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Why Conservatives Should Be Thankful That the Rest of Us Elected President Obama
There are myriad ways to express a feeling of acknowledgment of a benefit one has received or will receive that varies from person to person. During the past four years, a certain segment of the population has found nothing to be thankful for as Americans, and have, in fact, gone to great lengths to make the rest of the country suffer the effects of their ingratitude. It is sad that the Republican Party and their adherents made it their life’s purpose to create an atmosphere of hate out of their abhorrence of an African American man the people elected President. It is understandable that hate and anger make it nearly impossible to be thankful, but conservatives should be thankful the rest of the population elected a President not inclined to deliberately cause suffering for 98% of the American people, including them.
The recent election drew a sharp contrast between conservative hate and the rest of the nation because not all Americans who are thankful they have a decent job, safe home, an education, healthcare, and a secure retirement voted for the man who believes every American should have those basic human rights. All Americans should have a great deal of gratitude for living in this country, but unfortunately, millions of Americans have substantially less, and for the past four years Republicans have sought to increase their numbers. However, Republicans’ corporate masters are the masterminds, and beneficiaries, of the plot to transform America into a land of peasants serving a few-hundred wealthy families and Romney represented their threat to America and the idea that every citizen deserved the right to succeed. His loss gives 98% of Americans reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving.
It was mildly disturbing that nearly half the population bought the notion that 98% of the population exists to enrich the wealthy and their corporations, but it became stunning over the past few years. Most Americans are thankful their government provides consumer protections and the mechanism for upward mobility by helping elevate the entire country, but Republicans have deliberately obstructed every effort to help all Americans prosper and sought to strip protections from their corporate masters. Americans can be thankful Romney lost the election because his plan for America was severe austerity, massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and repealing consumer protection and financial reform laws.
One has to wonder why 47% of voters would have been thankful if Romney and Ryan won the election and imposed harsh austerity on the people and ended Medicare, and drastically cut Medicaid, food stamps, education, police and fire fighters, and restrict 30 million Americans from access to affordable health care insurance. It is painful, frankly, and a sad commentary that nearly half this nation is so steeped in hate that they supported candidates they knew would increase their fellow citizens suffering and yet, the rest of the nation supported politicians who would help all the people. What made America the exceptional land of opportunity it once was, was when government taxed the rich, invested in jobs, and people were grateful the entire country was prospering. It was a time to be thankful.
One of Americans’ problems is they forget about Republicans’ push for wider economic inequality and increased poverty after an election while their good fortune endures. Today when families gather and enjoy a feast and express their undying gratitude for their bounty, it is doubtful many are thinking about the poor, elderly, or homeless veterans who, for want of a decent job and secure retirement, have very little to be thankful for, or that Republicans want to increase their despair. It is a hideous abomination and an outrage on humanity that in the richest country in the history of the world, even one citizen is hungry, without a good job, an education, a home, healthcare, and a secure retirement. There are millions of American who have everything to be thankful for, and that is as it should be, but hopefully they look forward to, and work for, the day when every American has everything to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.
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Anne
Nov. 22nd, 2012 at 12:09 pm
The Republicans count on Americans who can’t look past their noses to see that all of us benefit when we work together. They appeal to selfishness, greed, and antipathy toward Americans they consider “others” for votes. It’s been beneficial to them for a long time to use wedge issues like guns, gays, abortion, and social programs benefiting the non-wealthy to keep their base stirred up and resentful toward others. The folks supporting them are unable or unwilling to see the forest for the trees, or that these politicians care nothing about them at all. I can only wonder how many who previously had that mentality ended up being among the unemployed or being without health insurance. It’s unfortunate that it often takes a major catastrophe for some to wake up. And yes, they SHOULD be thankful for the president’s re-election because they would have suffered voters’ remorse in record time if Willard had won.
Reynardine
Nov. 22nd, 2012 at 12:21 pm
We dodged a damned cannon ball.
D. W. Skinner
Nov. 22nd, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Talking to a Conservative is like trying to teach one of my dogs steaming curls on the front lawn to read.
mjh
Nov. 23rd, 2012 at 12:40 am
Why Conservatives Should Be Thankful That the Rest of Us Elected President Obama
Because Fox “News”, Rush Limpballs, and rightwing hate radio now have four more years of “material.”
