Political Realities

Since Tuesday’s elections, the heavy breathers who tell us what we should know about the political landscape as well as all issue affecting daily life, have advised that there was a “wake up” message for President Obama in those results. These sages main points were

• Bipartisanship is key
• Jobs is a must
• Health care is distracting
• Balancing the budget must also be a goal

The comment on bipartisanship is quite amazing.  During George W Bush’s Administration, Tom Delay and others had the votes and chose to consult only with K-Street lobbying firms.  Bi-partisanship is over rated when it is substituted as a means to methodically delay and derail policy development and implementation.

These sages point out that jobs have not bounced back and the Democrats have spent too much time on health care, and have not included Republicans to boot. The hand writing is clear. Unless Obama and the Democrats change, power will shift in 2010, and President Obama could be looking at being a one term President.

I am afraid these pundits are close to correct. Correct, that is on the political reality of “no jobs, no votes for Democrats”. But these pundits are telling only part of the true reality. American jobs have been leaving the shores for years and flooded overseas during the Bush years. The low unemployment rates of the Bush years resulted from the bubble economy that rested upon housing and trickle down effects from unsustainable banking and investment profits. When the dam burst in George W Bush’s last year, the reservoir emptied. It will take a while to rebuild the number of jobs if we want them to last more than 6 months.

Health care is more problematic. President Obama decision was to reform and not change health care, and that has consequences. With the rest of the civilized world have better health care coverage at far lower prices, the debate here revolves around how many will be included (why not all?) and public option or not (as an option of last resort, why not?) The President must have decide to go for half a loaf rather than none.

Balancing the budget is (or should be) an important concern.  Here we see “reality” and “political reality” collide.  Government programs which were authorized by Congress, cost money.  The same Congress needs to step up and pass the necessary tax revenue generating legislation.

History is yet to be written, and of course, will be the final judge. But just if these past elections are a harbinger of the Democrats demise, why not go down for principles rather than crafty, behind the door, deals with health care industry officials who want profit first and health care if it does detract from profits, or put more workers on the Federal payroll, or to continue to look the other way on the deficit.  The art of politics is, of course, to make the correct decisions and still get elected.

Explore posts in the same categories: Barack Obama, Democratic Party, George Bush, Politics, Republican Party

Tags: balancing the budget, budget deficit, health care, health care reform, jobs

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