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In the End, Obama’s Compassion for All Routed the GOP’s Greed and Contempt
By: RmuseNov. 9th, 2012more from Rmuse
The virtue of empathy for the suffering of others is regarded as a fundamental part of human love, and a cornerstone of social interconnection and humanism. It is foundational to the highest principles in society and over the past four years it seemed that for a large segment of America, compassion was dead. Republicans thrive on the lack of compassion among bigots, religious extremists, and the self-indulgent, and they diligently cultivated cruelty and hatred from the earliest days of President Obama’s first term in office. However, Republicans underestimated the compassion inherent in most Americans and it cost them in the election that saw the epitome of callousness, Willard Romney and Paul Ryan, fail as more Americans chose to support President Obama’s concern for all Americans than the greed and contempt promoted by Republicans.
Pundits and political scientists will evaluate the 2012 general election for years to come, and unless they acknowledge that President Obama won a commanding victory over Romney based on his high regard for the American people, they will have missed the most important aspect of the President’s victory. Despite what conservatives propagandize and fear monger about this President, it turns out that more Americans trust him to look out for their interests and it is a testament to the character of the American people, because in choosing a leader who champions all Americans, they demonstrated that they, like the President, truly care about America and its people.
Republicans have made it quite clear that they have contempt for all Americans who are not wealthy, and especially the most vulnerable among us. It was nothing short of revolting over the past two years to watch Republicans preach the value of cutting social safety nets that protect children, the poor, and the elderly under the guise of deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility, and to promote the agenda of hate, they offered the people a 20% tax cut as an incentive to push the radical agenda of austerity. However, Americans are not bought off as easy as Republicans attempted to buy the election because the majority of the population believes, as President Obama does, that Americans have a responsibility to take care of each other that the GOP still cannot comprehend.
What Republicans also should have discovered is that Americans struggling in a recovering economy saw through the GOP’s plutocracy and fully understand that the President will continue fighting against the treacherous income inequality, lower wages, and social safety net assault the Republican Party has made a mainstay of their agenda. Except for religious extremists, racists, and the wealthy, the majority of Americans did not fall for the Republican lies that to save the economy; the elderly, future retirees, the infirm, children, and the poor had to be cut loose to fend for themselves, and in re-electing President Obama, showed they do not want Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid privatized or eliminated under the guise of deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility. In fact, the avatar of fiscal responsibility is the Social Security Trust that is awash in surplus and has never added one pence to the deficit. The Democrats and President Obama owe it to the American people to seize the initiative and begin debunking the canard that Social Security is an entitlement, and begin calling it what it is; a retirement account fully funded and administered by employee contributions.
In rejecting the Draconian agenda Romney and Ryan proposed, the majority of Americans expressed the compassion President Obama demonstrates in working for all Americans; even the racists and teabaggers who support Republicans. In choosing a leader who protects their interests, the President’s supporters showed that not only do they want the President to protect their own interests, they in effect were voting to support all Americans’ interest and it is the overwhelming difference between liberals and conservatives, compassion and callousness. It is surprising more Americans cannot see that Republicans were willing to spend nearly a billion dollars to wrest the government from moderate Democrats for the privilege of stealing trillions in Americans retirement accounts to hand over to the wealthiest one percent, and it is the difference between sheer racist hate, and compassion for their fellow citizens; even ignorant bigots who supported the Romney-Ryan ticket.
The character of the majority of Americans shone on election day, and they chose as their champion the man they trust will continue protecting their interests in spite of fierce opposition from Republicans that is not about to abate anytime soon. In choosing President Obama, Americans saw through, and rejected, a twenty-percent tax cut and sent a strong message to Republicans that the American people have always believed that part of being an American is taking care of the least fortunate and vulnerable among us, and for the second time in four years proved the majority of Americans are exceptional and not racists, religious extremists, or wealth-oriented monsters portrayed by Romney, Ryan, Rove, and the Koch Brothers who spent a billion dollars to transform America into the land of the callous.
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luciboo
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 10:20 am
America rejected Ayn Rand!
A question to Evangelicals.
How can you worship ” Atlas Shrugged” and your God at the same time? It is not possible to vote for Ryan’s draconian budget and believe
The teachings of Jesus.
Just curious.
Sandra
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
They are not familiar with the teachings of Jesus Christ hence their callousness, intolerance, bigotry, racism, hatred and selfishness. I doubt that most of them are able to define the meaning of TRUE Christianty.
rebecca
Nov. 11th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
It is sad but true that most of the wealthy were out for themselves and thus, the Republican ticket. But not ALL.
As someone lucky enough (through several generations of good family circumstances, education and hard work) happens to have landed in or near the one percent at this decade of my life, I have never dodged taxes, I have voted Democrat nearly 100% of the time and continue to donate time and money to organizations such as public television, NPR, Amnesty International and the Rainbow/PUSH coalition.
