But Have They Really Heard Us?

(As much as I am trying to avoid getting into politics on this blog, it is inevitable that the subject will come up again, and I will do my best to keep it short.)

On November 7^th, the voting public of America soundly rejected the GOP, both retaining challenges to Democratic incumbents and by winning hotly contested races across the nation. This same phenomena occurred in many gubernatorial races as well. Congratulations to the Democratic Party. Let’s hope the Democrats do not, once again, forget who gave them this renewed opportunity to govern the nation.

I have two observations to offer. House Speaker-to-be Pelosi, cute as a ‘button’ as she is, was the first of the Democratic leadership to disappoint me in victory. In her speech to the DSCC, she announced that she hopes to work in tandem with the GOP in a ‘bipartisan’ manner. This is asinine! Where has Rep. Pelosi been for 12 years of Republican stone-walling, obstruction, and outright derision of the Democratic membership?

Someone should remind Rep. Pelosi of an important fact. This new groundswell of voters did not rush out en masse so that those liberal and progressives we send to Washington D.C. could start making deals with the ‘devils’ we wanted out of our government completely. The GOP has offered America nothing but corruption and war, and last thing any of us should want is compromise with them. The new Democratic leadership should bring them the Karma that they offered to their own political opponents; no quarter offered and none taken. To turn the ship aright, one must not bargain with those who ruthlessly tried to scuttle her.

Secondly, but along the same lines, I would hope that the ‘Old Guard’ recognizes the amount of talent, energy, and innovation that has been brought by the newly-elected members and, most importantly, refrain from abusing their seniority to strangle them into submission. I would hope that the fresh momentum of this new talent does not become relegated to a ‘minority within a majority’ status. These newly elected members of Congress were chosen by ‘we the people’ because of their ideas, their magnetism, and their courage to stand up and stand out for change. They deserve to be in the forefront of those possible changes.

Voters called for a change in American politics, and it was more than just a switch from (R) to (D). This election is for a substantive change in how things are done all the way around; up to and including the parlimentary ‘nonsense’, lobbying, and inter-party wrangling for power and seniority. Different means different; not more of the same with a just a fresh coat of blue paint.

I hope that someone somewhere in the D.C. Democratic establishment gets the hint. I am doubtful. We, the people, have shouted. But have they really heard us?

SL