Two Parties No Party for America

The Democratic Party, as stated, does not exist any longer; in fact, it hasn't for some time. The people that call themselves Democrats, the leaders of the party, have all morphed in to one political animal, part of a larger, non-identified party that proports to stand for something but has ended up standing for very little at all.

After the historic election of 2008 Republicans lost their heart and soul. They have searched since then for the leader, and coherent voice, of their party. Is it Rush Limbaugh (and the absurdity of that never escapes me)? Newt? Palin? Big Dick Cheney? And even if they were find a mouthpiece, they have no platform on which to stand. They cannot claim to be for less government, as their last President grew government more than anyone; they can't claim to be financially conservative, as they spent the country in to oblivion; and they can't be for less government intrusion in to life and business, as they try to regulate who can and cannot marry, who can and cannot have legal medical procedures known as pregnancy terminations, no, they have lost their message and their messenger.

And now, the Democrats have done the same.

The party of the people, of the middle class, of civil liberties, the party that empowers the workers, that strives for equality and fairness that wants everyone under their tent to be happy, insured, employed, empowered and their country at peace...well, they have become as lost and their messenger as murky as their counterparts and lost their spines along the way.

In 2006 We, The People, spoke by electing a Democratic majority in the People's House, the Congress. The message of that election was clear: impeach George W. Bush and get out of Iraq. Nancy Pelosi and her other Democratic leaders quickly ignored that message by taking impeachment off the table; something she was not able to do. The Constitution says a President Shall Be Impeached...not may be at the discretion of the Speaker of the House. But she, and her majority compadres, removed it from the table and proceeded to continue to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 2008, We, The People, spoke out in record numbers to make history and elect Barack Obama, a man promising change. The agenda was again clear: get us out of the war, help us on Main Street to survive the aftermath of the Bush economy, unite the divisions, or at least try...and again, it fell on deaf ears.

The Democrats have the House, the Senate and the Presidency. If there was ever a time for bold strokes, the kind of "Screw You" moments that George W. Bush did, the, "We're going to do this whether the country, or the Senate, likes it or not..." types of things, only this time, with good things not war and horrific things, now is that time.

Universal Healthcare means just that. It doesn't mean private insurance companies still at the table running the show or involved heavily in it. It means, say it with me, Single Payer. A non-profit organization who collects premiums from all Americans that are able to pay, on a sliding scale of course, subsidizes those that can't, collects all bills for healthcare and then pays them. One policy, one coverage, all medical necessities from birth to death, like every other industrialized nation of substance. Obama knows it, and says and does nothing. Pelosi knows it, all Democrats know it. But they won't do it. Not very Democratic.

No more war means no more war. June 16, 2009 $106 billion more was appropriated for war. Where we are getting it, I can only imagine...can you say ChiMerica? $79.9 Billion of that is actually for the wars, making over $145 billion this year alone. What part of come home and stop spending that money isn't clear? 10,000 troops a week for 15 weeks, home. Spend any billions needed on the war to bring them home, once and for all. Leave 30,000 or so there for stability, the rest should already be on route.

So why do the Democrats, who rallied against the war, continue, now in power six months, to fund it and wage it, business as usual?

When one of the biggest violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution took place in California described as Prop 8 and upheld by the State Supreme Court, not one major Democrat spoke out about the abhorrent violation of taxpaying American's rights, not one condemned the upholding of it, decrying the activists judges, nothing. Silence. Obama is a Constitutional Scholar, he knows how blatant this violation is, and he he said nothing. He's on TV every 12 seconds, and said nothing. Then, to add insult to injury, he defends a law, the Defense of Marriage Act, a law he said should be struck down during the campaign. And he defends it with an argument that sites incest and pedophile activities as reasons for keeping DOMA active.

His excuse? While he dislikes the law, it is the law, and until Congress changes it he must defend it from attacks. Really? So we all believe he would enforce Jim Crow laws if they were still the lay of the land? Give me a break.

Obama and the Democrats said they're repeal the failed Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy and yet this year the military has lost more valuable resources because of this program.

Unemployment does not pay a livable amount. It should be at least 80% of your prior year's salary, you know, so you don't fall in to poverty. It doesn't, and no one cares.

More Blacks youth are still in jail than in college. The immigration problem is not even being tackled. Women don't make equal pay. Nothing.

Banks and corporations, the Big Three, AIG, they've all been catered to. The Republican mentality that take care of the corporations and the people will then benefit seems to have carried over to the Democrats who continue to flood corporate America with money while cutting funds to regular citizens.

