Now I Understand How Congress Works

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Overly Simplified Definitions

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Which of part of the Democratic party has a better understanding of the current political environment?

You can read the article but it seems like there are two radically different schools of thought on how the Democratic party should approach 2010:

One view says that it’s obvious that a majority of Americans are rejecting the “progressive” agenda and that Democrats should work more towards the middle so as not to lose independent voters in 2010. (A CRITICAL component in Obama’s win)

The other view says that not pushing for as much legislation as possible would anger the “base” and hurt Democrats significantly in 2010. (Similar to 1994 when the base didn’t show up)

What do you think?? (Obama seems to be favoring the 2nd)

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1209/31053_Page2.html

William Daley, commerce secretary in the Clinton administration, brother of the Chicago mayor and long an influential voice for moderation in the party, went public last week with what is on the minds of other centrist Democrats in an opinion piece in the Washington Post.

Sounding the alarm after the party-switch of Rep. Parker Griffith of Alabama, Daley laid out a stark choice. “Either we plot a more moderate, centrist course or risk electoral disaster not just in the upcoming midterms but in many elections to come.”

Democrats ought to “acknowledge that the agenda of the party’s most liberal supporters has not won the support of a majority of Americans — and, based on that recognition, to steer a more moderate course on the key issues of the day, from health care to the economy to the environment to Afghanistan,” Daley argued………….What lifted Democrats last year among their base, independents and those previously disengaged from politics, Rosenthal argued, were Obama’s promises: expanding health care, a new approach to energy, spending more on education and especially a promise to revive the economy that would help those of modest means.

“He gave a worried and anxious America hope and a plan that called for restoring America’s middle class,” wrote Rosenthal.

Obama coalition voters still want “change,” according to Rosenthal, who writes that the way to boost Democratic fortunes is to deliver — not to follow the path of moderation that the party so often trod in the ’90s.

“They don’t want their elected officials to go back to the days of legislating ‘small things’ (school uniforms come to mind),” Rosenthal argued. “To win them back — to engage them at all in 2010 — Democrats need to pass real health care reform, then move aggressively on a jobs, jobs, jobs (it cannot be said enough) program with strong workers’ rights.”

Technorati Tags: better, current, Democratic, environment, part, Party, political, understanding

If you created a new American political party that shared your views. What is its name? What is its slogan?

We now have Democratic, Republican, Peace and Freedom, Green, Communist, Socialist, Libertarian

Suggestions –

Responsibilitarian — Do the right thing

Legalitarian — If you pass good laws, we will obey them

Equalitarian or Egalitarian — I am as good as you are

Capitalist — Money rules

Centrist — Walk the narrow line

Triangulate –

Hedonist –

Dog-eat-dogmatarian –

Me-ism –

Deism –

Populist — Of the people, by the people and for the people

Isolationist — Leave me alone and get out of my way

Discussionist — Let’s talk it over

Technorati Tags: American, created, name, Party, political, shared, slogan, views

Disagree with your political party?

Lets us know what political party you belong to or relate to the closest, and then list some things you actually DON’T agree with the general view of your party on.

My example:
Liberal/Centrist. (non radical liberal)
Things I don’t agree with most liberal on:
Even though I think there should be qualifications and certain limits to gun ownership, I still believe that Americans should have the right to bear arms. The few restrictions i believe in are very loose, only limiting guns to people who aren’t violent ex-cons, people under the age of 18, and the severely mentally retarded.

I’m not a big advocate of the welfare system. I feel far too many people take advantage of it and use it merely as a reimbursment for their laziness — which is curable.

Not a big fan of Affirmative action. Most liberals see it as a counter to social racism, whereas I see it AS racism. Nobody should be hired or turned down according to their skin color… only according to whether or not they are qualified for the job.

