Finally and at long last, the year 2010 has delivered some good news. Rahm Emanuel, the destroyer of Democratic congressional majorities, is leaving, supposedly to try to get a piece of the action in Chicago. No one really believes the motive, the more likely scenario is he is bailing out to avoid the stigma of potentially once again presiding over a huge (and hugely avoidable) Republican renaissance. In 1994, it was his DLC strategy of pushing through NAFTA by the Clinton administration that persuaded the Democratic base to stay home, opening the door to the Newt Gingrich-led raping and pillaging of the middle class. In 2010, it was his continued strategy of allowing corporate cash to rule over all else that is similarly demoralizing all voters that aren't batshit crazy, or millionaires (or in some case, both). History repeats itself and the crooked campaign-finance money machine never misses a beat.
President Obama's hiring of Mr. Emanuel right after the 2008 election was the first clear indication that the hope and change rhetoric of the campaign was not going to amount to much of the susbstantive change as we had hoped for. Two years later, we can clearly recognize it as Clinton redux, the corporate and Israel lobbies still rule the day and the rest of us are still serfs populating an ever-growing feudalist chasm between what needs to be done and what cannot be done as long as the real change, a fundamental restructuring of the campaign finance system, is not implemented.
Let Rahm Emanuel be a symbol, the poster boy, of the need for this change. Twice now he has squandered the hopes and dreams of working people and sold them out to the highest corporate bidder. But we must not focus narrowly and concentrate our disappointment, frustration and anger on the player. We must put our effort into finally changing the game.
3 comments:
Ernesto, excellent analysis, but the picture you found of Rahm is too flattering. You needed one that reflected the Rahm we don't see.
I'm kidding, of course.
Once again, the Democrat Party is looking to blacks and young people to bail them out in November. That scenario is looking better and better as we inch our way into November.
If blacks become the difference once again to keep Democrats in office, we're going to want a few steaks thrown our way, and not the customary chicken.
Both sides are courting Independents, it seems, that group straddling the two parties, that can lean Left or Right, depending on the direction the political wind is blowing.
Although Republicans have done little to win over Independents, they haven't actively done anything to anger them enough to lose their vote.
Independents don't seem to be outraged by Republican obstructionism, as much as they are with Democrats' ineptitude.
It appears that the Democrat Party has gravitated to the center to hold on to these Independents. I don't think many Independents were happy with the economic stimulus against which the Tea Party rails.
Progressives are disenchanted believing that the Democrats sold them out with their compromises on health-care reform, scuttling Single Payer without even so much as a fight.
The base. Well, the base of the party, like you, are seeing too much playing footsy with Wall Street, notwithstanding some limited legislation to rein in excesses, and they're not seeing enough of the promised change to fire them up this time around.
As you say, unless we change the game, nothing of substance will change, regardless of which party holds the reins.
What we need is for members of both parties to unite and insist on the constitutional amendment. But the adversarial fervor (thanks to Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, et al) is at such a pitch, I don't see this happening in the foreseeable future.
BD...this will have to be a huge grassroots effort. The paradox is that politicians of the regular stripe will not be leading it, and trying their best to ignore it since their very livelihood depends on raising campaign cash. I think the Felonious Five on the Supreme Court have finally forced the issue to a point where it has to be addressed. They may have unwittingly provided the impetus for things to finally be set straight.
Black people have to turn out strong, not because the Democrats really deserve it at this point, but because the alternative is such an intolerable and downright dangerous mess.
I'll never understand Independents. Someone needs to explain to me what issues they are actually voting on. I could understand their disillusionment with the corporate shilling of so many Democrats, but do they truly think voting Republican is going to make things better in any way, shape or form?
"They may have unwittingly provided the impetus for things to finally be set straight."
I pray you're right--an unintended consequence that might actually serve the people.
"the alternative is such an intolerable and downright dangerous mess."
I agree.
I'd rather slip over the edge into oblivion slowly with the Democrats, than on a snowmobile to Hell with the Republicans.
"do they truly think voting Republican is going to make things better in any way, shape or form?"
I ask the same question. Regardless, the political impact of Independents is felt regardless of how they vote--courting them keeps the Democrats hugging the center with their legislative agenda, rather than moving farther to the Left where progressives hang out.
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