And don't get me started on how Democrats now have reached in to the Piety Pit, quoting God and the Bible at every chance they get these days. .

No, I don't recognize the Democrats, my party any more. In fact, I feel downright duped by it. I see no change I can believe in, sorry. I see cosmetic change. I see strokes that could be bold, quelled before their true potential even could be reached. I see half attempted outreaches with one hand, while slapping the hell out of the electorate with the other.

What I don't see is an invigorated, empowered, gutsy Democratic party ready to finally move their political and social agenda along because of the obvious advantages of having both Houses and the Oval.

Both political parties have morphed in to caricatures of themselves, touting all their core values on their sleeves while doing nothing to actually walk the walk and talk the talk. They fill the room with excuses about how hard things are, how slowly things move in Washington, how hard it is to truly effect change. They speak of how complicated the issues are, and how a consensus must be reached in order to proceed.

In fact, the one thing every Democrat seems to have in their fully stocked arsenal is a grab bag of plausible excuses and deniability as to why we can't have the basic things we need, health care, a place to live and call our own, clean air, water, renewable energy, equality for all people. They launch intricate campaigns and reforms, which all sound good that evening in the news, but don't seem to be yielding any real tangible results in neighborhoods throughout America.

2008's election so far has not brought me change I can believe in, but it has completely changed the political party system in this country by all but destroying it. Prior to the election, Republicans showed their true disdain for this country, and anyone not like them. Post election, the Democrats are now showing that even when given the chance to promote their positive, progressive platform, they still sit idly by, mired in muck, full of platitudes and excuses.

Neither party in this country stands on or for its own pronounced platform. Perhaps it's time to rip up the foundation and build a new party from the ground up; one not afraid to actually do what it says, to actually implement what it believes in and one that stops using the size of the system as a reason to not get anything done.

It's time for an American party, where, when We, The People say things like no more war and equal rights for all, the party actually responds, not in years, but with the urgency each of those matters, and more, warrant.

Comments

[Chazet2]

I'm very gratified by the other comments that I am reading here. I could not agree more with the sentiments and thoughts expressed. I have relayed my thoughts to both OFA and the White House. At the moment, it appears that doing so constitutes dumping your efforts down the drain.
I voted for change, and a government that acts to protect and promote the welfare of all Americans. So far Obama's administration has failed to do either, unless by all Americans you mean Goldman Sachs. My question is, what are we willing to do? Are any of you serious about letting Obama know that we are mad as hell and not going to take it any more? If the Iranians can do it, so can we.
Obama and the Democrats in Congress need to feel some real heat, otherwise its over for any progressive initiative. What can we do with the readership of Huffington Post and the help of this author and people like Bill Maher?

[SharonLynne]

You'd think Barack could have been honest on that giant stage where he and Joe stood when they won and said on a BIIIIIIG sign in the background.....

S U C K E R S!

Thats how I feel- suckered.

[chachizel]

Mr Bouley (and Bill Maher), I 100% agree with you. I truly believed that Obama, Reid, Pelosi and crew were going to move this country forward. Into progressive policies that would really bring change to America and the world, but...politics as usual seems to be the order of the day. Bottom line is that the racist, sexist, greedy pro-corporation laws that have been in place have NOT worked. We voted for CHANGE!! What don't you understand? We the People have spoken, why can't you hear us? Equal rights for all regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, color, gender, religion (or lack of), sexual preference, size of bank accounts, credit scores, height, weight, etc, etc, this is OUR country, and we should all be equal...PERIOD! If there was ever a time to push forth a progressive agenda, that time is now, and the way we're going, we're about to lose that time. Cmon President Obama, I still want to believe in you. Spend some of that political capital now. Fix health care, give global warming it's due attention, end these senseless wars that are not doing anything to end terrorism, and let's create an equal rights for everyone society. That's what we voted for, and I believe it can happen. Let's go!!

[Ben6768]

The new party could be called We The People.

Both the existing GOP and Dems are equally useless. I support a revolution and the start of the Second Republic.

[wisewomcat]

As far as Universal Healthcare goes, I'm absolutely in support of it. But I don't think you can do it over night. It's got to be something gradual (like starting with a public option). If you did it over night, what would happen to all the people that work for insurance companies? What would happen to everyone's 401k's that are invested partially in these companies?

And what is with all this talk of "Do everything we want, the other side be damned!?" That's exactly why the Republican don't stand a chance for the next 20 years. There always comes a time of reckoning. If the Democrats leave a bad taste in the majority of American's mouths, then it would be all too easy to undo any progress they make after they lose the majority in the next election.

