2014 Midterm Election Analysis

ELECTION ANALYSIS 2014

I know...I know...I'm late.  I posted on my Facebook page the day after the elections that I was going to write my analysis of the 2014 Election.  Life gets in the way sometimes.  My daughter wants to play with Daddy, and I'm writing papers on the views of old, dead political philosophers.  This is to say that writing my next blog entry was not on my radar.  Now that I have some time to write, I will now give my analysis of the 2014 Election. Being that every pundit or "know-it-all" (I probably fit into one of those categories) has given their thoughts on the election, this post will be short and sweet.

MESSAGE TO THE REPUBLICANS
Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo famously said, "We campaign in poetry, but we govern in prose.".  Republicans...you were successful in winning more seats in the House, securing your control of the House, you all won gubernatorial elections in several states, and of course, you all won enough seats to take control of the United States Senate, thus having control of both houses of Congress.  CONGRATS!!!  Be careful what you ask for.  Their success is due to:  (1) Playing to the fears and prejudices of their core constituencies, (2) Turning President Obama into the "Boogie Man", (3) Linking Democratic candidates to President Obama and (4) Taking advantage of various events and somehow linking them to President Obama.  However, what is often a person's or group's strength is often their weakness.  Although they were successful in maligning President Obama, they unfortunately didn't inform the American People about THEIR plans for the country.  The GOP's strategy has been simple, yet effective...oppose any and all things President Obama supports, create a false narrative, and don't put forth any substantive proposals that the Democrats can address, oppose or come to some agreement on.  Instead we get:   "WE HATE OBAMACARE!!!  REPEAL IT!!!".  "Obama was responsible for the Ebola virus spreading!!!".  "He salutes while drinking coffee."  "Obama is acting like a KING because of his use of Executive Orders."  Superficial tactics are effective in winning elections, but are ineffective in governance.  The GOP, especially Congressional Republicans have to start acting like adults, and govern.  The "Kenyan Socialist" Narrative is tired, and despite President Obama's dismal approval ratings, his approval ratings are higher than Congress...the institution which will now be controlled by the GOP. Regardless of whether one is a Democrat or Republican, all Americans are cynical (to say the least) towards Congress specifically and politics (and politicians) in general.  If the American people feel that Congress is not doing an effective job, then I can almost guarantee that Democrats will again win the White House in 2016, in addition to winning back some House seats and retaining their Senate seats (I do believe Congress will stay in GOP control for several years).  I can't emphasize this enough...GOP, stand for something, instead of standing against someone.  Push forth your own detailed policy agenda.  Continue outreach to communities that historically not been linked to the Republican Party (I applaud what Senator Rand Paul is doing in his outreach to African American Community).  Honestly...I don't think the GOP will stray far from their current course, and that is being the "Anti-Obama" Party.  They simply can't help themselves.  Example...after the election, there were feelings of goodwill and GOP leaders expressing their intent to work with the Obama Administration on certain issues.  That feeling of goodwill did not last long.  There are Republicans talking about impeaching President Obama, holding more congressional hearings on issues that they have already held hearings on, again...repealing Obamacare, and shutting down the government over immigration reform.  They can't help themselves...it's in their nature.  They somehow feel that their ideological stuborness is cloaked in some false sense of Patrick Henry, "Don't Tread On Me"-patriotism, which will indeed cause gridlock, ill-will and further political cynicism among the public.  It will become clear that the GOP, unfortunately, would rather spend their time attacking President Obama than governing with him.  Congressional Republicans...be careful what you wish for.  To much is given, much is required.

