June 3, 2008, Obama defeats Hillary Clinton in the Democratic National Primaries and becomes the official Democratic Nominee for President. Rallying behind his Hope and Change catchphrases, hundreds of thousands prepare and unite for the upcoming November. If I recall, there is a sense of joy and anticipation in the nation.
The election arrives on November 4, 2008 and Senator Obama becomes President-Elect Obama after winning on an electoral college tidal wave of 365 votes to Senator McCain's 173. The nation is a land of mixed feelings, but mainly excitement. The first black president in United States history is elected to the highest seat in the land. People rejoice and prepare for the impending change that the man they have invested all their hope in has promised.
January 20, 2009, Obama is inaugurated in front of the largest crowd to ever visit the National Mall for any event (somewhere around 1.5 million people) and becomes the 44th President of the United State. National pride seems to soar and every prepares for an all-Democratic, all-change-we-can-believe-in Government. I remember wishing I was able to vote in that election. I remember being excited to be able to help re-elect him in four years time. I am proud of my nation and happy that change is coming.
December 6, 2010 President Obama loses my vote, and the votes of many others. In my opinion, this man can be and should be primaried out of office. He's let us down for the last time.
I can't blame him, he was just naive. I genuinely think he meant to stand up for us, to be the leader of a movement for change. The problem was that he underestimated the power of Washington and overestimated the power of the people.
For the last two years we've had a Congress with a Democratic majority in both houses, and a Democratic President. For the last two years we've watched as nearly 300+ men and women who we put our faith in to take care of us and enact change for the betterment of our country
were trampled on by the Republicans. For the last two years we've seen a decline into complete and utter politics.
No doubt, they got things done, I know... I've been to the website. But they didn't get what we wanted done.
As a nation we put our hearts into this candidate. We defended him and his seeming lack of power for almost two years; but I, for one, am done.
Nothing has changed and if it has, it's only changed for the worse. I've never felt so hopeless before now. Our government doesn't seem to care about us anymore. Our elected leaders, the men and women we send to Congress to run our country. The people we send to maintain this country and keep it good, are not there for that.
The Republican party's behavior over the last two years has been disgusting to me. Never before have there been more filibusters. Their entire purpose is not to get their point across and aid in the reconstruction of this nation, as it should be. From what I have seen and heard straight out their own mouths, their entire goal is to ensure that President Obama is in office for only one term.
I am saddened to say they may have won.
Starting at 12:01AM on January 1, 2011 the Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire. This will increase taxes for all Americans by nearly 5%. In an economic recession this is simply not the right thing to do. Both sides understand this, and wish to extend the cuts. There are just some little problems.
The deficit, debt, and the richest 2% of Americans.
Simply put, the wealthiest 2% of Americans have a tax break of, on average, $100,000. Meanwhile middle and lower class Americans have a tax break of something like $2000-$5000.
Simply put, the wealthiest 2% of Americans have a tax break of, on average, $100,000. Meanwhile middle and lower class Americans have a tax break of something like $2000-$5000.
Letting the tax-cut extend is like refusing to fix a badly bleeding wound. On that same metaphor, overdoing it can easily lead to an immobile economy, one that starts to decline again.
It's a tough decision, tax-cuts give a much needed tax-break to those middle and lower class people who put money back into the economy and stimulate it, but it costs so much. If you want to know how much it costs, here is a quick statistic.
The top 2% have about 25% of the wealth in the nation. If they continue to have tax cuts then it will cost 4 Trillion Dollars over the course of 10 years. Along those thought lines it's pretty easy to see that ending all tax-cuts would be a massive step towards fixing this country's debt and deficit (the main thing Republicans want to have fixed). However, as I stated earlier, we can't do that because of the state of the economy. Taking $2000 from a lower-middle class worker is extremely detrimental.
After looking up some other statistics, you find out of all of the income-increases for the past 20 years (since Reagan and his trickle-down ideology started) 80% has gone to the top 1% of America in terms of wealth.
In theory, this should have made jobs. But all over the nation we see jobs disappearing, they have been for 20 years, just look at our car manufacturing.
The theory works on paper, but in reality there is one problem, one fault, one part of the equation that fucks it all up... GREED.
In theory, this should have made jobs. But all over the nation we see jobs disappearing, they have been for 20 years, just look at our car manufacturing.
The theory works on paper, but in reality there is one problem, one fault, one part of the equation that fucks it all up... GREED.
Simply put, a millionaire or billionaire is not going to spend that extra $100,000, or $300,000. If they do spend it, it's not going to be on creating new jobs for us lower class folks who are suffering. It's cheaper to outsource, plain and simple.
So you would think that letting those tax-cuts expire for the top 2% would, overall, be a good thing, because it is. The Republicans don't think so... they let unemployment benefits for the poorest Americans expire because "it costs too much" while simultaneously waving the banner for a greedy minority in America who will cost us a ridiculous amount, and to no avail.
The Republicans filibustered a plan to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the lower and middle class while letting them expire for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. As they have been doing for this entire 111th Congress. In fact they said that they refuse to vote on anything else until they resolve the issue (as they turn around and stall it).
Democrats, Obama, had a chance to call their bluff, and for a moment, just for a moment, I had hope that they would. Republicans would never let all Bush-era tax cuts end for everybody. Even House Minority Leader John Boehner said, himself, he would vote with the Democrats if he had to.
The House passed a bill. It went to the Senate, where it was filibustered. Democrats didn't have the votes to break it.
That would have been fine, it would have been amazing because then they could have pushed the Republicans to the very edge and forced them to either take blame for raising everyone's taxes or help out.
Monday, December 6, 2010, Obama throws in the towel. Our last chance, the lame duck congress with two Democratic houses. He caves. He has let me down. He has let America down.
The House passed a bill. It went to the Senate, where it was filibustered. Democrats didn't have the votes to break it.
That would have been fine, it would have been amazing because then they could have pushed the Republicans to the very edge and forced them to either take blame for raising everyone's taxes or help out.
Monday, December 6, 2010, Obama throws in the towel. Our last chance, the lame duck congress with two Democratic houses. He caves. He has let me down. He has let America down.
I don't know the interests of the Senators, but it isn't us. I don't know who the Representatives care about, but it isn't our country. I don't know what Obama is fighting for, but it isn't me, or you.
It's all politics.
Democrats step on us, so we vote Republican. Republicans step on us, so we vote Democrat. It's no longer about the well being of our country, it's about whether Washington D.C. is Red or Blue.
There are two Senators who are Independent. One of them, Senator Bernie Sanders speaks for us. The people, the majority. He speaks for the poor, and the shrinking middle class. He isn't a politician, he is a Senator. He made a great speech before this bill was turned down. I want you all to listen. This is a man who is in Washington for us, not some politics, or some money.
It's all politics.
Democrats step on us, so we vote Republican. Republicans step on us, so we vote Democrat. It's no longer about the well being of our country, it's about whether Washington D.C. is Red or Blue.
There are two Senators who are Independent. One of them, Senator Bernie Sanders speaks for us. The people, the majority. He speaks for the poor, and the shrinking middle class. He isn't a politician, he is a Senator. He made a great speech before this bill was turned down. I want you all to listen. This is a man who is in Washington for us, not some politics, or some money.
Next election, we're going to elect a Republican. After that, a Democrat, and then a Republican. But I have faith that one day we will turn our backs on these monsters that are controlling us, and elect someone like this man.
Until then...
Until then...
It's all politics.
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