Things in Washington different after midterms?
(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/File)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The old definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
We are on the verge of giving control of at least one house of Congress back to the Republicans. Gee, that worked well the last time, didn't it?
And the Democrats, who have had the Congressional ball since 2006, have done what – exactly? End the wars? No. Fix the economy? No.
Run up the national debt? Oh hell, yes.
Speaking of the Democrats, while party leaders insist they will keep control of the House, most experts will tell you otherwise. But either way, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could lose her job.
If the Democrats lose control of the House, Pelosi is toast. But perhaps more interesting is even if Democrats keep control with a very slim margin, which is the best hope for them, Pelosi could still be ousted as Speaker. Several Democrats have already said they would vote against her.
In any case, it's quite possible that a week from tomorrow the voters will bring some big changes to the political landscape in Washington – or will they?
At the end of the day, we just keep electing a different version of the same losing proposition. It's like deciding whether to hit yourself in the head with a hammer or a baseball bat... the results are pretty much the same.
Here’s my question to you: How will things in Washington be different after the midterms?
Interested to know which ones made it to air?
Rita in Illinois
Nothing will be different because it's not really the government that runs this country, it's the billionaires, banks, oil companies and insurance companies. One way or another they buy our government. Republican or Democrat, we can go to the polls and vote, but the deals have already been made.
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Steve in Florida
The biggest change will be they'll all be campaigning for 2012 starting Nov 3. Other than that, if the GOP takes the House, let the indictments begin. If they don't take it, it will be OAU... Obstruction As Usual. In the Senate, they don't do much anyway. It will be business as usual, climate change caused by hot gasses leaking into the atmosphere.
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Brian in Bethesda, Maryland
The point of not having one party in complete control is to create gridlock. This way, only the most overwhelming sensible ideas become law and all the other ideological B.S. dies in the gridlock. This fail safe was thwarted when the Democrats obtained a supermajority. Now we have that utter mess Obamacare hanging around our necks.
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M. in Chicago
You make me sick. We did pass health care reform, better pay for women, financial reform, getting paid from BP... just for starters. If the Republicans get back in, nothing at all will happen. Jack, you are a part of the problem, not the solution. I don't like you anymore.
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Randolph in Massachusetts
Nothing will ever change until we have publicly funded elections. Big money has taken over our government and media, assuring that a misinformed electorate has a choice every year between the corporate shill on the "left" and the corporate shill on the "right." Have a nice day!
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Guy in Mantua, New Jersey
Jack, I think things will change. I really do. More white guys with hair and nice suits, American flags on their lapels, mistresses, and a "return to the good old days." When were those days by the way?
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Kevin in California
It'll be a different group of crooks.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
If the Republicans take control of both houses of Congress "things" will be different than the past two years. "Things" will be like the disastrous eight years of Republican control that preceded the past two years.
Bob
Louisville, Ky
I hope so, but I really doubt it will – it will be status quo. Washington isn't listening to the voters who actually send them there – the lobbys will continue to be catered to – even more now that these groups can advertise at will.
Yes, Congress will need to enroll in Anger Management Classes. I have never seen so many angry people running for public office. If these people are elected, we will have an angry government led by angry people. I guess the approach to problem solving and decision making would be through anger rather than logic and common sense.
/s/ Robert in Thornton, PA
If we have more republicans, it will be their "no" which is the same as before. If the democrats is in power, America's thrust toward economic security will be thrusted forward inspite of the do nothing republicans.
Either way, USA is going to thrust itself forward because we all republican and democrat wants that.
Not much, just more nonsense from one party or the other. Until we start seeing more people like Ron Paul in Congress, not much is going to change. After all, how many from either party – or the Tea Party – have actually come out and tell us what they'll cut out of the budget? Or when they'll end the wars? Or stop bailing out failed banks and companies? Nonsense, all just nonsense...
Nothing much will change. We found out that enough Democrats were on the coporate and farm lobby take so that not much meaningful was accomplished the last two years. Health care did not provide for a National alternative which is the only way to control costs. It still allowed Pharmacy companies to get away with murder. The Wall street rules didn't solve anything. As long as one company can engage in banking, investment and insurance, nothing will change. The very rich will keep their money plus what they extracted from the middle class without creating those jobs which is the reason for keeping that money instead of paying down the debt.
For this country to work, we most first unit. The constant fighting and arguing just feeds the fire. The Fire represents the feeling of distrust, and contentment that, a growing number of American have. In the time of uncertainty we forget that to succeed sometimes we must but country before Party. It is foolish to think that one side or ideology has all the answers. The world is not back and white, and the answers is not a matter of being liberal or conservative. The best thing politicians can do is stop telling us what they will do, but ask us what we want. The true goal is to work together with open minds to form a more perfect union.
Jack
Who says things will be different? Not much changes even when the majority changes. The problem is that most of the people in Congress like things just the way they are. It will take a major overhaul to "right the ship".
Matt
Rockford, IL
It could get a whole lot worse. If Republicans should happen to regain power, Social Security will be on the chopping block along with every program currently in place to help the common person. If the programs aren't cut, any regulations will be so you can kiss your retirement savings goodbye and anticipate oil in your seafood.
Jack, the only way there will every be ANY change in DC is if enough incumbents are voted out, and new 'blood' is elected in their place.
The only thing these party-line, free-loading, barristers understand is RE-ELECTION. Only when they loose will they get the picture.
It we do not remove enough incumbents, there will be absolutely no change.
Anyone expecting a mule and an elephant to change its colors after an election is naive. Maybe the tone changes, but with politics the way they are, the last people who will see or benefit from any change are the American people. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
Come on Jack! It is a whole lot easier to list three things that will be the same: (1) The rich will still own the government. (2) There will still be more lobbyists than congresspeople. And (3) Elected officials from both parties will still be involved in all kinds of hanky-panky.
Washington will be the same. Repubs working against President Obama. Repubs and Dems trying to support themselves first, country second, President last.
God bless our president, God bless the United States, Obama fails, we fail.
Young know this.
If the Republicans manage to score an upset for the Senate then it will be worse.
The party of 'No' would become even more obstructionist. The candidates who win backed by the Tea Party, would have their own agenda.
It will be a circus and the American public the hapless spectator. What a frightening scenario.
It is hard to say Jack. Hopefully there will be some new people running the country but we will still have a lot of the good ole boys and girls in office and like apples all it takes is one and the whole bunch is spoiled. I think we need to reform government and put strict limits on terms of service. Politicians have made careers out of it and that should never happen. Let them serve 2 terms if they are fortunate enough to earn reelection and then show them the door with no more tax payer money or healthcare benefits being spent to support them or their families. That will help with your next question about the deficit.
It'll be a different group of crooks.
I think Recall season will start earlier than expected this year.
Jack: The Democratic Party's defeat will be far worse than expected even now. In 2006 the dems took a lot of seats to take the Senate. These Senators will be up for re-election and will not want Obama to head the ticket. He will be challenged on his left and right but not by Hillary. She will only run if he removes himself early. The Democratic Senators will not back Obama and will vote to override his vetoes. Many of Democratic house members who survive will also vote to override in order to protect their seats and start the rebuilding of a decimated party.Prediction. No more than five Democratic Senators will be elected this year and between 100 @ 120 will lose. John from Waterloo Ont.
If the republicans win like they are forecast to, you will see a lot of smiles on the faces of lobbyist representing the rich and Carl Rowe who collected over 200 million of their money in campaign donations. That means there will have to be promises fulfilled because money like that has strings attached to it. If tea party members get elected you will see more fighting and refusal to work together if that is at all possible. My only hope is they don't try to change the constitution to their liking. But for the most part Washington will stay the same being controlled by lobbyist and special interest groups.
Jack,
In the lame duck days, we could get a lot of rushed legislation - not well thought out.
In the next session, the President will have to negotiate with the House to get legislation passed - this could lead to better legislation that is read before it is passed.
If the Republicans win the Congress, they will finish the job on America that they started almost 10 years ago. We would be toast.
Phil Acosta
Sun City West, AZ
Jack, you complain that the Democrats didn't fix the economy, but you neglected to mention Republican obstructionism, mostly in the Senate.
The Republicans have abused the filibuster process to require 60 votes for even the most trivial thing. Effectively, the Party of No has ground the legislative system to a halt.
Then you blame the Democrats for not "doing something" when the Republicans have made it impossible for them to do so.
That depends on how many Americans are stupid enough to waste their vote on a Tea party member, to weaken the GOP. If they vote Republican all the good that has been done will be erased. They admit that openly. On the other hand if you vote Democrat the taxes will rise and spending will continue. It has to or they couldn't call themselves Democrats.
God only knows. I hope that things will get better and that there will not be so much negativism. Politicians of all stripes need to remember they are there because the people of this land put them there to do what is best for the country NOT for the politicians themselves.
Different ??
Well, the odor will start to dissipate, if ever so slowly, but dissipate it will. A new day will dawn in January 2011 giving hope once again to the free enterprise system which in turn will create jobs up and down the corporate spectrum due to optimism of sanity returning. Confidence.................the single most important ingrediant in capitalism will be re-born.
How much help did the TeaOP give to the Democrat's so far? None! Who repealed Glass-Steagall with Clinton's help? The then GOP. Who's the one who started the "Ownership Society" (remember that?) Answer, George Bush II.
Since the GOP take over in Congress in 1995, we've had repeal of Glass-Steagall(Stock Crash), giving our jobs away to foreign countries(Mexico, India and communist China), attacked a sovereign country(Iraq,at 10 billion/month), the ownership society (heartbeat mortgage) and a melt down of the stock market, (loss of trillions of retirement savings). And that's just a few things.
Good job, TeaOP. Way to make the Koch brothers and Rupert richer! Let's hope the dems wake-up and vote.
If Republicans gain victories, then their wealthy special interest handlers and keepers win and "we the people" lose again. We already saw what the political puppets of these rich extremist plutocrats are capable of and yet, just like a school of fish, many Americans are willing to give power back to the GOP dark side. Lou Dobbs had it right when he referred to Democrats & Republicans as simply being 2 wings of the very same bird. A bird that is beholden only to wealthy or corporate special interest money. Unfortunately, Bill Maher also had it right with he said the problem with voting the right people into office is about the same as trying to tune a piano that is missing most of its keys. Nothing illustrates that point any clearer than the Tea Party Movement.
