What Does Election Day Say About Us?
November 5th, 2009 by jeffbrodyWarning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_TH8US_LEN in /home/psblogs/public_html/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1821
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As my regular readers (few as you may be) know, I don’t spend each one of my waking minutes blogging about Central Kitsap for the Kitsap Sun’s web site. I do other things as well, including working a half-time job with Kitsap Regional Library, cooking meals for my wife, woodworking projects, photography, reading for pleasure and yard work around the house.
I also keep up with my Facebook friends, and pretty regularly post my status and comment on other people’s posts on that social networking site.
On election night, I posted something expressing some of my feelings about the election, and what the results seem to be saying about the mood of the electorate. I’m pretty sure that post generated more response and comments from my friends than just about anything I had ever posted on Facebook before.
What I noted was the change in voter mood since a year ago. And I’d be very interested to hear your comments about that and what you’re thinking. Please jump on a leave a comment on this blog post about it.
Here’s a synopsis of what I had to say.
A year ago, despite the sinking economy and a pretty gloomy international outlook, the majority of voters responded by choosing to express some hope in casting their ballots. Before you tune out, this is not intended as either a pro-Obama or an anti-Obama piece. It’s really intended to be asking a question about the rest of us.
In the year since the presidential election, the depth of our economic crisis became clear. The statistics confirmed that we were actually in a recession when last November’s election occurred; in fact, the worst recession since the 1930s. I lost my job; people I know, both here in Kitsap and in other parts of the country, have lost their jobs. Luckily, I don’t know anyone who has lost their home to foreclosure, but perhaps you do. And the people knew all this really before the government released the economic statistics that confirmed it.
Today, there are signs that we’ve seen the worst of our economic situation. Many of the promises that were made on the campaign trail during the presidential race last year have been kept, and there is action on many of those issues that have not yet been resolved.
Yet the voter mood as expressed Tuesday was much more sour than the one expressed a year ago, when our situation was actually worse.
That leads me to ask: Are we, as a public, simply unable to show restraint. While there was a degree of euphoria that seemed to come from the public after the election of 2008, there was a degree of real anger and disgust shown in the results this year. Is our situation that much worse this year, or are we reacting to it that much worse?
Are we manic-depressive voters, incapable of maintaining an even keel and of allowing our leaders a reasonable period of time to accomplish what they have promised to try to make happen? Do we insist upon bouncing from one extreme to another, even when the evidence would suggest that things are never as good as we see them, nor as bad?
What does this say about us and our ability to emerge from the political morass we find ourselves in?
I’m asking you, and hoping to hear your thoughts about it.
— Jeff
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
November 5th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Perhaps we feel more comfortable talking politics after this past presidential election because everyone had an opinion and was vocal about it? When I was growing up in the late 70′s and early 80′s, my parents NEVER talked about politics, even in front of us kids. I know I have become more critical of our government, especially our local government, and becoming more vocal about their lack of accountability.
In this day and age of instant gratification, I believe we have become impatient waiting for decisions and accomplishments. Change never happens over night when dealing with the government.
There is also something to be said about the anonymity of not using your real name in online conversations. Would these same people have enough guts to say the same things to the faces of those that they are “slandering?” Probably not!
November 5th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
As has been reported as the year progressed, Kitsap County and perhaps the state, were slow to feel the fall-out. It seemed to roll across the country, coming to rest on us later than others. I think that’s part of it. But we’re in it now! And everyone is tired of the pain and fear and anxiety. Numbers may say that we’re on the road to recovery, the recession has ended, but we’re still in the thick of it. Job losses may have slowed, but people aren’t really going back to work. We’re getting more out of the ones that still have jobs, no reason to hire. Also, the state budget is in crisis. As we enter January’s legislative session, we’re looking for cuts of 1.7 Billion and/or more sources of revenue. Social services are bracing for the possible tidal wave of losses to come.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Maybe the regular joe is waking up to the fact that our government is for the rich and by the rich. Obama is no Roosevelt. No Eisenhower. They want us to keep fighting each other because if we stop, we’ll realize that democrats and republicans both SUCK. The tea baggers have the right idea but they are focusing their venom on the wrong people. The problem is not government. The problem is corporate control of government. How stupid do you have to be to protest deficit spending at a tea party while holding a sign that says,”I miss Reagan”? You can kick Obama out and you’ll end up with the same problems. It’s a realization that many Obama supporters have come to about Bush. Banks are back to business as usual, we’re about to escalate in Afghanistan, and we continue to bleed jobs due to ridiculous trade agreements. Corruption rules. The Empire is dead.
November 6th, 2009 at 9:14 am
When our elected leadership shifted their primary priority away from doing “the will” and “the business” of the people who elected them and replaced it with the sole continuation and advancement of their own personal political career they became corrupt and ineffective. Regardless of party or position.
It is one thing to spout off impersonal rhetoric on national issues and elections. It is quite another to get very personally involved at the local level, get your hands dirty, takes some hits and control what you can control.
