The End of the Enchanting Obama

Published in Listin Diario
(Dominican Republic) on 13 November 2010
by J. C. Malone (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Annerys Diaz . Edited by Mark DeLucas.
When politicians say, “these votes are very important and blah blah blah,” they are in fact telling the truth, because with them they are betting their children’s bread. The latest congressional and state elections were very important indeed, as congressional districts across America are due to be re-drawn to reflect population changes in political representation. Now the Republicans have the privilege of redesigning the electoral maps so as to ensure their political control for 10 years. “Re-design” means moving the boundaries of the district for the blatant purpose of excluding outright opponents and include supporters. That is why some houses are within a district and its neighbors are not. And so it happens that a number of politicians, whose artistic talents typically go unheralded, make great contributions to the art of allegory, albeit perhaps unwittingly.

In Massachusetts they “re-designed” a district that looked like a salamander; in Illinois another looks like a rabbit standing in its front legs riding a skateboard. The need to guarantee his job for 10 years is for the American congressman the mother of creativity.

And everything is absolutely legal. The Democratic defeat will be catastrophic for President Barack Obama. He spent his two years of governing reforming the health system—changes the Republicans promise to undermine by suspending funding.

Obama’s popularity plummeted while many Democratic candidates shied away because unpopularity is powerful and contagious.

Poor whites, 40 percent of voters, are angry with him; Hispanics, blacks, gays and lesbians too. The broad coalition that brought him to power is dissolving. In 1994, the Democrats lost, but two years later president Clinton won re-election.

For Obama, it will be very different because the partisan elite could promote another candidate for the next presidential elections.

This Democratic defeat may mean that we are witnessing the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning, of the enchanting Obama.


El fin del Obama encantado
J. C. Malone
Puntos de vista 13 Noviembre 2010, 10:28 PM
NUEVA YORK.– Cuando los políticos dicen, “éstas votaciones son muy importantes y blah blah blah,” extrañamente dicen la verdad, porque en ellas apuestan el pan de sus hijos. Las últimas elecciones congresuales y estatales fueron importantísimas; constitucionalmente se deben rediseñar los distritos congresuales después del Censo, para reflejar los cambios poblacionales en la representación política. Ahora los republicanos tienen el privilegio de rediseñar los mapas electorales asegurando su control político durante 10 años. “Re-diseñar” significa mover los límites del distrito con el descarado propósito de excluir oponentes e incluir simpatizantes. Por eso algunas casas está dentro de un distrito y sus vecinos no. Y así, sin quererlo, algunos políticos a quienes nadie reconoce talento artístico, hicieron grandes contribuciones al arte alegórico.
En Massachusetts “re-diseñaron” un distrito que parecía una Salamandra, en Illinois otro parece un conejo parado en las patas delanteras montando skateboard. La necesidad de garantizar su empleo por 10 años, sigue siendo la madre de la creatividad de estos tipos.
Y todo es absolutamente legal. La derrota demócrata será catastrófica para el presidente Barack Obama. Se gastó los únicos dos años de gobierno reformando el sistema de salud, y los republicanos prometieron derogarla suspendiéndole el financiamiento.
La popularidad de Obama se desplomó tanto que muchos candidatos demócratas le huían, porque la impopularidad es virulenta y contagiosa.
Los blancos pobres, el 40 por ciento del electorado, están enojados con él; hispanos, afroamericanos, homosexuales y lesbianas también. La amplia coalición que lo llevó al poder se disuelve. En 1994, los demócratas perdieron, pero dos años después Clinton ganó la reelección.
Para Obama será muy diferente, porque la élite partidaria podría promover a otro candidato para las próximas elecciones presidenciales.
Esta derrota demócrata puede significar que estamos asistiendo al inicio del fin, o al fin del inicio, del Obama encantado.
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