Ezra Klein: There is no Obama Paradox......Om...

[kpete]

Ezra Klein: There is no Obama Paradox

The incredible obviousness of the Democrats' political fortunes

..................................

The topic du jour appears to be the Obama paradox. How, some writers are asking, can the Democrats be both passing a lot of legislation and be headed for a defeat at the polls?

But there's no contradiction. No paradox. Instead, there's unity. Oneness. Om. This is night following day.

Democrats won their massive majority because of an economic collapse. They've passed so much legislation because they have a massive majority based on an economic collapse. But the economic collapse isn't over. And having a lot more seats than the other party means 1) voters blame you for the condition of the country, and 2) you have a lot of seats to lose. What the bad economy and the huge majority giveth, the bad economy and the huge majority taketh away. Om.

more:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/the_incredible_obviousness_of.html

[Unvanguard]

1. As usual, the simplest explanation is correct, and Klein presents it well.

"It's the economy, stupid."

[tularetom]

2. We all knew

the Dems would get the blame for the recession if they didn't do something bold and noticeable to improve the employment situation in the country.

So when Obama and his financial advisors fiddle farted around for a year it was no surprise that the party's prospects for the midterm elections dimmed.

The American people have a very short attention span. They blamed the repubs in 08. They blame the Dems now.

If you get elected, you'd better get something done.

[HughMoran]

3. Bullshit

stimulus

[ThomCat]

5. People keep saying "Stimulus" as if it's a magic word

that solved everything.

We keep hearing about a jobless recovery BECAUSE of the flaws in the stimulus package.

Any stimulus was guaranteed to have some measurable effect somewhere. But having a measurable effect is not the same thing as success.

A jobless recovery is not success.

Creating fewer jobs than even what we need just to absorb new young workers entering the job market each year is not success.

Propping up lost wall street profits while allowing the middle class to fall into poverty is not success.

This was nothing more than Trickle Down Economics revisited and revised: helping the wealthy and the corporations and expecting everyone else down below to somehow benefit as a result. It was Trickle Down Economics when Bush pushed it through, and it was still Trickle Down Economics when Obama kept Bush's basic stimulus plans in place when he took office.

It produced some results, primarily for wall street and for wealthy investors, especially for those who created this mess to begin with, but it did not succeed for the vast majority of Americans who truly needed help the most. Many formerly middle class Americans who got hit the hardest and needed help the most have been waiting for 2 years now for any sign of help from this stimulus, and haven't seen it yet. For them especially, this stimulus hasn't yet succeeded.

We're all still waiting for benefits to trickle down.

[Skittles]

13. it's trickling down in the form of piss on our shoes

[Better Today]

4. Exactly right. Even without the short attention span, too many are still unemployed, too many small

(and I mean small 1-5 person) businesses are having to close or stall, to many homes still heading to foreclosure. After a year and a half of big boy bail outs, the rich getting richer, the thieves of wall street still getting outrageous bonuses,. . . well it's time to blame the Dems.

[Number23]

6. "you'd better get something done."

Did you even read the snip in the OP?? If you had, the whole freaking POINT was that even though the Democrats have gotten so much done and passed so much legislation, because there is still unemployment and because they are the group in power they will be blamed.

It's a 3 paragraph snip and you still missed the whole point of it!

[tularetom]

7. My post was even shorter than that and you missed the point of it

People want fucking jobs. If they don't have jobs they don't give a shit about whatever the party in power accomplishes.

And they will punish them.

I think that's sorta what I was sayin.

You needn't be so concerned about what I missed and didn't miss. Worry about your own comprehension.

[Number23]

8. It's easy to miss the point of something that has no point

I don't even know what OP you're referring to. You have missed this one by so much I'm wondering if you even know what web site you're on.

[tularetom]

9. -sigh-

Have a nice day.

You don't do sarcasm well, if indeed that's what you're trying to say.

But you're welcome to practice on me.

I'm gonna go and water my horses now. It's hot here.

[Number23]

10. The heat you mentioned would explain everything

:)

You have a nice day too. Have fun with your horses.

[Skittles]

14. give it up, tularetom

like arguing with a fence post

[Number23]

15. LOL I thought I was on ignore??

How can you even see me, Skittles my love??? :rofl: :rofl:

Late to the party and dumb as usual. :rofl:

[depakid]

11. Ezra needs to harken back to Howard Dean's words:

The country didn't elect Democrats to pass crap legislation.

We also didn't elect them to pander to the corporate right and enable and legitimize Republicans- much less adopt their policies and water our down to the point of ineffectiveness.

Now the consequences of all of that are coming home to roost- particularly with the half measures and poor targeting of the stimulus.

[Skittles]

12. things end up dead in the middle of the road