The Real Revolution Has Begun

Just a little more than two years ago, liberals were ecstatic about Barack Obama's election and Democrats' control of Congress. Liberal pundits were all atwitter about the brand newDemocratic Era that voters had ushered in. America would finally become what America should have been years ago: a European-style social democracy.

Boy, did Democrats misread their mandate! With very little hindsight needed, it's apparent to all but ideologically-blinkered liberals that the Democrats' gross overreach isn't what voters wanted or expected. Voters wanted a redo of the Clinton years. Instead, in the person of Barack Obama, voters got an amalgam of FDR and LBJ with a dash of Neville Chamberlin thrown in.

But here's the real kicker. Two years of Obama-Reid-Pelosi overreach and excesses may have been the table-setter for the real revolution now unfolding. Voters and taxpayers first needed to see the irresponsibility and recklessness of unalloyed liberalism to appreciate that conservative government is far superior. Thank you, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid.

http://visiontoamerica.org/story/the-re ... begun.html

Interesting, if what you say is accurate, that the democrats over-reached their mandate, and that is what has brought the republicans/tea party into power......then what I am seeing in this country may also be true, a republican/tea party that is also over-reaching what they think is a mandate and the backlash from that may make the anger against democrats look like childs play. Where do I get this notion? From scenes like Wisconsin where I think the Governor has taken his war on unions one step too far and these films will be fodder for democrats in 2012. And in the House of Representatives where Speaker Boehner and the Republicans are spending their political capital on bills and measures they know cannot pass but are more a sign of anger and petulence than they are a sign of a real desire to get the business of this country back on track. If they were serious they would accept the reality of this government, that nothing will get done in a divided congress that isn't worked out in compromise with democrats and independents.

What I see are Republicans, heady with power, ignoring the fact that they do NOT have a majority in the Senate, they do NOT hold the presidency........so they can NOT push through their agenda without help.....which they refuse to even discuss. It's going to be a wild ride, especially if the government shuts down in another month. Now I'll bet you will blame it on Democrats......and I will blame it on Republicans....but the truth is somewhere in the middle, our government is so polarized that the people we elected would rather shut everything down than even talk with the other side......or give an inch......or engage in meaningful discussions of compromise.

How this all plays out in 2012 remains to be seen....but I sure can envision some pretty damning ads against Republicans if this economy doesn't turn around, unemployement go down, and spending get cut without pissing off over half of the citizens (and they will be pissed if all the spending cuts target middle class or lower class citizens and not include the wealthy and corporations and the military and congress itself)

Hang on......

You are right.....when one party thinks they can go it alone, that they can ram through whatever they want.....it usually goes badly. First the Democrats.....now the Republicans....none of us are well served by those we have elected.

I would say that Americans voted for change, not to give the Republicans a mandate to forward their agenda. After all, the R's only won the house...

archer wrote: How this all plays out in 2012 remains to be seen....but I sure can envision some pretty damning ads against Republicans if this economy doesn't turn around, unemployement go down, and spending get cut without pissing off over half of the citizens (and they will be pissed if all the spending cuts target middle class or lower class citizens and not include the wealthy and corporations and the military and congress itself)

Hang on......

You are right.....when one party thinks they can go it alone, that they can ram through whatever they want.....it usually goes badly. First the Democrats.....now the Republicans....none of us are well served by those we have elected.

What we have in SOME of the current republicans are people who are actually treating the American people like adults, and telling them the truth. Some don't like the truth, but that doesn't change the fact that it is the truth. States can't kick the can down the road and borrow like the feds can (but shouldn't). Everyone's ox should get gored a little, and we have to address things like unsustainable pensions. I've seen plenty of democrats moving to the side of addressing the issue as well. Look at the poll #'s for a guy like Chris Christie in a heavily blue state. He is addressing things that every past politician wanted to sweep under the rug. We must address this now....

Funny how I somewhat agree with both of you, mind you, somewhat. What I don't agree with is this so called compromising. Compromising is what brought us to this extreme precipice we are poised to fall over. Bipartisanship isn't what this country needs IMO, what it needs is strong leadership, which we haven't seen in actually many decades. We need a government that isn't self-serving, that is of the people, by the people and definitely for the people. We need smaller government, but representative government. Real representative government that has the future of the country truly at heart.

I agree that we are totally divided, between those who want dependency on the government making all their decisions and those who think self reliance is the key. Whether or not we can ever overcome our differences is where I see our problem to lie.

We disagree totally on ideology. We have lost all the values that I grew up with, and the country I now see, is totally different than the one I know and understand. Yes, this nation has made mistakes. We are not perfect, but we still represent the best experiment in governance that has ever existed. Changing us from that is not what I see as the right thing to do. History has shown that all civilizations have a lifespan. I pray that we are not seeing the end of that of the USA because of misguided leadership.

What is really puzzling me is why we are being pushed towards a revolution. Who stands to gain from our demise/

The people.

And just maybe things can be better. Once we get the politics out of government.

Archer for once presents a cogent argument, yet still holds that inherent (but, unforetunately false) belief that the Dems are more capable and competent of making the "Correct" decisions.

For so many decades, it has been reinforced that Republicans support only Big Business and that the Democrats are for the little people. This belief is not just nonsense, but it is foolish and harmful in practice. The Republican/Tea Party People only want responsible management of a nation and little recognition of no "specially identified" group or entity, unless there exists a practical and/or specific reason to embrace such a group or entity, as special. (The mentally handicapped and the recovering War Veteran should be an example here).

Otherwise Archer, you must acknowledge that the Democratic Party has always, and has only intended to capitalize on Special Interest Groups and furthermore intends to simply develop a re-occuring and reliable voting block from within these so-called "minority" groups.

The Republican Party has over time, been seen to favor industry and even to increase our military spending. However, associated with these preferred funding efforts, the Republicans have also repeatedly furthered the concept of self-reliance, self-determination and individual rights with Liberty and Justice for all.

Errors have been made over the last numerous decades but, if you were to tally the votes in favor of any minority group, you will find that the Republican Party has invariably been the Party, which has represented a more encompassing number of American citizens.

Jonathan Hemlock wrote: The Republican Party has over time, been seen to favor industry and even to increase our military spending. However, associated with these preferred funding efforts, the Republicans have also repeatedly furthered the concept of self-reliance, self-determination and individual rights with Liberty and Justice for all.

I think the War on Drugs is just one instance where the Republicans have NOT furthered those concepts. The Patriot Act is another.

What the Republicans once were, and what the Republicans are now, is a tale of two parties. I see very little of the Grand Old Party in the Republicans these days.....they used to try and be inclusive, Reagan took that to the next level with his Reagan democrats.....now the Republicans have gone in the opposite direction. No longer are they inclusive, now there is an informal "litmus test" to be a Republican candidate.....add in the Tea Party demands and the Republican party shrinks even more.....there is no room for moderates, there is no room for non-christians.....it's all about being a Republican/Tea Party clone. I find it pretty sad that a once great party has dwindled down to a bunch of people who you must emulate or you are not welcome.

As I said, mistakes have and are being made. In other words, you should never accuse me of endorsing the entirety of the Republican Party Platform. They do sorta suck, but they suck less than the deceitful Democrats when it comes to further advancing the regulation and control over the size and cost of government and its nefarious need to control us as if we were, mere peasants. On the other hand, when it comes to real reform, causing cutbacks and reducing the number of entitlements; it has always been the Conservative segments of the Republican Party who have made true inroads towards this type of reform.