Dobbs: A big 'hallelujah' for American voters

CNN ^ | November 9, 2006 | Lou Dobbs

[SuperSonic]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Hallelujah, brothers and sisters. I'm not even sure what "hallelujah" means, but the word just feels right after witnessing what is at the very least an awakening of the power of the people. I'm hopeful that November 7 was also a declaration that middle-class Americans won't be taken for granted by either political party.

[Mase]

And Lou Dobbs is heard from.

The protectionists here believe that free trade is responsible for illegal immigration. They also believe that the Dems won on Tuesday because of free trade and all the terrible things it's done to our economy.

Now the protectionists claim that those same Dems are going to stop all FTA's and save the working man. What will they say when these same rats, saviors of the economy and the middle class, pass shamnesty for illegals and kill the 700 mile fence? Will they still believe that free trade causes illegal immigration or will they finally realize it's caused by weak leaders who refuse to enforce the law for political gain? It's going to be a hard lesson for them....if they learn anything at all.

[kanawa]

Interesting take on "Reagan Democrats" over here...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1735986/posts

[MaxMax]

I can't wait to hear his response to the Conservative Dem's
that plan on being non-partisan for the next 2 years.

Nevermind. What was I thinking.

[Mase]

but it is the GOP who is out of power because they took the blue collar Reagan Democrats for granted

Nonsense. The midterm election was about Iraq, period. You may want to make this about trade, outsourcing and the economy in general but, as usual, you can't show us anywhere that these things are hurting our economy in any way, shape or form.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And besides that we have this:

McGovern to Meet With Congress on War

And a quote:

"The best way to reduce this insurgency is to get the American forces out of there," McGovern said. "That's what's driving this insurgency."

[WOSG]

Egads!

I guess he's thinking "It worked in Vietnam" ...

Cue the helicopter on the rooftops.

[WOSG]

"Might want to take a closer look louie. There weren't a lot of major landslides Tuesday night."

A shift of 40,000 votes and we would have held the Senate by 2 seats.

I dunno how many House races were within 2 points, but I would guess at least 10 of them.

[WOSG]

"Amen! Michelle Malkin, Rich Lowery, Bill Kristol and their kinda ilk will be the first ones to scream bloody murder when there are up to three supreme court justice vacanicies and GW will be unable to get a strong conservative there because he or she will be voted down by the democrats. Malkin, Lowery, Kristol and thier ilk will rue the day they beat the drums of bashing their own party for the last year, thus discouraging some voters from voting GOP."

My biggest fear would be a Bush pre-cave, where another Miers type gets nominated.

We shall see. I bet Bush's next pick is a woman or minority and semi-squishy for 'confirmability' reasons aka another Sandy OConnor not another Scalia.

[Dane]

My biggest fear would be a Bush pre-cave, where another Miers type gets nominated. We shall see. I bet Bush's next pick is a woman or minority and semi-squishy for 'confirmability' reasons aka another Sandy OConnor not another Scalia.

I'm not sure about that. Isn't there a very conservative African-American woman in California whose name has been mentioned.

[Fee]

Go to the textile districts in the South. See how they voted. CAFTA and MFN allowed cheap shirts from China/Asia to come in and put them out of business. Go to the high tech suburbs (they were strong GOP districts) and see how they voted. H-1B and outsourcing IT jobs to India and China played a role. The war in Iraq only energized the Dems, and the margins the Dems won by are very small in many GOP districts. If the GOP was Reagan Dem and IT worker friendly, the strong economy will produce enough voters to overcome the anti war Dems. Look at Ohio, eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, the Carolinas, many of the red GOP districts flipped by narrow margins because the Dems fielded conservative/economic nationalist candidates that drew enough Reagan Dem blue collar voters from the GOP to win. Even the WSJ acknowledged that economic nationalism is rising and the era of unbridled free trade may be over.

[durasell]

The midterm was about economics. It was about folks having to use a credit card to put gas in their cars and worried about the value of their homes.