Nothing will be different because it's not really the government that runs this country, it's the billionaires, banks, oil companies and insurance companies. One way or another they buy our government. Republican or Democrat, we can go to the polls and vote, but the deals have already been made.
Jack,
Different? Not at all. It will be business as usual and maybe worse if some people get elected in. Until term limits are in place and real campaign contribution laws are in effect it will remain the same. As the Who song Won't Get Fooled Again says: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss."
Jim in Denver
Welcome back Jack. Hope you're glad to be at work. We will not see much of anything different. Demorcrats will cry in their milk, Republicans will boast about a major victory and try to get tax cuts for their wealthy friends and deregulate everything and the Tea party and Madam Sarah will celebrate with vigor trying to throw out Social Security. The real sad thing is "We the People" will continue to lose.
The two faced hippos will roll over and let out a big blast of air and there will be a great shuffling of paper.
Reports that companies that received federal bailout money, including some that still owe money to the government, are contributing large amounts to political campaigns. Wow. It turns out beggars CAN be choosers. A couple years ago, these companies were begging for government money. Now they’re choosing who’s going to run the government. Some of the contributions seem to defy common sense almost as much as they defy common notions of morality. Most of the donations from the bailed out companies are going to Republican candidates. It must be a conservative version of “cash for clunkers.” I guess these companies want to get government off their backs… now that they no longer need government to cover their backs.
After the mid term elections things in Washington will be very much better. The protection that we Americans dream of will be fulfilled. We will not have to worry about any new bills or stimulus or job creations for political supporters and lobbyist. It will be so great because absolutely nothing will get done, no bills passed, no meaningful government initiatives from the hog farm, just bickering and finger pointing which will leave us out of it. If they can't get anything done, they can't hurt us any more. Here is to the upcoming do nothing Congress.
The comedians will have lots of material to work with given the tea-party loons and goons. Just think Palin times ten.
Jack: I don't think it is going to be any different. "The only thing we learn from new elections is we learned nothing from the old." And to quote another old saying, "you can touch the spots of the lepoard, but you can't move them."
Both sides will claim victory, the Tea Party caucus will try to throw their weight around and accomplish nothing but stirring up more anger by claiming a mandate that they didn't quite earn. When things don't get better by Spring, the President will have the new speaker to beat over the head with creating gridlock while he, the President, is willing to compromise, which the Tea Party won't do.
There will be different rich lawyers running the place with the same results. Our jobs will never come back from overseas.
There will not be much difference. The republicans will continue on with their fillibusters, voting against anything regardless of merits.
A recent quote from DeMint:
"Our goal is complete gridlock for the next two years. There is no place for bi-partianship or compromise. The only acceptable outcome is total victory and any politician that disagrees will be treated as a traitor. This is war."
So, they will continue on as a party that has thrown away all concepts of trying to get our country back on it's feet, only to win at any cost.
Things will be different because we will have more gridlock, more bickering, more broken promises, and more unemployed people! In other words, we will have the same but, more of it with no results for the American people!
South Carolina
Jack, you've been reporting politics long enough to know the answer to your question is little or nothing. Once all the hype dies down (which will be reported on heavily), the newly elected elite will soon realize that our government, thanks in small part to them and their campaigns, has become a fragmented body of "leadership" that seems to have a long memory when it comes to their foes in Washington, but a short one when it comes to actually doing anything to make the lives of their taxpayers better.
The good news is that America will soon forget all about them as they will about us.
Nothing will change. The media and pres. Obama will still blame Republicans for all our ills and give the president and Democrats credit for everything that is good.
What would change? Just more bad ideas like during the Bush/Cheney administration?
The GOP is clueless when it comes to the economy. The three worst economy periods in the last 100 years began on their watch. McConnell entered the Senate in 1984 and Boehner the House in1990, what could they possibly do to shrink the deficit when they didn't do it from 2000 to 2006 when the Republicans held the House, Senate, and the White House and the deficit doubled?
Steve Newman
Washington DC
How will things in Washington be different after the midterms?
That depends on how people vote.
If Americans vote to give the Democrats a Super Majority so that the Republicans can no longer block everything they try to accomplish for our nation then things will get better.
If Americans vote to give Republicans more power then nothing will get done and our nation will slip back into the Depression that their poor leadership was leading our nation to.
So the question is, do we give president Obama the tools he needs to fix the problems or tie his hands?
I am for giving our president everything that he needs to get the job done.
Jenna
Roseville CA
A few faces may change in the group Photo and things will continue to get worse for us as, but other than that it will be the same old self-serving sequence of events. Since doing the same thing over and over (voting for example) gets us the same result all the time, I wonder what would happen if NONE of us vote – that should get their attention.
Both polical parties are guilty of getting us into the mess we are in. The republican party for starting the war in Iraq and the democratic party for the housing mess (FANNIE MAE/FREDDIE MAC)..... Hopefully people will vote out all incumbents regardless of party affiliation.... I know I will.....
Hopefully, no one will ever again say "We have to pass the bill to see what's in it". Thank you Nancy Pelosi.
The new 112th Congress better write their names in chalk on their office doors. The electorate is angry and wide awake. Screw us again and you won't be around for the 113th. Meanwhile send Pelosi to the glue factory.
I think our nation will be more poliarized and will go close to the right wing. Militia, tea parites and other radical groups will flourish till they acheive their atmost goal, to get rid of the "black muslim rooted President" and stop the "persecution of white america" and get rid the democrats. Accordingly, we Will counter more hate and radicalism. Regarding our economy, unemployment will do down around eight percent, similar to Europe, and will stay around that. The great old days will not come back soon till we get rid of the huge deficit which is close to $14 trillions.
Jack!
Here in California, we have Jerry Brown who just can't get himself
out of politics, and Meg Whitman, who probably can't get herself in.
In Jerry's early career, he dated Linda Ronstadt...and that's a claim
I don't think Meg Whitman can make.
We also have candidates appearing in their own ads, telling us that they "approved this commercial." I just can't see myself voting for dopes. I didn't date Linda Ronstadt either.although I would approve
her commercials.
John
Jack,
Only more of the same, no matter what party leads Congress. Politicians spend entire terms raising money from special interests, to whom then their re-election is owed.
Change will only come with term limits-12 years and you're out – and public financing of campaigns. Returning power to the people is only only hope
There may be some new players but it will still be the same old game. My dear Mother had the right idea. She had a favorite saying about politicans,"They all Sh– in the same pot." Very concise and true.
More of the same. They are talking all kinds of thingd repeal this, amend that. When they were in control didn't do squat. All of sudden the health care system in this country is broken, and the Replican's finally going to fix it. Yea, Right. All i can say is thank God presdent Obama is still President. Veto it all if it don't help the people all's I can say. VETO thgis VETO that.
Respectfully Navy Vet
Providence Rhode Island
Republicans will almost certainly win, and then we will be in big trouble. There are some problems with Obama's policies, but Republicans aren't going to give us the solutions. Instead they will give us more of the old. If they manage to slash taxes, and keep it that way for even a couple years, we won't recover. Amidst high fiving and celebration, our country will incur debt that is completely unmanageable. Want to slash entitlements to save money? The baby boomers are retiring and you want to slash entitlements? It doesn't save money. It cripples the economy. That is what no one understands. You don't save money by bankrupting a third of the population. Whatever. Do it all your own way guys, you'll have to face reality sooner or later. Try not to completely destroy us in the process.
Jack;
Your question suggests you do not grasp that the government is fully owned and controlled by the U S Oligarchs. The owners of the corporate-persons who control billions and trillions of dollars and buy the govt. to do their bidding. Propaganda and vicious lies work and they use them.
There will be no government for the people till the people throw out corporations as persons and regulate them.
It will be the start of a new campaign for 2012. Other than that, no different. The GOP will continue to prevent any recovery, hoping to win the White House.
Jack,
After the elections, we will see a lot the following:
1 – Bickering and finger-pointing going on between the Democrats and Republicans.
2 – Conservatives blaming Americas ills on President Obama as a lead in to the 2012 election.
3 – Lobbyist for big business, labor, right and left wing organizations and various other causes, visiting members of congress and throwing money around.
4 – Nothing getting done to help the average American.
No, I don't see anything changing after this election.
There won't be as many over confident, spendaholic liberal Democrats.
This is half time Jack. The Grand Old Party (GOP) has the upper hand and all the momentum on thier side going in to the locker room for the break. They've been aggressive, contolled the game clock much of the first half and seem to have the DEMS shell shocked.
The Dems had better re-group and quit this rope-dope style defense the've been playing the first half. Yes, they threw a couple of long bombs for scores early on but have played horribly most of the half. If they want to regain the lead they will have to be hardnosed and consistant with good block and tackle basics – and above all – keep the game simple.
There will be no real difference – just another set of faces.
More gridlock on the horizon. Won't be better unless , by some miracle, lobbyists are suppressed and the outrasgeous Spreme Court rullng allowing unlimited political spending would have to be overturned.
What's the old saying? "It's about choice". What choice? It's like a kid going into a candy store and finding only two kinds of candy, and most of it stale at that. What a disappointment! Whatever the results of the election, it will probably be business as usual.
It will be politics as usual until everyone in the United Staes calls their congress person and starts ranting and having some recall elections if they don't cleanup their acts. Demand of everyone of them that our jobs be brought back home, there be no tax breaks for companies outsourcing jobs and they all better start working for the benefit of all Americans and not just the top 2%. That would be a good start, now wouldn't it.
Our government doesnt work well on behalf of the citizenry when both houses of congress and the white house are led by the same party. If the Republicans take back the house, they can be the missing honest broker and at least slow down the outrageous spending spree by the democrats.
Several things could change: Pelosi and possibly Reid both out would switch focus to the budget, spending and deficit reduction while incentivites to stimulate business and hiring would be front and center. (That's provided the GOP regains Congress). Fact is, America's ship of state is on the financial rocks, which the Democrats refuse to acknowledge, and only a high tide of Republican voter sentiment will refloat it.
Gary in Scottsdale, Arizona
With the Tea Party in force, I look forward to the return of millions of jobs, elimination of my taxes and untold prosperity for the middle class. Yes sir, the good times are only a few weeks away.
Sarah Palin said in Florida recently that "We are the little people, we want to be taken care of like Reagan took care of the little people, that's what we want...to return to the Reagan type of government." Maybe when she and the tea partiers realize she is making an argument for the democrat proposal to tax the wealthiest we can actually take care of the "little people" again. Taxing the wealthiest will do just that.
