Obama Does Not Dare Propose Anything Else
I have been listening attentively to Barack Obama’s campaign speeches for several days. I am struck by something that no television commentator seems to point out: The president does not dare propose anything else.
He speaks mainly about preventing the horrible Republicans from putting big business lobbyists back in power. He campaigns against George W. Bush. The problem is that George W. Bush is invisible, is not a candidate and has totally retired from politics.
Barack Obama is on the defensive. With energy, with sharp arguments, with courage, certainly. Nevertheless, he defends two years of reforms, which to the majority of Americans have not had the promised effects. The recovery has not lowered unemployment. The public debt, which the recovery has aggravated, requires high taxes that paralyze consumers and entrepreneurs.
His health care reform is incomprehensible and without immediate effect; ditto his financial reform. He has no answers for worried Americans. He has no reassuring words for a country that needs trust above all.
Out of every 10 people who supported him in 2008, more than four no longer support him. The president has lost the support of the majority of independent voters. He still remains popular, as he is seen to be sympathetic. Fifty-three percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of him.
Problem: He is not a candidate on Nov. 2. That day is for legislative elections and elections for governors and all sorts of other locally elected officials. Yet Democratic candidates’ traditional solutions are no longer successful; most Americans no longer believe that an increase in public spending is the solution. They even fear that it has become the big problem.
That is why, without putting full confidence in the Republicans’ solutions, American voters will punish outgoing Democrats. The most mobilized are conservatives and many voters who generally do not vote in the midterm elections. These people are very angry with Washington. They will vote overwhelmingly against the Democrats, often for those who make them believe it will be sufficient to “eliminate the waste of public funds” to get America back on her feet.
Unfortunately, the problem is much more sensitive: To seriously reduce public spending, America must cut back on military spending and especially on popular social programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The first is the general pension scheme; the second is the health care system for retirees. The Republicans do not go into details on these issues. Why would they? They are out to win without detailing the unpopular measures that lie ahead.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama does not dare to talk about reform — or global warming, or immigration. His own Democratic friends do not want him to go into details on these types of proposals, which are no longer popular.
The latest and most mobilized for Barack Obama are the unions. However, every day the press reports how fringe benefits, pension schemes, salaries, etc. of unionized employees are excessive and wasteful. The worst part is that it is true, especially for public sector employees. Therefore, the Democrats can be cast as the party for privileged unions ... which makes conservatives and populists even angrier.
He speaks mainly about preventing the horrible Republicans from putting big business lobbyists back in power. He campaigns against George W. Bush. The problem is that George W. Bush is invisible, is not a candidate and has totally retired from politics.
Barack Obama is on the defensive. With energy, with sharp arguments, with courage, certainly. Nevertheless, he defends two years of reforms, which to the majority of Americans have not had the promised effects. The recovery has not lowered unemployment. The public debt, which the recovery has aggravated, requires high taxes that paralyze consumers and entrepreneurs.
His health care reform is incomprehensible and without immediate effect; ditto his financial reform. He has no answers for worried Americans. He has no reassuring words for a country that needs trust above all.
Out of every 10 people who supported him in 2008, more than four no longer support him. The president has lost the support of the majority of independent voters. He still remains popular, as he is seen to be sympathetic. Fifty-three percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of him.
Problem: He is not a candidate on Nov. 2. That day is for legislative elections and elections for governors and all sorts of other locally elected officials. Yet Democratic candidates’ traditional solutions are no longer successful; most Americans no longer believe that an increase in public spending is the solution. They even fear that it has become the big problem.
That is why, without putting full confidence in the Republicans’ solutions, American voters will punish outgoing Democrats. The most mobilized are conservatives and many voters who generally do not vote in the midterm elections. These people are very angry with Washington. They will vote overwhelmingly against the Democrats, often for those who make them believe it will be sufficient to “eliminate the waste of public funds” to get America back on her feet.
Unfortunately, the problem is much more sensitive: To seriously reduce public spending, America must cut back on military spending and especially on popular social programs, including Social Security and Medicare. The first is the general pension scheme; the second is the health care system for retirees. The Republicans do not go into details on these issues. Why would they? They are out to win without detailing the unpopular measures that lie ahead.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama does not dare to talk about reform — or global warming, or immigration. His own Democratic friends do not want him to go into details on these types of proposals, which are no longer popular.
The latest and most mobilized for Barack Obama are the unions. However, every day the press reports how fringe benefits, pension schemes, salaries, etc. of unionized employees are excessive and wasteful. The worst part is that it is true, especially for public sector employees. Therefore, the Democrats can be cast as the party for privileged unions ... which makes conservatives and populists even angrier.
If any French people have a care about America, then berate her people. They’ve been acting like lazy fools, making clear they aren’t interested in voting and are about to hand the country over to a bunch of reactionary racist slobs who will bring down the world’s economy just as surely as their own. And that means you’ll suffer in Europe too.
The Right Wing in America may say they don’t care what outsiders think, but at heart they’re a subservient, cringing bunch. You can help by weighing in. Your government should help you too.