MESSAGE TO DEMOCRATS

You got your asses whupped!!!  Despite raising more money than the GOP, the Democrats certainly weren't able to use those resources effectively.  The Democrats messaging sucked.  And the candidates they recruited to run in some of these races were suspect.  The Democratic incumbents came off looking incompetent (Birth Control...really?  That's so 2012).  But the one strategy that the Democrats employed that was the nail in the proverbial coffin was not aligning themselves with President Obama.  Did the Democrats think that the GOP Opposition Research Department could not search the roll call of Senators and House Members and how they voted on legislation that the White House supported?  They can disavow themselves from the President all they want, but your record is your record.  The Democrats were scared and spineless.  They were more concerned about winning/retaining their seats than standing up for their principles, positions and their President.  Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that the candidates who avoided the President lost.  Who wants a disloyal person, concerned more about their Senate/House seat, representing their interest?  I know I wouldn't. The Democrats ran away from a man who is the first African American President (A first among all major Western nations).  They ran from a man who since he has been in office, the economy has improved significantly.  Unemployment has decreased considerably.  They ran from a man who has done more for the LGBT than any President in the history of this country.  They ran from a man who gave the order to kill Osama Bin Laden.  They ran from the man who saved General Motors.  In addition to that, the Democrats could have ran on issues such as immigration, minimum wage, education, net neutrality, the environment, etc.  They forgot who they are, what their issues are, and threw the man who was responsible for getting many of them elected, under the proverbial bus.  Democrats...you deserve to lose.  President Obama...you need to stop acting passive aggressive and push forth your programs.  Channel your inner-Lyndon B. Johnson.  You're not back-bencher Congressman representing a district.  You're no longer the "Distinguished Gentleman from Illinois".  You represent the country.  You're the Chief of State.  You're the Commander of Chief of the largest military force in the World.  You're the Chief Executive Officer of the largest and most diverse government in the world.  ACT LIKE IT!!!  I see more people on Facebook share your accomplishments of your administration than the White House does.  DNC...fire your political and communications staff.  Your messaging was garbage, your recruitment of candidates was God awful (Alison Lundergran Grimes....really?), and the incumbents lacked organization and spines.  The "Stay Away From Obama" strategy was a failure.  Better to "go out" standing on your feet than on your knees.  If the GOP is calling a candidate out as a liberal...be damned for who you are.  

MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
According to the New York Times, the 2014 Midterm Elections produced the lowest voter turnout in 72 years.  The articles mentioned that in"...43 states, less than half the eligible population bothered to vote, and no state broke 60 percent."  The national turnout was only 36%.  Young people didn't show up like they did in 2012.  African American and Latino turnout also dropped compared to 2012.  All of these groups are Democratic constituencies.  If you are a supporter of the Democratic Party, and didn't vote and/or encourage others to vote, well...you see the results.  SHAME ON YOURSELVES!!!  The same people who didn't vote, will be the ones who bitch and moan the most.  And for those who did vote...that's great, but voting is the easy part.  Are you now going to hold public officials accountable, or are you going to be the person who continues to bathe oneself in the glow of your television while watching the latest reality t.v. show.  As I have constantly stated, the problem with this country is the American Voter, not the politicians.  As Plato said, "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors".  You like mediocrity...well...YOU GOT IT!!!

Partisan and ideological loyalties aside, I do pray that Democrats and Republicans alike can be respectful of each other, despite having differences on how this country is ran and in what direction this country is to go.  Enough of the gridlock...get stuff done.  Unlike much of the public, I have a great respect for Congress as an institution, and in the hands of the right people, Congress can become a place where the national interest is more important than self-interest.

That's the Marc-Up.  MEETING ADJOURNED!!!

