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Sept 24, 2010
Barely two years after the change of guards in the White House, voters are confronted with the decision of either retaining or firing the old guards in Congress. It is a vote crucial to the administration of President Obama whose difficult task of finding the best solutions to the overwhelming problems of this country rests heavily on the support of legislators in both houses of Congress.
But in spite of a majority party in both houses of Congress to back up his programs, the President fought many uphill battles to get necessary and urgent legislations to pass. Political gridlock was a constant scenario in the House of Representatives but more so in the Senate. And regardless of his promise and efforts to reach out to the other party for a bipartisan agenda and support, the party out of power was united in rejecting the President. This party voted no to every major legislation and initiative of the President.
Just the same, President Obama succeeded in passing major legislations such as health care reform, finance and credit card reforms, small business bill, etc. – a stellar record for a 19-month-old administration. This speaks volumes for this President and his party. And it should assure Democrats their victory and another four-year majority seat in Congress, right?
Wrong. In fact, many Democratic seats are threatened to be taken by the Republicans, who are now poised to grab the majority seats in both houses. Bad economy is still the enemy of the incumbents, regardless of what might have caused it. And it doesn’t help either that people only remember the present and forget the past regardless of how recent past it was.
To refresh our memory, it wasn’t too long ago, only 19 months, when Obama came to office with $1.3 trillion deficit, two expensive wars, massive home foreclosures, a bailed out Wall Street, a dying auto manufacturing, tens of thousands lost jobs and more problems to contend with than any other president in U.S. history. Eight years of George W. Bush left this country in such a dreadful state. And this, despite inheriting a budget surplus of $256 billion from the previous Democratic administration of Bill Clinton.
Is two years too long that people forget or do voters really have a very short memory? Better yet, are two years enough time to repair the gaping hole in our economy and bring us back to better times of economic prosperity? Are we looking for a realistically competent leader who can fix things for us one problem at a time, or are we expecting someone who can perform miracles in a flash?
Either way, who do you seriously think can bring us out of this recession? Who are you looking to for solutions to our mounting problems and challenges?
Let’s look at the Republican alternative. These are the things they have boldly professed to do: They will repeal the health care reform, get rid of or privatize Social Security and Medicare, extend the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent wealthiest Americans and, Michelle Bachmann will initiate and pursue the impeachment of President Obama.
What have the Congressional Democrats and President Obama done for the Americans in less than two years? They have passed major legislations such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Law which protects women against pay discrimination, health care reform which prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, mortgage financial reforms and credit card reforms, both protecting middle class and poor Americans. They also passed the small business bill and extended billions of dollars in loans to students.
The responsible choice seems clear here and yet somewhere, somehow the real issues get muddled and voters end up picking on the wrong people and the wrong party. Where lies the disconnect? And how can this November election ensure that a responsible choice is made by the voters?
There is no easy answer to this challenge. But if the President’s base will find their inspiration and hope once again… that same hope and inspiration that propelled them to action that made history in November of 2008, then all these initial success of our president will not have been lost.
There’s still time. Rally your base and show the enemies of progress and reform that they can’t mess with thinking people… with voters who know how to make the responsible choice!