Originally Posted by Jess
Without differing views there can be no debate, that said...
You asked about or inferred to a seeming pull back of support for Pres Obama by the very people who voted him into office and seem upset or surprised to witness this. I can only speak for myself and from watching a wide variety of news sources ( not just liberal/ Democratic OR conservative/ Republican, but both) when I say I think it is because the voters feel lied to. Here is why I think most of middle America feels that way, just based on what I see going on.
A) Gay people feel betrayed because of the lack of actual action/ support for the ending of ENDA/ DOMA/ DADT/ Equal Marriage rights. Mr. Obama and speaker Pelosi among other prominent Democrats, made it very clear that he would fight relentlessly for the repeal of these discriminations and has failed to do so.
Yes, I have been discusted with this too. And the reasons for inaction- the reaching across to the GOP!!!
B) The Latina/ Hispanic population feels betrayed because Mr. Obama promised immediate action on immigration reform within "the first 90 days " of his presidency. Then later stated via AP while on Airforce 1, that it was "not a good time for his party". Then, we have AZ and all of it's malarky blowing up and further enraging folks who are already waiting for the Feds to take some promised action on reform.
Again, I agree. however, I hope that when this is taken on, it is not like how health care reform went! And I want a means for undocumented people here to be able to gain citizenship.
C) As mentioned, older baby boomers lost their ass and have no chance of recovery within the current economy.
Very true, i'm a living example!!
D) Middle America feels completely overlooked in any ability to affect change and begin lashing out at any "emotional" issue that comes down the pike. Gay marriage/ Islamic cultural center/ idiots burning holy texts.
I think the greater problem with the whole system is like stated above, most of us more moderate voters can have little affect if we truly vote for the better candidate. Mostly because they aren't in one of the two major parties.
If the informed voter had looked at President Obama's voting record while he held office in senate, they would have found him to be a very pragmatic, middle of the road legislator who rarely voted against anything that BOTH parties didn't agree upon. His votes were missing on any "hot topics", nothing very controversial. His record actually reflected what a lot of liberals complained about in justice Kagen. That she was too "moderate". Makes perfect sense to me that she was his appointee ( and I do not disagree with his choice).
I think a lot of voters placed a great deal of hope on an image and not on facts and unfortunately it always comes back to bite us in the end. It doesn't surprise me at all that a great portion of the fringe liberals who voted him into office are now very vocal about their disapproval. The issues that got him voted in are very "real" very serious human rights issues.
Yes, they are and I feel anger, too. Yet, I think about what could happen if the fringe gains in the elections. But, I am so sick of voting against someone or something, instead of for a candidate!
The economy will not be fixed until issues of Union exploitation and outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and taxes ( or penalties) placed upon businesses who take jobs from Americans then expect those same Americans to buy their products or services happens. Encouraging small business is fine, however, with so much of our population struggling to just survive, who is going to support these small businesses when too often their products cost so much more than mass manufactured ( in China, for example: read: Walmart), are the only thing affordable? Add to that the new issues in providing insurance that small business is facing and you won't see a great many folks willing to risk what savings they have or any accrued equity in taking out small business loans.
As much as I hate to say this, I don't think manufacturing will ever come back in the US. There is a chance for developing manufacturing, but this still leaves a huge population out of the mix and out of luck. I don't know if people are willing to pay the costs of unionized labor any more in this country. I really don't. And can they?
I say Union exploitation in the sense that today's Union's are no longer necessary in my opinion. My grandfather was a coal miner who was shot and had his legs broken and watched other miners lose their lives in an effort to reform their industry. At that time, Unions were very much needed. Today's Labor Laws demand those safety measures and fair wage and make Unions nothing more than a lobby to create a wage that forces businesses to look for outside sources to fulfill their labor pool. Mind you, this is just my opinion. I see Unions actually harming their members more now than doing them a service. Take the Mott strike for example and the Union folks praying for it to resolve as they are losing money and using up their savings waiting for something to happen. Seriously, how much money does someone expect to make for canning applesauce? It isn't about safety or fair labor, it's about the Union organizers wanting more money.
I do see the role of labor unions having been diminished in many ways. My background is union-made, too. It hurts. My worry is that without them, will more workers be exploited, or work in dangerous situations because companies cut costs on safety? I don't have these answers. it does feel like unions have become big business themselves, in many ways. The days of unions being formed and run by workers, are over.
I am just as dismayed by current politics and the very angry tone of our world right now. We argue amongst ourselves about stuff that on the bigger scale is pretty petty. It's almost as if we "look" for something to be angry about because we are ultimately so powerless in the grand scheme of things and yes, we become enraged when we see the folks we thought we going to give us that hand "up" doing seemingly nothing they said they would.
Feeling powerless about sums it up. I still stay involved on the local level and give time during election cycles, but, yes, I get very frustrated.
Just my thoughts. Thanks for the thread, At Last.
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