Selective Outrage

I told myself that I wasn't going to write about this.  I said to myself, "Hey...everybody is talking about this, what more could I possibly add?"  What am I talking about?  After arriving in New York City to address the United Nations, President Obama stepped off of Marine One, the presidential helicopter.  As President Obama stepped down, two Marines saluted the President.  President Obama responded by saluting the Marines, unfortunately while with a cup of coffee in the same hand by which he gave the salute.  Hold up....hold up...do you hear that?  You don't hear that?  It's the sound of the BOINGS from the boners of conservatives who literally stumbled over themselves to get in line and criticize President Obama, for what could be considered "bad optics", or perhaps even "bad judgement".  I'm surprised the servers at Twitter didn't go haywire, as people, who obviously don't like the idea of President Obama even existing, couldn't wait to get their snarky remarks plastered in the "Twitterverse".  "Just saw the #lattesalute.  Mr. President, put down the damn coffee cup." comes from one Twitter user.  Another Twitter user tweeted, "When trying to lead a coalition, show the world you respect the military...".  Congressional Republicans are using this gaffe to raise money.  And of course, you know Fox News has spent a significant amount of time, resources and precious oxygen on this issue.  Frequent Fox News contributor, former Florida Congressman Allen West tweeted, "If there was any doubt as 2 the level of regard Obama has for the military, this latte salute seals to deal."  The main argument(s) from conservatives or conservative-leaning people is that President Obama's lazily-nicknamed "Latte Salute" shows a level of contempt towards the military, and exposes an almost inherent level of antipatriotism.  MY GOD...let's call our Congressmen and Senators, and demand hearings on this issue.  In fact, lets go further...lets bring Congress back in session and call for the impeachment of the President on charges of treason.  People...come on...CALM THE HELL DOWN!!!  

Let's face it, people hate politicians and politics.  We are at a point in our nation's history where political cynicism is at an all-time high.  President Obama's approval rating, according to Gallup is at 43%, the lowest approval rating in his presidency.  As for Congress, a July 15, 2014 Gallup poll has their approval rating at 15%.  We can have a discussion another time about the level of contempt people have for politicians.  It's open season on politicians, and any action that a politician does that can be perceived as negative, only serves to fuel the already high levels of contempt that people have for their elected officials.  The problem that I have with this particular case is the over the top, hyperbolic, and more so...selective outrage when it comes to this incident.  Are we that cynical about politicians, in general?  And specifically, are we that cynical about President Obama?  Let's delve into this further.

I have been studying presidential politics for a long time.  In fact, it was one of my specialty areas while studying political science at Virginia Commonwealth University (Go Rams).  In all of my studies, readings, reports, analysis, research, etc., I have never seen a president so scrutinized, criticized, and disrespected as President Barack Obama.  Before I continue further...go ahead, get it out.  "Marc...you're a liberal!!!"  "Marc...you're a Democrat!!!"  "Marc...you're a lemming!!!"  "Marc...you're an apologist!!!  "The only reason why you like Obama is because he is black. (Yeah, I put it out there)."  "Marc...you think that all white people who criticize Obama are  racist!!!"  Now...have you gotten that out of your system?  You feel good about yourself?  Good...let's continue.  The narrative that has been put forth is the disrespect President Obama allegedly has towards the military, which then puts his patriotism in question.  The problem that I have with that narrative is that it is purely emotional, and can't be substantiated.  Also, the same people who are charging the President with disrespect and antipatriotism, I will argue, haven't shown the same level of respect towards him.  Here is an example.  Since President Obama has been in office, people in general, the media, and especially the conservative media, continue to refer to the President as "Obama", which smacks of disrespect.  You don't have to like the man, or share his views.  But if you claim to be patriotic, at least show some respect to the office, and refer to him as "President Obama".  When people call him "Obama", they are attempting to delegitimize his presidency.  They don't like him being the president, so they have chosen not to acknowledge that he is the president.  The presidency is bigger than one man or woman, but while this one man is the president, refer to him as such.  I have criticized former President Bush many times.  I have attacked Speaker John Boehner before.  But when I did/do, I always used/use their titles, because I have respect for the responsibilities of their positions and the office as a whole, regardless of how I feel about their views.