The only thing that will change is the addresses for some of the checks leaving the treasury. The amounts won't even change until they are adjusted for inflation.
Jack,
I don't know that things will be different. I hear words, but that's all they are to me – words. I have no confidence in those running for election or re-election. If there was a "None of the above" on the ballot, that's the box I'd darken. But I know I will have to choose someone, so it will be the person I feel is the lesser of two evils.
After the mid-term elections Washington will be full of the same old, same old, same old. The whole political system in this country is broke and I don't see much hope in anything changing in the near future.
You make me sick. We DID, pass Healthcare Reform, Better Pay for Women, Financial Reform, getting paid from BP, just for starters
If the Republicans get back in, nothing at all will happen.
Jack, you are a part of the problem, not the solution. I don't like you anymore.
How will things in Washington be different after the election? They will be worse!
unfortunately it won't change the promises they make they always break if they repal obamacare that is a start but maybe we should when politicians new commers and ones that are incumbments have while there campaiging be put under oath they brak their promises after they get elected throw them out automatically with no pension no healt care coverage and no back pay nothing their back toa average joe or sandy but that won't happen wachington has a problem that they will fix no matter waht we do
Hopefully, the change will be a spike in unemployment as all the Progressives are sent packing and looking for work. Absolute control for either party is terrible for the nation. Whether there is an R or a D matters little. With a Dem President we need a Repub controlled Congress otherwise, no compromise wil occur. It will be one ideology unbridledly imposing their will on the people. The past decade is the catastrophe poster for unchecked power.
Jack,
There is going to be gridlock where nothing is done for two years. Nothing will change as both sides will maintain the status quo of blaming the other for all our problems. It is not the people in Washington as much as the system of government is flawed. Two party politics will always lead to this situation of deadlock.
I feel it would be better if the media kept their opinions to themselves and let the people make up their own minds. The media constantly keeps everything stirred up. No wonder people don't know which way to go.
Tampa, Fl Expect Obama to grant the illegal aliens a blanket amnesty since congress won't pass the amnesty he wanted, thus firmly nailing the coffin of his presidency to just one term. No worry, I'm sure our leaders will continue to find still more stupid and obtuse things to spend money on that we don't have, while giving themselves another raise and more perks for doing such a job well done, which will consist of not reading any bills and going home early.
If the Democrats retain control of Congress, President Obama will have two more years to prove himself and to live up to his pre-election promises. If the Republicans take control of Congress, health care will be repealed, big business will continue to rake in big profits, womens' rights will fall to the conservative religious right, and we will have two really ditzy women, Angle and McConnell to provide laughs on Saturday Night Live.
I would at least hope this time that a republican majority house would be sensible on immigration and especially illegal immigration. I am a strong supporter of democratic agendas, but their pathetic political pandering to illegal aliens for electoral advantage makes me hope that republicans get to reign this time.
Silver City, NM
Here is what's going to happen Jack,
We the people will "throw the bums out", and give Congress back to the Republicans, the new speaker will sit down with the president on TV and say something like "we're going to work together to fix America or some BS like that. When the new Congress starts in January, there will be a 3 month honeymoon then we will start to blame the new Congress for the same problems we are facing today. Then its re-election time for the White House. The ugly vicious circle continues!
The only thing that will be changed is to whom the special interest money will be given to. Only way to change the culture of Washington is to get rid of the *green* aka cash economy to buy the votes.
Somewhat different faces: Yes. Will it make any difference: No.
Jack,
What will be different after the mid-terms is a new version of buyer's remorse. Like a virus, this thing can morph into something new and avoid therapy.
Consider the Tea Party and the belligerent right. They are saying a true conservative will leer across the isle and give the other point of view the finger. That point of view renders "consent of the governed" so much diatribe.
"Less government"- do a flyover of Los Angeles and consider the myriad of structural, social, economic problems with the implication to the rest of these United States and the world that require use of limited resources.
The trade offs required illustrate the need for "enlightened government" with the ability to solve not manufacture discord. The procedure to accomplish this is best seen from the center to left not center to right.
Come on Jack. You know that it's business as usual. Things will get worst not better. You will see!!!!
They won't be. They never are.
Unfortunately no difference at all. After six months of inaction it will be time to prepare for the 2012 elections and with employment still around 10% the chant will go up to "Throw the bums out."
If we always do what we have always done, we will always get what we have always got.
Pretty much sums it up Jack.
Jack–
As the rock song says, "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." No matter which party controls all or part of Congress, it will be business as usual. No matter what the Republicans say, they are owned by big business, Wall Street, the NRA, and on and on. And our Democrats are afraid to speak up or confront the Republicans. The only thing more frightening that Pelosi as Speaker of the House is Boehner in the same position–same as the old boss.
The blame game will be on the other shoe, same stuff different party.
Things won't be different at all, Jack. We should give Congress one job to do the next two years–pass a term limit law for all members of Congress. Only when they don't have to worry about re-election will they do anything truly for the people. Don't give them the time to build up lobbyist contacts–two terms for Senators and three terms for Representatives and they are out! We don't want to be stuck with these guys for decades at a time.
1. "Watch the Birdie" issues will pander to a different group
2. The rich / powerful will ruthlessly protect their own interests, although most people won't realize it (see issue #1)
I think everyone agrees that the Republicans are going to walk away with more power than they have had in the last two years primarily due to the fact that the economy is still in the pits.....it always comes down to money.
I am a moderate Democrat and I say let them in! Let's see what they've got that is so much better than what the current administration has been trying.
After all, the Republicans had the power for eight years and they are dead set against abortion and we all know how that turned out.....they did not overturn Roe vs. Wade.....we never even heard a peep about trying to do it.....in other words, they are all talk and no action.
This new breed of lethal Republicans have as their primary objection to divide the country and instigate hate and discontent. That's it....that's all they've got....and it is very scary because fear makes some people do outrageous things.
We already know you have had a problem with Pelosi for years, the problem was, what made you think voting for Obama would change the house leadership? It didn't and it won't by moving a Republican in.
The result of the elections will make no substantial difference. The party out of power is only interested in becoming the party that is in power, and neither have a fundamental interest in solving the complex problems facing our nation.
Faces might change but the B. S remains the same. Neither party will be willing to work with each other and get this country's people back working.
The only thing that will change is we will have a slightly different excuse being offered up for why nothing is being done. The fingers will still be pointed at the same people, it's just a slight nuance in how the lay the blame.
Other than that it'll be the same ol' same ol'
"And the Democrats, who have had the Congressional ball since 2006, have done what – exactly? End the wars? No. Fix the economy? No."
If you are this stupid and clueless, you belong on Rush or Hannity.
Pelosi will be out and that is about all that will change.
Jack, that's easy. Things will be worse. The Dems will be sore losers, the GOP will be emboldened to be ever more obstructionist than they already are, and Obama's talk off changing DC has long since been discounted as hollow rhetoric. You can change the players but you can't change the game.
"It's the Policies, that have to change! Different people were/will be elected. It is up to them to change, for a different outlook of Administrations. Obama promised nothing but dreams, and will never be given the rein's again thats for sure."
There won't be much difference. The Republicans may begin the process of repealing certain measures endorsed by Obama, like healthcare, but not much of that even can happen until he gets voted out.
Obama won't be able to go as gungho on spending as he's done in the past. But that kind of restriction needed to happen a few years ago.
Not much will change.
If the teabaggers win, there will be a lot more christian themes, oppression of gay rights, and deemphasizing of science.
Why anyone wants that is beyond me.
They won't be different. The media and the voting public will have to learn a new set of names to blame for the disaster of Bush-Cheney.
Mr.Cafferty, you are correctly and eloquently pointing out the bizarre and wacky politics the country presently is exposing itself to.
It must be clear to any person capable of thinking realistically that no matter how load the howling about change and discontent may be, no change in party can bring about "immediate" cxhange for the better.
Dissatisfaction with politics may be legitimate ;When we consider the time it took to dig this financial hole ,it is clear that it will cost a lot of sweat and tears for another ten years before we can think of starting to crawl out of it.No matter which party has the power, do not talk to me about lower taxes and less government.! Both will inevitably cause anarchy,rather then recovery.
gerry at Edm. can.
The Republicans will be in disarray with half the party loudly denouncing the right wing kooks for putting the Republican brand in a bad light. The other half will be quietly considering futures as lobbyists.
Nothing will change in Washington after the mid-terms, regardless who wields the power. Our current mode of government is out dated. It was designed as a system of checks and balances by a group of guys who didn't want a monarchy. It served its purpose at the time, but it's too cumbersome, obstructionist and slow to work in the modern world. It'll be the same old gridlock with a Congress more interested in self-preservation than in serving the people. There should be no such as career politicians. We need a major overhaul.
It will be gratifying at least to see them kicked out. Pelosi's definitely gone, along with the other most radicals.
Jack,
Yes the DEMS spent big money......but why? Answer, America lost 13 trillion dollars, during the great recession and 8 million jobs were lost in the private sector alone........Money was needed to hold up a broken economy......At the end of the day the DEMS were right to deficit spend.....Did it work? Yes!! We're no longer losing 1million jobs per month.....
But hey thanks for helping the GOP get back in power.
Contentious at best! I am skeptical that Obama will move to the middle as Clinton did in '94.
Only the names will be changed to protect the guilty. I do not believe much will be different regardless of who is elected and who is ousted. I do feel, however, that we are better off with Obama than 3 out of 4 of our past presidents and 2 years in office is not sufficient time for any president, Dem or Rep, to undo what has been done since January 20, 1981. Be fair. 2 years? The real focus of blame should be focused on anyone in Congress who has been in office since Reagan was sworn in. Until they are voted out, Obama will not stand a chance at making things different after November.
Thom Richer
Negaunee, MI
Well if the Republicans gain more seats then it will mean more of 'NO' so more gridlock!
Doug
Minneapolis
if the republicans gain control of the house, gridlock will really set in government which would not be the first time. the game that the republicans have played the pass two years may get big pay back. remember they did not act this way when G. Bush was in office. so pay back would be fair. republicans would like to make Obama a one term president which was their goal after the vote in 2008. does this not sound like the old south trying to rise from the grave. remember that the base of the republican party is in the southern states. We will pay a deep price if this happen. we do not learn from the past so our children will be in a third world country. welcome to the U.S.A. the second roman empire to fail.
