I am deeply disappointed in my fellow Americans tonight. The suffering that will ensue was

[KingCharlemagne]

and is mostly entirely preventable. So I am disappointed that we shall have to endure this suffering for at least 2 years now because Americans could not see through the lies sold to them by this pack of charlatans, demagogues and scalawags. Yes, the Democrats largely ran away from President Obama after allowing the Republicans to frame the race as "Obama, Obama, Obama" and that bespeaks a party in trouble. But in the final analysis, voters chose to vote against their self-interest and against the interest of their compatriots for what? To 'send a message' to Dems? The reality is that things will not get better in the next two years. They will get worse and possibly much, much worse. And so I am disappointed that my fellow Americans chose a path that will cause suffering for their countrymen when I have to believe most of them did not seek to cause such suffering.

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the prince and heir apparent tells MacDuff (whose wife and children have just been killed by MacBeth's henchmen) to 'Dispute it like a man.' MacDuff replies that he intends to but that first he must 'feel it like a man.' That is what I am doing tonight, feeling it 'like a man.' I am feeling disappointment.

[blkmusclmachine]

1. So sad the untold harm to be inflicted by these radicals let loose upon the Senate and State

Governorships. All of them, total sociopaths.

[KingCharlemagne]

5. It is sad, isn't it? How the hope of 2008 has now been smashed, replaced with

ashes in the mouth and evil troglodyte gloating. The next 2 years will be tough. We must love and care for one another, b/c the Republicans will cast us adrift (think Katrina writ nationally).

We must organize, organize, organize!

But this is matter for tomorrow and days beyond. For tonight, we must grieve and feel deeply.

[busterbrown]

2. When you" can not see through the lies” its because

you do not want to see through the lies...Believe me its all about the hate!!

[KingCharlemagne]

6. Yeah, there is definitely a lot of that going on (yet another

reason for disappointment when people vote their hate instead of their hope).

[renate]

3. I mostly agree... I hope most of them did not *seek* to cause suffering

Although I wonder if they actually care about whether they do. I suspect many do not and I feel sorry for anybody who can't hold out their hand to help another human being.

[KingCharlemagne]

7. I'm buying the MSM take on this which is that Americans voted to signal their

disapproval of President Obama and the way things are done in Washington. IOW, they (or most of them anyway) did not vote with malice aforethought to cause suffering to their countrymen.

I don't feel 'sorry for anybody who can't hold out their hand to help another human being.' I feel contempt for them. But I think you're probably a far nicer person than I am too. So there's that.

When Christie tried to stomp on Ms. Hickox, I expected Americans' decency gene to kick in and cause massive blowback for the ersatz Icarus. But it seems that decency gene is slower to kick in that I would have thought. And if they do not care whether Republicans for whom they voted cause suffering, then I think it may be too late for this country. Yet more reason to feel disappointed, eh?

[kelliekat44]

12. I am not buying the MSM take. It defies logic and self interest to be dissatisfied with Obama.

Why? All the economic indicators have been moving in the right direction since he took office...even the hallowed deficit. We are looking in the wrong place for the answer in my opinion. The religious right is still a powerful force in this country and they vote!!

[KingCharlemagne]

24. To vote for Republicans is to jump from the frying pan into the proverbial fire. And Americans

will feel its heat, of that I am sure.

As for "all the economic indicators . . . moving in the right direction," that may be true at the macroeconomic level, but 95% of the gains from this recovery went to the top 1% of the population. And so the distribution of those gains is what is as important as the aggregate gains themselves.


But the MSM say voters intended to signal their disapproval of President Obama with the only means at their disposal. If you don't buy the MSM line, how do you explain the vote? The 'religious right'? Not saying you're wrong, but I heard nothing about them coming out in stronger numbers than they always do.

[AZ Progressive]

4. You can blame Americans all they back to 1980 when they voted in Reagan, which started all this mess

America would be a much better country now if the Reagan Revolution never happened.

[KingCharlemagne]

8. Yeah, I trace the beginning of the decline to Reagan's election (and I agree with you that

America would be much better had people not voted for him). As much as I despise Reagan, I think even he might find it difficult getting significant support from today's Republican Party, so hateful and mean have they become. I just listened to Ted Cruz on CBS flat-out lie to a panel of journalists that Harry Reid 'voted to shut down the government' and the Cruz had voted not to shut down the government. Not a single one of the 5-6 CBS panelists interrupted to call Cruz a fucking liar. So my disappointment is mixed with some bewilderment and anger.

