What do the Independent's Want?

by MAX JOHNSON

It is election day, and there is a stench of anger in the air. The electorate hate the Democrats and want them gone. I heard today on NPR a woman say that she can't stand that Obama has brought such divisiveness to the country and is now looking for divided government. This makes no sense. She wants more unity, so she is going to put polar opposites in charge of each branch of government? I watched the day long summit that the President hosted on health care with the Conservative leadership. There is no doubt that the President pummeled the Corporate Stooges, but all they kept spouting was their tired spin on health care reform. All they could talk about was tort reform no matter how many times Obama shot it down. The President has tried to extend a hand of compromise only to be shot down repeatedly.

He could have pushed through an end to Don't Ask Don't Tell. He could have closed Guantanamo prison. He could have gone ahead on the trial in New York City against KSM, but each time he stepped back to reach across the aisle. His party did not pass a budget, and there was a compromise on the auto bailout to serve the Big Business leaders. He has not attacked the other party over the slow process for judicial and executive branch appointments. Obama has allowed the party of "No" to get away with opposing everything. He should be on the news every week doing press conferences and the Sunday shows to sell his ideas to the public. He needs to talk about how un-American it is not to pay taxes. These guys are so conservative that we need a counter balance in this country. Americans voted for change, but we all we are getting is a tepid version of the Clintons. If they are going to call you a socialist anyway, you might as well make it worth their while by forwarding a progressive agenda.

No matter what he needs to go after the Independent voters. He needs to solidify the tea partiers or at least neutralize them by convincing them to vote Libertarian. He needs to show the hypocrisy of the other party every day. Obama must show that the Democrats are much better at fiscal discipline than the other party every single day. He has to throw out Geitner and anyone else who guided previous economic teams, and then he has to take on the banks on behalf of the nation. He needs to force a vote on Global Warming, and a vote on immigration policy. We need simple votes on big issues to show the stark contrasts between the parties. He needs to take on unemployment, and the foreclosure crisis. The party needs to enforce discipline and force unity on populists issues.

It is all so depressing.