Before I go any further, I would like to share something an aquaintance of my wrote on his Facebook page during the "Jon Stewart let's get our Civil on" rage:
Hey fellow liberals - Remember how obnoxious it's been for the last two years listening to the other side blather about us being dangerous lunatics bent on destroying America? Can we maybe be the bigger people and not immediately start doing the exact same thing?
With all due respect to the gentleman, and to others who might share this same sentiment, you're all very naive.
The events in Wisconsin last night and the sudden resignation of NPR CEO Vivian Shiller are all connected.
How? You might ask.
Well, the one thing that I've struggled with ever since George W. Bush and Richard M. Daley made me care about what has happened to this country and my hometown of Chicago, is that Conservatives have practically gotten away with pretty much everything.
It's as if Conservatives are born to cause chaos, and not be held accountable for their actions. For the last 30 years the great people of this nation have allowed Conservatives to run this country, and for 30 years Conservatives have failed.
Let me repeat, Conservatives have FAILED.
But have you ever heard a member of the Democratic Party say, "Conservatives have failed." Not quite. But in response to the Reagan landslide of 1984, Democrats decided it would be best to not antagonize Conservatives, so some decided to form the Democratic Leadership Council. The motto of the DLC could be best described as this, "If you can't beat them, then join them."
Conservatives are good at saying "no," to anything.
Tax the rich? No.
Universal Health Care? No
Public Option? No
Gay Marriage? No
What about, repairing our aging roads? No
Oh, oh, how about allowing women the right to choose? Um, no.
Basically anything you throw at Conservatives they will say no to. Even stuff that they might agree with, they will say no to.
But, when was the last time, someone told Conservatives, No?
I'm convinced that hasn't happened, because if it did happen, Scott Walker wouldn't destroy 50 years of Workers' rights. Vivian Schiller wouldn't have resigned her post as CEO of NPR. Van Jones would be working with the Obama administration, and Shirley Sherrod, wouldn't have to go through the public humiliation that she went through. All of this has occured, because Democrats and some Liberals have felt that taking the higher road is somehow honorable than engaging in a knock down drag out fight with Conservatives. The President is a strong believer in this. He doesn't believe in the "old politics of division." To him, there are no Conservatives, and there are no Liberals, it's just us. Sounds neat. Sounds like birds humming beautifully, while an angel plays on harpsichord. But it's all naive.
For instance, on April 1, 2009, 95 percent of the American people received a tax cut. This is not BS, this is fact.
However, when a self-professed dittohead went on Rush Limbaugh's radio program to defend the President from Limbaugh's belief that Obama was just another Tax and Spend Liberal, Limbaugh had this to say:
Pay no attention to what Obama says. He means the opposite in most cases. What he says is irrelevant.
And what was Obama's response?
Nothing.
The lie went on, and many in Tea Party America believed that their taxes were high, when it fact they were low. The lowest in over 50 years.
Again, Conservatives running away scot free.
But the problem isn't Obama himself, no. Remember Michael Dukakis?
He had a 17 point lead on then Vice President George H.W. Bush. But then came the Willie Horton ads, and then all of a sudden Mr. Dukakis decided, well, he decided to do nothing. In fact, during a recent interview with Salon.com, Mr. Dukakis said it was a mistake not to respond:
"I did a lousy job of dealing with that. The first big mistake I made was making a decision I wasn't going to respond to the Bush attack campaign. You cannot do that. Now, how you do it, how you turn an attack campaign into a character issue on the guy that's doing it -- which, ideally, is the best way to deal with it -- it's not easy."
What he says is true. It's not easy. But it's a disaster when a Democrat allows a Conservative to frame the argument. I'm sure John Kerry has sleepless nights thinking about what might've been had he taken a firm stance against Conservatives who were questioning his character in the most despicable way.
By all accounts, Conservatives should be in the political wilderness. Looking at the last 30 years, it makes sense for them to be marginalize completely. But it hasn't happened.
Newt Gingrich was a failure, but look he might run for President. The same with Rick Santorum, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and others. What this country has become is quite sad. We are a Mendocracy. In short, we are run by liars. And when we don't question the liars or called them out as such, we get Vivian Schiller bowing down to Conservatives. We get Scott Walker destroying Public Unions. And when we don't call out Conservatives for what they our and what their movement really is, we get the tea party ascending to power. Contrary to what the "let's get our civil on," crowd might tell you, there is nothing uncivil about calling Conservatives failures at their job. In fact, it's probably the most honest thing a person can say. But if we fold up everytime a right-winger cries, like in the case with the NPR fiasco, then how are we going to defeat the radical right? How are we going to defeat the forces that are trying to destroy the American middle class?
Democrats and Liberals have been bullied for the last 30 years. Ever since Ronald Reagan took out the Air traffic controllers. And everytime Conservatives have stepped over the line, Democrats and Liberals have done nothing. If you allow a bully to take control of you, then the game is over. But if you stand up to the bully, he becomes weak. Conservatives are America's bullies, but no one had the guts to stand up to them. Until now. My hope is that those in Wisconsin who are protesting against Scott Walker's despicable actions will inspire those to stand up to Conservatives. Otherwise, we will all continue to be steamrolled by them.