote for people who believe government can't work

you get a government that doesn't work.

The majority should be happy about this, they voted for it and they got it. It is true that they are not happy at all, but it makes no sense.

When we start electing people who believe that government can be a solution, things might improve.

There is no "private sector" alternative. We have known for at least a century that the "private sector" when left alone, works to drive down wages and increase profits. The profits are then used to buy the favorable "regulatory environment" that allows wages to go lower and profits to go higher, and whenever possible not be taxed.

[99Forever]

10. The hard reality is this: People don't think either Team Red OR Team Blue, give one shit about us.

And they are right. The corruption that has infested virtually all of our government ESPECIALLY the sewer that is our Congress, keeps screwing us harder and harder, and then wants to PRETEND it's the people's fault because so many refuse to waste their time voting for the lessor of two stinking evils.

¡Viva la Revolución!

[BootinUp]

12. This article is based in some kind of fantasy world, where you don't

ever have to win actual elections. Articles like this are especially popular in off year elections when there is a democratic president who is actually changing some shit for the better and there is a backlash from the knuckle dragging constituency.

[jtuck004]

17. Would the knuckle draggers be the over 10 million that have fallen into poverty during

this Presidency, families with children who will be there long after he is gone with his millions, while he implemented the policies outlined in Stress Test to make the banks richer than they ever have been? Feel free to watch Timothy "Killer" Geithner's interview on the Daily Show, where voters laugh at his face, interview|here.

Perhaps the fantasy is that the politicians are trying to pretend this plantation is a democracy.

[BootinUp]

34. Fuck, maybe it would have been better with Romney

Let me know if you have any more dumb posts for me to read.

[kentuck]

13. America is in the process of integrating into world economy..

That is why American wages are going down as the rest if the world goes up. It's all about competing on a level playing field and making maximum profits for American corporations.

[RKP5637]

27. I've felt that was the bottom line for years now, leveling the playing field for wages

internationally. It's a given. In my area of work we were told we would manage the investment in overseas labor, yeah, right, I thought that had to be the stupidest comment by American corporatism. A number of the companies we outsourced to then told us to fuck off, they could develop, design and manufacture their own products, they did not need American companies in the way sucking off potential profits.

And so right they were, and so the unemployment for higher wage jobs in America increased. Why have people over $100k/seat labor here in the US, when the whole shebang can be accomplished in another country say with about $60k/seat labor cost in R&D.

There are plenty of extremely bright, capable and educated people in the world, America is not the only place. And to further exemplify that, America had a good time of it post WWII, really no competition, but that has changed drastically now that we have significant competition.

I guess my question is, when will this all level out. The downside is, throughout all of this, the really really high rollers are doing just fine, they play all angles of the game at home politically and financially, and in the global arena.

It's the masses of Americans, many struggling, that really have no voice, and what is so sad, many fall hook, line and sinker for the propaganda to vote in those most unlikely to help them. And, the really really high rollers play the political parties against each other to get what they want, as the political parties frankly engage in gladiator sport as the peasants watch, having really no voice, and many falling hook, line and sinker for the propaganda. As George Carlin once more or less said, and I paraphrase it, it's a rich man's party, and we ain't part of it.

In short, it's a real clusterfuck. Hopefully one day it will sort out.

[kentuck]

35. And so long as corporations are calling the shots politically..

The middle class in this country will continue to shrink and the standard of living for most Americans will continue to decline. Inflation is the secret weapon to make average workers think they have more than they really do. It's only a matter of time until we are on a level playing field with other developing countries.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. But..but...the approval ratings of both parties are tied!

[woo me with science]

24. K&R

[RKP5637]

28. There are times in life when the best solution is to just walk away, I'm tempted, but never. Once we

do that all is lost. ... but the crux of the problem is to get money out of the election process, these huge sums of $$$$$ enabled by Citizens United. Just how the F can we call this a democracy, when it's up for grabs to the highest bidder. What a delusional thought a democracy has become.

[jtuck004]

29. For about 50 million all is lost now, and for their children as well, and they will be joined by

tens of millions of others as the country ages. We continue to replace more jobs with machines, and I would almost bet $$$ that we will see TPP, which will move more jobs to Vietnam and cheaper places now than China.

We have a huge retirement crisis starting us in the face, with 30 million people reaching 65 at 10,000 a day, and the numbers now say that over half of them will need government assistance within a few years because they lost during the past few years and have never had a chance to rebuild.

Heck, we have tens of millions working as much as they are allowed, some full-time, and they still need food stamps to live. How do we educate a nation for the future on that?

I remember reading the plantation owners arguments about how their slaves wouldn't be able to take care of themselves without their assistance. But they did.

Here's household income, down about $5000 in the past 5 years or so.


Wanna guess whether those folks "feel" better off? At the same time the 85 richest people in the world now make something around $500,000 - a minute - collectively. Until that comes apart, there is no hope.

I don't think most folks lose a damn thing by walking away from people who are treating them as sharecroppers, if they build something better. Or maybe even if they don't, since those they are supporting will then have to figure out how to live on their own like everyone else.

If one has assets or money, they are in the catbird's seat right now, because we have an administration that has declared its willingness to let those at the bottom languish to support the 3/4 of the country that has anything much. It's written in Stress Test, by the way, so that is in the public domain. Easy to read in the headlines about record bankster profits, and the numbers in poverty or near poverty, they lack of opportunity.

But if that changes, all that puffery and fantasy that is our economy right now is going to become something else entirely. And I am not sure that's a bad thing.

Some great things have been done the past few years, but we aren't making the investments we need to make in ourselves, and it is going to cost us far more than we know, if my experience of the past few decades here are any indication.

And I think people are glossing over how much pain there is out there at their peril.

[RKP5637]

32. I could not agree more with you. Also please see my post #27. We are in a serious situation in

the US. A lot has been done, but in reality, the majority of this country is or will be in deep sh** in the future. Most people would be over the edge if they even lost one month's pay, and many work sh** jobs trying to make ends meet, if even possible. Much of America lives in denial IMO.

[jtuck004]

33. 1865 or thereabouts...

"I saved a thousand slaves. I could have saved a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves".
Harriet Tubman

Lots of work to do.