Thursday, September 16, 2010

Thank You, Sir...

An AP poll reports that "46 percent of voters say they want Republicans in charge of the economy." Kevin Bacon has the story:




13 comments:

Roy said...

Yeah, but it's a poll, and polls, no matter how painstaking, take a limited (size, geographical location, economic status, etc.) sample and try to apply it to a wider range, and that's just not accurate. Nobody I know, among friends, family, and casual acquaintances, wants Republicans in charge. Trying to impose that over the greater whole would be as accurate as the AP's poll.

The only poll that will really answer that question will be the mid-term elections in November. Anything proposed before that is only guessing.

naomi dagen bloom said...

As I read Oregonian,local paper, the silence of people losing jobs, homes, social services lead me to think that Kevin Bacon has it right. Some kind of machochism, self-destructiveness, or numbness seems to be at work in this country. A better outcome in the November elections? Not so sure.

K. said...

Americans have an incredibly short memory and even less patience, I'm afraid. Mitch McConnell comes out with a "program" that will increase the deficit and doesn't even bother to deny it. You'd think that would cause a stir, but you would be wrong.

Leslie Parsley said...

FYI: The owners of Progressive Eruptions and The Oracular Opinion have been following some cruel and unethical behavior on the blogoshpere on the part of right-wing extremists. K, I notice that you have one of these followers in the name of "fearthedragon."

As you will see, these goons aren't just paid whores for the GOP or some right-wing group, they can be dangerous and cause innocent people serious harm.

This is the latest on Progressive Eruptions:
http://progressiveerupts.blogspot.com/2010/09/youre-nothing-but-pack-of-cards.html

Oracular Opinion is one of the better conservative blogs:
http://progressiveerupts.blogspot.com/2010/09/youre-nothing-but-pack-of-cards.html

Leslie Parsley said...

The Oracular Opinion should be:

http://theoracularopinion.blogspot.com/2010/09/calling-virtuous-bloggers-only.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2Fpamelasoo+%28The+Oracular+Opinion%29

TAO said...

Lets see, 46% of Americans polled want the Republicans to run the economy and in another poll 71% blame the republicans for the mess the economy is in...

I also believe that there is some poll out there that shows that almost 20% of Americans believe that we have never landed on the moon...

Add them all up and you get....

Americans think that democrats and republicans are interchangeable and they really really really want a party that represents the people...like in "left of Center" party?

Obama ran as a left of center Populist, out of the mainstream, new kid on the block....which isn't hard since he had to beat Clinton first and McCain Second....so he wins and all of us are duped into believing that the magic of electing our first black president would also mean that we had finally found a president that would be for the people...

Now we realize that we just got more of the same....

Considering all that has been going on the last 2 years his popularity ratings are actually quite high...

Its all frustration.....anger, bitterness....Americans don't believe their government cares....

Republicans or Republicans lite....

What a choice...

K. said...

I just don't look at it this way. For one thing, I saw little about Obama's positions that made me regard his as left of center when he ran, so I guess I'm not disappointed that he isn't. For example, there was no way we were ever going to get single-payer health care, nor did Obama promise it. In fact, he pretty much delivered what he said he'd deliver.

Second, running and governing are two different things, and it's incredibly hard to get much done the way our system is set up. The types of changes the teabaggers want are catastrophic, yet there's no serious answer from the left other than vague talk about changing the system from the ground up. In general, the contemporary American left -- for all its policy strengths -- offers little in the way of a unifying vision or any real ability to think either strategically or tactically. Most of what I read is snarky and reactive, and I have less and less use for it.

As for more of the same, come on: If John McCain were president, we would not have health care reform, we would not have at least reversed field in finance reform, BP wouldn't be coughing up $20B to the enraged bleatings of Joe Barton and Little Dick Armey, General Motors and Chrysler would have been left to their fates, we wouldn't be exiting Iraq, and the president certainly would not be talking about rescinding the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

There isn't a single thing on that list that -- if I had my druthers -- wouldn't be more to the left. But I don't have my druthers, and what we have is the most that can be squeezed out of the system we've got.

TAO said...

"what we have is the most that can be squeezed out of the system we've got..."

That is the real truth!

The reality is we need political and economic STRUCTUAL changes and these are not possible from within the system.

Germany suffered very little and recovered very quickly but that is because they economic system is industry based and focussed on exports.

Their political system supports that economic system.

Our economic system is banking based and focussed on financing debt.

Our political system supports that economic system.

I agree that Obama was the best choice and I realized the day I pulled the lever that he would be limited in his options...

I actually used to believe that Bush was spending what he spent and in the manner that he spent all in a way to ensure that we could never more much beyond where we are today politically.

Realistically Obama came into office pinned down and boxed in....

Even FDR couldn't have done more, given what Obama was given...

nursemyra said...

what is that video clip from?

Frank Partisan said...

People still remember Bush. I wouldn't isolate one poll, as telling the whole story.

mommapolitico said...

I'm with you, K. The Prez was never a progressive, but a moderate, and I knew that going in. Although, I'd still appreciate it if we'd see something other than the ridiculous lengths to which he's gone for the sake of the fictional condition of bipartisanship.
And you're right - running and governing are two different things. But I sure wish the Administration would go back to some of their election tactics, at least through surrogates, and get out a unified message for November. Bill Clinton nailed it on The Daily Show (I posted the clip in my last post. Too bad he can't run again!)
It's time for the Dems to step it up and present a clear and unified message if we want to continue in the midterms.
Great post - short, sweet, and most definitely, to the point, my friend! ;)

Susanna Powers said...

I am proud of President Obama and his accomplishments. His election was a quantum leap over the previous eight years, and I don't think it's appropriate to pin someone to an exact spot on the left/right spectrum when everything is so complicated and new unprecedented crises continue developing. Just yesterday, he said the important thing is to be going in the right direction. sp PS, Hi K, we missed sunday funnies & arts! I hope you are having fun experiences which take you away from the internet, not technical difficulties...

K. said...

Ren: I'm hoping it's just one poll, but I'm bracing myself for a tough election night. Of course, the Republicans make it easier by nominating nut cases like the man from Alaska and the woman from Delaware. Lisa Murkowski has announced a write-in campaign.

NM: The clip is from a 1978 film called "Animal House." It was quite popular, and gave rise to a number of sayings in the pop culture lexicon, "Thank you sir, may I have another" not the least amongst them!

MP: When Obama ran, the electorate was fed up with Bush partisanship. He and McCain actually argued about who would be better at "reaching across the aisle." He tried and his hand was slapped aside. I believe we will see Obama be more aggressive in attacking Republicans, although I do think he takes seriously the idea that the president should be president for everyone.

Sussah: Hear, hear! We spent all day Sunday on the Ring of Kerry, and flew home yesterday. The Sunday Funnies will return!