It is sad to hear people talk about “the wealthy” as if none care, or have any perspective, or gratitude. Did any of these voters help to “tip the apple cart” so to speak in getting Obama reelected? I would like to think so.
Reynardine
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 10:31 am
In fact, I know several rock-ribbed Republican voters who went for Obama this election just because the Republicans exposed their heartlessness, this time, too plainly for all to see.
clarence swinney
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 11:17 am
Boehner said :”The Republicans have a Mandate Do No Raise Taxes”
OK! 2013 Budget calls for 900B Deficit. Is that ok?
Since 1980, the Republicans have been cut taxes cut taxes. For Rich.
Reagan cut top rate 60% and increased debt 189%.
Bush cut Top rate(bottom 60% got 16.4%) and increased debt 112% or 6000 Billion.
His 2009 budget gave us a first trillion deficit or 1400 Billion.
He inherited a surplus.
We must increase taxes on estates and top incomes if ever we intend to balance the budget and pay off horrid Republican created Debt of 16,000 Billion. Yes! Republican Debt.
They have been the Party of Spend & Borrow =let Kids Pay Tomorrow–versus— Democrats Tax and Spend = will Pay Your Way.
1980-2009 three Republican presidents over 20 years took a debt of less than 1000 Billion to 10,000 Billion.
One Democratic president balanced the budget.
In 2009, top 25% of individual incomes paid a 18.95% Tax Rate. Top 50% paid a 12.5% Tax Rate on income of about $7000 Billion. They paid about $850 Billion out of $7000 Billion.
The top 10% have the wealth (73% net—83% financial) and income(50%) so we MUST tax them to pay our way. It will grow the economy to get money velocity (not hoarding)through the economy. Clarence Swinney-political historian-Lifeaholics Of America
Mel Haun Sr
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Clarence, I agree totally, but you said deficit did you mean a National debt of 16000 etc. Would it not have been better to just say 16 Trillion. Love that word Reagan gave us. I never heard that word, Trillion, and had to look up the number of zeros, till Reagan, than the Bushes Father and Son brought into the tens of Trillions ( of course the unfunded War debt still hidden from the budgets for another at least 1.6 Trillion, and then the interest on the mostly Bush debt for another 1.4 Trillion )… and the right want to blame this on Obama ( as you pointed out ). Trillions, what a word!
Rmuse
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 2:05 am
Unfunded wars eclipsed $4.3 trillion in July, 2011, and still counting…plus interest.
Trish
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
I always felt that in my heart of hearts that when it came down to it, the American People would do the right thing and thankfully they did. I have to admit I was really beginning to lose my doubt and my faith in people’s intelligence after that first debate. If President Obama was a white male with the name John Anderson it would have been no contest.
It’s really scary that in the end so many people still voted for Romney especially since the majority of those voters are the very same people who make that 47% he loves to loath.
President Obama made one misstep in the election by his underwhelming performance in the first debate and it nearly cost him the election while Romney lied and insulted everyone and he almost won! How scary is that!
The Republicans, all of them, need to stop getting all of their news and basic information from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh because it is killing their political party.
Beaglemom
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 5:50 pm
My son made an interesting comment after the first debate. He said that professional sports teams never play in Denver on the day they arrive. Romney was in Denver for two days before the debate and President Obama arrived the afternoon of the debate. The altitude may have caused some of the lag he seemed to have.
gradycat
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 9:51 pm
I thought he looked really tired. Or sick – coming down with a cold.
But I spent some time last week in Denver and the altitude certainly does do it to you – short of breath, heart flutter, dry… stomach issues – so yeah, maybe that was it. He was definitely “off”.
Beaglemom
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 5:48 pm
Maybe it’s my imagination but the people I’ve come in contact with this week (since Tuesday) in local stores, etc. seem friendlier and kinder than usual.
gradycat
Nov. 9th, 2012 at 9:50 pm
I thought the same thing – maybe it was just my sunny mood reflected back to me!!
Anne
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 7:02 am
Watching the election results unfold on Tuesday was a nailbiter for me. But then, once California’s 55 electoral votes went to the president, there was no way that Willard was ever going to catch up. From that point on, it was a swift slide downhill for him. RMuse, you have nailed the GOP’s lack of compassion for everyday people–especially the most downtrodden–perfectly. They have been showing it in their blocking unemployment benefits, their willingness to cut regulations that protect people, their audacity in claiming health care is a privilege instead of a right, and their total lack of humanity when they criticized Chris Christie for praising the only person who could significantly assist him in helping folks affected by Hurricane Sandy get back on their feet. They are a disgusting cast of characters, and I am quite happy to have been among those who successfully rejected them.
Shiva (Moderator)
Nov. 10th, 2012 at 7:19 am
We could see that even before California fell, Willard had no way to reach 270. In fact with Cal, he didnt need Ohio or FLorida. Politicus had a great live chat here and we all did the numbers