politics

What Politics Should Be Like

January 30, 2010 By mario piperni

We’ve all read and heard so much about the President’s performance in facing Republicans and debating them head on. It was magnificent and fascinating to watch and it got me thinking…how wonderful if the entire political process was as it was yesterday – politicians making their statements and accusations right to the face of those best positioned to respond.

The current system allows politicians to get away with saying whatever they wish unchallenged. The lies are then filtered through the media where they’re either propagated or exposed depending on which media outlet we choose to obtain our information from. Imagine some dope who gets his or her news exclusively from Fox and conservative talk radio. Any Republican lie spreads like wildfire (think ‘death panels’) and is repeated by every hack on Fox as well as Limbaugh and the rest. The dope listening to this crap doesn’t know any better. After hearing the lie repeated over and over and lacking the ability to critically think out an issue, they naturally come to see it as gospel truth.

What you’re left with is misinformation which manifests itself into anger and rebellion and gives birth to teabaggers and the like. The health care ‘debate’ has shown us how easy it is for lobbyists with vested interests to manipulate and distort the truth into an unrecognizable pile of nonsense.

Now imagine if the Fox-watching dope was given the opportunity to watch a politician confront his accusers in open debate as we witnessed yesterday. The dissemination of information and truth would be so much more simplified and clear. But great as it might be, don’t hold your breath. It’s not about to happen. Fox News cut short their coverage of the event yesterday for a reason. Their entire existence is based on misinformation and keeping the dopes stupid.

In short, ignorance is what fuels and empowers Republicans. Without it, they have nothing.

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Filed Under: politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, Conservative Media, Fox News, photoshop, political issues, politics

State Of The Union Open Thread

January 27, 2010 By mario piperni

Your thoughts.

My favorite…

“To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills.”

“And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that sixty votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions.”

Full text here.

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Filed Under: politics Tagged With: Barack Obama, photoshop, political issues, politics, state of the nation

Spin, Rage…and Hope

January 21, 2010 By mario piperni

A DailyDish reader explains his dejection over the current political state of affairs.

This is yet another email from an Obama supporter who has lost all hope. I will no longer vote in national elections, because it is clear to me now that my vote for president or senator are worthless. A handful of morons in (insert a state here) invalidate my choice because the Senate is ruled by 5-6 Senators that refuse to face tough choices that need to be made to avoid a financial catastrophe in 10 years. There will be NO health care bill passed and the raging idiots will blame the Democrats and vote the Republicans in a landslide in November 2010. Forget about the REALLY tough problems like the debt, Social Security, moving away from our dependence on foreign energy supplies, etc. If Congress can’t get it’s collective shit together to pass a bill that attempts to fix a problem EVERYONE agrees on, then all hope is lost.

Obama can’t change this. The country has exactly the government it deserves: fat, stupid and lazy. Built to respond to the 24-hour news cycle and a singular goal of protecting seats in the next election. Obama is a one termer. I hate writing that, but it’s true. Republicans will put up some populist puff piece in 2012 and he’s going to win.

I’m done.

Sullivan’s response should make you think.

For what it’s worth, I’m not. And for what it’s worth, I beg you not to be.

We supported Obama precisely because he was trying to combat this system, to attempt governance that was not hostage to news-cycle Rovian politics. And this he has tried to do, operating within a system that is the one we have, in a climate that the last four decades has created. He has achieved, despite the carping on the left and rage on the right, many good things. Health insurance reform is one of the toughest.

[...]

This is the GOP’s high water-mark. They have abdicated any responsibility to tackle the problems we all acknowledge, while indulging in extremist rhetoric. They live for the spin and the rage. So this is the moment they have been waiting for. Most Americans don’t think this way. They are legitimately worried that health reform is too costly right now. They’re wrong if we find the will in the coming years to ensure that the Medicare cuts are real and the cost controls are followed up. And we need to do our part in persuading them.

This is not over. In some ways, it is only just beginning.

Which is why Obama needs us breathing down his neck, and galvanizing support for necessary reform – now, more than in the campaign. If we give up, we will be copying the hysteria and nihilism of the right. Do not give up. Focus. Argue. Mobilize.

Yes. We. Can.

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Filed Under: politics Tagged With: andrew sullivan, political issues, politics

Recovery.gov is off and running

February 20, 2009 By mario piperni

Adding Transparency to the Recovery Bill

The government accountability website which President Obama promised, launched this week. The following is the message one is greeted with at Recovery.gov

“Recovery.gov is a website that lets you, the taxpayer, figure out where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going. There are going to be a few different ways to search for information. The money is being distributed by Federal agencies, and soon you’ll be able to see where it’s going — to which states, to which congressional districts, even to which Federal contractors. As soon as we are able to, we’ll display that information visually in maps, charts, and graphics.”

Aside from the description above, the site gives one access to the full recovery bill and allows individuals to write in their thoughts and personal stories. I can’t imagine how it can get any more transparent than this. It’ll be interesting to see how well it works.

Filed Under: Barack Obama, political issues, politics, stimulus bill Tagged With: recovery bill, recovery.gov

Majority of Americans Identify With the Democrat Party

January 26, 2009 By mario piperni

Hey, it’s OK to be a Democrat.

A series of Gallup polls conducted in 2008 give Democrats an 8 point advantage over Republicans when Americans were asked to identify with a political party. This is the largest margin for any party since Gallup started this specific poll in 1988.

Gallup’s Jeffrey Jones noted, “Clearly, much of the Democratic momentum in recent years has been the result of dissatisfaction with the way the Republicans were governing the nation. The Republicans, in turn, will attempt to regroup as the minority party and win back some of the support they have lost in recent years.’”

When Americans were asked which party they identify with or lean toward, Democrats polled at 52% compared to 40% for Republicans.