Goodbye, democracy!!!

[Aramike]

Originally Posted by antikristuseke

Sadly I think you will be proven wrong. It wont be any different than any other election, politicians just shuffle places a bit but nothing will really change.

Brilliant (no sarcasm intended).

Honestly, in every other election in my lifetime I would agree with you. But to be honest, I think change is a-comin'.

This political year is just downright bizarre. In my lifetime I have never seen moderate-right conservative activism on quite this scale - or really, any scale for that matter. Social policy has taken a backburner to fiscal policy in a very real sense. Establishment candidates are the only ones attempting to talk about guns, abortion, gay rights, etc. as a clear distraction from what the public percieves as the key issues - government pervasiveness and economic policy.

Just think: Medicare has been an albatross for Republicans for as long as I can remember - this year, they are seeing success actually running on its preservation due to Obamacare. The war is practically a non-issue, special social interest groups' ads are getting laughed at, a neocon/libertarian/religious talk radio host attracts more people to a rally in DC than 400 Big Labor organizations COMBINED....

In my analysis, this can pretty much be laid squarely at the feet of Barack Obama. He miscalculated greatly by overpromising and underdelivering - excessively. His stimulus package is an abject failure - by his OWN STANDARDS (remember his unemployment promise?). Obamacare was a time bomb just starting to explode as people are beginning to see their new annual insurance policies coming in - higher premiums, lower coverage, AND a trillion dollar overhead cost to taxpayers. People are beginning to wonder why public sector employees and unions aren't facing the same drop offs, except they resent paying for public sector jobs and are watching the typical union become impotent in the face of high unemployment.

Personally, I can't help but be excited by this as this seems to be ushering a new era of government accountability for the way our tax dollars are spent. People are paying attention - perhaps that is one benefit of a slow economy.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Aramike

Personally, I can't help but be excited by this as this seems to be ushering a new era of government accountability for the way our tax dollars are spent. People are paying attention - perhaps that is one benefit of a slow economy.

Doubtful. Voters are fickle and have very short memories. This is lip service being paid by candidates to a passing fad, nothing more.

Honestly, in every other election in my lifetime I would agree with you. But to be honest, I think change is a-comin'.

Feeling hopey changey.....just like some mugs in the last round.

[Castout]

A pic is worth a thousand words though I'd prefer a thousand post count..anyway...so here

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

Feeling hopey changey.....just like some mugs in the last round.

It just goes to show politicians are politicians, and if you go into it thinking "yeah. but it's gonna be different this time!" you will be disappointed.

[Aramike]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Doubtful. Voters are fickle and have very short memories. This is lip service being paid by candidates to a passing fad, nothing more.

I disagree. Short memories in good times, yes. In bad times, any misstep the party in power has ever taken comes back to haunt them.

Besides, I should've been more clear - I'm not suggesting a major change in the way politicians approach the nation's issues but rather a major change in which the voters approach the politicians. We are already seeing this.