I voted for President Obama and recently I wrote about how I believe reelecting Obama is one of the most important elections (actually, the most important I suppose) in my lifetime.  Every time I think of the issues I have with the president the republican candidates for office flash in front of my eyes and I’m back to that life long adage I believe America’s voters have been stuck with and that’s the better of two bad options.  Now, I wouldn’t want to, for a minute, suggest that Obama is a bad person – although as I write things such as what’s going through my mind tonight – I’m convinced he’s way too close to the corporate thieves I’m hoping will be exposed and rooted out of power during my lifetime (which is getting shorter – especially in terms of upcoming presidential elections).  Presidents like FDR and Abraham Lincoln proved that presidents can be more than figure heads who further the interests of the “invisible” forces that are always lurking around Washington D.C.  And, the amount of money these forces are “throwing around” these days is obscene, from my view.

Because I’m now realizing the cleansing of Washington DC of all the money and corporate power brokers is going to take a long time (at least another 5 years) – I honestly thought “the change I could believe in” that I voted for in 2008 would be more assertive in changing the corporate dominance in our nation’s capital.  My biggest concern regarding a potential republican “win” in 2012 is the Supreme Court.  A couple more judges like Roberts and Alito and my children and grandchildren are then stuck with a court that supports unlimited corporate intrusion on the election process – just for starters.  When you look at the rights and privileges the American public have lost since 9/11 you can see how many philosophers in the past have pointed out how it’s easier to lose your rights than to regain them.  There’s been a constant “seeping” of the New Deal, as if there’s a crack in the “dike” – which I always assumed would be protected as sacrosanct by the democrats – and it appears to me that if all of the shenanigans the republicans are in “high gear” “pulling” right now become reality, those of us who profess to be “progressive” (liberal) will be in “circle the wagons” mode for the foreseeable future.

Honestly, except for in my most mundane moments, the thought that someone like a Mitt Romney, or a Newt Gingrich, or a Rick Santorum, or another Bush, or ANY republican could become president again after the eight years of agony suffered during the GW Bush years seems like an impossible bad dream to me.  Yet, when I look at the reality of the situation, I realize there is an “invisible” force which has been building “steam” for many years and I really question whether or not the democrats have what it takes to stop it.  The amount of money that is going to flow into the next election is going to be staggering.  I don’t think many people can even imagine how much is going to be spent on NEGATIVE advertising just yet.  I’m presently reading “Winner-Take-All Politics” by Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson (highly recommended to anyone who wants to better understand why the divide between the “haves” and the “have not’s” has been growing since the mid seventies) and their book gives a sobering look at how much money the top “1%” (which is going to be the object of populist attack in the 2012 election) have to invest in order to keep the political process working to their advantage.  In fact, republicans are close to grabbing a true stranglehold on our “democracy” which will be hard to “wrest” back should they prevail next November.

Make no mistake, as you snicker at the ridiculous statements coming out of the mouths of one republican candidate for president after another,  they (republicans) have a long term “plan” in place that is close to “fruition.”  They’ve got control of the media (yes, that’s the “liberal media” they complain about so often – on channels like CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, CNN, and others owned by right wing corporate conglomerates)  The Citizens United decision demonstrated in a very sick way how much control this invisible right wing cabal that’s behind the present day republicans has on the Supreme Court.  None of us should have been surprised after watching in horror as the Court chose our 43rd President despite his overwhelming defeat at the polls!  As I’ve said many times on this site, the republicans are all about power and they TOTALLY believe the end justifies the means.  They are trying to get control of congress back by OBSTRUCTING every move President Obama makes, and apparently (if he’s figured it out yet) it took the President almost three years to understand their true motives.  Finally, the republicans managed (with the help of Citizens United) to put 16 extremely right wing governors in place in 2010 – some of them in key “battle ground” states – and they’ve got a VOTER SUPPRESSION scheme that’s presently (as I’m writing this something like 300 days until the next election) in high swing.  The estimates I’ve heard are that they are shooting to block upwards of 5 to 6 MILLION Americans from voting in 2012 – and, yes you get three guesses and the first two don’t count as to which party you believe MOST of these disenfranchised voters would come from.  If they succeed in this tactic, that alone should be enough to swing the election in their favor.  If they succeed, I believe I will be lucky to live long enough to see their destruction overturned (I’m in my mid 60’s).

And, have you ever wondered why our Congress continues to vote in legislation which is not supported by the majority of the people?  For example, something approaching 75% of Americans supported a “true public option” in the so-called “Obamacare” debate yet it never had a chance.  75% or more of Americans want programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, public school funding, police, fire, roads, infrastructure fully funded, but what we get is the result of negotiations between prostituted politicians and their clients – members of the K Street lobbying businesses.  And, while my biggest complaint (for several reasons) is against republicans, there are many democrats who feed at the trough of these lobbyists and make it virtually impossible for true progressive legislation to get out of congress.  However, for those of us who don’ t like what we’re seeing, there must be a “plan” of our own in place to have any chance for success.  I believe this plan HAS to begin with attempting to vote OUT OF OFFICE every REPUBLICAN possible in 2012 and making sure President Obama wins a second term in 2012.  Once that happens, “progressives” immediately need to refocus on cleansing the democratic party of the corporatists who are doing the bidding of large corporate interests at the expense of “we the people” who make up the middle class of America.

