Dark days ahead, I'm afraid.

[jpljr77]

They didn't get the Senate, but they came closer than anyone thought (pending a couple of too close to calls). The House was already lost.

But it's the governor gains and state house landslide that will hurt the most. Reapportionment will sting this time around, with all of the major factors lining up against Dems: 1) major demographic shifts since last census; 2) a wave of Republican control over the process, and 3) A hyper-partisan and bitter political environment. Bad, bad times.

I'm really glad that the Dem candidates kept some crazy out of national government (Angle, McConnell) and I'm glad that some of "Sarah's angels" like Miller went down. But jesus christ...Ben Quayle? Rand Paul? Ugh. Some of the Blue Dogs are gone, which is great, but even if every single one of them were ousted it wouldn't counterbalance the loss of Feingold. I mean, I just can't believe it.

Another reason why dark time are ahead: timing. The economy will improve. And guess who will get ALL of the credit? And why will they get ALL of the credit? Because the money will say so. This election proved that money works, regardless of truth, in the first unrestrained corporate election. It's only going to get worse.

The only thing that can salvage this disaster is if the lame duck Dems KILL THE BUSH TAX CUTS. Just fucking do it.

[SoFlaJet]

1. one does get he feeling

that this country is pretty much fucked

[eilen]

2. The economy isn't really going to improve

for a long while.

[LiberalLoner]

4. Very true. In fact I expect the economy to continue to deteriorate for some time. n/t

[jpljr77]

6. I'm sorry to bring such gloom (politically), but companies will start hiring soon.

They were waiting for this. They have the cash to deploy. Unemployment will begin to improve very, very soon.

[marmar]

8. That cash won't be spent on hiring more workers in the U.S.

Repugs are just useful idiots for their offshoring, no taxes agenda.

[jpljr77]

9. They're not going to have any choice, at least in the short term.

They went too far with the globalization/offshoring model. Any idiot can see that. It doesn't mean that plenty won't use it as a strategy going forward, but I think that most are realizing that this whole weak domestic consumer demand thing might have something to do with eliminating domestic jobs.

Or maybe they continue to carve their own flesh off for kicks...who knows?

[marmar]

13. Problem is, they're no longer depending on US consumers.......

..... China, Brazil, India and all these other places where consumer demand is exploding is where they're making their money now.

[wisteria]

25. They always want to make more and they can charge more for goods in the US. n/t

[jpljr77]

26. Maybe the corps. But small businesses still rely on American consumers. n/t

[okieinpain]

12. exactly. n/t.

[wisteria]

24. This is what I predicted to friends during the summer. They were waiting for this.

Waiting for what they consider friendlier leadership.

[maryellen99]

11. And if rand paul and the repukes

Filibuster against raising the debt ceiling, we are really screwed.

[snappyturtle]

3. "GO" lame ducks! The tax cuts have to go before the newly

elected are seated because these pathetic people will go after the entitlements and the middle class...again.

[Dappleganger]

5. BTDT--I'm not afraid.

The stupid contract with AMerica/St. Ronnie years were pretty damn dark and we survived. WE are still reeling from Bush and haven't caught our breath, yet.

[jpljr77]

7. True. And ironically, I'm not that worried about losing the White House in 2012.

I think that Obama is the one Democrat that can muster the cash to combat this thing. So at least their won't be a demagogue in the most important seat. But Congress is going to suck, unlike the St. Ronnie years.

[Lost4words]

15. why do you, Obama has failed so far and not in a small way!

[ellie]

10. Good.

My fellow Americans just slay me. These are the people who voted for Nixon twice, Reagan twice, W twice. Obama seems like an anomaly. Let them do away with SS and Medicaid. Let people really feel the full brunt of Repuke policies. This is the only way they will learn.

[maryellen99]

16. But the sad thing is

a lot of people want those gone. Too many people are selfish and mean nowadays.

[Lost4words]

14. so about the same as the last two years, you are saying

lets see the dems did little with the WH and House and Senate you think they will do anything? When the Dems should have been an effective opposition party during the Bush torture years the dems gave him every thing the GOP wanted. I have to hand it to the GOP. Its as if the GOP and Dems are playing with two different sets of rules.

Not surprised

[Yavin4]

17. You Forgot One Big Counter Trend: Boomers Are Getting Older and Will Be Dying Off Soon

The generation that brought us 12 years of Reagan/Bush I/Bush II will soon be dying off, and a new generation of younger Americans who won't be so in love with corporate America, that has put them into massive debts, outsourced their jobs, and made their economic future dim, will take over the reigns of power.

[jpljr77]

21. I think you mean the "greatest" generation.

The oldest Boomers are only in their early to mid 60s, the youngest ones are barely in their 50s. They're going to be around for at least two more decades.

And don't assume that losing the Depression Babies/WWII generation will automatically mean a shift to the left. While they are quite conservative socially, they were/are generally pro-labor and don't mind government spending. A stark contrast to some of the younger ideologues of today.

[wisteria]

31. Thanks for setting the record straight. +1 n/t

[wisteria]

28. Excuse me, I am a Boomer who didn't vote for Reagan and doesn't believe in corporate handouts.

Many Boomers are not in love with corportate America, and many Boomers support Democrats over greedy Repubs. Oh, and I don't plan on dying off soon.

