As many women (and, also me) were lamenting, today, Elizabeth Warren dropping out of the democratic presidential nominating process and what it means for a woman becoming president. I was watching Joy Ann Reid on “The Last Word” on MSNBC and she made an historically prescient comment on the history of women in politics over the history of this nation – comparing it, in a way, to slavery and racism. As I was listening to her, it caused me to think of one part of America I’ve always appreciated plus it’s also often the part of my frustration, and that is what’s called “the melting pot.”
While there’s no dispute as to how our “founders” considered African Americans as 3/5 of a human being when the constitution was written it was until a couple decades into the 20th century until women had the right to vote. I still remember growing up living in a family with four kids and a Mom who didn’t work, UNTIL my parents were divorced and then the only work my Mom could find was minimum wage jobs despite the FACT she was brilliantly smart. She had not worked from the day of her marriage until the day of her divorce and the jobs she was able to find, I now understand, were demeaning to her. This was when I started to understand the obstacles women in our society face on many fronts.
Of course, my father knew the judge and got a very favorable child support “package” and my siblings and I then grew up in what was clearly semi poverty – although we didn’t understand that. I got a paper route, my brother picked berries and we worked during high school because, well, that’s just what we had to do if we wanted any spending money, if we wanted to be able to drive a car (I bought a 1950 Ford for $50), and if we wanted our family to be able to eat and pay our bills. (I played sports and worked around 30 hours a week during my last two years of high school)
One of the reasons I’ve become so ANTI republican – despite always considering myself an “independent” – is because of how I’ve interpreted their treatment of women. While I was not a Bill Clinton supporter when he originally got elected, it really bothered me watching republicans going after his wife Hillary – almost from the day he took the oath of office. I became a (somewhat) Clinton supporter when he (along with Al Gore) proposed a budget which was designed to reduce the HUGE deficits he “inherited” as he took the “reins” of the government.
Additionally, I was encouraged when I saw the Clinton’s attempting to pass a “national health care” plan – which, OF COURSE, was all the republicans needed to put their DIRTY tricks (aka Roger Stone, Rick Wilson, et al) in motion – the 25 year attacks on Mrs. Clinton began at that point in time and, of course, there was no national health care plan. However, Clinton (and Gore) did succeed in turning the HUGE deficits they “inherited” from Reagan and HW Bush into SURPLUSES which they passed on to GW Bush and Dick Cheney. (Thanks to the Supreme Court) Sadly, Clinton’s human weakness led to his IMPEACHMENT and, for people like me, a sense of disgust based on his personal behavior. When Clinton left office I had learned to appreciate Mrs. Clinton intellectually and I really liked that the national debt was being reduced despite my disgust toward her husband’s behavior with women.
Well, as Bush/Cheney turned that surplus into the HUGE deficits which have been common place in the republican party since the days of Richard Nixon and had been progressively put on “steroids” through, first, the Reagan administration, then HW Bush, and, of course, Bush/Cheney who were the first to jack the deficit above a TRILLION dollars per year only to be potentially outdone by individual 1 as he’s already DOUBLED what he “inherited” from President Obama – there was (and continues to be) a republican assault on Hillary Clinton even though she’s now out of politics. I now believed they realized she had the potential to “break the glass ceiling” from the first days of the Clinton administration and their attacks were and are ruthless. Are they still suggesting “A women’s place is in the home?”
I still remember a leading member of the republican party – part of the so-called “Freedom Caucus” – pointing out, in a rare republican moment of honesty, that the Benghazi hearings were simply designed to damage Mrs. Clinton’s approval ratings – and, as he said, they were very successful in doing so. He said this as if to be bragging while the TV cameras were on. Of course, I have no doubt that member of Congress (If I remember correctly his last name was McCarthy) was reprimanded by the “leaders” who NEVER want their members to actually tell the TRUTH when in front of the cameras!
Well, 25 years of constant attacks coming from the republican party (with considerable help from the Russians in 2015 and 2016) had succeeded in turning Hillary Clinton’s “favorables” upside down to the point where she was every bit as “unpopular” by the time of the 2016 election as the MOST unpopular IMPEACHED so-called president in history, individual 1. Of course, with the help of the Russians, James Comey, and, of course, poor planning on the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton failed to become the first woman president despite gaining nearly THREE MILLION more votes than individual 1 (who had also succeeded in hiding disclosure of TWO affairs he had while his present wife was having and then raising his latest son, Barren – hiding them ILLEGALLY right before the election).
