The American People Seem to Be Realizing that Republicans Aren’t on Their Side

Last updated on February 9th, 2013 at 01:23 am

Most Americans would like to believe their representatives in government are looking out for their interests, and although they may have a specific cause that is unique to them, they at least expect legislators to work for the people.  Politicians have the difficult task of considering all their constituents needs, and often, special interests feel their representatives are not supporting their cause but, as a rule, Americans are intelligent enough to understand they are not the center of the world. Since the start of the 112^th Congress, Republicans have demonstrated to the entire country that they have no interest in supporting the American people or protecting their interests unless they are extremely wealthy, the energy industry, or religious extremists. With only a few weeks to go before the general election, polls are showing growing support for President Obama and Democrats, and in part it is because of Willard Romney, but it is equally likely that the American people who are not racists or religious extremists realize Republicans are not on their side.

Republicans have spent the past year-and-a-half obstructing progress this country needs to grow and prosper while working feverishly to eliminate programs Americans depend on. Many pundits claim the tea party is responsible for pushing Republicans to extremist positions, and there is some validity to that assumption, but the Republican ticket of Romney and Ryan verified to many Americans that the entire GOP adopted an extremist agenda based on racism, misogyny, greed, and hate. It is unclear if Republicans care about, or fail to understand, the American people, but they have miscalculated the decency of most Americans.

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In a poll released yesterday, Pew reports that President Obama’s support among Catholics is surging in spite of the recent flap between the United States Council of Bishops (USCCB) over contraception coverage proving that religious freedom is not first and foremost on Catholic voters’ minds. Republicans have lost support among Catholics because their agenda of slashing social programs to protect the wealthy is not only un-Christian, it is un-American. In fact, if Americans have learned anything over the past three-and-a-half years, it is that everything Republicans support is contrary to what made America great.

There are very few Americans who do not appreciate good schools, clean air, police and fire protection, and security in their old age, and for the most part they are more than willing to pay for it through their payroll, sales, and income tax contributions.  What they receive in return is a Republican Party, in Congress and the states, that supports slashing education, environmental protections, social safety nets, and even police and fire protection to fund tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans even bartered natural disaster support and children’s programs for extending Bush-era tax cuts for the rich, and deliberately blocked jobs programs they claim are too expensive while protecting oil subsidies and corporate tax breaks to outsource Americans’ jobs. It is obvious to any reasonable human being, that when it comes to supporting the American people, Republicans have gone beyond falling short; they are actively working against 98% of the people. Conversely, President Obama and Democrats have amassed a record that is decidedly pro-American, and the people are finally taking notice.

Whether they support all the President’s policies or not, most Americans understand that through his words and deeds, Barack Obama is on their side and his legislative achievements prove it. The President has pushed for consumer protections in health care, banking, and the workplace, and fought to create jobs and improve the economy amid GOP obstructionism.  But maybe more than anything, Americans recognize that the President does what Republicans will not, and that is defend equal rights for all Americans regardless their race, religion, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation.

Republicans have spent President Obama’s entire term obstructing progress and punishing the American people in the process. The popular saying that “Republicans hate President Obama more than they love America” may be apropos, but based on their non-performance and campaign pledges if they win in November, they hate the American people at least as much as they hate the President and they proved it last week when Senate Republicans blocked a Veteran’s jobs bill and House Republicans failed to pass a farm bill before taking two months off to campaign for another term of Draconian budget cuts and tax breaks for the rich.

The Republicans are flagging in the polls because their malfeasance has caught up to them and they have not been helped by the Republican ticket for president that promises more of the same. Apparently, the GOP imagined that Americans would forget that for three-and-a-half years they assaulted women’s rights, the poor, gays, the middle class, businesses, children, Veterans, and seniors in what can only be described as a war on Americans and throughout it all, President Obama and Democrats have thwarted every Republican effort. If the people have only learned one thing about this President, it is that he has been on their side from his first day in office despite the vicious lies, racism, and misinformation leveled at him by Republicans, and throughout it all he maintained his dignity and fought for the people; even those who malign him with impunity.

A little over four years ago when Barack Obama spoke to the crowd at Grant Park, he told the people that he would be President for all the people, and he has fulfilled that promise throughout his term.  On the night of his inauguration, Republican leaders gathered to plot their obstruction that signaled their blatant disregard for America and especially the people who were not part of the wealthy elite class. Subsequently, they spent nearly four years doing nothing whatsoever to earn their pay, or the respect of the American people, and it is finally catching up to them. Whether they thought all Americans were racists and selfish, or that the people would forget their criminal economic malfeasance is of no consequence, they have blatantly worked against this country and its people. Perhaps Republicans underestimated Americans who expect their representatives to work in their best interests, or maybe they thought obstructing economic progress would turn the people against this President, but whatever their dysfunction, they made a grave error that is playing out in positive poll numbers for President Obama and Democrats.

Republicans may have thought that trotting out a white conservative champion would ensure an easy victory in November, but what they produced was a defective Bush clone who has telegraphed to the people that he is not on their side and holds at least half of them in contempt. His campaign promises to take up where Republicans left off in assaulting what is left of the middle class, gays, women, seniors, Veterans, school teachers, police officers, firefighters, and children, and he will do it with extreme prejudice to give more tax cuts to the wealthy and their corporations. By elevating Willard Romney as their standard bearer, Republicans put Americans on notice that the past three-and-a-half years were a prelude to a concerted effort to win the war against the American people, and like the President has said time and time again, “don’t bet against the American people” because he has not and they know it as evidenced by poll after poll showing growing support for the President most Americans know is on their side.

Rmuse

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.

Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.