The Year of Moving Forward

The Year of Moving Forward
At our 4 person wedding reception in DC

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Election hash

What do yesterday's election results tell us?

Let's start with Birmingham. Congratulations, first, to William Bell. While I supported his opponent (even though I don't vote in that city), Bell will be the new mayor, and it is up to him to lead us out of the funk we are in. Almost as bad an assignment as the one Barack Obama was handed when he assumed the presidency.



Bell can do this, I am confident. It just won't be in the same manner that Patrick Cooper would have.

As for the gay community, we should support Bell. William Bell has been our friend in the past. He is not responsible for the homophobia that disgraced his campaign. Frank Matthews is. Bell can show us how he feels by ignoring Matthews as he builds his team. Time will tell.

As for Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts, I could write about the failure of the democrats to select a decent candidate, or about the candidate herself and her gaffes, but let's be honest and look at the big picture.

In 2008 America made a statement when it elected Barack Obama. He campaigned on health care reform among other things, and most who voted for him supported it too.

So what happened? Did Americans since then decide they like having 40 million uninsured countrymen? Do they appreciate that people die every day because they lack health insurance?

I find that hard to believe. But I'm not going to answer the questions here. I don't have those answers.

Besides, here are my concerns. The teabaggers have the momentum now. Democrats in congress may be afraid to pass anything, health care related or other. Teabaggers will be giddy.

Teabaggers in this state will be energized. Sorry, Artur. Sorry, Ron.

If it were just Republicans I wouldn't worry. But the teabaggers are a different story. They are the modern KKK. White separatists. Seriously, listen to the radio. Read their blogs. Within the last week I have seen that they have selected a (battle) flag, heard them talk about secession, heard about commandeering the southern auto plants for munitions and weapons manufacture, speak of getting the guillotine ready, and more. Idle talk? Hardly, one of the people being interviewed was an elected official in our state. Sorry I don't know who, I was in the shower listening to the radio on Sunday when I heard it on 101.1 FM.

That is the concern I was alluding to the past few days on this blog. God help us.

But there are progressive people in this county, and this country, and we will continue to search for and support progressive candidates and promote progressive policies. Gays are already abandoning the Democratic Party (shutting down the GayTM).

The Democratic Party and the president and the state parties really need to pow-wow and get their act together. November comes quickly.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Taking back our country from you socialists. How sweet it is! Thank you Obama for backing Coakley! Please show public support for all other democratic candidates running for office!

John In Hoover said...

Joe, you and I never agree, but the extremism that you related to with the teabaggers, can be equally matched by the super-liberals on your side who want abortions on demand, religious broadcasts banned, and arrests made if a public speaker mentions a homosexual in a negative light.

What REALLY happened in this election was that independents said NO, WE DON'T want this healthcare package to pass. It won't work Joe, and while Obama's numbers have dropped significantly in just one year, all he has done is worked on a healthcare issue that is not even our main concern. Ww need jobs. We need houses to sale and to be built. People need to be able to get a loan.

Sure there are improvements that need to be made in our healthcare system as well as in other areas. But please stop throwing out those false statistics about how many people die b/c of no healthcare insurance. Anyone who is sick and taken to a hospital in this country receives healthcare.

If Democrats want to truly make a difference, they will stop concentrating on their desire to HAVE POWER, and start LISTENING to the American people. They work for us. But if they choose NOT to, then what you saw last night in Mass is just the beginning of the end for the Dems.

Thank you for your time.

Joe said...

John,
People die. Here are examples. I have diabetes, but no insurance. I don't get diagnosed or treated until I am sick and go to ER. When I am stable, I go home. I don't have insurance, I don't get insulin, I go into a coma, and this time I die.

I have a stroke. I am taken to ER. I am treated, even though I have no insurance. I am released to the care of my family. We cannot afford rehab, which insurance would have paid for. I die.

I have a coronary. I am taken to the ER. I am treated and released. I cannot afford my heart medicine, so I die.

I could go on.

Anonymous said...

Joe, I agree with you. I had a few friends that, that has happened to and and it wasn't a pretty site. This is where the repubs. could help (if they wanted to.) It's a mess and all are needed to make it work. They say they care but from what I have seen, I don't think so.
I am surprised by the outcome in Mass. There will be more elections and maybe they can get it back.

Joe said...

I guess I should also add that the increased of those ER visits are much greater than the standard care they could have had if they were insured. And those costs are paid by you and I.

Joe said...

Oops. "Increased costs"

Ben Mason said...

Joe, You make it sound like the evil teabaggers coming after you!

Joe said...

Ben they might come after you next.

Sherri B. said...

People with perfectly good insurance die with diabetes, heart issues and stroke every single day. But nobody in this country is denied medical services if they go to the hospital.

But you guys don't seem to GET IT. This "reform" is being done behind closed doors, and the Dems are not listening to the people. They are tying to do something just to say they did it. It is about power. They are ignoring the voters, and when they do this, they lose elections. It happened this week and it will happen again if they don't start working for the people who put them into office.

GREAT POSTS John.

Joe said...

Sherri, true, people die every day, but do you not understand that the life saving care (or in some cases, routine care that should have been obtained from primary care providers at a much lower cost)does not include follow-up care that is necessary to improve length and quality of life?

sherri b. said...

And you don't seem to understand that Government Controlled Healthcare is not the way a democratic society works. We should help those who are less fortunate, but the govt has not business running our healthcare.

Sure, medical expenses are high, but so are athletic events. We just bought two tickets to watch the Saints play this weekend for $1,500. Face value for an Alabama or Auburn football ticket these days is around $75....for ONE GAME.

Automobiles are marked up, in some cases, as much as 10 times the actual value of the car.

Is it bad? Yes. Is it tough for people to afford? Yes. Should something be done? Yes. But should our govt be running healthcare? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Joe said...

How can you compare the need for healthcare to the cost of a luxury item (Saints game)? I wish I were going.

"But should our govt be running healthcare? ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

So, mark Sherri down as one to abolish Medicare, the VA health system, Medicaid, and CHIPS.

Gee, you've just added millions more to the uninsured that will now overwhelm the emergency rooms for routine care.