So, today as Senator Warren was dropping out of the nominating process for the democratic nomination for president there are women all across the nation (I have two very proficient daughters and two grand daughters) who are disappointed and feeling like “another four years” until there’s another chance. I’m one who has said, from the start, whoever the democrats nominate for president is the person I’ll be voting for. However, as someone who supported Bernie Sanders back in 2016, I have to say in any other year with any other “opponent” in the election, I’d be terribly disappointed to have the nominating process pared down to two “old white guys” in their late 70’s. I’m almost 73 and there are days when I can’t remember if I washed my hair as I get out of the shower.
I’ve been saying since this process started I believe Elizabeth Warren was the smartest candidate in the field. She actually made proposals for solving the issues she believes in. First, and foremost, of course is “medicare for all” – which, in essence is the “single payer” health care system MOST people have wanted for as long as I can remember. Republicans have ALWAYS succeeded in blocking any attempt at pulling this off – starting all the way back with FDR. Senator Warren lost “steam” in the nominating process when she failed to do a good job of explaining how she would pay for her health care plan. I wish I could have been her adviser at that point in time, because, to me, this idea is a “no brainer” – which is becoming more apparent as America shows the weakness in our health care industry as the coronavirus spreads.
To me, and I don’t have all the data to back this up, it just makes sense – “Medicare for all” would be something like HALF the cost of what we have for health care in America with much better outcomes. And, for all those “union bargained health plans” so many people, including Joe Biden, want to protect, Medicare would be much less expensive and would save these workers hundreds of dollars each month! Would there be an increase in taxes? Yes, of course there would – no one’s suggesting this would be FREE health care. It’s just the “taxes” people who HAVE a health care plan would be far less than the premiums they now pay which are NOT considered as “taxes.” Well, why not do you ask?
The health insurance for profit industry in America – which, on its face does NOT make sense, health care for profit, but I digress – has BILLIONS to spend in order to keep the American public believing “Medicare for all” is too expensive – because, if “we the people” finally come to our senses that industry is going to be hanging by a (supplemental) thread – depending on how the system would be “built.” One of my daughters has a significant small business with over 100 employees which receive health care as a benefit. This “benefit” costs the business $1200 EACH month for EACH employee. If “we the people” chose to change the system to a single payer “Medicare for all” system that cost to the business would be about half what they’re paying. The company and the employees could bargain on the difference.
For example, if the employees taxes were increased by, say, $600 or $700 per month to pay for their insurance benefits – which would be BETTER than what they have – but their compensation could be increased by OVER the amount of the increase in their “tax increase” – which, in my view should look better to both the employees and to my daughter’s business. I can see a scenario where they both come out ahead. So, yes there would be a “tax increase” to pay for a “Medicare for all” – it’s just the only people who would REALLY have a tax increase would be the people who don’t have any health insurance. Of course, the taxes to pay for this would be progressive – so minimum wage workers would pay much less in taxes for this than those making Middle Class and above wages – something like how Social Security and Medicare taxes now work. This wouldn’t be that hard for the experts in the field to figure out.
It’s just that for years the American political system has operated via fear mongering. I remember listening to Senator Warren pointing this out and basing her campaign on the idea it’s time for “we the people” to stop FEARING what we know is the best course of action going forward. It’s not “healthy” for America to have almost 100 MILLION people being either uninsured our under insured. In a situation like the impending crisis (it’s a crisis in my state already – I live in Washington state) the HUGE number of people who can’t afford to go to the doctor when they get sick is likely to make this crisis far worse than it would otherwise be. And, there’s many other reasons we should stop allowing FEAR to guide our decision making as we choose our leaders.
The richest country in the history of the world SHOULD be able to invest in her youth, SHOULD be able to invest in her people who need retraining, and SHOULD be able to INVEST in the infrastructure which is what made this the richest country in the first place. Clearly, in that regard “we the people” are falling behind the rest of the world and it was Elizabeth Warren making the BEST ideas which were actually potential solutions to the problems which are dragging this nation downward toward third world status. Obviously, at this point in time, the 2020 election will be one mid 70’s white man vs. a mid 70’s white man with the democrats so focused on DEFEATING individual 1 it’s obvious FEAR is a major part of the nominating process.
And, of course, I fully understand how this is playing out, because my number one goal in this election also is that individual 1 would LOSE! I believe there are MILLIONS of Americans who want to see a woman FINALLY become president, but in this election defeating individual 1 “trumps” all! (That’s the only circumstance where I can bring myself to write that word) I believe whoever the democrat ends up being once he is in office – assuming democrats can win back control of the Senate (and, by the way, Moscow Mitch is vulnerable in his own race in Kentucky – more about that on another day) – the direction of the country will swing more toward government working from the “bottom up.” The solutions suggested by Senator Warren can certainly be introduced no matter who is the president. So, we’ll see………… Again, job #1 is BEAT individual 1!
