Forgive me if nothing else matters to me but this election

[cali]

I know there are things to be concerned about regarding this administration. I'm not blind to them. It's just that they're eclipsed by the monumental importance of this election. I honestly shudder to think what R/R would do if they're in power. I believe that should Mitt become president we'll be mired in another war in 3, 2, 1.....

I believe that this country would have huge buyers regret in 3, 2, 1.... but it'd be too late.

We always say that this is the most important election of our lifetimes. I feel that way now, and maybe it is maybe it isn't, but it is hugely important.

I don't believe that the parties are essentially the same. There's a lot of evidence to demonstrate that they aren't. It's not just social issues or Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Education and Social Security, it's the environment and foreign policy and voting rights and a slew of other critical issues large and small.

So I can't focus on what we did in Libya or drone strikes right now even though those are not negligible issues. Because if R/R get in we'll have so much more to worry about.

[Autumn]

1. Ryan and Romney are the greatest danger facing this Nation.

If they were elected we would never recover. To me, this is the most important election of my lifetime.

[KharmaTrain]

2. That's A Message That Needs To Be Put Out There...

Last weekend hundreds of rabid wingnuts saw that tripe about how a second Obama term would somehow turn this country into some dark netherworld (why he didn't do it in the first 4 is beyond me)...but the real horror show is what you present...a Bishop Willard and Pinocchio administration. Add to that horror scenario a rushpublican House & Senate and we could be a lot closer to the return to a full blown kleptocracy along the lines we saw from 2003-2007. Crony capitalism would run rampant as Rmoney would slash tax rates for his 1% buddies, government services that couldn't be turned into profit centers for his buddies would be unfunded or put out of business altogether. It would immediately reverse the meager progress made under this administration and prolong the agony for millions (many who will have voted for this madness) not just for 4 more years but another decade.

International would be another clusterfuck as Mittens would re-instate a 20th century imperialistic "foreign policy" in the 21st...and we saw how well that worked for boooooshie. War = profits and Haliburton, KBR and the other bloodsuckers would be back in business...be it in Iran or Cuba or Syria. These aren't tin foil hat fears...they are legitimate and very real should President Obama fail to be re-elected...and this has to be made a quiet but unrelenting message of his campaign.

Cheers...

[Atman]

3. Well said.

I'm aware that annoying friends with the constant political talk, but I feel as you do. This one is too damned important.

You know those Bush "Miss Me Yet?" signs? R/R actually make me miss W. He may have been a fool and a puppet, but these two asshole's have something seriously wrong about them. I shudder to think what would happen to this country if they were in charge

[Snarkoleptic]

4. Cue concern trolls in 3....2....1

>my-attempt-to-inoculate-thread/off<

[limpyhobbler]

7. I'm concerned the Democratic Party keeps getting dragged further to the right.

The Dem economic policies resemble the Republican policies of past decades.

The whole political debate keeps shifting further to the right on economic policies, military industrial policy, trade policy, welfare and safety net policy, attitude toward corporate monopolies and big banks, etc.

There is certainly a significant difference between the two parties. But I'm concerned there might be some underlying structural reason that both parties keep getting dragged further to the right. If we don't do something to pull the Democrats back toward the left, shit will just keep getting worse.

[Dustlawyer]

11. That's b/c Obama and Rmoney ultimately answer to the same bosses. Obama helps the 1%

Wall Streeters and wing nuts, he just does not give them everything at once. Patriot Act renewed, Rendition... The Dems throw us more bones, but they also answer to those bastards. The money is too much! We need complete campaign finance reform to ever get our Government back!

[daybranch]

14. whose side are you on boy?

