Talking Points: The American Voter

By: Will Snyder, Managing Editor Fourth Party Politics

Do a majority of America’s voters know enough? Care enough? Think about the issues clearly enough? A sign of our political self-confidence is how we regularly scrutinize and call to attention the ridiculous things our politicians say. Any average Joe can easily make fun of the things politicians say, but who is there to rebuff the equally dumb, ill-informed, and offensive comments of the average senseless voter. What if the problem in today’s 24 hour news cycle and political system isn’t with the politicians themselves or most of the people who will read this, but is instead those individuals among us who represent the tendency to act and say thoroughly stupid things.

Most would agree that honesty and truthfulness in our politicians and government circles is desirable. So why, you ask has it been so difficult and maybe impossible to achieve these goals? Maybe the conclusion is that we do not desire the truth; however, we sincerely believe we do. Maybe the average American voter can’t handle the truth. You see the truth is government isn’t perfect, was never meant to be perfect, and will never be perfect. The sooner the extreme Tea Party and Occupy movements realize this along with the party lacks - the better.

Not only are we blind to the faults the voters make, but the voters often times commit equally egregious faults by basing their political beliefs on downright lies and myths. Our Democracy or more precisely our Republic was founded on the belief that the voters would base their beliefs and cast their votes on reason and truth. Yet, most of the voters are truly uneducated on the issues and base their beliefs not on reason, but the inclination to believe what they want to believe, regardless of the facts. You see maybe the confidence of our Republic rests on a myth.

As always is the case, the holiday season brings out the best in political debate among friends and family. And this past holiday season was no different, especially with the fiscal cliff and gun control debates. One message seemed quite clear to me this year - people on both sides of the aisle are fed up with government and more than usual.

Some people think that I have this problem with the extreme right Tea Party movement, and they couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m all for free speech and expression even if your sole existence is a waste of space and oxygen on god’s loving planet. In all actuality, I find both the Tea Party and Occupy movements to be entertaining to say the least. At least these people, as habitually stupid as the may be, have gotten off the couch and are letting their voices be heard.

What does drive me intensely insane are the fools who embrace the beliefs of these movements, yet they refuse to give their precious time and effort to what they claim they believe in - the lazy hypocrites of America.

I’m all in favor of people expressing their political opinions – but with reason. If you truthfully believe in something, you have the opportunity every few years to let your voice be heard. They’re called elections. If you don’t like something get off the couch and get your hand out of the Cheetos bag and change it; in the meantime shut the **** up. Much blood was shed for the right to elect freely in this country, before you blame the system look in the mirror.

Yours in Democracy, -Will Snyder

Talking Points: Why the Fiscal Cliff Deal is A Big Step in the Right Direction

By: William Snyder, Managing Editor Fourth Party Politics

 

Earlier in the week one of my colleagues wrote an article about the fiscal cliff deal and how Congress always “fixes the tire” by means of plugging the hole instead of replacing the tire. He wrote that the fiscal cliff deal was one of Congresses many “crazy short term fixes that do absolutely nothing to solve the countries long term issues.” I must say I have to disagree.

In the real world you can’t always get what you want. Late last week it appeared that the country was well on its way to going over the fiscal cliff. With the Speaker’s failed Plan B strategy all talks between the two sides had stopped. Then enter Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Sunday night McConnell swallowed his pride and put in a phone call to one of his old senate colleagues, Vice President Joe Biden. Biden and Senate leaders reached a bipartisan compromise on the fiscal cliff that would allow tax rates to rise on income over $400,000 and delay steep automatic federal spending cuts for two months.

 

Once McConnell and Boehner reach out over the aisle the President and Congressional Democrats had no choice but to accept the deal. President Obama had an entirely new agenda that he could not risk compromising before the 113th Congress was even gaveled into session. When one party puts their entire neck out on the line like Speaker Boehner did by breaking ranks with the majority of his caucus, the other party must step up to the plate and accept. Progressives could not afford to walk away from the deal if they wanted to accomplished any of their major agenda items in the next term, like gun control and campaign finance.

 

Progressives got a good deal as it was:

• Taxes Raised on Incomes Over $450,000 (Signal Household $400,000)
• Capital Gains Tax Raised to 20%
• Estate Tax Raised to 40%
• Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits
• Childcare Tax Credits 
• College Tax Credits 
• Limited Deductions
• Extends the Farm Bill
• ZERO cuts to Social Security/Medicare

The 112th Congress went down in history as being the most unproductive Congress in existence. They passed the fewest amount of legislation in over 100 years and had the lowest approval ratings since we've been keeping track of that kind of thing. So maybe we can look at this landmark compromise that ended the legislative session as a step in the right direction. Maybe we can give credit where credit is due to Republican Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for brokering an unpopular deal with their own members. They broke ranks with many in their respective caucuses to do something for the greater good of their constituents. To end what will go down as the worst Congress on record with a bipartisan deal gives me hope for what the 113th Congress has in store.

Too many politically astute people forget that compromise is not a dirty word. You are never going to get all of what you want simply because that is not compromise; that is greed. My suggestion to my Democratic friends: if you don’t like messy compromise and dived government, elect more progressives to Congress in 2014.

Despite what you’ll hear from many progressives, this is a desirable compromise. By no means is it perfect, but what compromise is perfect?