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Abe Amoros's Blog

Abe Amoros's Blog

The BlueBlast

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Disappointed but not panicking

Much has been said and written about Tuesday’s race in Massachusetts. And while it was an obvious disappointment to Democrats after making historic gains in 2008, everyone knows that 2010 will be a difficult year.

That goes for everyone, not just Democrats.

What we saw on Tuesday was more anxiety about how Washington conducts its business. Middle class voters came out and spoke about their frustrations. But no one is more frustrated about the conditions of the nation than the President who has worked tirelessly to make strides.

Let’s be clear about two things: Tuesday was not about the President and it was not about health care.

President Obama still enjoys a 60 percent popularity rating in Massachusetts. In addition, the state’s health care program is as close to universal care as it gets in the nation. In other words, they have theirs already and were not overly concerned about the health care bill. Senator-elect Brown didn’t use health care once in any of his television ads. That should tell you something.

While this election was peculiar, the sky is not falling. No one is panicking and Democrats still control the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. While Republicans insist on playing “Taps” on their trumpets, they have no track record to stand on themselves.

In fact, they’re going nuts over the fact that they can now filibuster. Let’s hear it for the obstructionists!

There were 51 Senators that passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that helps women earn better pay. There were 58 Democratic Senators that passed extensions to the State Children’s Health Care Program and 58 also voted for the economic stimulus bill that now showing results as we just saw the first quarter of economic growth in two years.

So while Republicans crow about their win, they should also remember that Brown didn’t mention the word “Republican” once in his victory speech.

Not once. This was his win. Not theirs.

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January 21, 2010 at 8:00 pm

--Abe Amoros

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  1. EK

    Jan 22nd, 2010

    Your thoughts about the effect of the health care bill are malformed. Of course it was an issue. As you said, they’ve already got it. So why would they want to pick up the tab for another $X Billion in a somewhat similar federal plan? They’d pay some of the costs and receive nearly none of the benefits. That’s the calculus of the health care bill in Mass, not that they just don’t care.

  2. Lee Levan

    Jan 22nd, 2010

    “Tuesday was not about the President”.

    Abe, If you don’t realize that independent voters, along with first time voters who turned out in 2008 to support Obama, and liberals/progressives are disillusioned with Pres. O. and the Audacity of Disappointment which he has so far given us, then you don’t recognize the problem. And you can’t solve a problen that you don’t recognize. All you can do is whistle as you walk by the graveyard.

    p.s. Here’s a hint. There has been no change that we can believe in. It’s been the same old business as usual. Obama has been a pussycat, instead of a tiger.

  3. Greg K., PA

    Jan 22nd, 2010

    Mr. Levan, as a progressive myself, I couldn’t disagree with you more.

    President Obama is one man, not a dictator and certainly not God, and he has only been in office for a year. Let’s not forget that our system of government has checks and balances and no one can rule by decree. As far as campaign promises go, if you look at them objectively, out of the approximately 500 promises he made during the campaign, he has already kept 91 and a whopping 275 are in the works. Remember, he’s only 25% into his term.

    http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

    Even if President Obama didn’t get a single piece of legislation passed, simply having him in office setting policy and executing the business of government is infinitely better than the previous 8 years.

  4. Lee Levan

    Jan 22nd, 2010

    Greg, Of course, simply having Pres. O. in office is infinitely better than the previous 8 years. He hasn’t begun any wars and there’s a chance he will be able to change the makeup of this disatatrous, political Supreme Court, etc.

    That is not at all inconsistent with my point that Pres. O. has bent over backwards (or is it forwards?) for the Republicans, particularly so on healthcare insurance reform, and makes a mad dash to the center on virtually every possible issue. He didn’t run, nor did we elect him, on a promise to be careful, cautious and moderate.

    He promised change we can believe in. He promised the Audacity of Hope. I’m not basing my critique on lack of results. I’m asserting that he hasn’t acted as an agent for change. He hasn’t acted boldly. And he (I hate even to say this) has given reason to believe that Hillary was correct when she criticized him as more talk than substance.

    I wish the man well. I pray that he is successful. But, if he doesn’t change his way of acting, he has no chance to change much of anything. If we aren’t wise enough to admit that, then we are doomed to failure. I’m not satisfied with either wishful thinking or whistling in the dark. We must face reality. I hope Pres O. does, too.

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