Let's continue to talk about disrespect.  Before he was president, and since he was elected, those on the self-righteous political right, have questioned this president's religious affiliation, and questioned whether this man was born in America.  When first running for president, then-Senator Obama was "accused" of being a Muslim, as if being a Muslim is a crime.  When did practicing Islam become a prerequisite to run for the Presidency?  At last check, Article II of the United States Constitution said that a President needed to be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and have lived at least 14 years in the United States.  Also the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."  And as former Secretary of State Colin Powell so eloquently stated on "Meet The Press" in 2008, "...it is permitted to be said such things as, 'Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.'  Well the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian.  He's always been a Christian.  But the really right answer is, what if he is?  Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?  The answer's no, that's not America.  Is there something wrong with a some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?  Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, 'He's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists.'  This is not the way we should be doing it in America."  Secretary Powell is right...it is not how we should be doing it in America.  Unfortunately the ignorance and Islamaphobia concerning President Obama's faith continues.  As reported in the Washington Post in July, 2012, a survey conducted by the Pew Forum for Religion and Public Life, stated that "Only 49 percent of voters know that Obama is a Christian, and 17 percent continue to say that he’s a Muslim. Among conservatives, 30 say that he is a Muslim; among the most conservative voters that jumps to 34 percent. When Pew first surveyed this question, in 2008, only 16 percent of conservatives believed that Obama was a Muslim. Put another way, as conservatives grew more familiar with Obama, their view of his religious beliefs moved deeper into fantasy."  Does this train of thought show respect towards the President of the United States?  The same people who claim disrespect because of the salute gaffe...where was your indignation and outrage then?  People questioned whether he was born here, and despite investigations and overwhelming proof to say otherwise, we still have people who question whether President Obama was born in the United States?  WHERE ARE THE CHARGES OF DISREPCT and displays of outrage towards those who make baseless charges against our Commander In Chief? 

Attacks and outright lies have been thrown towards President Obama in a way that borders on compulsive lying.  Fact checking websites have gone bonkers in disproving the lies and litany of attacks made against President Obama.  My personal favorite is the lie of President Obama's 2010 10-day mission to India, which was reported to cost $200 Million...A DAY!!!  Conservative bloggers, pundits and news organizations, couldn't beat off fast enough, as they ran with this story that was first reported by a news website in India from "unnamed sources".  The costs being reported, would have been more than what was spent, per day, during the war in Afghanistan.  I ask again, WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE?  WHERE WERE THE CHANTS OF DISRESPECT AGAINST THOSE WHO MADE BASELESS CHARGES AGAINST OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF? 

Let us not forget one of the more disappointing moments in our country's history...a clear example of disrespect shown towards President Obama, and that is the 2009 State of the Union address.  During the address, South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, interrupted the speech and yelled "YOU LIE" at President Obama.  President Obama didn't respond, and continued with his speech, while Vice President Biden looked down in shame, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi looked shocked and appalled.  WHERE WAS THE OUTRAGE?  WHERE WERE THE CHARGES OF DISRESPECT REGARDING CONGRESSMAN WILSON'S ACTIONS?  Fox News and other conservative media types spoke with pride about Congressman Wilson's actions, and a once unknown back-bencher congressman from South Carolina raised over $1 Million in campaign contributions due to his disrespectful actions.

It's one thing to smear President Obama, but to go after his family, is a clear example of disrespect.  Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner attacked First Lady Obama, because of her campaign against obesity, saying that she was not in position to talk about health and obesity, because she has a "big butt".  A sitting Member of Congress says the First Lady has a "big butt", and that doesn't qualify as disrespectful?  Where were the shouts of disrespect?  Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Ann Coulter have attacked President Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, in the media.  Again, where was the outrage?  

