[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
I felt better after reading the inimitable Hunter of Daily Kos this morning, for I too have been in a foul, surly mood of perception of anything political lately, sure that whatever I could contribute wouldn’t be worth it or be helpful. Political perceptions had brightened Tuesday when the President got righteous on the Republicans for untrustworthy charlatans and duty absolutely calls, so for the second time this year I will wade forth into political pixels.
It is a ponderous chain. I am a small person happy in service, it is not my place to constantly harp on leadership, but if there are yawning chasms of nothing where Jesus there had better be something I won’t shut up, even if it makes me feel lousy. The only real reason I’m sure I’m correct about today’s foray, in fact, is because Doctor Atrios brought it up recently and it damn well bears repeating.
Yes yes I’ll get to it, but duty absolutely demands reminding that Eschaton is having its annual fundraiser and Professor Black should get some love. A decade is an important milestone for being such a peerless blogger and voice for the little people, along with being a fine media critic. Where would we be without Duncan?
President Obama correctly nailed the Republicans for using the truth like toilet paper in their odious authoritarian quests of various repressions, fine, but like Eschaton I would like to know what the agenda is for the second Obama term. Who are we and what are we going to build for the little people?
Since the conservative Republicans are so obnoxiously regressive any proposed solution or project for the second term will naturally tend to be liberal, without another election to run I’m sure the White House can handle it. I state the obvious absurdity because for three years the Obama Administration has run like hell from anything remotely associated with liberalism or confrontational change (sorry, mandated insurance doesn't cut it), but those ridiculous political blinders will be gone in the second term, you can be liberal on something, Obama Administration, the sun will still rise.
Oh is it so freaking necessary. Primarily the first term has already been swamped with fervid socialism, except for building trains or schools we bailed out the banks and finance with the country’s money. Aside from the rank disgust from it all, when are the little people getting some liberal socialism like that? Are we really going to run an election that has zero investment for the country after saving finance?
Secondarily the country desperately needs it, of course infrastructure needs work and money, but our energy systems are completely out of whack with global warming arriving, our schools have been neglected for 40 years, and employment has become an absolute disaster in rate and wages for an unbelievably long and unprecedented period.
Finally plain politics demands it, there has to be a payoff for people somewhere or it won’t seem worth the time and effort to be involved. If the Obama White House truly wants to run a campaign on how they’re Not Republicans, well, I can see a weak win on that, yes, but nothing that could engage our people into the righteous landslide it should be. There’s nothing wrong with promising a payoff, it just has to be expressly and tangibly real for a wide swath of little people, you know, for the Democracy of it. You can do it.
Personally I’d like to see solar on every roof with a new micro-distributive grid. Google is sure fiber optic will bring deliverance to us all, bullet trains could lattice the map, our public schools desperately need $100 billion for construction, an electric family four-door could be subsidized to $15,000, the liberal list of accomplishment for country is indeed long. Hope™ was used so brazenly as a word in the last election, it can’t be done again, this time real goals and tangible payoff have to be delivered.
In the next term. Now. For some reason a disastrous political habit has been accepted into our political discourse, we will accomplish such-and such goal in 10 years, 20 years, yes we will. Of course the promising politician is long, long gone by then and the ploy long forgotten.
Where is the second term agenda of investment for the little people and the country? Eschaton and the country want to know. Don’t give them an answer and don’t ever dare wonder how you could have lost, you’ll’ve so asked for it.