Is not getting rid of everything at once the same as not giving our opponents everything at once? I do not believe so. He has given the country a lot- the stimulus, the loan to the car industry, improved veterans benefits, continuation of unemployment benefits, the shrinking of the donut hole for seniors, tax cuts for the middle class and small business, tax holiday for workers etc.,d of DADT, troops out of Iraq etc.. Quitt redistricting to remove gerymandering and trying torain on our parade but help us march it along. Work for Progressive ideals now. Do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Thereare many many things wrong, but basically what is wrong is that voters cannot hold politicians accountable. You can helpmake this possible- voter id drives, petition and referendum rights, establishment of independent redistricting to remove gerrymandering now and stop it in future,nomination of those who have your concerns in the primary, ---so much you and I need to do but we must stay alive, even as we plan ahead. Support Obama and Biden.
As for helping the one percent ,what has he done to do that? Certainly not the Patriot Act or rendition? Is therea direct connection in your mind?

[zeemike]

19. Well unfortunately we h ave only one way to do that.

We can vote for the democrats or we can let the far right claim a mandate to do what they want by letting them win.
And if we can clearly win we could claim the mandate and insist our Dem's adopt positions to the left...but if that does not happen and we don't stay active they will win.

[limpyhobbler]

23. You can stay active.

I'll vote for them because there is no choice really, but am not really exited about voting for stuff like this.

No amount of voting is going to pull the Democratic Party back away from those kinds of policies unless it is also accompanied by a separate outside movement.

That's just one example. I'll skip the laundry list.

[SunSeeker]

13. LOL. And indeed, there they are!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. If we lose, Obamacare is all but dead...

Millions of people lose their insurance outright because of pre-existing conditions and lifetime limits, millions more will have their insurance totally unaffordable.

Losing isn't an option. Not for them.

[Horse with no Name]

33. Chris Hayes laid it out exactly as it would happen last night

It was scary how easily it can all be undone.

[TahitiNut]

6. I shudder to contemplate what they might attempt in desperation for an "October surprise."

The LEAST horrible and still unthinkably horrendous would be an Israeli strike on Iran. Bibi Netanyahu is entirely capable of unleashing such a horror if he thinks it'd help his wannabe-partner-in-crime.

[garthranzz]

10. Ain't going to happen without the U.S. approval

And counter to common thought, an Israeli strike on Iran would STRENGTHEN Obama. The President would have Israel's back - such a strike would only occur because the U.S. gave tacit approval (and believe it, the President has a military option) - and not only would he win FL by a landslide - wavering Jewish votes - he'd pull in a lot of fence-sitters. War helps the incumbent, and Obama would handle this like he handled the Libya, the Arab Spring, etc - with measured, mature actions that protected U.S. interests, and empowered those on the ground.

[cali]

24. Me too. I wish I could stop worrying about that but

I have the same fear.

[TahitiNut]

31. "I sense a disturbance in the Force."

Literally. That's EXACTLY the feeling that comes over me occasionally as I contemplate the next 8 weeks.

[Horse with no Name]

34. Me too.

They have whipped up the crazies into a frenzy.

[OneGrassRoot]

8. Very well said, Cali. n/t

[99Forever]

9. Another ...

... "shut up and eat your gruel, our guy isn't as shitty as their guy" thread?

[DonCoquixote]

12. yes, and

just because the facts are ugly, does not stop them from being facts.

[99Forever]

17. I don't even have..

.. a clue as to what your point is. Could you clarify, please?

[DonCoquixote]

21. It means that

As much as you might be angry about the fact that the progressive thing to do is to vote against romney getiing into the white house, it is still the progressive thing to do. I have been to fsl and hear about people wanting romney to win because they think his reign will make more go more progressive.

[99Forever]

22. What the fuck is "fsl"?

And who the fuck said I was angry?

Assume much?

[DonCoquixote]

29. pardon, typo

FDL aka Firedoglake aka where Jane Hamsher gets money to undermine Democrats.

[99Forever]

32. Ok then, fdl.

What the fuck has that got to do with me? I don't think I've ever visited that site, so I wouldn't hazard a guess as to who there "gets money to undermine Democrats" of whatever line of conspiracy bullshit you might want to lay on them. So again, what the fuck has fdl got to do with me? If you want make an fucking accusation, at least have enough spine to do it in plain English.

