In Mitt Romney’s concession speech, he said “And we look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics”
For nearly twelve years our elected officials has placed politics before the people. In an interview two years ago the Senate minority leader from Kentucky Mitch McConnell said” The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president”
In an excerpt of an (9/20/12) editorial USA Today wrote: In July of last year, Norman Ornstein, a respected political scientist at the American Enterprise Institute, asserted in an article that the current Congress was the worst ever. Little did Ornstein know how bad things were about to get. Congress’ decline into rampant partisanship has been a long developing trend, driven by money, redistricting and the growing power of heavily ideological voters. Members of both parties have grown too beholden to special interests, and to their party’s base voters, who can end their careers by turning against them in primaries. These developments have acted like a centrifuge, pulling members away from the center.
In the first months of his term in office, President Obama was stymied by his own party. Democrats controlled the House and the Senate, from a casual observer their focus was to even the score after 8 years under George W. After considerable arm twisting the House and Senate approved the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
The government was approaching gridlock before new elected members of the Tea Party elected to the 112 Congress.
So when citizens are asked. Do you believe the country is heading in the right direction? and in each poll the reply is no. For more than a decade, citizens have been ignored, they have watched and listen to politicians point at each other with glee as the country teeters on a financial cliff. Americans are very unhappy with the state of government.
SANDY
Two weeks ago a natural disaster struck the eastern struck the east coast . Hurricane Sandy is the second costliest Atlantic Hurricane in US history, after Katrina. . Today, there are still people without power and other services. Unlike Katrina which was mired in partisan politics,this disaster united the President and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the two men did the unthinkable, the Democrat and the Republican put politics aside to focus on the victims.
Both men praised each other the governor said “I appreciated the president’s outreach today in making sure that we know he’s watching this and is concerned about the health and welfare and safety of the people of the state of New Jersey,” The President said “I want to just let you know that your governor is working overtime to make sure that as soon as possible everybody can get back to normal.
Naturally GOP was outraged! Many critics and some conservatives shouted traitor! How could the Governor! This sounded like an endorsement of the president days before the election. The Governors response was quick and sharp. “I’m a Republican and I have endorsed Mitt Romney, I support him and I intend to vote for him ,I’m a Romney surrogate. He also added, “If the President of United States comes here and he’s willing to help my people and he does it, then I’m gonna say nice things about him, because he’s earned it. Anybody who is upset in the Republican Party about this — they haven’t been to New Jersey. Come see the destruction, come see the loss.”
While the GOP leaders and conservative pundits were angry at Chris Christie, for working side by side with the President. America love it. It is very possible the images of these two men working together helped re-elect the president but more importantly, it sent a message. It is What Americans, Republican and Democrats want.
The results of the election has shaken members of the GOP to its very core. Forcing it to look deeply within, it is clear to the party that it has to change direction to stay relevant. Working with the Governor of New Jersey had an effect on the President, the question is,did it have effect on his party?
There is a lot of anger in the GOP, some will blame Chris Christie, other will blame Romney and his machine.
There are some members of the Democratic Party who believe the election was a referendum and the wind is blowing in their direction. Many do not fully agree with the Presidents commitment of a conciliatory approach.
Change doesn’t happen overnight. From what I seen and read, the next few weeks may be more of the same. However, when the dust settles there will be change and it has a face.
CityFella
SACRATOMATOVILLE POST 