One very important thing my service on the Kitsap Sun Elections board last year taught me is that when divided into three groups (Liberal, Conservative and Independent) the divisive party talking points and rhetoric are nearly insurmountable. No reasonable conversation occurred. At the State level, small pieces of common ground and goals start to appear. The groups actually started to listen to what others were saying even if they did not agree. At the Local County or City level, the majority of the group found that they agreed on about 80% of key local issues. Disagreements boiled down to very fine points that people were willing to work around or meet half way on.
When issues are personal and close people are more reasonable and tolerant of others and their view points.
November 6th, 2009 at 10:50 am
We are a nation of NOW. We cant wait 3 1/2 minutes to make rice, we need 60 second rice.
It took many years to get us into this mess, and its going to take many years to get us out. While I don’t agree with everything Obama is doing, he is doing the job we elected him to and we need to have some patience.
November 6th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
In short… Those who cannot see the forest for the trees are now (and have been for far too long) controlling many levels of government.
Government best serves the forest. When it gets down into the minutia of individual tree management, it loses it’s capacity to function well.
Those who want government to be everything to everyone will be disappointed. Those who want less government are disappointed. Those served are served poorly. Those serving are so caught up in regulation that they can’t serve well.
So, the extremists are creating an atmosphere that will ultimately self-destruct. Combine that with what Justin, Sally, Dave, Colleen, and Craig said, and we have a recipe for the convoluted mess we now find ourselves in.
The solution? The people must learn to step up and understand which candidates understand the scope of the issues and vote them into office so that our legislators (republican, democrat, independent, whatever) can work together, as statesmen, for the greater good.
Electing people on name recognition is a popularity contest, not a proud statement of democracy in action.
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
November 6th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Are we manic-depressive voters, incapable of maintaining an even keel and of allowing our leaders a reasonable period of time to accomplish what they have promised to try to make happen?
If this was Nov. 2001, those who don’t like Bush would be saying he’s had enough time to deliver on campaign promises. Those who do would be saying it takes time to effect changes on matters which existed before his term. It’s no different with Obama. Voters are partisan, and it has reached toxic levels which leave little room for even keels.
Electing people on name recognition is a popularity contest, not a proud statement of democracy in action.
What election do you believe was based on name recognition only?
November 6th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Registered Voter: I was not trying to suggest that giving Bush no chance to accomplish what he promised was any different than not giving Obama a chance to accomplish what he promised. In fact, in November of 2001, Bush’s popularity was at an all time high as the country rallied around the president in the wake of the 9-11 attack.
I agree with you that partisanship has reached a toxic level. It used to be that the opposition party would at least put on a show of bipartisanship, while behind the scenes they may have hoped that the party in power would make enough mistakes that they could benefit from that. Now, they come right out and say that they want to do everything possible to block initiatives like health care reform because that would give them political advantage. And certainly, in the waning years of the Bush Administration, the Congressional Democrats made no attempt to participate in solutions (with the exception of the quick approval of the TARP program while they watched the economy destruct).
Anyway, thanks to all you who have commented on this post. I hope the discussion continues.
— Jeff
November 7th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Jeff,
My comments about Bush and Obama were not about what you did or didn’t suggest. They were a convenient jumping off point to the broader one about partisanship.
Indeed, the electeds are also guilty of it. Though some of it is for show and many of them negotiate behind the scenes and play tennis with one another. It doesn’t typically make the headlines. Not sexy enough.
November 14th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Jeff… folks have asked me why I haven’t commented here and I am letting them know I did.
It was way too long and you chose not to print it and that is okay, it is your blog.
What does our mess say about us, the citizens?
For me… I’m wide awake and concerned.
There is simply no way a government already failed at running Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security can run a health care system.
The present White House had nothing to do with the failure of M, M or SS… but getting a government run health care system to set alongside the already failed government run programs, runs our country out of the free enterprise system into the poor house and still doesn’t solve the problems.
NO to a government run health care system.
Sharon O’Hara
November 15th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Sharon:
I’m not sure you can say the government has failed at running Medicare and Social Security. Millions of people have some kind of financial and health safety net because of those two programs, both of which were assailed as “socialist” when they were originally proposed.
You can say the government has work to do to assure the long-term future of those programs, but I certainly haven’t seen any evidence of a public desire to eliminate Social Security or Medicare as bad programs.
— Jeff
November 15th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I didn’t say anyone wanted to eliminate Social Security or Medicare, Jeff.
I said the government has failed at running the programs…and the money will run out soon for Social Security through government mismanagement.
If memory serves, there are 51 million people on Social Security and mismanagement has siphoned away the dollars needed for the future people who have paid into it all their working lives and when they are of the age to use it, the money won’t be there.
Medicare and Medicaid have also been mismanaged by the government. If you have proof of the beneficial government management of these programs, I’d like to see it.
I certainly haven’t seen evidence that the public has any desire to eliminate these programs either. Who said they did?
The issue is government incompetence to run the programs we already have, and the lack of money to pay for any of it. You know these things better than I do but you’ve just done a stunning example of a real life ‘slant’ change of an issue direction.
