Every single day, the consequences of the disasterous 2010 election become more and more apparent.
GOP-controlled Legislatures and Governors in states across the country have spent the past 2 and a half years gutting environmental laws, workers rights, abortion rights and even voting rights.
And, to compound this disaster, 2010 was the Decennial census year. Meaning, every State would completely redraw its Legislative and Congressional district boundaries during the period of absolute GOP control of many highly populated states across the country, including Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina.
So, even if voters were outraged by the Union busting in Michigan or Wisconsin, voting rights act atrocities in North Carolina, or the abortion restrictions in Ohio, they were effectively disenfranchised by the worst gerrymandering in a century.
Then, add in the overwhelming resistance to Obamacare in many of these same states. The refusal to expand Medicaid, which is hurting millions of working poor Americans. The obstructionism, and foot dragging on setting up health care exchanges that played a large part in overwhelming the Obama administration's ability to get them up and running effectively.
I could go one and on. But, you know all of this. So, why am I writing this diary? What's the point? To depress you? To motivate you? Why?
Well, it's mostly to vent. In my mind, MOST of what happened in 2010 was avoidable. Because of some very bad political choices made by Democrats in Washington, DC during the 1st two years of Obama's 1st term, we got this debacle.
I have posted diaries (going back 2-3 years) about the many, many problems with Obamacare. But, the central point is that, any national health insurance program that counts on 100% cooperation from the GOP, States, Insurance Companies, and businesses to work (and that's assuming there are not implementation glitches at the federal level!), is bad public policy.
It has laudable goals. And, with enough time, it may show a modicum of success in achieving those goals. But, was this Rube-Goldbergian nightmare worth the massive price millions of people are paying in lost voting rights, reproductive rights, collective bargaining rights, and lost jobs and stagnant incomes?
All of which can be, in my view, directly attributed to the huge losses suffered by Democrats in 2010 in states and in Congress. I think Obamacare was the direct cause of these losses.
To me, it's not worth it. Maybe you disagree? Maybe you don't. But, frankly, I'm angry about what the GOP is doing. And, it won't be until at least 2021 before we can really fix this mess.