Jack this is a never ending cycle in the electorate. You can change faces the the inner working of our political process will never change. president obama might be a one termer and we will re- elect a republican and he will do a lousy job and we will elect a dem and so on and so on. none of these politicians can fix my life because it is up to me. For the rest of you suckers out their keep flip flopping until your death.
Things wont change until the american people figure out that only they can help themselves. Gov't can't(and shouldn't). Earn what you get.
I smell a business opportunity brewing Uncle Jack. So I'm swooping to DC immediately to get me a big slice of government pie...I'm getting into the drapery sales business, for as you and I know OLD VENERABLE ONE, the only difference after the election will be the color of the drapes.
Getting rid of these Obama Socialists will make all the difference in the world in restoring common sense and fiscal responsibility to Congress...
There will be more deadlock and less action taken that what we have now. If Republicans who call Democrats "socialists" and whatnot for pure political gain can't bring themselves to the table to deal with Democrats, than what do we expect when suddenly they add members who believe the other side is socialist and the current Repubs are too "liberal"? Republicans will be stuck between trying to govern and cater to the fringe they have elected, something I look forward to seeing them try to balance.
The only difference will be that there will be more right wing zealots in congress but hopefully they will have no power. Regardless, nothing worthwhile will get passed, the rich will pay less in tax, no jobs will be created and the country's infrastructure will continue to deteriorate.
This will start the process of house cleaning that will return public service to Washington, replacing public privilege. Special interests (unions or corporate giants) must realize the people are alert, awake and watchng every single move. Representitves will be held accountable and if we can't legislate term limits we can certainly vote term limits. The government will again represent the people's will.
Oh I don't think anything is going to change. The Republicans are def set to gain some seats, but I think they are being overly optimistic in their expected gains. However because they will make gains you can be pretty sure nothing is going to be coming out of our "great" governmental houses for a long time. The fighting, name-calling, do nothing, obstructionism, and partisan bickering will continue forever. I still can't believe people are willing to support Republicans again though..... it's like what over the past 10 years have you missed??
no change, just different players. republicans will be looking for ways to further obstruct. democrats will still lack the backbone to do anything. both parties are incapable of actually working for the people who elected them and remain preoccupied with their own agenda
Jack, there will be some superficial blah, blah blah but things don't ever really change. Money greases the wheels and the machine rolls on.
San Antonio, Tx
Nothing will change. The GOP party of "No" we have today will become the Democratic party of "No...maybe...okay, do what you want" next week. The days, weeks, months, and years will roll by, and come 2012, I will be answering this same question all over again.
The only way we will have change in Washington is two words.
Term Limits
Things will be like they were under a Democratic president and GOP Congress in the late 90s: gridlock and obstructionism. Nothing will get done.
My what short memories we all have.. Did everyone forget the mess Obama inherited? Does anyone with really think that it can be fixed in 2 years especially when we have had to put up with the party of NO.. This country is in a position it deserves after electing Bush TWICE. Blame Obama all you want but there is no quick fix, it takes time.. All the right wing has done is nothing.. You think it's bad now, wait until we have Republicans with more power then see where it goes.. Wake up America read some history, some basic economics, at least have an understanding of what it really takes to recover from the worst recession since the great depression.
HA! I love the analogy. I wish most people could get past the partisan nonsense that defines Washington and wake up to the fact that we have serious problems that need serious solutions. Both parties spend more time worrying about staying in power than doing the right thing. Which is amazing considering the easiest way to stay in power is by doing the right thing. I wish I knew how to fix it and hope someone figures it out very soon or we will be looking at a much different global picture in 20 years and I don't think anyone, democrat or republican, will like it.
You mention the draw back for each party. Intimating that there will be no change. This country has become so polorized. You're either a commie liberal or a neocon. Neither term is accompanied with flowery language. I have talked to others about establishing a term limit for political offices. I don't know how we can accomplish this. Who in office for the past several years will vote for term limits? That would be as popular as voting down a raise in salary.
i'm a lifelong Republican who has never been as dissapointed in my party as I am now. But the Democrats are even worse. One starts to wonder if there are any grownups left in Washington. Or at least any realists
How is it gonna change? Decisions made in anger often lead to regret, so I expect the few names that change won't mean much for the nation.
In some areas the same do nothings of both major parties will be voted back into office; in other areas of the country, the angry teapartiers are simply hoping their lack of platform beyond being mad will get them legislators who are wholly unable to change anything by themselves. The GOP doesn't care because the longer they stall and the worse it gets, the better for them in 2012.
The problem is not in Washington. It is in the local polling places where people continue to elect the far right and left. We have seen moderate Democrates and Republicans forced to the side lines because the are not Rep. or Dem. enough. Until the people decide enough is enough and start running more moderate candidates a polarized Washington will continue.
We can hope that both parties understand that working together is the only positive path into the future.
Steve
Massachusetts
That our elected representatives are supposed to “fly by the party line” is hogwash. That we can’t pass obviously good legislation due to long-term battles between one party or another has for too long existed in Washington; this same dogma has spread across the country; it stifles creativity, stagnates progress, and holds our country's future hostage.
I wouldn’t hesitate to vote for any viable Indepentant canidate but, our current system is so clamped down those citizens have nearly zero chance. Change, and by change I don’t mean laws, legislation, or policy- but change in how our representatives work together is the answer. They must toss away their party first attitudes and establish country first priorities. Everyone of us knows great things can be accomplished together- but that is quickly lost in Democrat v. Republican attitudes.
Local, State, and Federal representatives hold offices as a service to the people. We should thank them for that service, but hold them accountable. If a company’s board of directors accomplished as little as many Legisative Sessions did last year- no doubt they’d all be gone. So why do we allow those same representatives to remain another term?
If Republicans take the reigns after the midterms, to listen to them, jobs will fall from the sky, the defecit will disappear overnight as a trickle down economy saves the day, terrorists will all lay down arms, taxes will plummet, there will be no more earthquakes or floods, and the newly arrived stink bugs will cross breed with our bed bugs to create a completely effective bioweapon against illegal immigrants.
It's all according to Aqua Buddha's plan.
If the current election is any indicator of the future in Washington I fear it will be one big ego jamb with nothing positive taking place. The Polarization will only be worse than it has been. The Tea Partiers want to repeal everything, The GOP regulars are afraid of the Tea Partiers and the Democrats are equally as fractious. I fear it will be nothing new, pointing fingers, wringing hands and raising money for the next election. You betcha.
Things will be no different than being even more partisan if the Republicans take control of the House. They will try to repeal healthcare that they will not be able to get thorugh the Senate (60 votes) and not be able to bring any of their legislation to be passed especally after the past 2 years of being the party of "NO". What is remarkable is that Americans are running to the Republican party who are not offering any concrete ideas for reviving the economy, improving our educational system, ending the wars, or trimmimg the deficit other than their standard line – Cut Spending and Reduce taxes (no specifics).
We can hope that whoever is in charge after the mid-terms, they bring sanity to this out of control spending and listen to the people for a change!
Things won't be even remotely different with the Republicans in charge. In fact, they will just try to repeal everything Obama is done and we'll be right back where we were.
Jack, 3 things are going to change! First, bipartisanship will mean "do it the Republican way" instead of the Dem way. Second, The Democrats will become the "Party of NO". Third, and last, the President will either move to the center and govern, or gridlock Washington completely and seal his fate as a one term wonder.
There will be no difference in Washington or the politics . It will be new faces and same old bs . We need to change the rules for our senators and congress . Like take away there retirement after on term . and make them pay into social security and put them on the same health care . and check there accounts and make them pay for there rooms . If we stop them we stop the graft or at least have a chance
It's not the people it's the process; we keep changing the people but nothing else changes. Until we get the political parties out of government nothing can be done to fix the problem; we need people who will think for themselves and represent all of the people from their state no just the ones that voted for them or support the fringes of society.
We need representative that drive in the lane and make sure that they stay out of the ditches on the right and the left.
Jack lets pray dems keep control troughout the country. Unfortunately our un-informed electors dont know much beyond voting just for the Republicans to take control. Americans get informed! Your vote will have to do with redistricting and most important perhaps another supreme court nomination. Dont let the republicans fool you into false security that in voting them in -any good change will come about. It took 8 years to screw up this country and the REPUBLICANS did a fine job on that. You must give the Democrats more time to fix the deep hole the republicans and their rich buddies got us into. Not only is your vote to keep the democrats in control, but to tell big corporations they cannot buy Washington any longer. Think twice before you cast your vote. The only change you will get is more corporate paybacks the republicans will owe wall street after the votes are counted. The republicans dont give a darn about any of us pee-ons. Just think , John Beohner as house speaker?? Come ON!
We can't continue to give progressives near full control or the government will continue to grow, deficits keep increasing (Bush ran deficits but the Obama admin. is the biggest spender yet with budget deficits projected for years), private sector will remain slow, we will be more & more a nanny state and taxes eventually will go up. Can't give control to Bush republicans either since they weren't fiscal conservatives and will keep us in the middle east forever. Best bet is to elect fiscal conservative new blood to at least balance the congress and hope we get better results. I think guys like Paul Ryan & Eric Cantor should be at the forefront of the republican party and people like O'Donnell stay in local politics only. I have no problem with the tea party and their calls for limited government but republicans will loose if the tea party keeps putting up candidates who are so controversial. I am looking for fiscal conservatives (pro-business & private sector job growth) who are social moderates, hopefully they are out there...we need them right now.
Things won't be different, hence the reason so many people
in this country don't vote.
Mr. Obama has been in office nearly two years but people don't
see the change yet . That it will take nearly as long to undo the
damage the Republicans left after eight years is discouraging
so some (many) people give up the fight and won't vote next week.
Too bad; this is the greatest country on the planet and we really do
have some of the smartest people yet because of political infighting,
our country often looks foolish. If we could only come together.
"Imagine".
Bethesda, MD – The point of not having one party in complete control is to create gridlock. This way, only the most overwhelming sensible ideas become law and all the other ideological BS dies in the gridlock. This fail safe was thwarted when the Dems obtained a supermajority. Now we have that utter mess Obamacare hanging around our necks and cap and trade (tax) lies in waiting.
