Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts should be a wake-up call for Democrats to get their act together.
Over one year since Barack Obama took his oath of office on a chilly yet hopeful January day, things are not as good as everyone had hoped. The stimulus worked, but was clearly not enough, as jobless rates are still too high, and life is still too difficult for the average American. Wall Street got off too easy, has fully recovered, and they are already back to their old ways of bonuses and risky business. Health Care Reform, once a foregone conclusion, is now on the verge of death at the hands of Scott Brown, the man who took away the Democrats’ 60 seat majority in a stunning victory over a Democrat in Massachusetts. Senator-Elect Brown defeated his opponent by 5% in perhaps the most liberal state in the union, a clear sign that people are not happy with the way things are going in Washington DC. And to the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats, that is a bad sign.
How did this happen you may ask? Well it’s simple. Times are tough, and President Obama is not a super-hero. It turns out he is a regular President, one who does good but makes his fair share of errors. As of today, his approval hovers around 50%, which is enough to get reelected, but not enough to push forward ambitious agenda like Cap and Trade or Immigration Reform. For Obama to come back, he needs to follow a more populist path, where he is pursuing politically popular initiatives that won’t drain time and popularity. In effect, the Democrats in Washington just spent a year–for now almost nothing.
Why you ask? How could that happen with 60 seats in the Senate, a large majority in the House, and a liberal President? The system ain’t easy. As sad as it seems, our government system is not constructed to make changes, but rather to endorse the status quo. And as long as there are people with money and power who disagree with you, it will be near impossible to get something real done without losing reelection (a non-starter in politics).
Pretty simply, if Democrats don’t get their act together, they are headed towards a 25+ seat loss in the House and a 5-8 seat loss in the Senate, and that is unacceptable. The party in the White House always loses seats, and it has always been that way, especially after several straight good cycles for the Democrats. So it is expected that the Democrats will lose a couple of seats, but we do not want a Tea Party Revolution in Washington DC. That would be bad for America, and bad for our government.
So, what am I suggesting?
–Pass health care reform, now. Stop stalling, because that only makes it worse. Progressives need to bite the bullet and realize this is the best we will ever get, and that if we don’t act now, the opportunity is forever lost. Centrists should realize that passing something that can be defended (even if it is unpopular) is better than passing nothing at all (despite spending a year on it). The House must pass the Senate bill, therefore avoiding the need to send it back to the Senate, therefore sending it directly putting it on President Obama’s desk for approval of the most important social legislation since 1964 when Lyndon Johnson created Medicare. Health Care Reform is needed by the American people, and it is needed for the Democrats to win reelection.
–Start creating jobs. At the end of the day, that is all the average American cares about. Pass major job legislation immediately, and win more political support. Republicans won’t be able to diss your economic policy in 2010 if you put Americans back to work after the worse recession since the Great Depression (one they started).
–Start touting the damn Stimulus, and remind America why we got in this mess. People are starting to forget that this recession was started and caused by the Bush Administration and Right-Wing economics. Ronald Reagan spent his entire administration blaming the Carter Administration for economic problems, and it worked. I’m not saying President Obama should still be blaming Bush, but it is ridiculous that about 40% of the country right now blames Obama for the recession. What Obama should be doing is touting the Stimulus, which has clearly halted the job-losses in its tracks, put several states back above water, and sent the economy back on its way to recovery. That is a big accomplishment, one the Democrats should start showing off.
–Don’t let the Republicans bully you. They started this mess. Going back to their policies would be like starting cocaine again after you leave rehab. Fight back, for the people.
–Fight Wall Street, and regulate the hell out of them. There is a perfect example of something that is needed, and something that is popular.
–Don’t stop fighting. Never become complacent. The wind will never be at our backs until we create the wind ourselves. It’s time for Democrats to wake up. Let’s start now.
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