It has been interesting listening to comments made by our politicians and our soon to be politicians since the "shellackin" that the Democratic Party received in the elections less than a week ago. The "whys", the "wherefores", the "what-nots", and the "what's next" have all been spoken on... by those of all political parties and persuasions... and the Republicans and Tea Party-ers would have us believe that they are now going to come in and "save the day"!!
As I listened to election returns, one thing seemed to stand out... Democrats and Republicans and Tea Party-ers who spoke that night focused on the fact that people in our country were angry that not enough had been done to create more jobs for those who have been and continue to struggle with unemployment. And perhaps I heard it wrong, but it sounded to me as if those who had been re-elected and newly elected were making promises to take up the challenges of unemployment and job creation that are plaguing our economy as a top priority...
It sounded as though they were saying they would be coming to Washington to work to reduce unemployment and grow our economy... granted, that was not the only thing they were saying, but at least on election night it seemed as though that was going to be their top priority, because they said, "that was what the American People wanted"... "that was why the American People had so soundly defeated the Democrats"... "that was why the American People had handed the Democrats the largest defeat in history since the 1930's"... And from both Republicans and Democrats I heard that they [our elected and newly elected officials] were now going to work to fulfill the "people's mandate" [although the word "mandate" may not have actually been used, it was certainly implied]...
I wonder how they are going to do that?
I know, I know!!!! I heard it from the mouth of Mitch McConnell himself!!! He is going to focus on making sure that President Obama does not get elected in 2012, so that a Republican nominee can be elected as president, so that they can then repeal "Obama-care"...
Now that's a plan if I ever heard one... that will certainly fulfill the American People's "mandate" to create more jobs and bring the unemployment numbers down...
Yessiree!! Let's have two more years of Republicans and Tea Party-ers saying, "No, we won't!" to anything that is suggested or proposed, so that in the 2012 elections, the Democrats can be blamed, President Obama can be defeated, and Republicans can "take over"... and "Obama-care" can be repealed!!!
But wait... what about those unemployment numbers and those people in our country who are losing their homes and struggling to make ends meet? What about the American People's "mandate" that you promised to make top priority? Or at least that you appeared to promise to make top priority...
I guess in the short time span of just a few days, everything is suddenly ok with the job/unemployment situation, and attention can now be focused on the more important things... that of making sure that Democrats and President Obama are defeated in the 2012 elections... damn the needs of the American People... damn the anger in this country over job loss, mortgage foreclosures, unemployment and Wall Street excesses that brought us to this point...
What's that saying? "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead"?
Be warned.... we Americans now live in an "instant society" of "fast foods" and instant access to anything we want over the internet... and we apparently also expect "instant answers" to problems for which there are none... the "torpedoes" that sunk the Democrats in the 2010 elections may also sink Republicans and Tea Party-ers in the 2012 elections...
It is time that political posturing, political power-plays, and election rhetoric be put aside for the more important job of working together to find ways of reducing unemployment and encouraging the creation of more jobs... Whether Democrat or Republican or Tea Party or Independent, this is the reason you were elected... this is what the American People are screaming for... this is your "mandate"!!
We, the American People, are looking to you, our elected officials, for leadership, not partisanship!! And I think, that although we would like our problems to be solved instantaneously, that deep down, we know that will not happen... but it would be nice to see some progress being made... without having to wait another two years before any of you legislators even begins to get to work...
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