Assuming a sea change in DC, all that will happen is that a different set of lobbyists will be buying votes from a different set of politicians. One thing will be the same: The people building law library shelves for new federal, state and local government tax and other laws favoring special interests will retain job security. On second thought, DC restaurants may notice a preference shift from white wine and tofu to beer and steak.
Skokie, IL
We will quit apologizing to other countries as if it made them respect us more, quit spending money like the federal government earns it, quit increasing the size of the federal government like the bigger it is the more money we will save, quit incresing taxes as if doing so did not hurt business and did not reduce the amount of taxes collected,
quit incresing the tax burdon on free market business as if making our business less competitive resulted in them being more profitable,
quit acting on the proposition that you can spend your way out of a bankruptcy, quit denigrating private business and corportations as if
they were not reaponsible for employment and the money that supports government services, quit believing that the moderate silent majority of Muslims, who are too freightened to speak out against the radicals terrorists, should be those whom we consider first and foremost when we shape our anti terriorist pollicies. In short Washington will fianlly get real!
All of the new tea party candidates and other new faces will abruptly demand that the wreckless spending and in-fighting stop. They will then, for the first time ever, announce their plans to fix a corrupted Washington and proceed to fix the economy literally overnight. *sarcasm* Just more of the same Jack. Probably even worse with some of the crazy tea party candidates likely winning.
A few new players and a new coach, with the net result being no change. We see this after each election. We always talk about what changes to expect. The changes never materialize.
Nothing will ever change until we have publicly funded elections. Big money has taken over our government and media assuring that a misinformed electorate has a choice every year between the corporate shill on the "left" and the corporate shill on the "right." Have a nice day!
They won't! They will only be different when you start voting for your neighbors, and not Lawyers and Businessman who all attended the same school.
Nothing will change. The GOP only worries about the deficit when they are not in power. When they are in power deficits don't matter. I think GOP wants the power without any of the responsibilty. They are like the bad boyfriend that beats you. They promise they will change in order to get what they want. Once they get what they want they throw you away like yesterdays garbage. And since they have been acting like 2 year olds throwing a tantrum I cannot vote for them until some intelligent adult people join their party.
I have given up on anything EVER changing in Washington! Now that you have to have millions to run for office, all we are ever going to get are people who haven't a clue how the other half has to live. Not one of them really cares about this country or it's inhabitants, only about power, prestige and their own agenda.
The Dems made concession after concession, weakening every bill they tried to pass in order to get Repub support. They got none.
Since the Repubs have shown no interest in negotiating, and Mitch McConnell has stated that their primary goal is to make sure Obama doesn't get re-elected, we should not expect them to do, try, or accomplish anything of real value. But what else would you expect from Washington?
Even with some fresh clowns its still the same old circus.
Duhh...
Give it up Jack. Insanity is as Insanity was, because we are the ones who are insane. Things will not change because the system is set up to ensure that it can't. There will always be those who have and those who don't and of course those who manipulate everyone else.
They'll all be campaigning for the presidency instead of congressional seats. That's about it.
Sara
North Dakota
The electorate likes to cut its nose off to spite it's face. Less than two years after the republican party sent this country into an abyss, they're angry that Obama didn't bring his magic wand to the white house with him.
These delirious voters will sweep their heroes, the republicans, into power ignoring the fact that they did nothing in the last two years. Not having any foresight, they expect the republicans to come up with some sweeping policies to cure all our ailments. Instead, they're naively guaranteeing two more years of gridlock because the republicans only have their eyes on the prize, the presidency.
They won't be. Until there are term limits established we will have old guard to spoil any new hopefuls we elect.
If Republicans take the reigns after the midterms, to listen to them, jobs will fall from the sky, the defecit will disappear overnight as a trickle down economy saves the day, terrorists will all lay down arms, taxes will plummet, there will be no more earthquakes or floods, and the newly arrived stink bugs will cross breed with our bed bugs to create a completely effective bioweapon against illegal immigrants.
It's all according to Aqua Buddha's plan.
Evansville, Indiana
the only thing that will change is the ruling party's designation; nothing else
YES, your contract will be up and you will be gone. A plus all the way around.
Good Bye!!
We will still have a Marxist in the White House with veto power so I don't expect significant change until Sarah Palin brings her traditional American values to the White House.
Philmont, New York
We go through mid-terms every 4 years and nothing ever changes. Why is this round any different? In two years when the Presidential election comes around again they'll all be saying "Ok, this is the election of change". But it won't change.
It won't change, Big Business-lobbyist- and the well heeled will still be in control! so hang on, it'll trickle down.
thanks
rick, lafayette, in.
It will be November 3rd instead of October 25th.
How will things in Washington be different after the midterms?
Come on Jack are you serious? They are still politicians, business as usual!
Nothing will change if the Republicans move in..they had 12 years to put this country in a mess and Obama has had 2 to try and fix it. The only thing the Republicans are good at is pointing fingers and say it is their ( Democrats) fault not ours. TERM LIMITS!
Nothing will change until those who have been in office for 15 or 20 years are gone! And that is on BOTH SIDES!
It'll be the same pile of crap... just different flies !
Things in Washington will be no different. The problem is not party but status quo thinking. Republicans and Democrats are simply starting from the same place with their thinking. This goes for "outsiders" like the Tea Party as well. They are merely proposing old ideas that did not work. We need people who want to fundamentally transform the way things are done. Putting a band aid on a deep wound does not stop it but merely slows it. We need a fundamental change in the WAY we think of economics and our national goals if we actually want change. Otherwise, it is just rhetoric.
Nothing will change. Our government has already been bought and sold (to China, for one) and America, like it or not, has been turned into a grab back for quick sales of products we don't make, our people have become serfs who work for the corporations until we are kicked to the curb at 65, and our military is now the best band of mercenaries that money can buy.
We don't need another election, we need a full blown revolt!
the faces may change but the culture will remain the same; PACs and lobbys still rule. We need to give Obama a chance to see his plan work because we had to do something different. Those who didn't want the plan stood the most to lose. Kathleen
Unfortunately I don't think things will change. If Republicans win the House or Senate or both, there will be more grid lock with nothing being passed good or bad for the American people. If the ratios stay the same, we will have more of the same with not much getting done to help the American people. If the American people wake up by election and vote all the career politicians out, we may have a chance at making the United States a great nation once again. I hope this happens as I don't believe the majority of my fellow Americans realize we are on the road to becoming a third world country.
Have you heard of gridlock? The party of "NO" will get stronger and absolutely nothing positive will get done in the next 2 years. The only real losers, of course, will be the American citizens. Shervin, Orange County, CA
Well Jack, if the republicans come out ahead, we can look forward to complete stoppage of anything happening at all in Washington until the 2012 presidential election. They will stop any and all legislation put forth by President Obama or any bills created by the democratic party. By the same token, if they put forward any legislation, it will be stopped by the democrats. Two years of a complete nothing being accomplished. Pity us poor middle class.
Jack, I believe that there will be a true difference after this election assuming the Tea Party candidates are the winners. I don't ever remember a response to the streets of regular Americans as the Tea Party ignited. This is going to be a truly historic change in our legislation. Vince Hugh Atlanta, Ga
Could someone PLEASE tell me what the Republicans have actually stopped in the last 2 years? I keep hearing people say it over and over but where is the evidence? The democrats have had the overwhelming majority and the executive office. What power have the republicans had to stop ANYTHING?
As the old adage goes, "don't hate the players, hate the game."
Congress was designed to be disliked by all because districts are awarded on a "first past the post" system. Whoever gets the majority, wins. This forces everyone to the "center" to get elected and then voters are disappointed when their views aren't represented.
And in other cases, redistricting keeps ideologues who have no interest in compromise, perpetually in office.
We need a parliamentary system, which reflects a wider view of the American populace and forces compromises and negotiation between major groups.
America should be proud that we were the first modern democracy, but its time to adopt a bit from our more newer brethren.
So after eight years of bashing the republicans you are now bashing the democrats as do nothing . Give me a break ! You just cannot makeyouo your mind can you ? While I detest the current demorcratic congress I cannot believe that the hateful party of NO will do anything but screw up our country with the same old policies of the past administration. So no change !
We all know things will pretty much stay the same and the wheels on the bus go round and round. But putting a bunch of extreme right wing nuts into any kind of position of authority will only show the world that we as a world leader have lost our way. Term limits and elimination of the two party system, that's where we need to go.
If The Republicans Take Control Of The House, Senate Or Both We Will See Major Changes That Will Not Be For The Good Of America! We Better Fear For The Worst And Run For The Hills If Republicans Are In Charge. Also Jack I Love You To Death But In My Opinion Your Wrong In Your Question Because Democrats Have Done More In Two Years For This Country Then Republicans Have Done In Eight Years! Democrats Have Ended The War In Iraq, There Working On Ending The War In Afghanistan, They Have Passed Health Care For All Americans, They Passed Financial Reform So Finally Wall Street Will Be Held Accountable And More Jobs Have Been Created Under Democratic Leadership Then We've Ever Seen Under Republican Leadership! You Just Wait And See Cuz If Republicans Take Over Our Country Is Going To Be Doomed And Then We'll Really Be Wondering What To Do Next!
Scott Stodden (Freeport,Illinois)
Yes, it will be presidential election season, otherwise,no.
Another group of gutless folks will be prepared to do nothing about anything.
Think it's bad now, just wait until those clueless republibaggers get back in charge. Maybe, that is what it will take to prove that we are presently on the right track. We will not survive their next malfeasance! Once the ignorance of the republicans gets mixed in with the stupidity of teabaggers and the miscreant GOP leadership, there will be no chance for rehabilitation. Eight days before we know whether or not America wants to be great again or just a place on the map where education and the dignity of work are prehistoric terms like Neanderthal and Caveman!”
After the midterms the skies will open and there will be a dawn of a new day when those who lead us will come together for the greater good of all man-kind.....Wait I think that's a movie or maybe a book. The only thing different after the midterms will be who might be in charge. There will still be partisan fighting and finger pointing and we will all wait on the next election that will finally fix this country once and for all because the election that was supposed to set us on the right course never did.
Republicans will muddy the water with all the Elephant Donk that they will drop after winning a few seats. Obama will continue to fight for the little guys and Republicans will continue to get richer. In the end, same day different donk if we don't cut out the bickering and get to work.
Grossly different philosophies by both parties ensures that gridlock will continue. Only Wall Street and big companies will be pleased with the status quo.
Oh, and I guess those politicians who manage to get elected will also be thrilled. They are doing just fine while America goes down the toilet.
