The government shutdown has the national blame game in full force. The polls are all in- weighing in with roughly majorities or pluralities blaming Republicans, fewer but still an astonishing number blame the Democrats (especially since Republicans are openly saying they shut down the government because they failed to repeal Obamacare 42 times, so they were defunding it as a last stand), and even more astonishing, a very small number actually blame the Tea Party. The Tea Party candidates are the small minority of Republicans who represent districts so Red they are forced not only to shut the government down but express "giddiness" about their "victory".
But which poll gave "Citizens United" as an option for the who is to blame for this mess?
None. But it was in fact, Citizens United, that opened the fire hydrants of cash into state assembly races that gave the GOP control of a huge majority of the control of redistricting. As of 2012, of the 235 districts (that Legislatures vs. commissions controlled), more than half were controlled by the GOP and only 49 were controlled by Democratic legislatures.
It was the "no way can a D ever get elected in these districts" that has allowed perhaps a decade of "get out of jail free passes" for this destructive behavior. The Tea Party is getting all the credit, but it is now well documented that it was the Koch brothers and other billionaires who financed the "grassrooots" movement with "no leadership" that represents "the people" who were just plain suddenly "fed up with" with government debts racked up, after the election of President Obama (because apparantly they didn't notice that the debt piled up during the Bush presidency).
So in short, this dynamic, where the House can be held for a decade, these Near Death Political Experiences of governance as Karen Tumulty of The Washington Post called it, could just be "the normal order of business".
Yet, I've heard little discussion of the root cause of this meltdown in the media. So, as the netroots community has done in the past, it is time to go viral on Citizens United and as I believe humor is the best viral tool (and therefore educational tool of a younger generation), I have listed www.ScrewCitizensUnited.com for auction at GoDaddy. As I am nowhere near a Koch brother, nor have the organization to go viral with some creative ways to research, and illustrate just how nefarious Citizens United is - and that it is how we got in this mess, I'm appealing for those groups who have congealed for this purpose to relate this shutdown to Citizens United - and make sure the general public understands this.
I've always believed in the civil process of governing, respecting our fellow passengers on the American boat, even if we disagree on issues. Allowing that ship to hit an iceberg when the threat was seen well in advance, is not acceptable. In fact, I'm writing a book on how the worldviews held by our fellow Americans are their "actual reality", and how quantum physics proved that long ago. I still believe most people have good intentions and just want to be happy. Those people need to know that democracy was sold to the highest bidder and this was the result. Maybe there will be a genuine grassroots movement where real people are just fed up with that - and will vote for candidates who will repeal Citizens United and restore the promise of one human American citizen, one vote.