Remember that kid who always found something to complain about. You know, the one who never liked your idea, but never seemed to have an idea of his own. He would grudgingly go along with the crowd and look for the first opportunity to say "I told you so". When challenged he would never identify specifics, but would generalize about all of the things that were wrong. He just constantly gave off this negative vibe, but couldn't understand why people didn't want to be around him. You see, he thought that he was being analytical, perceptive and constructive. And most of all, he thought he understood reality better than anyone else and that he was the smartest kid in the room. It was therefore his duty to lead the misguided and ill-informed and to protect them from themselves. Welcome to the GOP.
Remember that kid who always found something to complain about. You know, the one who never liked your idea, but never seemed to have an idea of his own. He would grudgingly go along with the crowd and look for the first opportunity to say "I told you so". When challenged he would never identify specifics, but would generalize about all of the things that were wrong. He just constantly gave off this negative vibe, but couldn't understand why people didn't want to be around him. You see, he thought that he was being analytical, perceptive and constructive. And most of all, he thought he understood reality better than anyone else and that he was the smartest kid in the room. It was therefore his duty to lead the misguided and ill-informed and to protect them from themselves. Welcome to the GOP.
There seems to be nothing that President Obama or the Democrats can do that doesn't receive criticism from the Republicans. It is amazing that they can find something to complain about regardless of the issue. What is most troubling is the arrogant and supercilious tenor of their comments. They don't just criticize, they condescend. It is as if they are saying, " how can these ignorant and misguided souls be so stupid?" After all, the fact that 96% of scientists the world-over agree that climate change is real shouldn't be the basis for proactive legislation. You see, the anti-science folks know better. The fact that we, among the industrialized world, have, by far, the highest number of gun deaths and the most liberal gun control laws doesn't lead these folks to question the appropriateness of our laws. You see, the experts at the NRA know better. The inherent contradiction of demanding that government stay away from business and financial regulation and gun control, while demanding that government control the availability of abortions and birth control and marriage equality does not present a problem for this "know it all"group. This is the same group that sings the praises of America as a place where hard work will provide all an opportunity to be successful, and then does everything possible to block that success by refusing to raise the minimum wage and extend unemployment benefits. They do this as they cut funding for the Food Stamp program claiming that it just encourages government dependency and laziness. As this President has worked hard to undo the incredible damage done by his Republican predecessor in the area of international relations this group has criticized every move. They scream about our loss in Benghazi, while never questioning the thousands killed and wounded in our needless war in Iraq. They seem ready to place our soldiers in harm's way, yet those who yell the loudest have never been willing to place themselves in harm's way. This is the group that has pledged itself to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and has tried 50 times, yet has never come up with an alternative. They are more concerned about the health of the insurance industry than the health of their constituents. This is a group that sings the praises of democracy and seeks to export it the world-over, yet works hard to restrict voting rights throughout our county.
Obviously, I find this group to be dishonest, disingenuous and self-serving. I marvel at their self-imposed delusion. But I marvel even more at the prospect of their electoral success in the 2014 midterm elections. It is a wonder to me that our electorate is so ill-informed and willing to buy the incredibly flawed arguments of the GOP. The fact that the GOP is willing to run on these issues and arguments tells us much about their view of the electorate. Is our electorate as oblivious and ignorant as the GOP thinks? If so, it is a match made in hell and bodes ill for our future.
The Democrats must energize to reverse what may be a disaster for our nation. We must do all that we can to assure that the Senate holds its Democratic majority, and that the House does not lose any more Democratic seats. The legislative paralysis that we have experienced over the past several years is far better than the regressive policies we will see enacted into law if the GOP hold a majority in both houses.
Cross-posted on rationalpolitics.co