[nxylas]

9. Don't forget those who wanted to vote but couldn't

I'm guessing you won't be hearing much about them among the M$M stories about "voter apathy".

[KingCharlemagne]

15. Good point. Voter disenfranchisement may constitute the next wave of

civil rights action in this country.

I have seen reports (maybe on CNN?) that exit polls showed overwhelming majority of voters were over 50. Which means Obama's base of the young largely stayed home, whether out of desire or because they couldn't. That is really sad, as young people may be hurt the most in the next two years.

[WinkyDink]

10. As someone who once taught "Macbeth," I am most pleased by your reference.

[KingCharlemagne]

17. Thanks. It was the first quote that popped into my head after results started

flooding in last night and I started reading the many threads here.

[WinkyDink]

57. I like to say "My mind is full of scorpions!" (I paraphrase!)

[leftyladyfrommo]

11. People know they are crooks. They don't car

about that. They just want their right wing agenda nomatter what.

[KingCharlemagne]

18. Not sure I agree with you on this. Yesterday's vote demonstrates

one peril of a two-party system. People have legitimate grievances, there's no doubt. So once every two years they get to express their grievances. This time around, they took it out on the President. Give these Republican whackjobs time to run us back into the ditch over the next two years and in 2016 they'll take it out in spades on the Republicans.

It's just a shame -- and part of my disappointment -- that they chose to express their grievances by giving more power to the party that will exacerbate even further those very grievances.

[dawg]

36. Or they'll take it out on the Democrats again.

Because Obama will still be in the White House for the next two years. Idiots will still be able to blame him for everything that happens in DC if that's what they choose to do.

[leftyladyfrommo]

40. People here just really hate Obama.

It's just a fact.

I know people who think he is the antichrist - for real. They think he is going to declare martial law and set himself up as a dictator. It just goes on and on and on.

I really think they don't like him because he is not only black, he is incredibly smart and they think he is arrogant. And that is intolerable to a whole lot of these people in the Bible Belt.

It's an awful thing but it is just the truth. I hear people say just awful things about him and about his wife.

[dawg]

46. If I were President, they would hate me nearly as much.

I wouldn't get any of the racial hatred, I'll grant you that. But I would also be the antichrist, I'd be communist, I'd be a traitor and a dictator and an atheist. I'd be gay, and probably a pedophile.

All of that would be hurled at me because I'm a Democrat. There are a large number of people who are reflexively anti-Democratic and they are willing to believe any negative thing (negative in their eyes) they are told about a Democratic candidate.

These people don't really vote or believe this way based on issues. They actually agree with us on many of the issues.

It's a problem. They support the Republicans the same way they support their favorite sports team. With absolute zeal and zero objectivity.

[leftyladyfrommo]

53. I'm one of "those liberals"

Those liberals get blamed for everything here. I'm not even really sure what they think a "liberal" is.

I kind of go out of my way to be kind to "those people of the lie." They don't know how to react to "a liberal" that is always nice to them even though they know I don't agree with anything they espouse.

I'm just sick to death of the nastiness and the hatred and the sordid politics. I'm not playing that game any more.

[dawg]

54. I try to be nice to people, too.

But I have little respect for people who vote Republican, but can't even articulate what it is that they expect those Republicans to do that would make things any better. Because "restore America" isn't a policy, it's just a bullshit slogan.

[KingCharlemagne]

58. "if that's what they choose to do" - yeah, I'm thinking that phrase of yours is

a tacit acknowledgement of white voters' racism. That is, Obama could sign every piece of legislation that reaches his desk and even pressure Senate Dems to go along with the whackjobs. Then, when the country is back in the ditch, Obama could say, "But I gave them everything they asked for. If it's not working, blame them." But the racists (your 'idiots') would still find a way to blame Obama. In the meantime, though, it's the suffering that is bound to occur that disturbs me greatly.

[dawg]

59. Oh, I acknowledge the racism. But it's way more than just that.

Republican voters are locked into party loyalty and they will see and interpret things the way they want to see them. Even independents often blame the President, and his party, for things that are clearly beyond the President's control.

It's a sad thing, really, because a democracy lives or dies based on the quality of it's electorate. And ours really sucks, even when we win.

[Martin Eden]

13. "voters chose to vote against their self-interest"

They voted against their self-interest, but they don't realize it. They are low-information voters swayed by the corporate media.

