The pundits said it was doubtful but possible that Democrats could retake the U.S. Senate. And yes, the odds were against it. Yet here we are with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer! Democrats have won the grand trifecta! They have the mandate! And President Joe Biden ain’t playing around. He’s getting right down to business. And why not? We’re the good guys! We’re the ones on the right side of history! Yet already there is whining from the GOP of Biden’s leftward lurch. The honeymoon doesn’t appear to be destined to last for very long. And we’ll find ourselves in a position, yet again, where the minority tries to reign over the majority.
The vast majority of Americans want a truly fair economy that works for everyone. They want regulation of the banks. They want a clean environment. They want to know the foods they eat and the medicines they take are safe. They want to be able to have access to quality health care. They want access to a quality education. They want equal opportunities for gainful employment. And the vast majority of Americans don’t want these things just for themselves but for all Americans. They recognize the concept of community and that a rising tide raises all boats.
One must wonder, of the significant minority of voters who cling to so-called conservative values, how many would remain in that camp if they were ever to understand that they are being lied to and have been lied to for decades? I realize right-wingers such as Meghan McCain are offended at Katie Couric’s suggestion that some amount of deprogramming is in order. But the fact is, Couric is absolutely right. Deprogramming is in order. And as quickly as possible to save as many lives as possible. These poor souls have been hoodwinked but good. Right-wing corporate and political powers have made ruthless use of the science behind political marketing tools. (Funny how right-wingers turn to science when it suits their purposes.)
The mainstream media really has a pivotal part to play moving forward. (They certainly played a pivotal role in getting us here in the first place!) After so many years of misleading and outright lying by Republicans the media has only recently been up to their responsibility of calling out the lies. But only since the insurrection of January 6 has the media been brave, and I use that word loosely, enough to challenge the liars in real time, face to face, or so to speak here in the COVID-19 era. This press accountability must not abate. The shouts for more press accountability should only increase. The truth must go marching on!
Chuck Todd, George Stephanopoulos, and their colleagues need to challenge their guests and each other every time the truth is compromised in any way. For instance, right-wingers (and some so-called left-wing pundits, out of some unexplainable need for neutrality) love to talk about Biden’s leftward lurch. The media (and of course Democrats) needs to push back from a number of directions to put this ridiculous myth to rest. Poll after poll shows a majority of the electorate are, on the issues, actually left of center. I did catch Martha Raddatz calling out a right-winger whining that it’s really a 50-50 nation given the split in the Senate. I can’t recall her exact words but Raddatz pointed out that that 50-50 split was a not a very accurate representation of the American electorate. Good on her! More of that please!
How many of you dear readers knew that leading up to the election polls actually favored Trump on the economy? How could the electorate have been that conned on such a crucial issue? Personally, I equally blame Democrats and the media for insufficiently warning the American electorate that they were in fact being conned by one of the best con men in the United States.
But why should the electorate ever look to the GOP for economic prosperity? Consistently, for more than a century, Americans have prospered more under Democratic administrations than their opponents. As a matter of fact, economically, we can, with fairly great optimism, expect things to turn around in the Biden administration but it will take some time. And Democrats will have to play tougher, as ruthlessly as necessary to get their (our, the American people’s) agenda passed into law. I’m for preserving the filibuster if possible, but ending it if necessary to get things done. The hell with Mitch McConnell and his obstructionist minions.
You want to know why McConnell is really opposed to the Democrats’ platform? He knows it’s what would really make the American people happy! Which would in turn greatly diminish GOP power for generations to come. It is way past time to ditch Mitch once and for all. He’s finally out of power and it must remain that way! If Schumer is up for playing McConnell’s game now that he holds all the cards, Democrats could potentially hold power until Mitch is either dead or in a nursing home. But Democrats, all Democrats, have got to fight tougher. Everything is on the line. Get it done now!
Jeff Taylor is an artist and vendor with Street Sense Media.