[mmonk]

43. I'm a baby boomer. Thanks alot for that.

You're ready for us to die. Nice to know. I'm not even 60 yet (but close).

[w8liftinglady]

18. and,so...all we can do is call them on their promises...to take our country back

-war reports
jobs created
people with insurance
life expectancy/illness rate
veterans
social security/medicare gaps
gap between rich and poor......
and make sure the public knows....beyond a shadow of a doubt...how each politician voted...in who's pocket the money went...how many troops and contractors are being killed overseas,teen pregnancy rates...etc etc...
Unless people are made aware...and,no-not everyone is as savvy as we are...then they will blame themselves.

[socialshockwave]

19. What went wrong?

The Democrats, at least from my perspective, did not try to counter the lies of the Right enough. They were able to sell your plans as socialistic, death panels and big government.

From my experience here in Canada, progressive Canadians don't let that stand. But it seems, at least from watching the last 2 years of American news, that the Democrats tried to compromise too much. The "health care bill" was a joke; it was a good start, but there was no real action taken. it wasn't the single-payer that they said it would be. And for the record, our health care is fine. Sure, it's got it's flaws, but every system does. It insults me to have Republicrats pull out "Look at how bad Canada's health care is" when trying to insult progressives.

But, I think the Democrats need to go to the warroom and bust some heads. Kaine has to go, as do any of these other DINO's. Standing up and fighting for real progressivism is the way to go. Compromising with the Right doesn't really accomplish anything but empower them. The Left needs to be a Left, not a Right masquerading as a Left.

The lies the Republicrats have managed to win over the American people with astound me, but the failure of the Democrats to fight against the lies tooth and nail is what broke the majority, at least in my eyes.

I apologize if this sounds harsh, but it is what I see when I watch, listen, and read the American news. I was following your elections anxiously last night, and I felt each progressive body blow.

[deutsey]

33. I don't get it, either...beyond thinking the Democrats are a subsidiary of Corporate America

We've got talented, creative people on the progressive side, people who should know how to develop and implement consistent, coherent communication strategies that define and advance our cause (while tarring the other side).

Yet, they've rarely done that in my lifetime (Carter in '76 was the first election I paid attention to--I was 12...we know what happened to him). Clinton in '92 knew how to fight during the campaign. If I remember correctly, he had Truth Squads that immediately shot back against GOP attacks and even went on the offensive against Bush (gasp!!).

After they got elected? Thphph! Gone.

I think the Dean campaign had the potential to be like Clinton's first campaign, but we know how that ended.

What we need to do is what the Right did in the '70s: start building up our own communication network of news media and think tanks that are primed to define, defend, and promote progressivism. Not that I want a Democratic carbon copy of FOX or GOP tactics (:puke:). I just want something in this country that will effectively counterbalance and even trounce FOX/GOP.

Until we build that, we're pretty much fucked. :evilfrown:

[Bonhomme Richard]

20. The economy can't improve for the average worker until........

the money at the top shifts downward and gives people the confidence to spend.

[socialshockwave]

22. But that's

"spreading the wealth around" and that's evil.

Seriously, the lies that come out of the Right astonishes me.

I hope for the best, though. As a Tea Party America could mean bad things for us Canadians.

[wisteria]

23. Sure why not kill them now for the wealthiest? It would decrease the deficit by about 15 to 20%.

A straight accross cut would look like we were getting back at the American people for voting in Repubs, and the middle class could still use the tax break.

[jpljr77]

29. Obviously. That's what I meant, I just didn't explicitly mention it.

No way they let the tax cuts expire for anyone under the $200-250k mark.

[Barack_America]

27. The "happy days" ship sailed long ago.

Back around the time where we stopped thinking about politics and starting listening to them on the TV.

[LawnLover]

30. The sky isn't falling

We've been here before, many times, and managed to survive. In fact, we've been in MUCH WORSE places, and still managed to survive.

The way I look at it, nothing could be worse than the Bush years, and this is no where close to that.

[maryellen99]

32. They are against raising the debt ceiling

They intend to crash the world economy.

[LawnLover]

34. Before you start to panic

keep in mind that one house of Congress can't do anything alone.

[jpljr77]

35. It's also a bonus that the more contemplative (if you can call it that) house...

remains Democratic.

[LawnLover]

37. Bingo. nt

[donheld]

42. One senator can do something

Rand Paul puts a hold on raising the dept ceiling shutting down government, which could bring about world wide depression fast.

[obama14]

36. Your right, it fell on us - crushed us last night. n/t

[LawnLover]

38. THIS HAPPENS EVERY MIDTERM

I've said it before, I'm saying it again. This happens EVERY time. It's nothing to be alarmed about. In 2006, the Repugs thought the sky was falling, yet they managed to come back fairly strong.

This is nothing new. And no reason to freak out.

[donheld]

44. Everytime, were we in this much financial trouble?

[RadicalTexan]

39. I agree with you except that the economy is NOT going to improve.

Our entire way of life is built on nonrenewable resources, and there isn't time to transition to another way even if there were the will to do so, which there clearly isn't. Not to even mention overpopulation and our already-ravaged ecosystems.

We are in decline. Tea partiers are ignorant and in denial. Most Dems are also in denial.

[donheld]

40. Count on it.

[Safetykitten]

41. Don't bet on that economy improving thing.