Will the next election effect how you look at this situation?

[quakerboy]

If you think that President Obama and the democrats are doing the best they can with their limited resources, but we get slaughtered at the polls in '10, will that change your outlook about whether the left had it right?

If you think that President Obama is abandoning the base and representing the desires of Rahm's corporate base over the people, and we defy all expectations and win unprecedentedly in '10, will that change your outlook about whether he is doing right by the people?

I see lots of predictions on here. I've even made a few myself. But I am curious how real world results would play into our beliefs.

[LostInAnomie]

1. The economy will be the decider.

We're focusing on HC now, but honestly, most people won't be effected by it in the slightest.

If people don't have the impression that the economy is improving the we'll see some big losses.

[CrispyQ]

3. I agree.

Getting free or low cost health care won't matter if people aren't working. While health care is essential, food & shelter are more so.

[quakerboy]

6. And you do not feel that HI is integral to that?

I think that health care is a significant part of why our jobs are going away. In many countries we compete with, it is provided and it is not a burden on the employer. And in others, it is not required at all for cheap labor. Either situation provides a potential financial benefit to providing work there as opposed to here.

[Jamastiene]

2. Not to complicate things, but

since 2000, we have known that elections don't always come out how we vote.

My honest opinion about how I feel right now about politics, in general?

These Lou Reed lyrics say it better than I ever could:

Last Great American Whale by Lou Reed

<snip>...
Well Americans don't care for much of anything
land and water the least
And animal life is low on the totem pole
with human life not worth more than infected yeast

Americans don't care too much for beauty
they'll shit in a river, dump battery acid in a stream
They'll watch dead rats wash up on the beach
and complain if they can't swim

They say things are done for the majority
don't believe half of what you see and none of what you hear
It's like what my painter friend Donald said to me
"Stick a fork in their ass and turn them over, they're done"

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/lou+reed/last+great+american+whale_20085224.html

Sorry to be so blunt about it, but it's how I'm feeling right about now.

[quakerboy]

8. Setting aside that complication

Which I admit alarms me, though not quite as much as it used to.

But setting that aside, would the voice of the American people, if it were an honest shout of support for the choices of our democratic legislators and executive, change your views of anything?

[Thickasabrick]

4. Bottom line - any progressive needs to get off the couch and go

vote simply because of the Supreme Court. That is an area that we cannot concede to the republicans no matter how much we dislike the paths our current administration and corporately run congress has taken.

That is the reason his discouraged base should still vote for him.

[clear eye]

5. Do you still trust his appointments? n/t

[Thickasabrick]

9. Yes....but only because I liked his last one. If he happens to go

"centrist" on his next one - all bets are off!!

[clear eye]

10. Yeah, that next one is the test, b/c it will decide the majority. n/t

[quakerboy]

7. But will they, and If they chose not to, will that effect your position

Seems to me that people often do not do what they should do.

Back to my question, though. I was aiming for the more militant. Those who believe that Obama has pissed off the base and the independents and placed our legislative majorities in jeopardy, as well as his own election. And those who believe that Obama has done the best he can and that the people are behind him big time, and that those complaining here on DU are a few leftwingnuts.

[Thickasabrick]

11. In a word...no. The biggest problem with the republicans were that

whether they disagreed with the administration/party or not - they never voiced their disagreements and when they did they were accused of being Rinos. That in itself is a big turnoff because it excludes so many people.

We will probably lose big in 2010 based on the economy which some will blame on the administration. If the economy comes back, the independents might come back but I think they always vote for whoever isn't in power. We will lose some seats and the left wing side will be blamed even though it was the centrist side that alienated their base and caused those defeats. If the defeats are blue dogs, I basically don't care as I'd rather have a slim majority than have to compromise the farm to get anything done.

So no - whatever happens - if people are not happy they need to speak up and so that would not change my position on how I feel now.

[H2O Man]

12. One thing is for sure:

none of us can be sure of what 2010 holds. We all have a pretty good idea of what type of candidates the mainstream of each party will put forward. But events will change the landscape. 2010 will be a strange year.