Like all good liberals I am pretty bummed about the results of the Walker recall in Wisconsin. Based on everything I was seeing and hearing in the media, I really thought that this might be the beginning of a movement where righteous enthusiasm and “boots on the ground” could defeat the crushing force of right wing money.
It reminds me of when I was playing on an “over 30” soccer team. Our team was pretty much the worst in the league but we had a lot raw talent and fire. Every once in a while we would get up a goal or maybe even two, but every time that happened the inexorable force of the other teams’ talent would overcome us in the end and we would lose. But that is not the worse part. Once that happens to you a few times as a team, a feeling of defeatism sets in and you lose that enthusiasm and fire, no matter how much you try not to; you lose your confidence. That is what I am afraid may be happening to the progressive/liberal movement. How many of those fired up people we saw in the months leading up to election day will get it up again to put that much effort into the coming fall elections? Are they now thinking, “why bother when the other side can outspend us by tens of millions of dollars and we’ve now learned that our boots on the ground will achieve nothing.”
Man, I need some cheering up.
3 comments:
I do not think nov. will cheer you up.
The pendulum swings so who knows. Last time the rightwing Republicans got to control everything they nearly (Bush/Cheney regime) they nearly destroyed the country and the world but people got fed up enough to vote in our first African-American president. if he gets voted out this time due to rightwing money and the Dems ineptitude at staying on message (and a simple one) and in unison, (like the right, etc.) and the Republicans take charge again in 2016 we could see the resurgence of something like the 1930s or '60s in terms of a populist movement etc. Meanwhile, it is interesting that the Democrats took control on the state senate in the same recall election so that seems to give the lie to the influence of all that big money creating a complete Republican takeover.
Don't worry Tom. The president said the private economy is doing fine. If he is correct, he will be overwhelmingly reelected.
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