The only difference will be a few new lying faces.
The repeal of health care will begin and small business (which make up about 80% of the US jobs base) will be given solid information about their tax responsibilites. But since Wall Street is run by Dem think alikes, the flow of money will still be slow.
Oh come on Jack. You and i both know that the government will never change. We have been doing this crap for well over 200 years hoping to change the outcome and all we get are more disapointments. In a world of haves and have nots there will never be equality or fairness no mater who you elect or how they run the country.
Jack-
I don't things will be any different at all. Every couple of years we elect new faces to various positions, whether it is a congressional mid-term or a national election to choose a President. It seems that within a remarkably short period of time, the status quo takes over and things are no different after an election than they were before. Only the faces change, and the political bickering goes on just as before. A couple of years ago we elected someone on the premise of hope and change. I know because I voted for him. And you know what? I've lost hope waiting for change. The only thing that will be different after election day is that we will have new people to vote out of office during the next round of congressional elections.
We'll spend another $50 million or so investigating something no one cares about like we did with Clinton. In Washington that's called fiscal responsibility
Things will never change in Washington until term limits are mandated to no more than two terms. This would help eliminate the effects of the lobbyists and also the constant campaigning while still in office.
Part of the reason some congressional republicans have said "no" is because they philosophically disagree with Reid/Obama/Pelosi's progressive ideology/bills that they have been trying to ram through with their majorities. Bipartisanship goes both ways. I don't blame the dems for trying to get liberal wish list items passed but now is the time for compromise on both sides because we have a meager recovery and look to be going in the wrong direction as an economic superpower. Remember, neither Obama, Pelosi or Reid are moderate liberals and thats part of the current problem. We elect far right & far left leaders from the party base and hope they come to the middle & compromise. The system is flawed. I respect president Obama but he is a far left ideologue, not a great leader that brings people together like many hoped for.
There will be snow on the ground.
Jack, I won't even answer your question. I will, however, ask you if you remember those two unfunded wars of the Bush Administration that, when added into the annual budget, greatly increased the national debt more than anything the Democrats did since 2006. And wasn't TARP a Bush program? Stop blaming Democrats for stuff they didn't do. It's really annoying.
Nothing will change, because it all boils down to the exchange of a salary.
Politicians are not held accountable for anything. They blame the other party as to why things aren't getting done. It seems they (politicians) only act when their terms are nearly done and they have achieved millions in salaries and a lavish lifestyle.
It is easy to play devil's advocate on all the issues, in order to get into office. Once they are, nothing gets done.
The Republicans predate on the fear and desperation of American's who are struggling and likely to swing their votes. However, people need to remember who it is that is slowing down the help the administration is trying to provide, the Republicans, who are now trying to win your vote. the more Republicans that win seats this midterm election are only going to slow down the process further
Sure Jack, more people rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic will have R(s) next to their names than D(s). Maybe then they'll find out the situation Obama came into was a mess and takes way more than 2 years to fix.
Nothing will change, same old Democrats, some old Republicans, same old agenda. Until we have a viable third or fourth choice to vote for it will be the same old thing in Washington.
Jack: This election season only brings out the notion that all American's are stupid. I have news for you. The real Americans that gather the facts about each of the candidates knows the GOP want to put the car the car in reverse when we are not home yet. There is one GOP canidant running for the senate that his wife won't live in the state he is running in. What does things like that tell you Jack. He wants to buy a job?? Most people will wake up after the GOP/Tea Party bring back another Wall Street disaster. What will the republicans say when the state of Texas goes BLUE in 2016?
The days of fear are over!
Jack,
Sarah Palin will have the opportunity to shut up for at least six months, so that's good news.
Brian
Boise, Idaho
Change or not I don't care what soever, all I care is just dump GOP and Teabagger.
How will it be different? At least there will be more people on the other side to hopefully right the ship. I have never seen in 54 years this country lean in a direction where I'm not very proud of my government who lies, shoves things they think is right down everyone's throaght and twists the b--s of people that won't just to get a legacy. Thank GOD it's only a four year term.
Not very proud anymore....
The only things changing after the midterms will be the nameplates on the doors and desks. The partisan gridlock will still be there, leaving the nation stagnant and failing to produce any significant changes.
Darren in Fairbanks, Alaska
Things in Washington will be no different. If the Democrats stay in power, the grid lock numbers will be worse and even harder for the democrats to move forward with anything representing gains for the common man with the party of no.
And what if the Republicans gain control, what improvements will they bring? More tax breaks for the rich and for the corporations of which many don't pay taxes today, so why do they need anything. Will Republicans fight for the unemployed educated and uneducated, the middle class and economically challenged? Their track record suggest they will only cater to the powerful and wealthy and those that don't fit that criteria, they'll just use them again in 2 years to get elected or blame the President for anything they can't solve.
I for one am prepared to stay the course to rid us all of any elected representative that won't act for the common good of all Americans.
The U.S. will be one step closer to having Sarah Palin as President . If that happens, I'll be one step closer to renouncing my citizenship. Sarah Palin as commander-in chief ! The decline and fall of the American empire. Is it real or am I dreaming?? Francis , Montreal
They won't be any different, Jack. It doesn't matter who's in there – Democrat or Republican majority – they're all the same fish in a pond. When I ran as the Democratic Congressional candidate against Roy Blunt as an outsider in 2006, I learned things about our political system you wouldn't believe. At the end of the day, come next Tuesday night, it'll be the same 'ole thing on Capital Hill, no matter who has the majority. Saying things are going to be different after Election Day next week is like saying an extreme liberal figure like Michael Moore or Bill Maher will be voted in as Speaker of the House; it just ain't gonna happen.
Jack Truman
Lamar, Missouri
The American people get exactly what they deserve! No one wants to suffer and our fast food metality wants everything fixed immediately. We wouldn't mind paying taxes if we felt the money was being used properly, but both Dems and Reps don't have the guts to tell the truth about anything. And the Tea Partiers have no plan either – I support their cause, but struggle with their agenda. We've created a huge mess and we're all to blame. No quick fixes on the horizon!
Chalfont, PA
They won't be any different. I used to believe we needed the two parties to balance each other out. Now I'm starting to believe nothing will get better until we eliminate the party system, and the lobbies and other interests who can so easily buy support from congressional members. All the talk about working for their constituents is just that – talk. If you can't buy their support, you mean nothing to them.
Republicans controlling the House will only serve as a deterrent to liberal left policies. Consider it a place-holder until the 2012 elections. Even if Republicans gain the Senate, (not likely), it still won't have enough votes to override sure veto's from the White House. If Obama tacks to the right, he might pull off a second term. If not, he's likely to be a 1-term President.
Things in Washington will be the same Pres. Obama fighting for the good of mankind and the Republican party pushing back and saying No. I can't possibly dislike the Republicans more. It is just so sad that the Republicans don't want to do anything to help the people, it is all about them getting control
If republicans gain control of the government they will come out immediately and say, "Americans have spoken!" unfortunately neither party is listening to the people. politicians are too busy playing games in washington and the losers are the poor people who keep voting for them "us"!
Yeah, I'm back.
I got used to getting hit in the head with heavy objects during the bush administration (notice the small letter for bush, who does NOT deserve a capital letter). I have learned to love it. I suggest we put those people back into a position to fling even more bombs and the like.
I am sarcasing.
The only thing that will be different after the midterm elections is the reserved parking spaces
Nothing will change. The type of damage we have faced after Clinton, it will take another dacade to recover from.
I think the Republicans understand the climate much better than the Dems at this point, and realize that if they get the wheel again, they need to drive responsibly. How quickly many of the posters here have forgotten that we began to spiral out of control beginning in 2007, when the Dems took back control of Congress and Bush either did not use his veto power enough or was overridden by the majority.
Term Limits is the only cure for this mess.
Nothing will change because both parties are primarily bought and paid for by the exact same corporations and special interest groups. Our two party system is fatally flawed and does not now, and never did, represent the voice of the people. We need term limits, campaign spending limits, and the total elimination of lobbyists. George Washington warned against having political parties...and he was right.
Nothing will change for the American people. Both parties are focused on retaining or regaining power. Policies to address the important issues facing most American? Please. The new aristocracy is only interested in making sure they (and their family members) as well as their friends (Wall Street) have good incomes and Cadillac benefits paid for by working Americans.
The best present for the American people is to give the president a Republican Congress. The Democrats won't let the Republicans spend on what they want. The Republicans won't let the Democrats spend on what they want. We will effectively stop spending until they all realize they have to work together. Then they'll spend less on everything. It doesn't solve the deficit problem, but it slows the spending, for a time. We have to leave the big problem of the deficit to highly intelligent, well educated, fiscally responsible people–and I have no idea where we're going to find them.
Bad things happen when one party controls government. It was true for Bush and has been true for Obama. Both parties become arrogant and self serving. With control of the house changing, Obama will move towards the center [like Clinton] and governing will commence.
Things will change for me, I WILL BE PRAYING ALOT MORE no matter who has control of the house and senate, they all scare me.
Same-o, same-o untill we get someone that starts doing what is in the best interest for both the people and our great country instead of what is in the best interest for both themselves and the interest groups they lobby for.
The country will be one step closer to having Sarah Palin as leader of the free world. Is it real or am I dreaming? Francis, Montreal, Canada
Everything is a moot point 'til ethics are restored in politics–fat chance. ALL big banks need immediate auditing for 1 thing
Jack:
I think the Republicans should be careful what they wish for. Winning both houses is a losing strategy for the Presidential election of '12 because things aren't going to be great for the next couple of years no matter who governs. So the majority party will get blamed just as they are now.
If the House goes red and the Senate blue, and with a Democratic President who is vastly unpopular and sinking to Bush-like levels, the Republicans will likely win the White House in 2012. If they win both houses now, we'll probably see Obama for a full 8 years because he'll be able to pin everything on them.
Let our president finish what he started & everyone quit carping about every little thing.Sound like a bunch of children whining constantly about not getting everything they want. GROW UP! JT Sparks,Nevada
Quit crying and get active. Why are we still sitting back talking about the Tea Party and losing the house and/or the senate, using the insanity plea, when in fact the tea party is doing exactly what it should be doing, voicing their concerns and getting word out. If you are not in agreement with someone or something, get up off your rump and get our voices heard, then and only then can we change our outcomes. Shout it from the rooftops and make them here you…..