Just admit it...you don't like the man.  I get it.  You never liked him, and you will seek out any opportunity to attack the man.  If people have legitimate POLICY beefs with President Obama and the Obama Administration, that's fine.  I have policy differences with the Obama Administration.  As a citizen, it is your duty to question the actions of your elected officials.  Whether he correctly or incorrectly salutes Marines, which by the way, he is not required to do, the level of disrespect shown towards him is incomparable and unparalled.  President Grant was a drunk.  President Harding had arguably the most scandal-ridden presidency in history.  President Nixon...well...we know what he did.  The conservative deity that is President Reagan, had the Iran-Contra affair, and President Clinton (who I am a fan of), was getting orally gratified in the Oval Office.  You're getting pissed off at President Obama because of a salute gaffe?  You say that he has no respect for the military.  President Bush knowingly authorized military action based on false intelligence, and as a result, thousands of soldiers are dead, with even more casualties.  Nobody ever questioned President Bush's patriotism or respect towards the military.  President Obama however, brought back troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and is now developing a coalition of nations in the fight against the terrorist group ISIS.  President Obama has been praised (and criticized) for being careful and deliberate in going to war.  Putting soldiers in harm's way, is one of the toughest decisions that any president has to make, and being cautious shows restraint, and a tremendous amount of respect towards those that may be sent overseas to fight.  Back to Congressman West, a 21-year veteran of the United States Army (Thank you for your service), questions President Obama's commitment and respect towards the military.  Is this the same Congressman Allen West who was forced to retire from the Army because of charges of torture?  He discharged his weapon near the head of a suspected terrorist he was questioning based on faulty intelligence that his battalion was going to be ambushed.  The information that then-Lt. Colonel West forced from the suspect was "meaningless", and it was found later that no plans for attack or weapons were found to substantiate Lt. Colonel West's claims of imminent attack.  He was fined $5000, and was able to retire with full benefits.  Does he get criticized?  NOPE!!!  The military, which I respect, is the one institution of government that doesn't get criticized, despite having their own history of corruption, waste, and excess.  They risk their lives for their country, and for that alone, people love them and will excuse most errors or mistakes they may make.  The President of the United States, who also puts his or her's life on the line, works 24 hours a day/7 days a week, makes a salute gaffe, and the public decides to shit a brick.

Regardless of the evidence that I have provided, people will still concentrate on "Latte-Gate".  They will still stimulate themselves by crying out that President Obama is disrespectful.  They will "lie in wait", hoping for President Obama to mess up, providing them a reason to attack.  People criticize him for wearing a tan suit.  People questioned his patriotism as far back as 2007, because he didn't wear an American flag lapel pin.  Really?  So instead of listening to his views on foreign policy, the economy, etc., the public decides to focus on his fashion choices.  Is this the direction our country is heading in?  A public that is so cynical of politics, that we will find the most insignificant things to use as ammo against our elected officials.  This speaks to a larger issue that I have been preaching about for years.  A Democratic Republic like the United States, starts with the people.  Let me repeat that...A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC LIKE THE UNITED STATES, STARTS WITH THE PEOPLE.  The public hates politics and politicians.  Who elects them to office?  We do.  Do you know who your representative is?  Have you ever written your representative a letter?  Have you called him/her?  Have you visited their office or attended a town hall meeting?  More than likely, you haven't, but the public then wonders why the political atmosphere is where it is.  The answer...  LOOK IN THE MIRROR.  The apathy people have towards politicians, is symptomatic of slothful civic participation.  As a result, people lash out like petulant children, who if they only cleaned their rooms, wouldn't be on restriction.  Do your job as citizens.  Engage in civic activities that those same soldiers you show so much respect for, are willing to die for.  Learn how to drive the car that is politics, and keep your hands on the wheel.  Stop looking to blame everything on the President, and on Congress.  From time to time, measure your patriotism and respect towards government institutions.  Just because you have a "Don't Tread On Me" license plate does not make you a patriot.  Wearing a flag pin on your lapel does not make you a patriot.  President Obama, at the end of the day, is a human being...he is prone to mistakes, just like you.  Instead of attacking him, let's forgive him, move on to more substantive issues that face the nation, pray for our soldiers, and why you're at it...GO GET A LATTE.

That's the MARC UP!!!  Meeting adjourned.