Pundits Still Don't Get It

I had a lot of people ask me if I was upset after President Barack Obama's first mid-term elections. For those who are curious: no, I'm not mad. I'm not even irritated. Why should I be? I mean, look, the one piece of legislation that the Republicans wanted to defeat (so they say) is health care. Well, the Republicans didn't win back Congress to even attempt to make it happen. The Democrats still control the Senate and they aren't going to vote to defeat a bill they voted to create. It makes no sense.
Still, the Republican pundits continue to beat the drum of repeal in hopes it will raise money heading into 2012. Think about it logically. They would need a majority of the votes in the Senate to even push it through. Then, they would need 2/3's of Congress to override it when Obama vetoes it. I'm telling you, it's not there. Health care is here to stay. Deal with it. It's a wonderful piece of legislation that is about 55 years too late (if not longer).
I wasn't surprised by the election for a couple of reasons. First, it's called history. When Democrats took over control of the country I said the next election will even out Congress. How did I know this? History. Since WWII the party who takes control of Congress when a new president enters office always loses some of it during the first mid-terms. The history rule USED to pertain to the president's first and second mid-terms, but President Clinton changed all that when he kicked Republican ass all over the country back in 1998.
The second reason (and I believe this is the reason for the first point) is people like to see their Congress work together. Will this happen? Probably not with the "Just Say No" Republicans controlling their end of the deal. They have to want to be teachable and get things done. Even when Bush and the Republicans had total control of Congress, there were several moments where Democrats sat down and hammered out legislation. Republicans have to be willing.
Let's face it, we all know Republicans and Democrats in our life. We have family members from both parties and we work with members of both parties. Every single day we get things done even though we don't agree.
Another thing pundits seem to be beating these days is the idea of repealing health care. After this supposed "uprising of the right" the second thing nobody gets right is health care itself. I met a newspaper reporter the other day who has written 25 columns about the health care debate and he admitted to me he hasn't actually read the bill that was passed into law. "Who has time?" was his little tag line. Um...I did. I know several people who are way busier than this guy who did. It doesn't take that long if you know how to read. Maybe that's his problem. Maybe I shouldn't judge him.
Here's my question back to the pundits. If Americans overwhelmingly felt the health care bill was bad, then why did Democrats keep control of Congress? This is all I heard for the past year is how bad this bill is (when half of the people saying it either haven't read it or can't interpret it correctly)and how much people hate it. Well if Americans hate it so much, why did they not put people in office who could repeal it? Has anybody bothered asking that question?
Here's what happened. While Democrats were busy shaping a historic piece of legislation, the Republican political machine was busy winning the public debate. I remember the day the vote happened I had several friends post "pages" of the health care bill that didn't exist. They literally said this and that is on page 53. When I looked at that page, there was nothing like it on the page. This means they were simply soldiers for the Republican Machine (knowingly or unknowingly) and spreading the hate and anger. It was the Karl Rove Fear Factor all over again. Republicans still want us to be afraid...of everything.
I have news for the Republicans, I voted for change and for hope. I still haven't lost sight of either. I applaud the president and Congress for rising above all the rhetoric and passing such a piece of legislation. Already we can see the benefits of it. You can no longer be turned down for coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Children can stay on their parents insurance plans until they are 25. Plenty of time for them to graduate college. You're right, these things are HORRIBLE!
What will 2012 hold? I have no idea. I do have theories. Right now, if the economy stays like it is heading into 2012, it will likely be a white wash for Republicans. If the economy gets better, then Obama and Company have a real fighting chance to keep their jobs. I still think Obama will get re-elected. Why? Because I've never seen a president keep his campaign promises as much as this one has and lose the next election. Think about it. When he said he was going to change the health care system, thousands of people applauded. So, he changed it. When he said he was going to push bank reform through, thousands of people screamed "Yes, We Can." And he did it.
In fact, he's done such a great job the Republicans are still talking about things they have been talking about (and doing nothing about) for the last 20 years. They say he is raising taxes. Yes, he is, on the rich. You know what I've learned about the really wealthy in this country? They don't care about taxes. They honestly don't care. Why do they not care? Because they know how to make more. They simply use it as a tool to get the people they want elected. That's the truth. Nothing will hold a true blue rich person back. Absolutely nothing. Not you, not me, not even a President of the United States.
So the next time you see/read one of these pundits talk about how bad things are, just remember, hope is still alive. You have the power to change your life today. You have the power to make a difference. You just have to act instead of bitch!