A lot of folks who took the President's war updates at face value that progress was being made in Iraq voted Dem because they were unhappy with the way their own lives seemed to be heading.

[Mase]

The midterm was about economics

Why, because Pat Buchanan says so? No, this election was nationalized by the Iraq war and nothing else. That's why we got hit by a blue tidal wave. In some specific locations economics undoubtedly played a role. However, those issues wouldn't have impacted the control of Congress had the war in Iraq not been such an issue.

The economy is a stellar performer on a national basis. In some areas certain industries are struggling for a myriad of reasons. The garment industry has been dieing for 30 years and has done nothing to help itself other than to demand protection from Washington. These kinds of transitions have been going on in our economy for hundreds of years and we're much better off because of it.

The worst thing you can do to an economy is waste valuable worker capital on work that could be done elsewhere. The better and natural course is to move labor up to higher uses, and this is something we've always done, and is what is always done in growing economies. Economies that are stationary implode. Besides, you can't show us any statistics from a reliable source that shows our economy is suffering in any way. We're still the locomotive of the global economy and the envy of the world.

[durasell]

The economy as a whole may be performing well, but an awful lot of people are getting left behind. And, needless to say, they are not happy about it.

I'm not advocating going backwards, but I will say the thing that nobody else is willing to admit: The sacred American middleclass simply doesn't matter that much anymore. Middleclass power as both a wokforce and consumers is diminishing.

[Mase]

The economy as a whole may be performing well, but an awful lot of people are getting left behind.

Doesn't work that way. If the economy is performing well, an awful lot of people are getting ahead, not falling behind.

The sacred American middleclass simply doesn't matter that much anymore. Middleclass power as both a wokforce and consumers is diminishing.

Yes, this is an emotion shared regularly on FR. Fortunately, it's a feeling that has no basis in fact. If it did, folks here would be able to prove it with information from legitimate and reliable sources. They can't, so they share their feelings instead.

There are people out there who are being left behind but it's not the fault of the economy, free trade, outsourcing, Bush or any number of other displacement objects they may choose. I'm sure some of them are angry but they only need to look in the mirror to see who is truly responsible for their position in life. This is also the only person who is capable of changing that position for the better. Or, is personal responsibility no longer a conservative value?

[durasell]

You need only to look at data on constant dollar wages, cost of living, and consumer debt to see who is getting left behind.

I never attempted to place blame on the President on anyone else. However, there are a lot of very, very mad people out there and their numbers will only grow.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

You need only to look at data on constant dollar wages, cost of living, and consumer debt to see who is getting left behind.

Generally, it's those who think their financial well-being is someone else's responsibility.

[durasell]

p.s.

It may not be the "fault" of the economy, just like drowning may not be the "fault" of the ocean, but it is a function of the economy.

You seem to be into the idea of defending the President, the economy etc. against blame. However, understanding a thing is one thing, assigning blame is another.

[durasell]

Generally, it's those who think their financial well-being is someone else's responsibility.





Generally it's those who have a sense of entitlement or believe that everything will probably stay the same or wish it would stay the same.

[Mase]

You need only to look at data on constant dollar wages

Looks like wage earners are doing very well in constant dollars.

Oops. Looks like the middle class is doing pretty well.

cost of living

Inflation has averaged about 2.2% annually over the past 25 years. You can see from the charts that real compensation has been increasing.

and consumer debt to see who is getting left behind.

Wow, in the last decade, while home ownership reached an all time high and interest rates reached a record low, our debt, as a percentage of income, has increased by a whole .08%. Is this what worries you? Please.

there are a lot of very, very mad people out there and their numbers will only grow.\

And government needs to do something to force businesses to help these people? Are you saying we need more government interference in the market or do you believe that personal responsibility is something conservatives should support and practice?

[jpsb]

Hmmm, I am disappointed in Dobbs, he rigth on a lot of issues but really blows it in these comments. Losing the GOP house means Bush and the Rats will get the very thing he complains most about. His logic makes no sense to me at all.