In the Wake of a Shellacking

A "shellacking" is what President Obama decided to call it.

He may have been right.

As the economy continues to creep along without jobs, social issues like gay marriage and immigration continue to remain unsolved, and reasonable American concerns remain unanswered, the "informed citizenry" decided to vote for the party of no; the party that has obstructed the conversation for two years, the party that puts petty holds on trivial nominees, the party that refuses to acknowledge the need for conversation and compromise in a discussion that needs resolution before our country can move forward.

Next thing you know we'll be drinking Brawndo. It does have what plants crave after all.

What makes the situation even more maddening is the complete ignorance of the intentional plutocracy that allowed these road cones (John Boehner) and turtles (Mitch McConnell) to assume the mantle of power (which they do not see as a call to action, but instead as a mandate for uncompromising partisanship). The Reagan era theory of trickle down economics, the Bush era doctrine of deregulation, and the myth of the unmoderated free market have exploded the social division in this country, demolishing the middle class and (coupled with key Supreme Court decisions) organized political power firmly in the hands of the elite.

The bottom line is this: on a day when Americans had the opportunity to vote against partisan gridlock, ideological tomfoolery, and money fueled campaigns dictated by those who would sooner milk us for our paycheck than give our children a good education, Americans voted against their own best interest.

The Democrats may have lost the seats, but it was the American people who received the "shellacking".

Moving forward, we have a lot of work to do. Here in Iowa, Governor Branstad and the newly politicized judiciary will be pushing a reversal of the decision that allowed gay marriage to become a reality (they have a long road ahead, but the intention is clear). In Washington, Boehner and McConnell have made no qualms about their intention to steamroll as many time-wasting hearings and inquisitions as possible through the legislature. Regardless of how Democrats and even moderate Conservatives feel, GOP leadership now sees the Tea Party anger as their guiding compass.

The patients run the asylum today, but we cannot give up hope. With a simple majority in the Senate and a competent, reasonable president in the White House, life will continue. Let's just hope the Democrats have learned their lessons: progress does not speak for itself, even good ideas can be spun as bad ones, and the American people are as impressionable as the elite believe them to be.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try and keep progress un-shellacked.

Fight on.