Socialism (not what right-wingers think it is, but what it actually is). I believe in a mixed economy. Socialization only works for very few programs. I think as far as medical coverage, it should be an option for the individual to decide. Mixed. This way people who oppose can pay for premium private insurance, and those who opt in, get socialized goverment coverage at a low cost. This opinion of mine is very unpopular because conservatives disagree with it as well, despite it splitting the issue right down the middle. lol

Technorati Tags: Disagree, Party, political

The Political Failures Of The Baby Boomers, And The Challenges For The Next Generation

You know your government is bad shape when it starts comparing itself to fallen empires of the past. Unfortunately, that’s the case in modern America.

The Government Accountability Office, the independent agency charged with investigating the (in)efficiency of government programs, recently warned us that our “burning platform” of unsustainable public policies was so dire that the agency felt obliged to warn of the “striking similarities” between our government’s situation today and the fall of the Roman Empire.

In this panoramic landscape of abject government failure, political liability should spread across the generations. Intransigent leaders from the Silent Generation have delayed social and political progress. The apathy of voters from Generations X and Y has entrenched the power of reckless and incompetent politicians. But given their power, influence and rhetoric, the leaders hailing from the Baby Boomer generation have been the most disappointing in their contributions to our current mess.

Baby Boomers have occupied the White House since 1993 and have held a solid majority in the House of Representatives since 1998. In the U.S. Senate, which has a higher age requirement, Boomers have still held nearly half the votes since the turn of the century, even gaining a brief one-vote majority from 2003 to 2007. A whopping thirty-seven of our fifty states currently have Baby Boomer governors. One wonders, given this impressive hold on power for the past decade, what does this legendary generation have to show for itself politically? Or in other words, what have these 1960s idealists, now boasting decades of real-world experience, done to strengthen our democracy and lead us into the new millenium? (Answer: Not much.)

As the obstacles to our nation’s progress have mounted, Baby Boomer political leaders have largely sought to deflect responsibility, avoid tough decisions, and instead focus their efforts on discrediting their political opponents. As the Boomers have grown in their influence, they have not only failed to solve problems, but in many ways, they have left American Democracy worse off.

Along with their manifold policy failures, Boomers have led American politics into what Andrew Sullivan has called “the debilitating, self-perpetuating family quarrel of the Baby Boom generation.” Nowhere is their childish bickering more apparent than the partisan mud-flinging that currently passes for political commentary. Best-selling conservative Boomer pundits such as Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity, et. al, pen a dizzying number of worthless screeds accusing their political opponents of treason, stupidity and hypocrisy, and their best-selling Left Boomer pundit counterparts, Michael Moore, Al Franken, et al, respond in kind with equally nauseating vitriol.

The Boomers’ failures are distributed uniformly from Right to Left. But given the liberal-leaning Boomers’ original rise from the 1960s counterculture, their weak-kneed absorption into the partisan political establishment is most ironic. The generation that fought for free speech and the right to question authority now enforces strict political correctness and quashes political dissent from their tenured posts in academia.

The proverbial light at the end of the proverbial tunnel

Perhaps the only hope for change lies with the younger generations – Generation X and my generation, the millenials – who will someday, inevitably, take over power.

Granted in many ways, relying on my generation is a risky bet. We’re known mostly for our political apathy and ignorance of current events. We don’t even care to vote, know who our representatives are, or really feel the need to have any sort of polticial identity whatsoever.

But as we know, things can change. If there’s anything that the Baby Boomers prove, it is that political activism in one’s youth fails to translate to effective political leadership in one’s better years. Seriously – why not us?

In many ways, our generation is best equipped to help lead America through the challenges of the 21st century. We’ve got lifetime experience with modern trends like computer technology and globalization, and thus are the most capable of transcending the fear, cultural division and xenophobia with which most of our elders face those new realities. Our entrepreneurial streak – our peers have founded some of the most innovative new media companies in the world – makes us better understand the importance of fiscal responsibility, market competition and open trade. Raised on rap music, lascivious music videos and violent video games, we are remarkably adept at making our own judgments of personal morality, whether or not our parents believe it. Our love of social networking leaves us appreciative both of individual expression and group association. Our advanced technical knowledge of computer networks can even help us better understand how terrorist networks operate. We have no working memory of the Cold War, and thus much less interested in the divisive ideological battling that affllicts the Boomers who cannot seemingly escape that period.

