This Year in American Politics.....

Being the nerd that I am, it’s a regular phenomena to witness me watching, understanding and– much to any normal person’s astonishment- in fact enjoying C-SPAN. Partly because through some fluke of nature, I find that I’m routinely riveted by political stories, and partly because my cable box doesn’t work, which leaves me with only about 20 channels.
In either case, if you know me, you’ll find that I’m pretty up-to-date with what’s going on in the federal government.

The programming on C-SPAN has been mostly “debates” between candidates for Senate and governor lately and either out of boredom or a sense of masochism, I found myself watching late into the night. Now, we all know that any political debate in this country is going to play out less like two or more leaders of the free word competing in a professional debate format over major issues, and more like two hicks hurling profanities at each other on Maury. Regardless, they've been going at it pretty regularly, and being witness so often, I find myself translating the political jargon into a semi-usable state where I can gauge what’s really going on.

If you watch the debates, you'll find that there are only a few major issues on the table in this year’s election. First, and most prominent, is the ragged state of our economy and the nation’s debt. Second is the lack of jobs, which I might add, fits hand-in-hand with the first issue. 
The third major issue (as I have witnessed) is various reforms put in place while the democrats had a majority in Congress, e.g. the Health-Care Bill, financial reform and various other legislation. 



The democrats are saying that they want to extend the Bush tax cuts, but only for the middle class, leaving the wealthiest 2% to go back to paying full taxes. They also want to give aid of some type (either tax or stimulus) to small businesses to stimulate both hiring and product demand.
The republicans are promising to cut spending and slash everyone’s taxes also via the Bush tax cuts. They’ve even released a piece of literature titled “Pledge to America” which outlines their specific intentions, should they be elected. They also want to completely repeal much of the legislation put in place by the outgoing Congress.

Before I go on, you should know that this is where the non-bias report-preamble ends and my opinion begins. Also you should know that I am a moderate. I’m not a democrat and I don’t lean left or right. I think everyone in the government is more or less retarded. But not all idiots were created equal.

It seems to me that many of the chronic cases of ’idiot’ have found their way into the Republican Party this year.
For instance, it sounds nice to say you’ll cut spending and stop taxing everyone. In order for that to work; however, you have to cut enough spending that it equals less than the amount of taxes you take in. This basic concept seems to have escaped the Republican’s minds since they’ve failed to explain how they plan to cut that much spending. They can’t possibly do it while still providing services for the public -if they do, in fact, intend to abide by their “Pledge,” that is- I think it’s pretty elementary. In basic terms, you can’t spend money you don’t have. Under a policy like the ones Republicans are toting in their campaigns, we’ll have to keep borrowing the extra money we need from foreigners and thus the deficit will grow even more! We simply can’t afford it.

Now, I may not like them very much on other issues, but on finance, the democrats seem to have their shit together a bit more. It’s much more reasonable in my opinion to continue taxing the public, cutting taxes only where you must, and stimulating specific targeted points in the economy, like small businesses. That plan would both reduce the deficit in the long term and stimulate the economy now, by forcing us to borrow less money from other countries and by creating both supply in the form of newly finically burden-reduced businesses. And demand in the form of newly hired workers to run the aforementioned businesses.


I try not to tell people what to think. I have zero qualms about talking your ear off about politics, but I try to at least keep my opinions at just that; my opinions. This year, though, I must admit, if you vote Republican, I’ll think less of you. They are lying and misinforming ten miles a minute in order to get re-elected and have no care in the world for the reality we’re living in. Their willy-nilly attitude will run the country into financial ruin. Either that or they won’t be able to keep to their “Pledge.”

That stuff takes credibility away from republicans, but I would be bereft not to mention their other recent short-comings. Judging by the debates on C-SPAN, they’re so full of themselves that they can’t be bothered to just amend the bad stuff out of existing legislation. Rather, they insist on “repealing and replacing.” This really doesn’t make any sense to me. Healthcare reform was a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, there were certainly things in it that make me cringe, but honestly, you don’t have to take a law that’s already active and effective in several areas off the books just so you can do it over again your own way-Especially because republicans won’t have a super-majority- They’ll have to work with democrats and their confrontational approach will turn that effort into a heap of wasted time.

The other thing that really irks me is Republican’s ability to endorse the worst possible potential candidate in any particular race just because they’re Tea partiers. The Tea Party; representing the “Angry Americans” in this race. Noble as the concept of doing something about politics on your own is, Tea Party candidates are shaping up to be inexperienced buffoons with no sense of financial responsibility. Christine O’Donnell, the republican Senate candidate in Delaware, spent campaign funds freely on her own personal expenses. ($550 at the Mattress Giant and $1,500 on sunscreen and sun block.) Other Tea Party candidates have similar stories, or otherwise terrible personal financial and tax records. Can a party that not only accepts, but endorses a candidate like this really have our best interests at heart?

I doubt it. This petty attitude Republicans seem to have all over the country makes me sick. These are our lives they’re playing king of the hill with. While Republicans avenge their bruised pride this November, the rest of us in this country are suffering. I think it speaks volumes to who really is pledging themselves to America, and that to Republicans, our lives are a mere play-thing.

I’m not a Democrat. And though I’m also not a Republican or a Tea partier, I, too, am an angry American.


-A knight who says "Ni"

Mi, Himself and He,

I am sorry for the delayed manner in which I have responded, as I have been feeling less than museful lately. If for no other reason, I ask you to continue sharing these private thoughts in hopes that she (as no other gender generic word was voted on, use http://musingsontap.blogspot.com/2010/07/predestination.html as a reference) will reveal the identity of the footsteps coming down the hall. I must know this. I must also pose this question......why do people write down their most private of thoughts if they are to remain private? If the idea is to have someone(s) discover your thoughts, form their own opinions on them, and post them on the internet, then by all means, keep a diary. If this is not one's intention, I suggest therapy or talking to one's self, for alleviation of stress.

-De