Change You Can Believe In? #election2010 #tcot #progressive
There is a rip in the force when Sen Jim DeMint (R, SC) and liberal Markos Moulitsas from Daily Kos agree on the results of an election. Both of these men believe that one thing is clear from the results of Tuesday evening — establishment power is losing the control it once had over the American electorate.
From the Associated Press:
Any doubt about just how toxic the political environment is for congressional incumbents and candidates hand-picked by national Republican and Democratic leaders disappeared late Tuesday, when voters fired Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania, forced Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln into a run-off in Arkansas and chose tea party darling Rand Paul to be the GOP nominee in Kentucky’s Senate race.
It appears that the forces alive in Washington have completely lost touch with the tone of the American people or they simply do not care. In 2008, then Senator Barack Obama won the Presidency on a platform of change, hope, and the uniting of all Americans to the flowery but catchy phrase –”Yes, We Can!” However, after a controversial stimulus package, Unwellness Reform that caters to insurance companies, failures to keep his promises with the LGBT community, and difficulties with Wall Street Reform many voters have begun a new political mantra– “NO YOU CANT!”
In fact, with shocking irony the anti-establishment activism (not to say that I agree with all activists positions) that helped to elect President Obama, are sending the message to D.C politicians that unless they begin to deliver the change they promised that their jobs could be next.
From Politico (citations included for reference):
The anti-establishment, anti-incumbent fevers on display Tuesday are not new. The ideologically charged, grassroots activists flexing their muscle in this week’s primary showdowns are the same breed as primary voters who four years ago stripped the Democratic nomination away from Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who later won as an independent.
What’s now clear, in a way that wasn’t before, is that these results reflect a genuine national phenomenon, not simply isolated spasms in response to single issues or local circumstances.
This is a stark and potentially durable change in politics. The old structures that protected incumbent power are weakening. New structures, from partisan news outlets to online social networks, are giving anti-establishment politicians access to two essential elements of effective campaigns: publicity and financial support.
This might be the reason why President Obama has suddenly turned his back on “new media” calling devices such as ipods, ipads, social networking, and other online communication technology a distraction. Why? The same tools that Obama used during the Presidential Elections to create a matrix of supporters has created additional groups (especially on Twitter) of online activists who are willing to call the President out when he veers off the highway of change and onto the alley of back room deals and corporate agendas.
The real losers of Tuesday nights election are President Obama and Mitch McConnell. The lesson they can learn from this is quite clear — if you do not deliver on the changes you promised you are next! A warning siren has gone off! The American people are no longer satisfied with promises of change, hope, and political deification. At this point, Americans are asking for change they can see!
We invite you to Defend Your Vote.
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