I saw something today that absolutely shocked me. The website of a small business owner has added her recommendation of a political person to her business site…his photo and name…possibly meaning that she is turning off about 50% of future business attracted to her website.
What do you think?
Sharon O’Hara
November 15th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Jeff, when did you add the post?
Sharon O’Hara
November 15th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Sharon:
What I’m suggesting is that if the government had messed up Social Security and Medicare to the extent you’re describing, I would expect that there would be a lot of people calling for the programs to be eliminated. But of course, they are not. Because even with the problems of fraud by providers of Medicare services, and with the issues of how the Social Security system will remain properly funded in the years past 2035, people still believe these programs benefit the public.
What I’m wondering is whether you believe that a system controlled by the insurance and the big drug companies that has delivered us poorer health outcomes for twice the cost that is paid by the citizens of other countries deserves to be seen as anything better than the government could operate?
— Jeff
November 16th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Jeff, The programs will stay in place until they’re bankrupt, as you know … our money is in these programs…our working life is represented by those programs.
It didn’t occur to me and I can’t imagine taxpayers calling for them to be ‘eliminated’ for any reason. Their money is invested in these programs.
It would be nice though, each taxpayer should have the option of withdrawing all the money they have invested in it plus interest.
All taxpayers have been forced into paying into Social Security all their working life, expecting the funds to be available when they reach the age. They are now part of the ‘culture’ of America.
I don’t have the answers, I don’t know how to fix these problems…I do know I don’t want to live in a government controlled country that is bankrupting us with wild spending, careless borrowing and printing more money to throw away.
Is it fair, Jeff, that medical people are only paid a fraction of their costs by Medicare and Medicaid?
How do you imagine a senior might feel seeing a doctor pressured into seeing a patient he doesn’t want because he/she is cheated – again, by our government.
Realistically, our health care system is already controlled by the government – Medicare and Medicaid – not the insurance companies. The government controls the insurance companies too so they aren’t subject to the ‘free enterprise system.’
Our government has failed the programs they already run, what makes you think they can run a health care system?
Sharon O’Hara
November 16th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Sharon:
We’re cross-talking. I don’t think the public feels that the government has failed to run Social Security or Medicare. I believe if you check public opinion polls, you will find them to be viewed as two of the most popular and necessary programs and most people would rather have the government guarantee an annuity retirement payment for life and to survivors than to take their money out of the system and invest it themselves.
You seem to think that people see Social Security and Medicare as public failures. I don’t think they do, and I certainly don’t think that leaving our health care system as it is would serve anyone particularly well because, as it is, we pay twice as much as the average Western nation and get health results that are worse than 35 of them.
— Jeff
November 16th, 2009 at 11:24 am
I am inline with Sharon on this one. I really enoyed this article from Newsweek of this year.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/199167
It brings up the most excellent point that “we continue self-defeating habits because we can—temporarily.”
Which may explain why there is not enough visible surface public outrage and thus causes Jeff to reach this conclusion…”What I’m suggesting is that if the government had messed up Social Security and Medicare to the extent you’re describing, I would expect that there would be a lot of people calling for the programs to be eliminated”
Also if you are only listening to people calling for the “elimination” of such programs you are doing a disservice to the population at large. The cry for the “reform” and “accountability” of these programs has been a constant rumble for quite some time now like the article says regardless of who or what party is in power.
November 16th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Colleen:
I stick with my main point. Yes, there are people calling for reform of Social Security and Medicare as well as the health care system. But if people felt these were programs the government shouldn’t be involved with (a socialist intrusion into our personal lives), the calls would not be for reform, but for elimination.
People who would state flatly that the federal government can do nothing right, can offer no positive assistance, simply sucks away at the market economy’s ability to create jobs, are simply wrong and ignoring reality.
So don’t go there. The situation is more nuanced than that and understanding it deserves a little more thought and a little more effort.
— Jeff
November 19th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Here is a poll taken in August.
A poll (image) depicting Social Security as what the public believes should be a top four concern for the current administration.
“Additionally, Americans may harbor doubts about how well government and healthcare bureaucracies can implement a highly complex new set of laws encompassing a large segment of the U.S. economy. This “practical” doubt is reinforced by recent data showing that Americans give Congress a low job approval rating, have relatively low levels of trust in the federal government, and believe that about half of all federal tax dollars are wasted.”
November 21st, 2009 at 12:08 am
“…federal government can do nothing right, can offer no positive assistance, simply sucks away at the market economy’s ability to create jobs, are simply wrong and ignoring reality…”
Jeff, I rarely notice ‘polls’ and NEVER blankly said the government ‘can do nothing right.’
“Ignore reality”?… Read the ‘facts’ of the financial picture for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Since when is a public ‘poll’ considered the standard for facts, other than awareness of the public?
I thought professional newspaper men and women dealt with facts, not public opinion poll fact. Retired or not, you are a trained professional news-person and I don’t understand how you can be unaware of the dire financial government mismanagement of those three government programs, much less want add the massive health care to the demonstrated incompetent government control.
I’m curious…at what age do you think a person is too old to qualify for a pace maker?
Sharon O’Hara