At the beginning of this rant I mentioned America’s “melting pot” as something I’ve always appreciated and lamented at the same time. While in many ways I consider this a strength – the diversity of our nation – it also seems to be the source of much of the racism, sexism, and other “isms” which are causing such a divide across the country. We need a leader who is going to try to draw this diversity together as a strength and to condemn the portion of this diversity which is contributing to all the HATE we see not only “online” but also on “Main Street.” Sadly, from my observations, much of the HATE turning Americans against each other is coming from the “white” segment of that “melting pot.” (Of course, HATE can be “bipartisan”) People who seem to think this is “their country” because they are white seem to be disproportionately part of the “HATE” scene. I could provide a history lesson here, but my point is we need to get back to the point where we DEMAND this diversity be the strength it should be. And, personally, I’ve come to the conclusion we need MORE women in leadership positions in Washington DC to make that happen.
The 2018 “class” of “rookies” in the House of Representatives was full of an incredible group of women who, every time I hear one of them speak, makes me feel better about the future of our country. My hope is that whoever wins between Sanders and Biden for the job of replacing individual 1 as president chooses someone like Stacy Abrams of Georgia as a running mate. I will be shocked if a younger, brilliant woman is NOT on the “ticket” with whoever gains the nomination. I, personally, believe a Biden/Abrams “ticket” would be hard to beat. I’m a 73 year old white American who’s ready for MORE women at the highest levels of our government! Just sayin………
Final Thought: I’ve written about the republicans and their sycophants – ie people like Rush Limbaugh on the radio airwaves and Sean Hannity on Fox “news” – plus the outlets like Fox, Breitbart, and Sinclair Broadcasting – adopting “The Big Lie Theory” of the Third Reich back in 1930’s Germany. That is – if you tell a LIE over and over to people, eventually they will start believing it’s true. The republicans send their pundits out with “talking points” which include the exact same “key words” so that their audience hears the LIE repeatedly coming from differing sources – so, “It must be true.”
Well, fortunately, their have been scorekeepers on the MOUNTAIN of LIES coming from the mouth of individual 1 to the point where virtually EVERYONE knows he’s a LIAR (Of course, I believe his LYING is pathological – but, that’s just my “instinct” to borrow one of his words). In the past couple of weeks this all has reminded me of “The boy who cried wolf.” Eventually, people stop listening. Individual 1 is NOW in the midst of a crisis which could topple his re-election chances and more and more people are simply shaking their heads as he LIES about the coronavirus and it’s potential devastation to our people and our economy. Only the most gullible believe a word that comes from his mouth.
Republicans are busy trying to convince their followers this virus is some kind of scheme concocted by democrats to, in the words of individual 1 Jr., “Stop all the winning.” I’m not sure what he means about all the winning, unless he’s talking about getting judges confirmed, but, well, “whatever.” I think most thinking Americans aren’t buying the republican conspiracy theories. They’ve (republicans) been busy trying to spin the “Russia thing” using talking points right out of the Kremlin and, no doubt, if Biden gets the nomination Hunter Biden will take the place of Hillary Clinton in the republican attack machine. But, they aren’t going to be able to LIE the coronavirus into something it’s not.
Of course, it may calm down soon – of course, I hope it does because I’m located very close to what is being called “ground zero” in regard to the virus “attack” on America (I think the death toll in Washington is 13 as I’m writing this) – but, individual 1’s INCOMPETENCE has been on full display as this “crisis” has been unfolding. His refusal to listen to scientists should concern every American because the Climate Crisis SHOULD be a focus of America’s government and, under this IMPEACHED so-called president it’s just on his list of “hoax’s” – along with this virus.
As all of this continues to unfold, I would be very pleased to see our “liberal media” actually expose these republicans for using the propaganda strategy of the Nazi’s of the 1930’s. Yes, it works, but, at the same time it’s DEPLORABLE. We’ve come to the point in America where there are two “sides” and people on one side don’t believe what the people on the other side are saying. In one instance because the people on one side have a foundation of beliefs based on LIES and, those people have been “programmed” to not believe what they are seeing and hearing “from the other side.” I’m not suggesting EVERYTHING you hear from “progressives” is true – fact checking should be routine for all of us – but, what I am suggesting is “The Big Lie Theory” is the strategy of ONLY one side of this divide!