This country is run by interests more powerful than we. At large, we are a powerless constituency of less-than-fortunate, less socially endowed citizens who push for LGBT equality, immigration reform, a tax system that is fair to lower income households. Our hopes and dreams are held captive by a system that is more willing to cast us to the wolves than give our ideas a fair chance in debate.
One. One Senator stood up yesterday and called out the egregious state of America, in eight and a half hours we were shown that the representation of liberals, progressives, democratic socialists and democrats in the Senate is limited to one man. One.
Against the best advice, they cut a deal on the 2001 Bush tax cuts that were sold to the American public as expired as of this year. The deal was for unemployment insurance benefits for two million people. The Republicans and blue-dog Democrats held us hostage because they feel empowered enough to do so. The DREAM Act came up for a vote in the Senate and it died. A threat of an unconstitutional act, the Filibuster, killed a bill that received more than a majority of votes. They profess that they’re for progress, but the last two years has shown me that they’re no longer a party for progress. The two parties have become one.
We’ve lost the power to sway our government, I fear the corporations and wealthiest have won. The president has lost my vote. I was willing to give him a chance after Afghanistan was escalated, after Guantanamo continued operations, after the awful health care bill, and after the stimulus failed to produce a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank. His chances are used.
I unequivocally accept a democratic primary opponent from the left in 2012.
I understand your position. However, I am also grateful that the minimum wage increased. I am grateful that DADT will soon be gone. I am grateful that more people get health insurance–particularly children of poor families.
Am I completely satisfied? Not by a long shot. I was excited after the Obama victory that all would change and now after 22 months find that little has changed. But there has been some good and some progress. And I cannot believe that had there been a different President we would have gotten more progress.
The fillibuster needs to go. Any Democrat who allows it to continue into next year needs primary opposition. That has been our #1 problem–not the President.
even as our elected representatives have betrayed us. better that we go forward with eyes open, and see them as a group to affect and force and threaten and bargain with but not as a group with our best interests at heart, necessarily. we need to drop this idea of “leadership” ASAP, and work on creating conditions where they are forced to deal with us, even if they hate us for forcing them.
the two parties aren’t one, i’d say there are three big factions distributed across two party coalitions: tea party john birchers, socially moderate corporatist neoliberals, and moderate liberals who call themselves “progressives.”