Will the late-coming millenials, currently wallowing in their self-absorbed world, put those brilliant social resources to work and actually change something? Here’s hoping.

Technorati Tags: Baby, Boomers, Challenges, Failures, Generation, Next, political

Is the American political system broken?

In both parties, politics have become all or nothing. The extremists are running things, and they’re out to punish anyone in the middle of the road or less than 100 percent committed to the cause — whatever it is.
It’s not just moderates and centrists who are on the chopping block. It’s anyone whose politics are too nuanced or complicated to fit in a 30-second television ad. It’s anyone who is going against the grain with unpopular views, or telling the faithful what they need to hear as opposed to what they want to hear. And it’s anyone who appears, on any issue, to have crossed the playground to consort with the enemy.

What say you?

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Question about political views and which side of your brain is dominant?

The left side of the brain focuses on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. While the right side of the brain focuses on aesthetics, feeling, and creativity.

Do you think this has an impact on how people form their political beliefs?

For example, left brained people may tend to be more conservative, while right brained people might be more liberal, and people that use both sides of the brain equally may be more centrist.

I took an online quiz to tell me which side is dominant for me, and I came out as “whole brained” no particualr dominant side. And my political beliefs would be considered right leaning centrist. Anyway, your thoughts?
The link is on my other PC, which died last night.
I couldn’t find the site that I originally took the test, but I found a few others for you to check out.

http://www.blogthings.com/areyourightorleftbrainedquiz/

http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi?q=right_brain_left_brain_2

http://homeworktips.about.com/library/brainquiz/bl_leftrightbrain_quiz.htm

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Seen and Heard: America’s Youngest Political Pundit Tackles the Lies and Truths of Politics and Culture

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You’ve heard the saying Children should be seen and not heard. But teen political writer Kyle Williams is challenging that adage and making a name for himself in the process. As the youngest columnist for WorldNetDaily.com, he has tackled subjects such as abortion, homosexual rights, separation of church and state, and the public school system. In Seen and Heard Williams again takes on the establishment, offering clear evidence that a leftist agenda is at work in ou… More >>

Seen and Heard: America’s Youngest Political Pundit Tackles the Lies and Truths of Politics and Culture

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Political Disconnect, Swing Voters and the Propensity for Change

The results of the Constituent Assembly elections are pouring in and none of the political pundits or analysts could have foreseen the indicated outcome as being seen from the preliminary results. The last general elections were held in 1999. The mainstream political parties were facing the public pulse after a long hiatus of nine years. The Maoists were testing it after even a longer period of time. They started their insurgency movement in 1996, and 12 years later, after a sustained insurgency movement and a peace deal which followed, they were finally willing to tread un-trod waters and face the ballots in lieu of bullets. The results coming in show that the Maoists are leading heavily in the FPTP (First Past The Post) of 240 seats and are also leading with a wide margin in the nationwide PR (Proportional Representation) seats of 335. So what happened?

What was it that made the two main political parties, namely the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) show such poor outcome in the election results? And what was it that made the Communist Party of Nepal Maoists (CPN-M) show such strong results? And what was it that makes it look like that the Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) will be the fourth largest party in the new post-election scenario?