[cali]

25. No. Just how I feel. No bullying, no bullshit like you're throwing out there

no putting words in other folks' mouths like YOU.

[ecstatic]

15. 6 wars. A draft. Ryan "sending more people to war"

from the comfort of the gym. Of course, people rich enough to afford college *without* student loans would be exempt from the draft.

[hfojvt]

16. I think that is incredibly short sighted

because these elections matter very much too http://www.politics1.com/senate.htm

and so do these http://www.politics1.com/congress.htm

both of those are slam dunks in Vermont, probably, but you could do something in some other state. Maybe make a small donation to Sherrod Brown, or Tammy Baldwin, or Elizabeth Warren.

You mentioned war. Would we have gone to war in Iraq if both the House and the Senate had voted down the IWR?

Given that it was Cheney/Bush, maybe, but I doubt it.

The 2nd Bush tax cuts, of 2003, passed the Senate by a vote of 51-50. Would that have passed if we'd had 53 Democratic Senators? If we'd had a majority in the House?

Probably something would have, but greatly modified from what Bush asked for.

Perhaps you could write something to try to help defeat a Republican in a neighboring state. http://www.democraticunderground.com/1061299

The Presidency is simply NOT the only election that matters in this country.

[cali]

26. I didn't say and I don't think that the presidency is the only election that matters

but if you want to believe that, and clearly you do, feel fucking free.

[hfojvt]

28. from the op "nothing else matters to me but this election"

Do those words have some other meaning? I saw no mention of Congress in your OP. It was all Romney/Ryan.

I think we should be thinking about Congress more than we do. GD seems to be all about Romney-Ryan-Obama, as if the House staying Republican is not important, and neither is the Senate staying Democratic.

[hue]

18. Forgiveness not neccessary! K&R I completely agree w/Your assessment!!

[JDPriestly]

20. Agreed.

There are a several areas in which I think Obama should have done a lot better -- and they are areas that he controlled and could have done differently.

But, on the big issue -- opportunity for all -- good schools, food stamps, Medicare, Medicaid, Welfare, Social Security, the environment and above all, foreign policy, the Obama administration, while not perfect, has done far better than a Republican administration could ever do.

And if we win decisively in this election, the bankers, the conservatives who have intentionally refused to play their part in the economy over past four years, will have to either move out or join in.

Some members of that extremely privileged elite will take their money and run, but we will be fine without them because their absence will create a place for a new generation of creative people in this country.

We can deal with tweaking Obama's policies once this election is won.

But for that kid who one day will be a Mayor Cuba or a Tammy Duckworth or a Michelle Obama or a Zoe Lihn grown up, this election is a life-changer. We need to remember that and get out and work to re-elect Obama.

[Bluerthanblue]

27. I can't forgive you because there is nothing to forgive

You have laid out the reality clearly Cali.

There will never be a President who will achieve all the things that his constituents want, a platform that suits everyone, or an issue which doesn't run counter to someones desire.

There is no perfect President. The one we have, and I will do all I can to be sure we keep -is a pretty damn good one imo.

Romney and Ryan would spell disaster for not only this country, but for the world at large.

This IS the most important election in my lifetime. I've voted in every election since 1976.

[Horse with no Name]

30. Politically, where we are as a country is not where I want the country to be

The Democratic Party is what the Republican Party of Eisenhower used to be.

The Republican Party are Authoritarian Fascists.

For a person who is an actual Liberal Progressive Democrat, the Democrats really do not represent me...but there is not a party that does.

With that being said....the Democrats are our best hope to keep the country intact.
Sure we need to pull them back to the left, but that is NOT happening in this election cycle and maybe not ever.

My goal is to keep from being pulled further right and certainly not a free fall plunge into the RW extremism that the republicans are offering us.

I am voting Democrats all the way. I don't even feel that I need to hold my nose this time because to allow a R/R Presidency would be unthinkable. It IS the most important election of our time. But sadly, I think every election will be the most important until I die because these folks are NOT just going to go crawl back under their rocks.