Add to that voters disenfranchised by red state voter ID laws and the millions of Obama voters who stayed home, the result is what happened yesterday.

[KingCharlemagne]

19. It's those millions who stayed home that, imo, are the real villains of this set piece. I almost

didn't get to vote last night, because we got stuck coming home in a bad traffic jam on La Cienega. (A routine 15-minute trip ended up lasting over an hour due to a really sever car accident at a critical chokepoint.) Normally, being a long-time Angeleno, I don't sweat traffic jams. But last night I was pissed off (as my wife can attest) because it threatened to prevent me from reaching the polls before they closed.

When I reached my polling station, it took me no more than 15 minutes to get signed in, get my ballot, cast my ballot, receive my "I Voted" sticker and be on my way. If I add in the time I spent prior to the election researching candidates and ballot measure, the entire process took one hour of my time (thanks to a great Socialist voting guide I received by email).

One hour-that's all. These millions who couldn't be bothered to spend one hour -- or even just the 15 minutes required physically to cast the ballot -- to exercise a sacred duty of citizenship in a republic? I'm trying not to be uncharitable and will simply say "I'm disappointed in them."

[johnson_z]

14. I'm just not buying it!

The American people are not this stupid!

I really think a lot of subtle voter intimidation, and out right fraud via electronic voting determined the outcome of this election!!

[KingCharlemagne]

20. These are all valid concerns. There have been many threads here on this topic recently and I would

only suggest that merely asserting something happened (like fraud) does not make it so. But I understand your unease and bewilderment. I share it in part.

[librechik]

16. don't blame the sheep for being sheep

they never have a chance against the wolves, no matter how the sheep gang up on them.

That's the battle we have to fight, not the change the minds of the sheep battle, but the kill the wolves battle.

[KingCharlemagne]

21. Well, those of us into nonviolence might tend more towards the 'turrn swords

into ploughshares' line rather than the 'kill the wolves' line. Still, taking your line will require more than a few educated and motivated sheep. The prospect of imminent destruction, fortunately, does wonders to focus the mind!

[snooper2]

22. blah, nothing is really going to happen, gridlock and bitching for 2 years-

At least it is good for business...

Companies don't like change, change in regulations, change in laws, stability is good. The idiots on the hill can fight with each other and our awesome president will veto stupid shit. Economy will keep growing as long as they keep their fingers out of it.


Oh,

And did I remind you yet that Charemagne was a fundie asshole?

[KingCharlemagne]

27. 'Charemagne [sic] was a fundie asshole' - well no more of an asshole than

one who snoops. You remind of LP's and 45s in days of yore that get stuck in a groove and require an intervention.

I do not share your rosy assessment and foresee some real suffering coming down the pike, intensified because of cuts to the safety net enacted since 2010.

Shall we trade more insults? If so, bring it on!

[snooper2]

38. I didn't insult you unless you really think you are king charlemagne LOL

that would be kind of scary----

nothing is going to happen...gridlock is going to be the norm. It isn't rocket science...filibuster filibuster filibuster



you ever read this by the way?

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Charlemagne

Charlemagne (also known as Charles Le Mange for his nasty skin condition) was King of the Franks, King of the Lombards and Holy Roman Emperor between 768-814. He has a prize named after him by the European Union for 'fostering greater understanding at a time when everything was pretty dark'. He is regarded as a hero to the French, a mighty Teutonic warrior for the Germans and...a big fat 'Who He?' for everyone in Great Britain.

Charlemagne was a fluent speaker of many languages, he could read (apparently) but was unable to write his name. His scrawled a marriage proposal to Empress Irene in Constantinople that was so bad it left that court in a fit of giggles for an entire month. When he was turned down, Charlemagne didn't understand the rejection note so honour was saved all round. Perhaps it was all for show as he had a well stocked collection of concubines to console him.

snip

Charlemagne was known as a menacing and brutal warlord. He proved an adroit military tactitian of the "French" forces. Inspiring his troops and charismatically leading the charge, he perfected the technique of turning tail. If backed into a corner, his soldiers more than rose to the occasion under his leadership. Rather than cower upon the ground in the manner of the common sissy, they implemented the technique of dropping weapons and raising both arms in a single fluid motion. Despite this astounding methodology, his wife left him for an elderly blind cripple she claimed was seven times the man he was. What hogwash- the cripple was eight times the man he was.