It seems that the NC and the UML lost a lot of the votes because they have been so lax and in total disconnect with the grassroots and the general voters. They have been extending the mandate of the present Parliament for so long – the last elections were after all held in 1999 – that they seem to have forgotten that it also takes a lot of issue based campaigning to get elected. The first Constituent Assembly elections were scheduled to be held in June 2007. With the postponement of that scheduled date, the parties were not showing any inclination to taking their message – their political manifestos – out to the public. They were content on holding on to the position of power at the parliament – a parliament whose term had expired and whose mandate was to hold the CA elections as soon as possible. There was endless and pointless wrangling and haggling between the parties in the parliament. All of this – while very little actual work was being done. They almost never went out to the public at the grassroots level to find out what it was that the public actually wanted. This disconnect from the voter base has proved to be a costly point. And one has to remember that it was NC which was so insistent on having the FPTP system. They felt that it would benefit them as it had done in the previous general elections. Looking at the incoming results, they might have fared better with just the PR system for the elections. The CPN-UML certainly had shown preference for the PR only system.

How did the CPN-M do so well in the elections? To say that they have surprised everyone is an understatement. The CPN-M itself is surprised and overwhelmed with the results. Most analysts felt that they would come out the third largest party, at the best, the second largest. But the results show that they have come out as the single largest party with the two main parties, NC and CPN-UML lagging far far behind. There are many different reasons for such a strong showing of the Maoists in this CA election. Firstly, it seemed that they were the only ones who were doing serious campaigning. Their door to door campaigning had been going on for quite some time, while the other parties were just trying to do support rallies. It may be true that there was a lot of strong arm tactics involved in the districts when other parties were discouraged to go out and do the campaigning. In fact, some people felt that there was a “Vote War” going on. But still, is that enough to show such poor performance by the other parties and such strong performance by the Maoists?

The other thing that I believe helped the CPN-M gain so many votes are the youth vote. The Maoists put up more young candidates than any other parties. The population of Nepal, who are below 34 years of age, is approximately 73%. Of the voting percentages, figures from the Election Commission shows that the voters between the age range of 18 to 35 constitutes 50.75% of the total voters. In the CA elections, for parties fielding their candidates for the 240 First Past The Post (FPTP) seats, it was reported that the CPN (Maoist) had 126 (52.50%)young candidates across the country in the age group 25-40. The NC fielded just 17 candidates (7.08%) from the age group 25-40. Young people have a tendency to connect with other younger people. In the post-conflict scenario, when so much has been said and so little has been done, I believe that a lot of young people voted for someone they see as peers and on whom they had more confidence than the gerontocrats. In most of the countries where transition to democracy takes place, the country also witnesses the end of older generation rule – the political leaders and elite gets younger. For instance in Serbia when it moved towards the transition, 68% of its political elite was young was below 36 years of age. It seems the youth vote acted as a swing vote in the CA elections.

And last but not the least, I think it was the propensity for change which is reflected in the CA elections results. Many Nepalese had high expectations that we would experience prosperity and development with the restoration of democracy in 1990, people have now come to realize that without an active and informed citizenry, democracy is unresponsive to citizens’ needs. Due to the dismal showing of the political parties in the last decade and a half, many people have lost their faith in the political parties. The people gave opportunities to the political parties time and again, but the outcome was no different each and every time. Endless political wranglings, power struggle, nepotism and a total disconnect from the public. This kind of political insulation leads to a general feeling of apathy among the people and they will naturally react to a new party that offers a different approach, a new way of doing things, new opportunities and a new leadership. The CPN-M seems to have gained a lot from this propensity for change. Also, the need for change and representation seems to have worked very well for the MPRF and the other Madhesi parties. People voted for a change from the traditional voting patterns, where the big parties would get elected most of the time. The time for actual representation has come.

Nepal has undergone extraordinarily challenging circumstances: a de- escalating national conflict, massive human rights abuses, large number of internally displaced people, students and youth taking up violent protests and the ongoing formation of the Constituent Assembly. The leadership of all the political parties needs to be lauded for making the CA elections such a success. Now it is up to the same leaders to see to it that the peoples mandate is fulfilled. The function of the constituent assembly will be to take the identity and values of the New Nepal fashioned through social and political processes and give it constitutional recognition and expression.

Technorati Tags: Change, Disconnect, political, Propensity, Swing, Voters