After the midterms the President will not be able to ignore the will of the ignorant, superstitious, irrational peasants. He and the Speaker will not be able to steamroll legislation they think will get them into the History books. The Republicans may be just as bad as (or worse than) the Democrats, but in a two party system they are the only NO vote we have available to us. The real work will begin when we destroy the two party system that keeps Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in power.
Jack, you know the answer. As soon as the mid terms are over, the Obama Presidential Reelection Campaign will commence – with more Greek columns; more finger pointing; and far more partisan positioning than we have witnessed during Bmala's first term.
The only cure for the House and Senate is TERM LIMITS
The only cure for partisan presidential politics is a strong Independent Party.
Jack,
Depending on the number of Tea Bagger 'nut jobs' that get elected, it might be a godsend to getting things accomplished. This could be the impetus necessary to get some of the more moderate Republicans to lean to the left, if only to stop the extremist Tea Baggers from regressing this country back to early 20th (or even the 19th) century policies.
AL, York, PA
Different? The only way things would be different is if the republicans never returned.
Nothing will change. we should take a page from the french ...and just stop doing anything until all politicians understand that we something done.
Not a sticking bit! Who do you think we are talking about? These are politicians. The only thing that will change is what they are having for lunch the day after the election. The rest is same ol same ol.
jack if you keep doing what your doing your going to keep getting what you got. if we keep putting new faces in washington someone there will sooner or later get the message. its the (lifers) that are killing us. two terms is enough. term limits PLEASE.
Committees breed mediocrity and Congress is just one big committee. So once again, nothing will get done. The Republicans will pass bills the president won't sign and the president will submit bills Congress won't pass. It's been this way forever when the exchange in power happens at the Congressional level. Congress long ago stopped representing the people. They only represent their own special interests and those lining their pockets. And we wonder why dictatorships accomplish so much more in much less time.
Giving back the White House to the Republicans is like giving back the keys to a teenager after he has run the car in the ditch eight times in a row. Then giving the keys back after two months. We'd call the parents STUPID. At least Nancy smiles, can you see John Boehner smile? It would crack his face.
If the Republican party had put in a war tax when they decided to go to war, the debt wouldn't have been so large for the Democrats to clean up.
To answer your question...More of the same. We are already tired of the political childishness and will get even sicker in the next two years. Some needs too start the party of hope. O' no not another party. And the insanity of America goes on...
I feel your pain brother Jack! Unfortunately, there is nothing new under the sun. Usually, it take about twice as long to fix a situation like this and make it stick.
Jack,
I try not to be cynical but it is very very hard not to be. My take, if Pelosi and Reid are ousted, whether or not the Republicans take control of one, both or neither, it will make a big difference if the President moves to the center like Bill Clinton did. If the President stays far left, then nothing will get done.
We are a center-right country no matter which party is governing.
If Republicans gain majority in Congress, I think whatever positive initiatives started in the past two years will be slowed to the point that they will be totally ineffectual. People are upset because change hasn't happened already. When a train is running downhill at an extremely sharp angle, at a high rate of speed, it takes a long time to stop it....never mind back it up the hill. We are a very impatient nation, which might become the shovel that digs our own grave.
Jack, I'd love to believe that t hings will change after the election but after 67 years on this planet, I've learned that it's very doubtful. Both parties lie and spin and when they're elected, they fall back into the old patterns of patisian behavior, gridlock, pandering to special interests and ignoring those who sent them to Washington. I think our form of government is in real danger and unless things change, I see some kind of revolution in the future and it may get real ugly. It seems that this is what it's going to take to straighten things out. If we were France, it would have already happened.
No...No...Again No....It wont be different...But who cares I just tired of these horrible character killing ads.
From Seattle,
It will be worse regardless of how the elections turnout because all we are going to get for the next 2 years is the Republicans doing nothing for the country because all they care about is getting back the Presidency and will sell their sole to the corporations – US and international it get it. The working class and middle class Americans are in more bad times ahead unfortunately.
First,lets hope for the best. At some point the Country has to matter. We are supposedly the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , I hope parties can be restrained to place America first.
It will change for the worse if the Republicans take over.They had 8 yrs and spent the surplus plus they did not object when Bush was bailling out the banks.Now they are up in arms because Obama did.
He should of let the banks fail and the economy would of been in a worse state.They have not said how they will create the jobs they talk about.With all the tax breaks Bush gave to the rich...they should of been creating jobs with that money.Lots of retoric no action.
It is funny how they want Obama to fix all the problems they caused in the time he has been in office.
So let the replubicans be in charge to complete the ruin of another Great Empire...History will be repeated.
Good luck America
In my sixties I've found Washington has always been what it is today. What has changed is the utter lack of respect people have for each other. Hard to believe these candidates are our best and brightest. Let's not leave our the change in media coverage which feeds of the venom and conflict for its 24hr news cycle. No body is covering races where the candidates don't fan the flames and support the idea that voters are all angry. There are millions of us who aren't.
Jack,
You know the saying . . . , nothing changes, until it changes.
Honestly Jack come hell or high water, whichever party prevails, B.S. will deepen, gridlock will worsen, no needed legislation will get passed and anything remotely resembling civility will be out the door. Again, the wrong kind of persons will infect the Hallowed Halls and the American people will fall victim to the plague of ideology, political correctness and just plain pigheaded stupidity. Too much good old boy and not enough do what is right. In short, a shifting of players will just ensure nothing new.
The republicans get in washington will get worse. If the democrats stay in power nothing will change. If the tea party gets in we are all in big trouble.
Jack,
I can't imagine too much changing after the midterms. It's still going to be business as usual for the majority of people in Washington. I just hope that President Obama and the Democrats that remain don't roll over after all of the infantile opposition offered by the Republican Party during the past two years.
Charles L. from Knoxville, TN
The pendulum will begin it's slow swing back towards center and then in 2012 begin a swing towards the right. All in all we stay somewhere near center. This is how it suppose to work.
What won't change is the constant whining from those on the loosing side of issues.
If you want to know what is wrong with our political system, look in the mirror. Hard thing to do isn't it, blaming our woes upon ourselves?
Of the people, for the people by the people...
What I really want is a re-centering of our media. True unbiased reporting and news agencies that keep their political slants and opinions to themselves...
Look in the mirror Jack...
You're missing a great story, Jack. This Democratic House really has done things for the country. It passed a law guaranteeing equal pay for women. It gave tax CUTS for 95% of Americans - $400 for every individual. And it strengthened ethics enforcement - even investigating democrats. The media is just not telling the story. Only one in ten Americans know that they got a tax cut as part of the stimulus.
When Republicans became Warlords, Democrats become Senators.
When Democrats became Socialists, Republicans become Senators.
But every election – More Americans are made fools.
Look around, America is no more Land of Dreams
We'll have rheumy-eyed John Boehner, who looks likes like he drinks way, way too much, as our Speaker, and the Conservatives/Tea Party patriots will have their way, and they will do nothing but spend the next two years
trying to win back the White House. Oh, and the American people, what about them, you say? Yeah, what? Nothing will be done for us. Our "democratic" government has become the laughing stock of the world.
Democrat and Republican leaders all should be ashamed of what they've turned our government into...an insufferably divided and petty group of power mongers.
Hopefully, Congress will quit ramming things down our throats, that we don't want. Such as, bogus health care reform, excessive ball-outs, the devaluation of citizenship, etc. etc.
Nothing is going to be different until people stop falling for the same rhetoric election after election. These jokesters care more about keeping their positions and keeping their party in power than they do the welfare and well being of this nation. Every election cycle it's always the same thing, beat the other team. This is not a game and the elected officials need to stop treating it as such. Our country is dying and all they care about who wins. It's a one party system and people have been fooled into thinking otherwise. We need true liberty candidates in office. We need citizens to learn more than just sound bites. Things will never change unless the people of this country are more educated and less apathetic. Unless we get viable contending parties we will always be feeding the two heads on the same snake.
Instead of focusing on whether Democratic proposals are socialism or not, Washington will become focused on whether Democrats should be indicted or not. It will be scandal-mongering to make even the 104th congress of 1994 blush with shame.
I'm from Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Minor change, mostly lip service. There is very little difference between Republicans and Democrats. The President and Congress will be in grid lock. When someone gets into office that suggests 25% reductions or a 20 year phase out of most entitlements, "now you are negotiating."
"Different"? Is that like "Change We Can Believe in"?
It seems as though only the intelligent people recognize the fact that both parties are basicly the same and others are bamboozled into believing that their particular party affilliation is the best,very little can be done without compromise in any relationship wether it be personal or professional. Boynton Beach Fl
Nothing will REALLY change until the government is shaken to the point that its foundation crumbles and we the people build a better future from the rubble. All we need is a catalyst.
The Republicans will keep blocking repairs to their last fiasco and the Democrats won't "man up" and call them out for the weasels they are. In other words, no change.
That's easy. Nothing will change. Just a bunch of time wasting activities because of polarizing, partisan politics.
I'm not a Democrat, I'm not a Republican, I am an American.
pkf
California
Expect no change, Jack. Thanks to contributions by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the like, the party of "No," seems headed to power. Then we will really see the inaction.
Nothing much will change, the same gridlock we have become used to. So we replace the Gop with the Dems and then the Dems with the Gop and then the Gop with the Dems, you kinda get the picture?.
I give Obama thumbs up to leading this country in this great time of crisis, but We The People have to realise that unless we start voting in problems solvers and not Left Wing and Right Wing ideologs into Congress this country has no chance of moving forward.
Please tell me how a Rubio from FL will work with a Franken from Mn. Its just not going to work. We need to start electing moderate minded people who care more about the people and the country than their narrow minded ideology. But who am I kidding?
Every election has become "pick your poison". We are forced to pick between two candidates who dont have a clue what its like to have to pay a mortgage, bills, or be in debt. The mudslinging in these adds is like watching 2 high school drama queens go at it, its ridiculous. If we want true democracy, we the people have to go out and pick out candidates who have experience the issues first hand, not these lifelong politicians who have lived of the hand that feeds, i.e. taxpayers.
Nothing is going to change in Congress until we get rid of the party system. It's outlived it's usefullness and needs to be done away with. Candidates should run on invidual platforms and individual merits. I no longer belong to a political party as do an increasing number of Americans that are realizing it isn't a good idea anymore. No parties = no gridlock. Plain and simple...
