It's a culture clash and it's largely urban versus suburban versus rural

[potassiumnitrate]

And the rural and suburban class has more political power than the urban class, which is why ignorance and conservatism runs deep in the nation and why Democrats are forced to give in time and time again.

I don't believe for a SECOND that Obama is as conservative as he lets on. He would legalize gay marriage in a heartbeat if it didn't mean the end of his career. Just look at all the so called conservative politicians who, only AFTER they are out of office, speak out in support of gay marriage. Hell, Laura Bush. LAURA FUCKING BUSH is OK with it.

He would've gone for a universal health care system, too. Fuck, he even said so himself during the campaign that he prefers that. He only used the EXCUSE of "we can't overhaul the entire system" in order to win the support of all the suburbanites and rural folks. Otherwise he wouldn't have even been elected.

The politicians have no choice but to pander to the ones who have all the political power. Not the MAJORITY, mind you, but the ones who control the elections. The entire country is gerrymandered into giving the rural and the suburban voters the power. I'm not saying there are no liberals who live in the suburbs or on the farms, I'm saying the vast majority of the liberals live in the city. The ones who do not cannot realistically elect liberal politicians in their districts.

And that's the crux of the problem. Dennis Kucinich can't win in rural Alabama. He just can't. Can a DEMOCRAT win in rural Alabama? Sure. But he'll have to be pro guns and pro God. He'll have to be anti abortion and super Blue Dog. Gay marriage? Ha. He wouldn't have a shot if he even hinted at supporting it.

Are you going to elect two Democratic senators from Utah? It can happen. But they won't be supporting a universal health care system any time soon. They won't support anything even remotely Muslim being built anywhere near ground zero, or anywhere else for that matter. That's 2% of the votes in the Senate, right there, all for a state with the population of maybe 10 blocks around my house.

There is a way to bring true liberalism into American politics, but it would require educating people who are living in places where they are either 1) So comfortable in their little cocoons that to change would be too scary for them, or 2) In such dire straits that they turn to religion as their savior. In this case changing a mind is damn near impossible.

Or the city dwelling liberals need to move into these areas and become the majority. Not exactly likely. Like I said before, I'm not saying the majority of Americans, OVERALL, are not liberal. I'm saying they're all concentrated in the urban areas. They don't have political power. This is the problem if you ask me.

[Skidmore]

1. What have you been smoking and where do you live?

Ever try to get anything done in a rural area with almost no tax base? Insert snort of derision here.... Come back and talk to me about power when you have. Now, the real divide is economic class, not where you live.

[Andy823]

2. I agree

Those with the money make the rules, and those in politics usually want some of that money!

The problem the left has is getting out the vote this year. To many people are upset with the way things have gone, even though the president has accomplished a lot, and may sit home instead of getting out and making sure we don't let the republicans back in control of congress, which will mean nothing at all gets done for at least the next two years!

[Skidmore]

9. The left will only get voted out if it sits on its collective ass and whines

incessantly rather than hold onto the offices and push to get more done. That is the adult thing to do.

[Jackpine Radical]

3. You called it exactly.

Take David Obey for example. No grandstander, but a reliable liberal where it counts. The largest city in his district, which covers most of Wisconsin's north woods, is maybe Wausau, with I would guess 60,000 people. Not exactly Manhattan. Or my own very rural county, with the largest town at about 13,000. We have liberal Democrats all the way up from the Assembly to the Senate.

[MuseRider]

4. Well said

and thank you. I see stupidity everywhere, not just out here in the boonies.

[GSLevel9]

5. that's what happens when

you build a "melting pot" culture and you fill it with disparate people....

[H2O Man]

6. oh

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. Urban vs Rural is a big bias in RTTT

Race to the Top rewards areas which can close schools that perform poorly. This works in urban areas, where there are other schools nearby to pick up the slack. Rural areas can't close a school because there isn't another school nearby. Hence a bias for our densly-populated east coast.

Universal health care? You mean like "single-payer", or "socialized medicine"? The uber-rich insurance companies will not go quietly.

[MadHound]

8. Poor widdle Obama, he can't do anything

Even though we gave him large majorities in the House and Senate, even though he is in the WH, he still is powerless and blameless.

Bullshit. The fact of the matter is that Obama and the Democrats simply aren't fighting, aren't even trying to pass policies that are popular with the public. Remember the public option, the one Obama supposedly supported, the one he wanted so bad that he promised that he wouldn't sign HCR unless it was included, the one that the vast majority supported? Remember what happened? Oh, yeah, the 'Pugs threatened a filibuster and Obama and the Dems folded like wet cardboard.

This has been the pattern of the past year and a half. Obama and the Dems have the power, they simply refuse to use it.