In the above referenced “Winner-Take-All Politics” the statistics regarding what I call the “trickle up” theory that’s been suffocating America’s economy since the days of Ronald Reagan are shocking.  The increase in net income at the top of America’s economic structure has been exponentially improving over the previous 35 years or so while the net income at the middle and bottom is staying stagnant at best – with a problematic increase in numbers of those in the lower tiers  of the economic “ladder.”  That is, many who have been in the middle class are now finding themselves at or near the poverty levels of our nation’s economy while the “rich” continue to thrive in unimaginable (to someone like me) ways.  The greed of the people at the top (and I have to add here, it’s obviously not all of “those at the top” who are immersed in greed – just enough of them to fund the republicans who are willing to carry on their agenda)  and the willingness of so many members of the United States Congress to be their surrogates is discouraging to me and, based on the way I was raised, this is un-American.  What is even more discouraging to me, as I read so many books in order to understand what’ s REALLY going on with my government, is the role the democrats are playing in all of this – which is why I consider many of them a secondary target of the populist wrath which is building across America.

Finally, with voters, I believe the issues I’m raising would be “bipartisan” if people knew what the truth about our “tiered” economy was.  The republican primaries are a great example of this.  There is NOT ONE candidate who I believe will be “palatable” to the American public (which is why I’ve been predicting for almost two years now that the republicans will ultimately reject all the primary candidates and find a way to thrust Jeb Bush on the rest of us – and, by doing it at a deadlocked convention, they’ll come out of the convention with an enormous amount of energy that totally forgets the foopahs of his older brother) but the primary “debates” give a good view into the hierarchy of preferences of the republican voters.  For example, almost ALL polling shows that Mitt Romney has the best chance at defeating President Obama (which poll after poll tells us is the NUMBER ONE priority of republicans – more important than the success or failure of our nation.  In fact, it appears to me they would gladly choose failure if that’s what it takes to defeat him – and, they’re trying to facilitate that – but, I digress) yet it appears Romney will be rejected by the republican primary voters.  Just the other day in South Carolina Newt Gingrich – of all people (the man has enough “baggage” to fill a cargo plane) – defeated Romney with the help of Citizens United (wickedly negative adds financed through corporate “big wigs”) and the voter’s distaste for someone who is solidly part of the 1% that the Occupy movement has targeted.

Now, I haven’t watched a single republican debate and I only know who’s “won” each of the primaries based on the reporting I’ve heard (although, evidently Romney didn’t win Iowa’s caucuses as previously reported).  That being said, it seems obvious that once the topic of Romney’s tax returns became a serious issue, the man started to crumble in his boots.  Obviously, there are some good reasons (to him) why he doesn’t want his tax returns made public.  OK, now as a sixth grade school teacher, I’m always trying to teach my students how to make inferences – so, I’m going to practice what I preach – with a little help from the aforementioned “Winner Take all Politics” – I think Romney’s tax return will turn off enough voters to preclude him from winning the nomination.   I saw an article (didn’t read it) suggesting Romney has a substantial amount of investments “housed” in the Cayman Islands, for the purpose of taking advantage of Tom Delay’s creation of a corporate tax haven.  Do you think even republican voters will be angry at a candidate who is willfully “jobbing” the system – while they’re paying their “fair share?”  I mean, who are the “tea partiers” angry with???

Of course, the alternative appears to be the poster child of HYPOCRISY, Newt Gingrich.  You know, the guy who was “carrying on”  while leading the impeachment of Bill Clinton for “carrying on.”  (Evidently Gingrich was jealous because Clinton apparently had the “open marriage” he desired)  Of course, I’m pretty sure the republican “establishment” is quivering at the thought of all those commercials showing Newt railing against Fanny and Freddy while he was taking MILLIONS in “consulting” fees from them.  But, what the republican “base” apparently likes most about Gingrich is his acumen at the code words of the racist minority in America.  He fully understands there’s a sizable “block” of voters in this nation who haven’t recovered yet from the FACT that people of color are going to be the leaders of the future.  And, he’s playing to them when almost the first words out of his mouth after “winning” in South Carolina is calling President Obama “the food stamp president.”  I’ll let you make the connection because it’s not my purpose here to educate you on the ongoing issue of racism in America, but let me suffice it to say – the idea of Newt Gingrich as the presidential nominee brings to the surface ALL that is wrong with the republican party.  I can only hope that America’s voters are smart enough to see that candidates like Romney and Gingrich are the MAIN reasons ALL republicans should be voted out of office! (I continue to believe those on the “inside” will never let them “win” the nomination and there’s another candidate which will be “sprung” on America at the convention – probably a “reluctant” Jeb Bush!)

As I stated above, I believe the reelection of Obama is of paramount importance to the next twenty years of America’s future.  If you read this and agree, I challenge you to take part in the election – be active.  Presently, I’m focusing my support on the recall of Wisconsin’s governor Scott Walker.  I believe that is “ground zero” in the movement to stop this conservative onslaught to our way of life.  I will soon write another piece which will chronicle (at least that’s how it’s evolving in my mind right now – I’m just finishing reading “The Torture Memos” – Oh my gosh, should be required reading) why I have reservations about Obama and why I believe the democrats are “next.”  I don’t believe we can just “clean house” in one fell swoop, but if the people mobilize in sufficient numbers and get beyond the propaganda of Fox “news” and the other parts of the media which depend on the corporatocracy we the people can eliminate the republican obstructionism and give a sufficient message to democrats that they either get out of the “trough” of the corporate moneyed interests or they’re next.  To me, that’s why the election cycle of 2012 is the most important election of my lifetime! I’m hoping the populism of the “tea party” looks childish compared to the evolution of the “Occupy” movement.