It will be much better because we will be that much closer to getting rid of Obama, his policiesand his merry band of nincompoops!
"By the way Jack... Did I tell you? it is now 84 games won, and none, repeat, 'none lost.' Still 100%. Also I am a star at my Legion, my voice actually gets better with age. Karaoki! You can't beat it Jack."
Hey Jack,
So long as partisan politics play a key role in both houses we will not see anything new. Will the Republicans be more willing to compromise? will the dems keep running up the tab? It's a endless cycle of broken promises and rehtoric. So to answer your question, No
Richard
Los Angeles, CA
I doubt it,. This may even help Obama in the 2012 election.
Really, I have never seen so much nonsense from the party trying get their hands back into the money pot. This worries me for our country.
Nothing will change. We got the Republicans out because they put the country in a completely untenable position and the Democrats are continuing the destruction of America. Perhaps someone will wake up someday and say GEE, we change parties but nothiung else changes. Thomas Jefferson said "I am not among those who fear the people, for they and not the rich, are our dependance for continiued freedom". Do you think wisdom is better for us than pseudo-intellectualism? Wonder what would happen if we got all the corporate money out of Washington? Oh I forgot the Supreme court already ruled freedom of speech is directly proportionate to how much you can afford.
Gridlock will get worse, and the few lunatic fringe tea party candidates elected will be try desperately to get their outrageous sound bites into the 24/7 news cycle. Watch closely how these few new congresspersons project themselves as a political tsunami for 2012. It's the Palinization of America: all hype, no hope.
Less gov't interference in our normal personal and. business lives, plus lower tax increases. Obama will lose his mandate to force thru radical left legislation.
Well, we KNOW all the millions of $$ that are being thrown behind the Republicans and Tea Baggers ads will have to be repaid....so I say we will hand over the keys to the kingdom to foreign corporate entities...and of course Rove, Cheney, Druggie Limbaugh, Palin, Beck and their cronies will have to get their pockets lined too. Then it'll be back to the Bush economic policies that worked so well for 8yrs...and HELLO...caused us to have a deficit.
We're all going to get a strange feeling of deja vu as the Health Care banter gets started again. If you read this one on air, read the definition of 'banter' along with it.
-Brandon – Alaska
Will things be different after the midterm election? The answer is summed up in the French phrase, "Plus ca change, plus ce la meme chose." The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Jack,
Things will change a lot after the elections. The lobbiest will have to change the names of who they are writing their donation checks to.
No change. The congress has been bought and paid for by corporations via their lobbyists. Public financing of elections and the complete elimination of lobbying (no exchange of money or any other item of value) by corporate and foreign interests is the only real solution. The only cure for an addict is recovery.
The main change is that the Republicans might have to remember how to vote YES on legislation, but the results will be similar. Until congress votes to get corporations and special interests out of the election process and stop the earmarks that repay them, the government will continue to serve the rich at the expense of the middle class and poor. Both parties are guilty of this, although I am certainly worried about the flood of annonymous (to us) corporate donations flowing to the Republications this year.
Jack,
I don't think anything will change yet. But maybe, just maybe if we keep voting enough incumbants out of office, our elected officials will get the idea that we are actually asking them to govern. Not giving them a comfy government job for life.
"At the end of the day, we just keep electing a different version of the same losing proposition. It's like deciding whether to hit yourself in the head with a hammer or a baseball bat... the results are pretty much the same."
Well, when you only have the option to circle a hammer or a bat on your ballot....
Why should we expect anything to change in Washington! We voters and especially non-voters are to blame because we do not hold our elected officials responsible for their actions, or in most cases non-actions. Democrats blame republicans and vice-versa. Now, we have the so-called new face of American policy making experts (Teapartiers) who tell us the same old story except they blame everyone in order to promote themselves.
All of us are responsible for the political mess in Washington and we ordinary Americans cannot stand together and demand true change in Washington because we are too busy entertaining ourselves. It is time to get off the couch America and get truly involved in the political process before it is too late. We teeter on the edge!
Jack,
How will things be different on November 3rd? We'll be nine days closer to hitting bottom as a country/society. That is something to be excited about!
Like an out-of-control, violent alcoholic, things must degenerate and we must hit bottom before we accept the fact that we are sick, we need help and can only recover with a complete transformation. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is. Accept it, Jack. On the other hand, the transformation will be amazing.
Maybe 1-2 years before we hit bottom. How's your gardening/farming skills, Jack?
if a new Congress is chosen and their anything like New Jersey's Governor Christie, then things will change in a very short time. It might be harsh, but in the end it will pay off and the people not the government will reap the rewards.
Same old same old. Same people catering to the same extreme fringe groups to shove their beliefs onto everyone else. The same handful of moderates who can see that things need to change being stymied by the same screaming mouthpieces whose whole concept of leadership is "my way or go die in a fire".
As long as we have a nation where 50% voter turnout is considered "high" and the electorate is full of people who willfully refuse to even make the attempt to think independently and rationally about issues we going to see the same catering to the extreme fringe groups we have now.
The Democrats will become the "party of no"
All of our lives will be more enjoyable because we won't have to be bombarded by so much negative advertising.
Things will change, but it takes time. It took the republicans 8 years to destroy the economy. Should the Republicans win, they will change direction fairly quickly, it will take them several years to get us into another world war.
Jim, Craig, CO
if the only thing that comes out is "Pelosi is toast," let's look on the bright side... marmalade or jam?
I think change will happen for the better. Obama will wake up and see that his fancy speaches are NOT want americans want. If the dems stay in power,than he will not be able to blame Bush anymore when the U S goes down the drain.
I fully expect nothing to get done jack ,the conservatives and liberals in this country simply hate each other. As an independent i'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can either vote for a crazy person or vote for a person who loves to spend money we don't have. Which leaves me all out of options seeing that both parties seem to hold these charming characteristics. Jack where can I go to vote for a third party system?
Ryan LA, CA
Jack: There will be no change in DC no matter who gets elected. The Tea Partiers can have a party on the front lawn of the White House and nothing changes. First we have the inertia of the giant federal bureocracy, all jobs protected by law and the fedreral unions. Second we have the fact that the President can veto any legislation that he doesn't approve of. Third we have a bunch of politicians, left right and middle, who care more for their powerful jobs than us. Fourth we have a bunch of lobbyists who have huge chests of money to buy influnence. No Jack, DC will not change.
Bill from Connecticut
I am tired of politics as usual and it just seems to be getting worse every election. It's hard to distinguish one pack of lies and deception from another. A relative told me many elections ago that politics was simply the art of getting elected, reelected and reelected. It appears now it's come down to how much crap one politician can sling at another in order to sway an electorate that is willing to put up with it. Shame on us for allowing this game to escalate. What's next; knife fights and drag racing?
Will Rogers said it, what, 75 years ago: we have the best politicians money can buy! Nothing's changed; they'll still do nothing that's good for the country!
The pig's lipstick will get a touch-up.
The only thing that changes in Washington is the names on the doors, and even that doesn't happen often enough.
Elections only decide which party screws the taxpayer. On the off chance the GOP understands why they are being sent there, not to worry, it won't last. They'll fall prey to greed and corruption. It's a beltway trait which does not discriminate, insofar as party affiliation goes anyway.
Expect to see:
– Curtailing of spending and a freeze or reduction on gov hiring.
– Extension of Bush tax cuts that were supposed to be temporary but are now the drug everyone can't live without ( Doesn't anyone think we should balance the budget and actually pay down our debt? I didn't think so but I thought I should ask)
– An unqualified Republican candidate with a really annoying voice will announce her campaign and try to win her party's nomination for President.
– And in the background, you'll hear more cowbell. And I mean a lot more cowbell!!!
Hopefully, those who are elected/re-elected will get the message that they don't get the job for life. Hopefully, the Democrats will understand that they have to get back to basics and stop trying to be closet Republicans. Hopefully, Republicans will understand that they got lost back in the 1990s and need to get their act right.
Jack,
Nothing will change for the better for us, the citizens of the United States. Neither the Dems or the Reps have the citizens or the USA's best interest at heart; only their personal and party's interests.
I'd like to vote all incumbants out and just not replace them.
I would be for a health care plan that includes all CITIZENS of the US including the Pres, Congress, unions and, Oh Yes the staffers who so deftly exempted themselves from the monster they have burdoned all the rest of us with.
Nothing will change as long as we allow ourselves to be represented by people who think we work for them instead of them for us. So we will just continue to be hypnotized by the media and go along thinking things can't get any worse.
Stand by, is that the gov't printing press firing up again? That crash is the value of the dropping another 14%. Get ready for the dollar to start competing with the peso instead of the pound or euro.
Jim
Clinton, AR
In my opinion there are two possible outcomes. The Democrats retain control, which would in the big picture be bad. Or the Republicans take over, which would be good.
Ironically, if the GOP takes over congress the goodness of it all has nothing to do with them. It is rather how the Democrats tend to work. For the most part, they have historically shown a willingness to cooperate (at least a little) with the GOP to further national goals even if it does not completely align with their agenda. He GOP has shown a a willingness to disregard the needs of the country in blocking any move by the Democrats no matter how small and has become a party of obstructionist.
Sadly, if the Democrats loose control it is entirely possible they may be able to get more done.
I have my own little litmus tests which tell me if someone is worthy of my vote. (1) Enter your and your employer's "contributions" to socialist security into a spreadsheet and compute the growth at 4%. I did and my earnings are 2.5 times higher than they would be under the gov't run plan. If I die on the day I retire my kids get a nice nest egg. Under SS, they get nothing. If you can tell me that this is a great deal for me, you are an idiot and I will not vote for you. (2) If you tell me that the U.S. has the worst education system in the industrialized world because it is underfunded, you are either ignorant or a lap dog for the NEA. I will be voting Libertarian first, Repub second.
Look to the United Kingdom for the future. I only hope that the "tea-party" backed candidates have the guts to tell it straight to the American people. I've been saying for ten years now that not only will we have to cut Federal spending across the board (including the military, health and human services and social security) but that we will also have to raise taxes in the short term. If we don't do something dramatic right now to stop the fiscal leaking, we will all share the same fate in the end.
I think that the country will be nearly ungovernable over the next two years. Obama will not be able to get anything passed in Congress without tea party approval and Congress will not have enough votes to override an Obama veto. If anyone plays Chess, that is called a stalemate where nobody wins.