THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume XIV, Issue # 001, January 1, 2011
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
HOW NOT TO GO CRAZY IN 2012
By Alan Caruba
THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY & ITS THREAT TO AMERICAN LIBERTY & THE U.S. ECONOMY: THE 2012 ELECTIONS & THE COMING CONSERVATIVE CORRECTION
& CLEAN-UP OF THE POLITICAL MESS MADE BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION & ITS SUPPORTERS AMONG THE LEFTISTS & ENVIRONMENTALISTS IN
CONGRESS -- THE LIKELYHOOD THAT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA WILL BECOME A ONE-TERM PRESIDENT -- THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HEADED FOR MINORITY
STATUS IN BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS -- THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF CHECKS & BALANCES & THE ADVANTAGES OF OCCASSIONAL GRIDLOCK IN AMERICAN
POLITICS & GOVERNMENT -- HOW AMERICAN GRIDLOCK PREVENTS MAJORITARIAN TYRANNY & NATIONAL RUIN
FULL STORY:
Election years tend to create a level of frenzy concerning the selection of the nominees and the outcome. The media feed this in order to keep readers reading and
viewers viewing. The history of American elections has always been one of vituperation between the parties, so there is nothing new about this. Indeed, since so
much depends on it, the political free-for-all is a healthy exercise.
It can, however, make for a difficult environment in which to go about one’s life; the air filled with charge and counter-charge, polls going up and down, and a
general sense that something is very wrong with the way the government functions.
On the bright side, a gridlocked Congress may bring a measure of relief to everyone. Writing about gridlock in January, 2011, Marcus E. Ethridge, Professor of
Political Science at the University of Wisconsin, noted that, “By fostering gridlock, the U.S. Constitution increases the likelihood that policies will reflect broad,
unorganized interests, instead of the interests of narrow, organized groups.” In 2011, we saw what happens when advocates of “renewable energy,” wind and
solar power, or electric cars, get priority over the needs of most Americans for reliable energy and transportation.
At the heart of the 2012 election, will be the recognition that the American economy is still not recovering, that government is seeking to extend and expand its
control over our lives, and, even among former supporters of Barack Obama, that he has been a failure of historic proportions.
A Friday Rasmussen Reports said that “Voters right now give the edge to Republicans, when asked which political party is likely to win the White House
and control both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in next November’s election,” adding that “a lot of voters are undecided.” Those voters
may actually wait until entering the polls to decide how to cast their respective votes.
Another bad piece of news for President Barack Obama is a new comparative analysis of current voter registration data in key electoral states of Nevada and
North Carolina. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, there has been “a drastic drop from 2008 levels, when
a record-high proportion of young Americans turned out overwhelmingly to cast their votes to elect Barack Obama as President.” This is significant because
more than two-thirds of young voters supported the Obama/Biden ticket in 2008.
The President had a low moment following the passage of Obamacare that transformed itself into the Tea Party movement and an even worse one in 2010, when
it propelled a large number of Republicans into the U.S. House of Representatives, causing its control to change hands. He has had, in fact, only one truly high
moment and that occurred when he announced the killing of Osama bin Laden in May, 2011. At the time, he typically took complete credit. In a speech at Fort
Bragg to returning troops from Iraq, the word “victory” was never spoken.
Americans are not unmindful that the downgrade of the rating of the nation’s sovereign debt, the first in the nation’s history, was announced on Obama’s watch.
The rate of "official" unemployment has receded to 8.6%, but most Americans are well aware that it is far closer to 11% or more. America continues to experience
that longest period of longterm unemployment since the 1930s.
For these and a myriad of other reasons, there is little reason to conclude that President Obama has any chance whatever of being reelected. The widespread
contempt for Congress is also a hopeful sign for change. These are reasons to remain calm amidst the din of electioneering in the months ahead.
There is, however, all manner of troubles brewing in the world. Europe will have to find a solution to what will happen if its southern tier of nations elects to
default on their sovereign debt. Cracks in the European Union are evident. If it falls apart, it will be very messy, but Europe existed before the EU and would if it
disbands.
The Middle East is in the midst of a huge struggle between its fanatical Muslim faction and a population unhappy enough with former dictators to have forced
out several in 2011, with the prospect that Syria’s Bashar Assad will fall in 2012.
Iran remains the wild card and its nuclear dreams will likely end with a well-timed and well-executed attack by Israel. Israel saved the world from a nuclear Iraq in
1981 and a nuclear Syria in 2007. An attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities could trigger an internal movement to overthrow the mullahs.
There are other wild cards in the Middle East. The Palestinians show no indication of giving up their dream of destroying Israel. That will not happen. Without
Iranian support, both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza will be set adrift. Muslim atrocities in nations such as Nigeria, where Christian churches were
bombed on Christmas Day, will contribute to a growing movement against Islamic terrorism. It will not happen overnight, but it will happen.
Even the Russians show signs of tiring of their post-Soviet ruling class led by Vladimir Putin.
America faces a long period of restructuring the socialist and statist programs that began in the 1930s and reached their peak in the 1960s. Should the GOP gain
control of Congress and Obama is defeated, real change will occur.
Two other factors signal better times ahead. They are the failure of the global warming hoax and the disdain the “Occupy” movement engendered.
In 2012, Americans will take steps to end the scandals and deprecations of the Obama administration.
We shall ignore the anticipated shouts of racism.
We shall see the U.S. Supreme Court disembowel Obamacare or set in motion its repeal by a GOP-controlled Congress.
We will select a President and a Congress to put things right.
© Alan Caruba, 2012
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
American Politics, Political Competition, & the Control of
Public Policy: Elections, Political Parties, Political Factions,
Ideologies, & Special Interest Groups
American Government & the U.S. Presidency:
Presidential Politics & National Leadership
The American Political & Cultural Left:
Liberals, Statists, Socialists, Marxists, & Other Leftists:
The Democratic Party, Academia, & the Mainstream Media
The American Political System:
Politics & Government in the U.S.A.
Alan Caruba's commentaries are posted daily at Warning Signs, his popular blog -- and thereafter on dozens of other
websites and blogs. His monthly report on new books is posted at Bookviews.
A business and science writer, Caruba is the Founder of The National Anxiety Center, a clearinghouse for information
about "scare campaigns" designed to influence public opinion and policy.
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THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
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Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity