Posted on 11/06/2012 11:35:05 PM PST by Bratch
Barack Obama has been re-elected president. Like most on the right, I misread America.
The United States of America faces huge problems as a nation. Our economy is skidding, we have racked up massive debt to an unsustainable level, and we are no longer a culturally confident or united nation. We are a scattering of enclaves, barely on speaking terms, swaggering and vibrant Texas suspiciously eying bankrupt but arrogant California, rural and traditional Oklahoma has nothing in common with corrupt and secular Illinois, and so forth. Our entitlement spending threatens to engulf red state and blue state alike. We now owe more per capita than ridiculed Greece, and we may be heading down that sad country’s path.
In the face of these problems, the American people chose to throw almost none of the bums who got us here out. The US House remained in Republican hands, the US Senate remained in Democrat hands, and the White House remained in the hands of Barack Obama. Things did not change dramatically at the state level either. Neither party was soundly repudiated or given electoral wind in their sails. It’s as if the American people are so confused and troubled they decided not to decide anything. Or maybe apathy won out and name recognition trumped the real issues. Republicans nominated some foolish candidates here and there, but so did the Democrats. Theirs won, ours lost. The most foolish candidate of them all kept his job. Media assists surely played a major role.
The most immediate lesson that can be learned from this is that the Obama-Axelrod ground game is very very very good. It had four years to build out its infrastructure and it is much stronger than anyone, including most Democrats, anticipated. Despite the lousy economy and his flagging personal popularity, Obama’s team turned out his vote everywhere he needed it, and he won. Republicans will fight about whether a more vocally conservative candidate could have won or whether Romney could have provided a sharper contrast with Obama, but organizational superiority may have had more than anything else to do with this result. Republicans will have to study that ground game and find a way to beat it just as the football world had to study and defeat the flex defense. That’s not a job for ideologues, but for tacticians who understand ideology and communication.
The second finding from this result is that America as we know it is over, or soon may be. The government will get bigger and bigger, until it breaks. Whether it was Hurricane Sandy or Chris Christie’s hug or the power of incumbency or lingering Bush fatigue or the power of image or the mendacity of the media, an unqualified and fundamentally dishonest man has been returned to the highest office in the land. At the same time that he has brazenly lied about the deaths of four Americans at the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Republican candidates for the US Senate have had their candidacies destroyed over their unfortunate comments. The tilt in favor of Democrats, and especially Obama, in how our media culture processes what comes out of politicians’ mouths may have finally become too much for Republicans to overcome. Every campaign going forward is a one-false-move minefield for Republicans, while a Democrat can get away with corruption (Claire McCaskill in Missouri) and allegations of relationships with prostitutes (Bob Menendez in New Jersey) and covering up a terrorist attack that killed four Americans (Obama himself). Massachusetts turned out a perfectly serviceable moderate Republican in favor of a dishonest ideologue with no experience outside academia. One likely result of all this is that Republicans are likely to become more programmed than they already are, and less confident about articulating stands on social issues. The media is emboldened to pounce on every Republican syllable, confident that every gotcha can keep another seat in Democrat clutches. Perhaps all Republicans should just switch parties at once, confuse the world and render the media toothless for a while.
Our future looks bleak. Our debt is a mortal threat. Unless we make radical positive changes to the structure of our government, now, Obama will rack up another four to six trillion dollars in debt over the next four years. Obama will not make the necessary changes and he will not allow them to be made as long as he is president. He has already said that he believes in raising taxes on job creators, and he will use re-election to push for that. Even though it makes no economic sense at all.
The amazing thing is, Obama told us that his economic policies weren’t based on economics before he was ever elected president. Then he kept doubling down on non-economics as “fairness.” And he kept winning. What does this say about a majority of Americans?
Republicans find themselves in a demographic Catch-22. They will have to move aggressively to capture more of the growing Hispanic vote, and Hispanic cultural values align well with those of the GOP. But Republicans tend to downplay those issues in order to woo moderates. Any attempt to secure the border is cast as racist, driving some Hispanic voters away and making moderate voters wince. But the porous border threatens the rule of law and threatens to demographically render the GOP a minority party forever, or at least until the Democrat coalition splits, if that happens. In a contest between a serious issue (security) and a mostly rhetorical issue in modern America (racism) guess which one gets more media attention, and tends to move more voters.
Unless the looming sequestration defense cuts are prevented, our national defense will shrink to pre-World War One levels, while threats from Islamic terrorism, Iran, Russia, China, North Korea and elsewhere are likely to grow. Obama’s own defense secretary warned about these cuts, but Obama ignored him and then lied about it during one of the debates. Obama has proven that he will never level with the American people about the threats we face.
But the evidence says that enough Americans care little enough for our national defense to render it an irrelevant issue. It just doesn’t matter. Neither do economic and individual liberty.
Our economy will remain shackled by unpopular ObamaCare (since America rejected the candidate who promised to repeal it) and the regulatory overload that Obama intends to impose. Millions of American workers may be forced into unions via card check, which Obama reportedly intends to impose with or without Congress. Increased union power will lead to less agile and competitive American companies, and will price more American workers competing with overseas workers out of jobs. If you liked the last four years, you will love the next four.
Unless we curtail entitlement spending, we are headed for bankruptcy. Obama promised to reform entitlements four years ago, and spent four years demagoging against every attempt to get to any reforms. Then, he was re-elected.
Here, I may read more into the re-election of Obama than is warranted, but here goes. The situation we find ourselves in has come about because we have become a soft and superficial people. We have spurned our traditional beliefs in favor of fads. We know more about the Kardashians than the Constitution. We have become more a nation of takers than makers, and ever more a nation of broken families that looks at government as daddy than as a necessary evil. The fact is, stable husbands and wives and churchgoers voted for Romney, while singles voted for Obama. But a narrow majority of America’s Catholics voted with Obama as well despite his direct and public attack on their church. A heavy majority of the Jewish vote went for Obama, again, despite his hostility toward Israel. Decadence is good for Democrats, and the evidence that Obama’s victories provide is that we are decadent. We have no god, yet Obama is somehow its prophet.
Because of the way he backed into his second term, Barack Obama has no coattails, and he has no mandate. He chose not to run on a serious agenda and he ran a small ball campaign that painted Romney as a felon and murderer when Romney is as clean as they come in politics. He painted the man who save the Olympics as a villain. Is it the economy, stupid? No, it’s a ground game and Big Bird and ladyparts.
Obama has every reason to move to the center to make his second term successful, but he will not. His lack of a mandate will not stop him from pushing hard for his agenda, either with Congress or more likely around it. The Senate in Democratic control will block any efforts to stop him, if it can. The courts haven’t proven to be much of an impediment, and Obama now gets to appoint more judges who agree with him. We will keep funding the government on continuing resolutions. The states may be compelled to go along with his agenda or they may be bribed with their own money. Obama’s second term could be a time for governors to reassert state authority in a big way (while getting trashed by the left, for protecting the people of their states). ObamaCare is permanent and a threat to our health care system, the war on coal will be pushed toward its conclusion, and this president’s drive to disarm the United States while vastly expanding the entitlement state will proceed apace. Obama’s re-election is a catastrophe for those who want a strong and liberty-based America rooted in traditional values and our Constitutional order.
The three-way split inside the Beltway is a opportunity for Obama to behave as a regulatory tyrant, and that is what he will probably do. The divided nation suits a divisive president.
A bit pessimistic. I am still hopeful that GOP will hold firm and let the country fall off the fiscal cliff. Everyone will share the pain and realize that there is no free lunch. Then we will see some real budget cutting. As one of the few who actually pays taxes (more than my share actually thanks to AMT) I will be delighted to see everyone including the lowest paid share the misery.
The continuing resolutions are a major problem. GOP should refuse to continue funding until Obama agrees to come to the table on the budget. We may not like compromise but we need to follow the process set up by law, not just push the problem forward.
“a million fake votes will do wonders in the right places”
I’ll probably never be able to prove it, but no way Obama should have won Florida. None. Ohio I can see with their odd mix of demos and the low UE rate. Colorado was leaning Romney and he loses. VA leaning Romney and he loses.
With the exception of NC and IN which were too big of a lead for Obama to rig, Romney lost every swing, even ones he was leading in.
I’ll never know for sure but it stinks.
I live in Texas and spoke this afternoon with some employers who have NO CHOICE but to issue layoff notices after Thanksgiving to some 150 to 200 employees. They simply will not be able to afford them.
I moved here to get away from the b.s. up and down job market instability of Florida. It followed me...tons of jobs in Texas? Sure...if you want to make $11.00 an hour with a B.S. Degree.
Just remember Obamapieceofcrap is your president too so while you may trying to be funny the joke is on you and the rest of us. Enjoy the next 4 years comrade.
This election like the last one was about one thing....a black man winning.
It was always about race and white guilt.
Nothing more and nothing less.
All of the blacks voted for him...even the ones with not a dime to their name...Obama did shit for the black community and they repaid him for it tonight by making sure he stays on the job for 4 more years.
If by “community organizing” you mean flagrant voter fraud and vote machine tampering I’d agree. The GOP spent the past 4 years planning
to get more votes. The dems spent the last 4 perfecting the vote stealing, tampering and fraud methods. When a group who mostly plays fair competes with a group that cheats and does so enthusiastically and with no
qualms or regrets the outcome is pretty much decided before it even gets
going.
The GOP/Romney won’t fight it
Ditto Latinos. Obama has actually increased deportations, fulfilled none of his promises to them, sent guns to kill their people in Mexico, and killed jobs that they could have had.
But Latinos showed up in droves and along with blacks and women provided the necessary votes.