[KingCharlemagne]

43. No, you insulted my screen name just as I insulted yours. So much for

your precious little equivocation.

I'll remember this when the next recession hits in about 6-9 months and Austerity reveals its Dickensian horrors for all to see. Question is, will you be around to own your Pollyanna-ish remarks then?

[snooper2]

47. blah blah, find new material, quote Stalin some more LOL...nothing is going to happen

clean hippie is right...you are wrong-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025765949

Benghazi Benghazi! gay marriage! guns! teabaggers versus the turtle!

[KingCharlemagne]

50. You heard it here first, folks. Snooper2 doubling down on the Pollyanna, all while

hurling a word salad of insults.

And who shall be here to collect his wager when his hand goes bust?

[Skidmore]

28. I think you are mistaken.

The right is feeling really emboldened now. On the way back home now, a caller into On Point was railing away about how Scott Brown's loss was the only blight on a perfect sweep and that Jeb Bush and one other R (sorry, I have a smashing headache and I just can't seem to retrieve the name now) had better get out of the way because they are hindering the good work of the Tea Party. McConnell doesn't have a clue about how to ride this tiger. Until the factions of the left start really processing the idea that we are all in this together and unite around some basic common causes, there is no reasonable check on this agenda. Demanding that one person do all the heavy lifting and then whacking him without demanding a damned thing of legislators or really showing up to fill legislative seats with the votes for policy is failure on the part of the voter. Right now, I have a headache and I am really angry that people cannot see common ground for the weeds. I may feel better tomorrow, just not now.

[cry baby]

23. I think, due to the increase in greed, narcissism,

and selfishness, empathy has all but disappeared. I absolutely believe that people that voted red in the midterms do not care about the human suffering their vote will cause. Corporate media doesn't show true suffering in this country. They only show us what we should buy at Walmart, what medicine will increase sexual performance, and false reality shows...and many Americans just follow the media's instructions.

I believe that there is a pervasive, invasive (and growing) trend in political thinking that if there are people suffering, those people must have done something to deserve that suffering and they must pull themselves up by their bootstraps or choose to continue to suffer.

Truly, I see less and less concern for the less fortunate of our human race...it's just me, me, me, and mine, mine, mine anymore while watching reality shows on big screen tvs.

[KingCharlemagne]

31. I cannot disagree entirely with what you write, even if it means my disappointment risks turning

into profound and deep depression.

I would counter that, when Katrina struck and it became clear that many of our fellow citizens had been abandoned to their fate by a cruel, sociopathic administration, the MSM and most Americans seemed to turn on Bush such that the Republican brand itself suffered a hit from which it has yet to truly recover, last night's results notwithstanding. It is for this reason that I refer to Americans' 'decency gene' and hope that it kicks back on in time to repudiate the Calvinist trend in political thinking (of 'predestination') you reference.

I thought it was going to happen with Ms. Hickox vs the ersatz Icarus. Alas, I was premature in my prediction of running wax and crashing hubris.

[cry baby]

51. I live in a red state, and what I heard (although not exclusively)

was that those people shouldn't be living in NO because it's below sea level and the citizens of that city got what they were asking for.....

And very few years later, last night (we) elected people that are worse than the people that were in office at that time.

I understand the usual electoral circumstances of a 6th presidential year midterm and the GOP was just over the average of 6 pick-ups in the senate. The real pain will happen in the states where the GOP runs state services.

Americans elected politicians that will cause other Americans to suffer. Like you, that makes me sad and frankly, scared for the soul of this once great society.

[KingCharlemagne]

52. Wiping away a couple tears. Have no fear, the Pollyannas are out in force even in

this thread. Why "nothing will happen" so

Forget your troubles, come on get happy
You better chase all your cares away

[cry baby]

55. Well, I understand some not wanting to wring hands and spread fear,

but I personally believe that maybe (hopefully) not much will happen in the national arena with the loss of the senate. In fact, I hope that the GOP tries some crazy stuff like privatizing SS and/or Medicare. I actually hope they show their lack of empathy and compassion...and then we will see if this country will stand against human suffering.

I think the "polyannas" are just a bit short-sighted. Last nights election returns in gubernatorial races are where the real danger lies.

I don't give into fear easily and I'm definitely not a habitual hand wringer. I understand not wanting to give into that fear, but I do actually fear that under GOP lead states, people that may be down already are going to be crushed and their lives changed for the worse. I know women in our red states are being denied their rights and their lives and their families' lives are changing drastically.

