Hope for Democrats

The United States is desperate for leadership in solving the pernicous lingering econonmic depression. ("Depressions" are low spots and can vary in depth. Thus the term is applicable to the current situation. Millions of Americans know this in their bones.) Worried questioners at today's so-called town hall meeting with President Obama is evidence of this desperation.

The editors of The Nation have mercifully provided us with a strategy of hope in the up-coming elections. As I commented yesterday in rather unmistakable terms, there is currently a malicious effort afoot to deny the American people the right to a true debate, a true contest. Instead what we get are shallow opinionators, focused as ever on the horse race and little interested in the way average Americans live their lives. It is enough to cause one to recommend mandatory periodic furloughs for the tired nags of negativism.

A case in point was Robert Siegel of the former National Public Radio (now in truncation, "NPR"), who today claimed that Democratic problems go deep. This is clearly a case of shallow reporting. Why? The problems are most certainly not those of the Democratic Party alone but of the country itself. Even, one could say of the world, for the current economic malaise crosses international boundaries.

Certainly one can be critical of Democrats. And this includes the President most certainly. When we wanted FDR, we got Joe Lieberman. Much more can be done for the economy.

But, does anyone seriously think the Republicans have any kind of workable plan? What we would get would be trickle down economics. We would get tax breaks and every advantage possible for the rich, with a trickle of benefits -- at best -- to everyone else. This to say nothing of their scary notions of "national security" to the detriment of civil rights.

This essentially puts large portions of the media as little more than shills for the Republicans, including tea partiers. I plan to have more evidence of this in coming days.

For now,the article by The Nation 's editors shows a fairly clear path to victory for the press-beleagured Democrats.

http://www.thenation.com/article/154803/teapot-tempest