It’s not like they’d have any otherwise . . .
.
sherrie heckendorn
Nov. 23rd, 2012 at 3:06 pm
I feel that so much of the blame, for the brainwashed portion of our country, lies with Fox news and its attempt to use propaganda to attain their desired result of a brainwashed american.
Robert Chapman
Nov. 23rd, 2012 at 3:22 pm
I just finished reading a Texas Tribune article describing the actions Texas Republicans running for statewide offices are taking in preparation for the 2014 mid-terms.
One can rest assured that their GOP brethren in the US Congress and in the other 35 states with state elections are taking the mid-terms equally seriously and making preparations.
In my part of the country we allow ourselves 72 hours after a political victory to savor the triumph. Twenty-four hours after a defeat to feel sorry for ourselves.
Then it is back to work.
There are at least four tasks for activists in the stretch between elections.
Policy research- learning more about issues and votes’ concerns and one’s party’s responses to these concerns.
Strengthening community ties- getting reengerized and reconnected with civic, social, religious and other groups. Reestablish your bases with non-political people, their wisdom and support are invaluable and inestimably enriching.
Thinking out financial contributions for field work. Whether saving money in a special account, thinking of how to schedule vacation trips to facilitate activism or contributing directly to organizations like MOVEON.ORG or OFA or supporting good publicatins like Politicus, money is the mother’s milk of politics.
Expanding one’s role in political organizations. Been a telephome dialer or neighborhood team member? Maybe now is the time to talk with your political contacts and consider a leadership position.
Without the cultivation of grass roots activists throuhg actions such those I have outlined above, we will back to square one on the 2014 mid-terms and liable to receive another shellacking like the one we took in 2010.
Lisa Williams
Nov. 24th, 2012 at 8:21 am
What a wonderful article…couldn’t have agreed more on everything that was written…
thank you
PositiveProgress
Nov. 25th, 2012 at 10:36 am
Good article Rmuse. Happy Thanksgiving to us all for the victory.
Karen
Nov. 29th, 2012 at 10:46 pm
I don’t know where I should begin. You elected a President with strong socialist values, a President who attended a church where in one of the sermons the preacher stated, “God DAMN American.” You elected a President with one of the worst economic track records ever. You elected a President who is so weak in foreign policy he hardly ever touches on it in any speech. He’s turned a blind eye to the dangers abroad and weakened America significantly in the time he’s been in office. You elected a President with tunnel vision, who is insensitive and uncompromising to the point of meanness. You elected a President who won’t hear of cutting spending or entitlements. He was elected by a base of people with their hands out and by those who favor legalizing illegals because a lot of their friends and family are probably here illegally. I am proud to say I never voted for O’Bama. I don’t have this debacle on my head. Thank God for a Republican House! No need for conservatives to be down and out. We’ll be back. :) Have a wonderful Christmas now.
Faux Romney
Dec. 1st, 2012 at 12:40 am
Sorry, Karen, but you are so wrong in what you say here.
Pres. O has very good standings worldwide, something the R party doesn’t want the rest of America to believe.
I am so proud of my president.
.
Oh, and btw, best of luck in the future. You are going to need it.
Onward America!
Karen
Nov. 29th, 2012 at 10:55 pm
Tired of hearing that old standard lie……….Republican’s are rich and are only out for the rich. What a complete lie. I am a middle class American and I am being taxed to death. And all for people who are too darn lazy to get out and find a job. Cut their money off, then maybe they will work. I don’t mind supporting Medicare, and Social Security. Those people have worked and contributed and deserve the coverage. This give away stuff? Needs to stop and the Democrats need to stop endorsing it. Republicans need to get the word out that we care just as much for THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE POOR as do Democrats, most of whom are very well off themselves. We just believe we need to work to earn your keep instead of having it handed to you. Why don’t you (O’Bama) do something about these private student loans that the kids have to take out just to get an education. Those are big corporations that give out those loans. Seems like you’d want to come down on that. Put some of the entitlement money on loan repayment for some of these poor students that have worked their asses off to get through college and now are 100K in debt. They’ve had nothing handed to them.