President Obama and the Democratic Party are on the defensive, with the economy in such bad shape four months before the midterm elections for Congress, and the governorships in most states!
The unemployment rate is still 9.5 percent; the stock market has seen a new decline since its high in April; consumer spending is still inadequate; housing sales are in a deep decline; the federal deficit is continuing to explode; millions of Americans are losing their unemployment benefits, due to failure to extend it in the Senate before the holiday break; state and local governments are in financial crisis unseen on this level since the Great Depression; and the imbalance of foreign exports as compared to imports is still out of control!
In these circumstances, President Obama is out making speeches and campaigning for endangered Democrats, arguing that the economic stimulus is starting to work, and that economic conditions will start to improve!
But for many voters, their patience and willingness to be calm about their situations is wearing down, and who can blame them?
So the question arises: the Republican party should see major gains in both houses, and the possibility exists that they could win control of both Houses of Congress in November! To do that, they would have to accomplish a net gain of 39 seats in the House, and 10 in the Senate, a tall order, but possible!
Never before, when there has been a party turnover in Congress, has one house switched without the other one also changing! That could happen this fall, however, as to accomplish ten seats gain in the Senate seems extremely unlikely, while the 39 seat gain in the House is more possible!
But let’s even assume that the GOP gains control in one or both Houses of Congress. The question is what do they do with the newly gained power? It is interesting that John Boehner, the Minority Leader in the House, who would become Speaker if his party won the House, has made clear that any plans are still in process of being formulated!
So do the Republicans have a solution or program to deal with the high unemployment rate; the decline in the stock market; the weak consumer spending; the housing crisis; the expanding federal deficit; the millions who will have no income, due to failure to expand unemployment compensation; the loss of services on the state and local level, including police, fire, education, libraries and other areas taken for granted; and the imbalance of foreign trade?
The answer is NO on all counts, as the Republicans have not come up with any alternatives, but obviously do not seem to be concerned with the crisis in the states and local governments, or the growing spread of poverty and homelessness due to long term unemployment!
Instead, they still talk about expanding defense and war spending as if there are no limits; condemn the economic stimulus and have no further plans on how to boost the economy; plan to try to repeal the health care reform before it really gets a chance to succeed; have no desire to restrain Wall Street through regulatory reform; continue to promote the oil industry, and work against energy and environmental reforms; and allow themselves to be hijacked by the Tea Party Movement, which sees cutting of spending and lower taxes as somehow the magical answer to the problems we face! 🙁
It is clear that many people, not terribly knowledgeable about issues and problems in detail, have an oversimplified view of reality! Only when the GOP would get their chance to show that they have no solutions to the series of problems we face, and only when people remember that the GOP controlled Congress for twelve years (1994-2006) and created most of the problems that led to the present mess, will they come to realize that the Democrats have better ideas and solutions!
But again, nothing happens overnight, and patience is required! Will the American people have that willingness to wait and not expect miracles overnight?
That is the big question of the upcoming midterm Congressional elections of 2010!