American Idle

While quite amused with it the day of/day after, I was quite done with the American Idol audition of "Pants on the Ground" after the proverbial 15 minutes, but I still got a kick out of this political cartoon that The Arizona Republic published over this past weekend (though it was an earlier Mike Luckovich work from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Many of my fellow Democrats are frustrated with the way things have been going (or perhaps, more accurately, not going) so far with the Obama administration. Though given what was the alternative, I think there is hardly room to quibble that much, though I feel the same way.  The campaign and inauguration were so inspiring and hopeful, that it does kind of feel like waking up on New Year's Day... or my oft quoted line that the anticipation of the event is often greater than the event itself.  Politics is politics, and it's the same old, same old in Washington.  too wish I was feeling the same way I was a year ago when Obama entered office. But I am frustrated as well that things haven't been getting done and confessed to perhaps my one remaining Republican friend (hi Joanna!) recently that one thing I admire about the GOP was their ability to get things done no matter the majorities (or lack thereof) they held or popular opinion. 

That's what amused me about this alleged earth-moving, political earthquake caused by the new hottie Junior Senator from Massachusetts, which apparently gave him and the Republicans the powerful Senate  majority of 41 members.  The amusing part is that I don't recall the Democrats being that excited, or the Republicans being too worried when the Dems held that "majority" number (or more!) during the George W Bush presidency.  Again, proof of the GOPs ability to get things done regardless.  I think there are a lot of reasons, good and bad, why this is the case with Democrats but I do get a laugh of a phrase that I heard said of them at one point that they have "an uncanny knack of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory." On a side-note, I think this "trend" is more anti-incumbency a pro-Republican or anti-Democrat/Obama movement, though anti-incumbency affects/will affect more Democrats these days.

I think Republicans should be thrilled, if there has to be a Democrat in the White House, that it is Obama. I recall the worry of Hillary Clinton not being a viable POTUS candidate since she was too divisive a figure!  Ha!  While I applaud Obama's attempts at unity and bi-partisanship, I think it's naive and long stopped being a possibility in Washington.  My cynical side doubts that anything substantial will ever get done again in Washington as both parties (and I blame the Dems too) are too obsessed in blocking the other, not allowing the other to be successful.  And, if something does get agreed upon, it'll be so watered down that I doubt its effectiveness... like health care reform.

Anyhow, that's my unfocused babbling on about that...

I had originally continued on here about a recent Facebook de-friending due to political differences... well differences that I think crossed the line, but I'll save that for another post!  Stay tuned.

Comments

[Joanna]

Great post Ed. I agree with your cynical side - I actually think it is more appropos of your correct side - nothing will ever get done in Washington. It's too much of a battle to stop the other side that one to do something that is good and decent for the people.

[J Segars]

Too bad there's nothing "decent" being done by the majority of Dems for the past 4 years now.
The post-racial, post-partisan, "open" administration is in the toilet. Instead of working the economy as promised "#1" during the election, it's been a horrendous health care that even the majority Dems in house and senate aren't happy with. But since that's what the American people want, aren't Democrats doing their job by NOT passing it?

Republicans get the "obstructionist" tag, however!