[KingCharlemagne]

56. I really wish you'd combine your two responses in this thread and build them into

an original post of your own. I think it could be very powerful stuff, based on my tear duct activity. I live in deep-blue California, so I need to be reminded some times of the peril(s) facing our brothers and sisters in the proverbial 'red' states. It is really quite distressing.

[cry baby]

61. Thank you for your kind words.

I haven't started a thread in years. I'm a bit shy, I guess. I just like to discuss things with a few thoughtful people and your OP touched me and I felt your pain.

May conversations like this one enlighten us and strengthen us both so that we can bring action against the encroaching lack of empathy in this country.

[cleanhippie]

25. No, it's really not going to get much worse.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025765949

[KingCharlemagne]

34. Sigh. Really bad form to make an assertion and then

provide only a link. Kind of like internet dirty pool.

That said, do you think this Congress will restore food stamp cuts from the last Farm Bill? If not, people are going to be going hungry even more than they are right now (1 in 5 American children experience one episode of hunger per month currently, as just one example).

[cleanhippie]

35. Lol, yeah, because clicking a link where the supporting info can be found is so very difficult.

Food stamps? IIRC, the President SIGNED that bill, right? Doesn't that make it HIS responsibility?

The Repugs will only get what the President gives them. End of story.

[KingCharlemagne]

39. Does it really matter who is responsible for human suffering that is preventable? I clicked

your link and found myself not on a page with 'supporting info' but on a page with an excerpt from an article. Why don't you just take the time to summarize in a couple sentences your position, instead of imposing upon your readers and demanding they do your work for you?

IIRC, President Obama signed the Farm Bill under implied threat of one sort or another. It may be that had Obama vetoed the Farm Bill as written, people might have gone even hungrier. I honestly don't remember. But, last I checked, legislation originates in the House, not on the President's desk.

[cleanhippie]

42. Because it's summarized in that excerpt you seem to not want to read.

This is the digital age, friend, there is no need to repeat what is already written when it is literally, one-click away.

Just read it, then get back to me.

[notadmblnd]

26. me too.

[northoftheborder]

29. I think it will get MUCH worse.

All the awful legislation that the Rep. House has passed, previously bottled up in the Senate, will now be brought up in the Senate. Dems will have to filibuster, or join in the vote, making Obama have to Veto, which will lead to more "Impeachment" screams..............

I'm just going to disconnect from television punditry......to save my sanity.

[KingCharlemagne]

37. Well, I disconnected from TV punditry back in 2003-04. (Actually, my wife made me, in

the interests of saving our TV set.) So I can tell you it's not a half-bad idea. Why, just last night, I had the TV on to watch the returns and it was like deja vu all over again. God, the pundits are so inane and so smug.

[leftyladyfrommo]

60. I don't have TV.

I do read 3 papers and cheeck the internet

[BlueStater]

30. Maybe if the GOP actually manages to cut SS...

...,voters over 60 will finally get it through their thick fucking skulls that they're not on their side. I guess it takes them suffering personally to stop being stupid and selfish.

[KingCharlemagne]

48. You know they are itching to kill SS (or privatise it, so its lucre can be turned over

to their cronies in the private sector). That will be worth a Dem filibuster in the Senate and\or a presdiential veto.

[maryellen99]

32. This is my take

This is what the people who voted for the repukes want:
Civil Rights Act ended
All Government assistance ended
19th amendment repealed
Obamacare ended and health insurance with pre existing conditions brought back
Anti intellectualism
Anti science
Climate Change denial
Theocracy

[KingCharlemagne]

44. You left out repeal of the Treaty of Westphalia (1648). But otherwise, your

list is spot on! (Actually, come to think of it, repeal of the Treaty of Westphalia may fold into your final bullet point of 'Theocracy.' I'll have to give that some thought.)

[maryellen99]

45. Thanks nt

[NRaleighLiberal]

49. here's the problem with your view on things - and the independent stance.

The world is bigger than us little dots. If we all thought like libertarians and/or independents, the world would go to hell (it is, anyway, it seems). It is called thinking big - being empathetic, considering the environment, considering what we are doing to the world those who follow us, and realizing that some times we need to support some things that don't necessarily benefit us as individuals, but those less fortunate.

Thanks for clearly defining what makes Dems different from independents, libertarians, and repubs.