"Perhaps its time to rip up the foundation and build a new party from the ground up;" I couldn't agree more! I think most moderates wish there was a "moderate" party that we could vote for. I personally have to go back and forth between Democrats and Republicans every other election (though, I can't ever see voting for a Republican again in my life). I absolutely wish there was another party in our political system -- and I absolutely wish that Obama would run for President under that party in 2012.

[Vurz]

But, the majority of Americans voted for the Democratic party to get out of the war, fix the economy and actually follow the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

That's what the voting was about in 2008 and no one in power right now seems to rememebr it.

[TommyMcCarthy]

How awful to have to admit that Mr. Bouley is largely correct in his assesment....

In the summer of 2006, Americans decided that the situation was too dire, 2008 too far away... to wait for change "with all deliberate speed".
And not just activists either!
Ordinary Americans,...not previously politically active...many of whom had previously supported Republican Congressional candidates...even voted FOR Bush....
Turned out in record numbers to bestow majorities in BOTH houses on Democrats based largely on ONE issue.....ONE campaign promise Democrats universally made.....
TO END THE WAR and bring our kids home.
Timetable?­......Benc­hmark?....­.....NOW!.­....YESTER­DAY!

Few liberals....
(I never had to become a "progressive" as I was never ashamed of being a liberal Democrat.......YET)
Few liberals will ever forget the feeling of satisfaction they felt on election night '06....

Well....About 1300 American kids have died in Iraq since that night...as well as many thousands more wounded since that night....not to mention many MANY thousands of innocent Iraquis.

1300 Americans.....since Nancy took Impeachment "off the table"........
1300 Americans.­.....Since many....even MOST Democrats (Including Obama) refused to cut off war funding.......
1300 Americans....Since Harry Reid perfected his Jimmy Swaggart impersonation...
"We (sob) just don't have the votes"

I have a very young nephew,..... OMINOUSLY interested in politics since Obama's election,....who want's to know the difference between Republican and Democrat.

I'm having a very hard time answering that honestly
tm

[TryToBeFlexible]

Right on. The Democrats are vastly disappointing, dishonorable, and cowardly. The Republicans are vastly corrupt and criminal.

The USA would be better off breaking into alot of small countries, so they could be more effectively self governed. I have no faith or hope for the country as a whole anymore.

[DaveVentura]

The DemPublican Party needs competition. Whenever some group is taken over the barrel there is then the false dichotomy of saying the other party would be worse. Both parties need more competition so that the people are better served. I'm someone who doesn't belong to a political party, but I can see how much more beneficial it would be if there was a viable third party to get the DemPublican Party in line.

[Vurz]

Yes, because a lot of small countries would be able to agree over where the nukes should be kept and how the military arms and personnel should be divvied up.

No, we need the U.S.A. as it stands;

We just need to stop listening to the ones that ask tell us to say "No" when we ask "Am I my brother's keeper?" People like that just want to make us a nation of Cains.

[jhNY]

Amen, brother. When both parties supplicate the same plutocrats, we wind up with the best government money can buy. And I don't think the answer is for more ordinary people to give the party more money, since somehow a milion dollars donated by ten thousand never looks so impressive as the same sum donated by one. Since politicians spend nearly all their waking hours away from cameras trying to raise re-election money, it should be no surprise that big sum donors are highly prized among them-- those donors are their one stop source, their one phone call touch, which means less phone work for the pols. Washington DC is a one-company town-- it's where politicians from both parties go to get wealthy, and their families too. There are do-nothing think tanks, no-show advisory board gigs, etc, abounding. That's what all the politicians are there for-- a fat income in and out of office-- and the big money boys supply what the pols desire. It's just the price they pay to get their business done. After all, it's a cushy system and nobody gets hurt-- except the constituents.

[WellTickleMeWillie]

I agree. I am 68 and have voted for Dems in every election since I was 21. Many, many disappointmenst along the way but in 2008 we believed we actually had for the very first time someone who would actually make a difference. Wrong again. What I see is nothing in the Dem controlled POTUS and Congress that suggests anything meaningful will ever change. It will be more of the same but with cosmetic dressing. And you are correct we have pretty much a one party system in the USA - the corporatist party who wear Dem or ReThug hats but are equally disinegenious to their supporters that fall for their BS every time. I think it is now time to stop voting for either party and try to construct a real progressive reformist party for the future. Perhaps our grandkids may benefit eventually It won't be easy but I think the American pople are ready for change - change that is real and will have real benefits in our lives. We need party organizers to get this started.