This election was going to be bad no matter which liberal won.
Sure Romney would have made it optional for the states. Optional with BIG federal purse strings that no state could refuse. He probably would have turned the tax penalty into a tax credit too. But it’s all semantics.
Put on your seat belt it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
Thanks for all the encouragement, Fox News. Buttholes
We can tell everybody “we told you so” from the the re-education center if we are given permission .
You know, I would expand that a little more and state that obama has pretty much done something similar all over the board.
1) Claims to be for the poor yet supports a Wall Street oligopoly in finance.
2) Claims to be for more humaneness toward terrorists but runs a far more intensive drone strike program than Bush and still keeps Gitmo intact.
3) Claims to be for racial minorities, yet calls pretty much on a whim that something from firefighting tests to arrests made is racist. (Calls it on a whim)
4). Talks about getting bin Laden but blames a clearly organized outburst as originating from a video made by a mentally-challenged individual as the cause.
Done with Fox. THEY looked all tingly tonight. Could’nt stand Megyn Phony !
Unfortunately there is NO ONE in the Republican party who has the ability to do this. And they are reluctant to find professionals who have the capabilities to develop and implement a winning game plan.
It is not voter fraud, bad Republican candidates or poor ground game. It is the American voter.
We had a choice yesterday: Freedom or Free Stuff. America chose free stuff.
It was bound to happen some day and that day was yesterday.
Blacks are 10% of the electorate and vote 95% Dem. Latinos are 10% today and rapidly growing. They voted 75% Dem. Dems have 17.5% guaranteed before the election begins. Add another 2.5% with Jews, Muslims, and Asians. Dems only need 30% from the white population, Repubs start with the 3% of blacks and Hispanics who don’t vote Dem.
The white population is declining rapidly as a % of the population and electorate. Plus Dems have been successful capturing a disproportionate share of white females with their war on women rhetoric. There are not enough conservative white men to carry the Republicans to victory.
Another way to look at it is the way Romney did. 47% of the population receives a government check and will vote to protect its benefits. If you are the party credited with granting and protecting benefits you need only swing 3 to 5% of the remaining voters to win. There are enough young voters and white working females responsive to emotional appeals to swing.
Finally, there is the phenomenon of urban versus rural. People living in cities necessarily cede freedom to live in an urban area. They are dependent on 21st century technology and the government administered infrastructure to maintain order and deliver food required for survival. These people accept government restrictions on freedom and appreciat its ability to collect money from individuals which is then pooled for the common good. They endure high taxes because they enjoy the mass transit, police protection, fire protection, water system, museums, sorts stadiums, concert halls, garbage collection, street festivals, parks, zoos, schools and roads the government provides. The country is becoming more urban and the Dems control urban governments. These urban voters are favorably disposed to Dem promises of more services. What does individual liberty mean to someone living in an 800 square foot apartment who rides a subsidized bus to work and perceives jogging through a government maintained park as communing with nature? Perhaps having the choice of 200 cable TV channels, the ability to walk to dozens of good restaurants, and an occasional ball game or concert is enough freedom. If so, the conservative message of individual liberty and limited government will not be compelling, particularly when combined with a promise to reduce spending on government services.
The nation’s electorate has shifted demographically and geographically. A growing minority and urban population does not perceive opportunity in limited government and the personal accountability associated with individual liberty. To them the tangible government delivered benefits, made possible by taxing individuals for the common good, are more meaningful than the abstract opportunity to make the most of one’s God given talents particularly when the opportunity afforded by freedom means accepting the very real risk of failure.
True conservatives are a shrinking minority. The majority of the nation desires the benefits of the collective state. As long as the masses do not bear it’s cost, and go home to a warm and dry home with a widescreen TV, they will be content. To the voters who now decide elections, freedom is the ability to sit at home choosing between hundreds of channels and being able to have recreational sex without consequences thanks to government paid abortions and child support depending on which choice one makes for the unborn.
We had a choice yesterday: Freedom or Free Stuff. America chose free stuff.
It was bound to happen some day and that day was yesterday.
True that. People have been warning about the “tipping point” for years. We have arrived. Start with 47% of the citizenry who pay no federal income taxes as your base. Now all you need is another 3.1%, which is easy to cobble together from among the public-school indoctrinated electorate, incapable of any independent, critical thought.
Until everyone, and I mean *everyone* — even the poorest of the poor — pays some federal income taxes, the pols who promise the most free stuff will garner the most votes.
“Obama has every reason to move to the center to make his second term successful, but he will not.”
Obama has NO reason to move to the center, in fact I think he will go full steam ahead to the left. Look for more executive orders and fiats from our new King. Welcome to slavery.
“find their tax dollars being shifted out of their communities at an accelerated rate.”
Fiscally responsible states will be forced to bail out California and Illinois. 401s will be seized to pay for fat welfare momma’s cadillac and kids. Watch for it.
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