As much as I love Vegas I'm not much of a gambler, but members of the Republican Party must love to gamble. Lately, it seems that the Republican Party is betting all their chips on black (see first African American President) to lose.
When President Bush (43) launched the Iraq war after 9/11 there were rumblings from the left that the war was a mistake and ill conceived (which by the way they were right). But President Bush had the will of the people behind him. I recall President Bush having 70% approval ratings on the Iraq war and because of that not many Democrats spoke out too harshly or even voted against the war (see Hillary Clinton). This ground swell of support was largely due to the fact that our country had been attacked; (also see WMD's) the people and the people's Representatives in Washington came together to fight one common cause.
Now by all accounts this financial meltdown is President Obama's 9/11 and the Republicans are not coming together for the common cause. They are ignoring this President's 70%, and in some polls 80%, approval ratings.
In fact they are saying "to hell with it all. Bartender send me another round of Jack (see Congressman Clyburn) and put everything I got on black to lose!" Because Republicans know if the President loses, they win; but at what cost (see the country)?
But what can Democrats learn from these short-sighted Republicans. Get a fat egomaniac to speak for the party (see Rush Limbaugh)? No! What Democrats should learn is that when you find yourself in the minority (which they will find themselves in a lot sooner than they think) they need to stick to what they truly believe and not focus on national polls. But rather, focus on what their constituents are saying.
Imagine if all the Democrats in the House and all but three in the Senate opposed the Iraq war...... That would have been something! Do you think President Bush would have taken this country to war on a party line vote? We will never know, but just like President Bush was trying to save this country by spending over a trillion dollars in Iraq, President Obama is trying to save the country by spending a trillion dollars at home. We can only "HOPE" that his plan has a better exit strategy.
Sidebar - Isn't it funny when the two political parties talk about spending and budgets given the actual dollar amount rarely decreases. Rather, it's just shifted to the projects and initiatives their political party favors. It's just a little something to keep your eye on.
Clearly Republicans in the House and some in the Senate are in hard core conservative districts that completely disagree with the President and in those cases I applaud them for being a true voice for their voters. That being said, they were sent to Washington to be rational thinkers who took an oath to put this country - not their political party first.
So it is up to those hard core Republicans to oppose the President, but offer solutions and alternatives to his proposals with the understanding that they are not in the majority. It's called compromise with the hope that America wins, not a political party.
One thing the Republicans are forgetting about this gamble.....it doesn't have to be a 100% success. If the President is able to slow down job lose, create new job growth, slow down the mortgage crisis, shore up liquidity for banks to lend and restore some consumer confidence (and keep us safe); he wins! And that's about a 50% success rate. Somebody needs to tell the Republicans to get a new bookie, because those are not good odds; especially when the real loser will be America.
Both parties have to understand that if we don't come together, build consensus, stop thinking that our way is the only way, when this crisis is over this country may not have two pennies to rub together.
Who are you betting on? Remember that ending partisanship starts with you.
"Everybody has a penny, from Bill Gates to the bum on your corner. If you have a penny you have a place in politics. That's why I call it PennyPolitics."
Brian E. Taylor
