Let's talk about November for a moment, shall we?

[hyphenate]

Obviously we're all on tenterhooks in respect to the elections in November. We know we're going to lose some seats, and the GOP and Tea Party are out to make sure we lose many more, giving them control of the House and Senate.

This is where we stand right now. It's midterm elections, and historically, the party currently out of "power" usually goes on to win this particular election. It stems from dissatisfaction with the current group of congress folk, and usually it deals a vicious blow to the agenda of any and all current members of congress.

Yes, that's all obvious and taken for granted. But let's look at some different things.

Who is currently in "power" in congress? Can we all truly say, with any sort of conviction, that Democrats are in power? Can we truly say that they have proven themselves in any kind of test of their proclivities on most issues?

Why is it a fact that GOPers speak louder than Democrats? Whether they are in power or not, they have the ability to get their point across so much more firmly, and Democrats, as a rule, would rather flee than fight.

Let's face it--we are a party of wimps, at least on a national level. Our congress people won't fight on the merit of their track record, and they won't speak up generally at all.

We've lived through 8 years of the absolute, most abysmal presidency ever in our history. We've seen corporations gain personhood, the religious right raise its ugly head, and neocons taking over the State Department. We've seen corporate honchos loot the treasury, blatantly use a "get out of jail" card, and gain a ruling that allows them to give monstrous amounts of money to congressional people who don't mind accepting that money. Our congress doesn't hide its links to corporations, its acceptance of booty, or its cavalier attitude on measures that affect most Americans. And it's not just Republicans who do this, but ALL members of Congress, except for perhaps a dozen people.

We can yell, scream all we want, but most congress members won't go maverick, even if they say they're on our side. Only new people running for congress have that maverick attitude that says, "I'm being elected by the people because I want to fulfill their agenda."

But it doesn't stop there. Sometimes, I call it the "cocktease" of congress: the point in a measure where a congressperson will promise you anything, but somehow, when they become elected, their promises become empty and never get done. This has happened many, many times in the past--the most obvious example of this historically is the issue of abortion/choice: even when a president and his administration have been conservative, any truly binding law regarding abortion has been curtailed. The fact is, if something lasting was ever passed, the agenda of the RR would be partially over, and a congressperson who depended on the RR for backing, would no longer be useful. And that would be terrible for a member of congress, so they keep those kinds of decisions just beyond fulfillment, and ensures their own chair in congress.

Are our congress people any different from those on the right? Can we say that with any certainty? How many of those people actually listen to their constituents and follow their wishes? Even more important, how do we, as a people, make the Democrats stand on their own records, even if it means making them stand on their own? How do we make it obvious the difference between the two parties, especially the more extreme members of the far right? How do we make all those in the middle, or those who are moderate, understand which party is out to help them, when evidence all along shows that the differences between the parties is blurred by hemming and hawing on both sides?

We have had to admit that all along, we have seen our congresspeople cave in on measures, refuse to push issues, and run away when the going got louder on the opposing side. Are these the kinds of elected officials we really want? I know we might not have a choice in this upcoming election, but are we in any way able to start cleaning out our party before we start trying to clean out that of the opposition?

I hate wimps. I don't mind reaching out "across the aisle" if an issue is important, but I refuse to make compromises with anyone if that in some way betrays my convictions. And after awhile, I think that most of those people elected to congress begin to confuse compromise with giving in.

We need to stop trying to disappear when people like Sarah Palin, Christine O'Connell, Sharron Angle or any of those other radically minded folks try to turn issues into explosive and emotional quandaries. We need to get moving, and find media friendly people to look at the deeper implications of those issues. We need to bury the opposition and their radical ideas, at least when it comes to making those ideas into actual laws.

So where does all this go?

Where it's going is moot. We will lose some seats in November, we just don't know how many. We will or will not lose control of congress. It really doesn't matter, does it? We survived those horrific years under GWB, and there is always the power of the veto to use against bad legislation. We will see plenty more divisive arguments in congress, we will also see some things emerge that will scare the shit out of us. It seems that those far right topics become louder when the left is in control, sort of a ploy that the right tries to mollify their base, implying that they are being bullied by the party in control to keep those things from being passed.

It's a tactic that many use, though I have to admit that it seems their agenda is far more radical than that of the left. Could be I think that because I'm on the left!

The point is this: things aren't going to change much. Our people refuse to run on the accomplishments of the party, and they are ultimately considered cowards. And this is nothing new. We also know that if we remain in power, the GOP will continue to demonize us. These things can be taken for granted, because some things never change. And that's all we can say about the election to come, and many other elections to come.



edited for clarity

[frazzled]

1. If you don't think things are going to change much if ...

John Boehner becomes Speaker of the House instead of Nancy Pelosi, you are ... well, I'll just say "part of the problem" (rather than what I was going to say).

Worst. Political. Analysis. Ever.

[hyphenate]

3. Part of the problem?

I don't think so.

Worst. Personal. Analysis. Ever.



I never said it was a poltical analysis in the first place. It was intended as a character study on the wimps we have in Congress that refuse to stand up for themselves, and therefore, for us. Those who are brave enough to go forward and make big waves in telling people about their congressional votes are few and far between.

[county worker]

2. This is what I heard on Tom Hartman today.

There may be a rule change in the next Congress to get around the 60 votes needed to debate a bill. That is if we are still in control. The idea would be that every day the number needed would decrease until a majority is all you would need.

Also Emmanuel's leaving is a signal that the thinking in the White House may be more progressive.

I realize that this should have happened before and may not happen next year either but it is so important that we retain both Houses so that there is a chance things may turn more in our favor.

This past weekend I talked with Louis Capps our representative in the House and asked her if we were going to retain the House and her reply was "I hope so." I wondered if she really didn't think we would.

We are being outspent 6 to 1 so we have to get out and vote!

If you are discouraged, vote anyway if you don't you might as well have voted Repub because they are going to vote. You have one chance and that's all, don't throw it away. Your vote can cancel out a repub vote.