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The Looking Glass
Nationwide, the campaigns have been, to say the least, interesting. We keep looking for the rabbit and the red queen.
Just a few short years ago, nobody would have thought a candidate who supported giving our Social Security fund to Wall Street would even be nominated. But Republicans want to privatize Social Security to enrich their corporate donors.
Just a few short years ago, nobody would have thought a candidate who advocated abolishing the Department of Education was serious. But Republicans want to gut public education, leaving families the option of lotteries and vouchers and, for most, an empty hope of getting a good education if they are not wealthy.
Just a few short years ago, nobody would have given the time of day to a candidate who supported privatizing the Veteran's Administration. But Republicans say our veterans, who have given so much, do not deserve our continued support. Instead, they can be cast to the whims of the free market when we no longer need their service.
Just a few short years ago, anyone wanting to repeal the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment would have been considered cartoon characters. But Republicans believe property rights trump human rights.
After the near-total collapse of Wall Street, who would have guessed those opposed to regulating the banking and investment industry would have even a remote chance of being elected? This, while CEO's continue to rake in bloated salaries and bonuses and ship American jobs overseas. But Republicans want to allow the privileged to gamble freely with everyone else's money.
And how could a vote to provide affordable healthcare to nearly every American be turned into something bad? Should the insurance industry continue to decide what treatment we receive from our doctors? Should it decide who lives and who dies? We don't vote for insurance companies. But now the Republicans want to return to the "good old days" of pre-existing condition denial of coverage, so they campaign to repeal the healthcare law before most Americans discover its value.
Of all things, Republicans support continuing tax cuts on incomes over $250,000.00 a year. This, while at the same time delaying unemployment benefit payments to those hardest hit by the greatest economic collapse since the Great Depression. They want to return to trickle-down economics, proven to benefit only the wealthy. We suggest trying perk-up economics for a change. (We prefer coffee over tea.)
To top it off, Republicans say they are worried about the deficit. But not a peep about the deficit was heard from them when it was time to start a $3 trillion war in Iraq.
So, the Republicans blame it all on President Obama and the Democratic Congress. If they repeat it loud and long enough, they believe the American people will forget who spent a decade getting us into this mess. They've worked to obstruct every effort made to straighten out the train wreck they handed our President a short 21 months ago, even when some of the ideas were originally their own.
In this campaign season, Republicans demonize and distort. They drag out the predictable red meat issues (abortion, religion, guns, those who look different, those who speak a different language) and try to whip voters into a frenzy fed by fear. They will say anything to win.
But we remember recent history, and we are not alone. The citizens of this great country are not stupid, and they will not be played for fools, no matter how much money from anonymous benefactors the Republicans pour into their campaigns.
We are not quitters. And we will be at the polls on November 2.