I think the progressive movement in America is on its last legs.

[sinkingfeeling]

With the GOP/Tea Party wins in the state houses and legislatures, we will be 'killed' by the gerrymandering of House districts and fail to regain it for many years to come.

The new House WILL attempt to de-fund HCR and I doubt if there will ever be another attempt in my lifetime to 'fix' health care in this country.

The rich and corporations are now on track to see their dreams of lower taxes, the end of an estate tax, and more deregulation.

I do not see the economy or jobs picture improving. I do believe we're in the 'new norm', but things will get so very much worse for those on the bottom. As these newly elected Republicans seek to cut $100 billion from the budget while keeping all those tax breaks, more assistance to humans will fall to the states. The states have experienced loss of revenue through less income, sales, and property taxes (local), and have already started cutting their payrolls.

As the states cut back, we have more unemployment. Then if the crazies get their way, they will demand the elimination of many federal jobs...department of Education, FDA, USDA, etc. And they will also seek to break the unions and lower public sector pay. Who knows, maybe they will repeal the federal minimum wage as well.

What these 'enlightened' voters fail to see is that there will be no entity to pick up the slack. When HCR doesn't provide health care for the poor, who will? Not the states. So that leaves 'free clinics' often funded by donations. There aren't enough of those to expand coverage to 10's of millions. The same with food. Without the federal government providing dollars for food stamps, the states can't handle the burden nor can food banks.

I'm certainly having a sinkingfeeling that Americans will never wake up and never see the good that comes from less 'free market', unending consumption and more European-style safety nets.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. It's always darkest before the dawn

Or before the lights go out completely. Not sure which is the case right now.

Things were very, very dark when FDR was elected in 1932, many similarities to today.

[marmar]

2. When they can no longer participate in that 'free market' unending consumption.......

...... maybe they'll see the light.

[TBF]

3. Let's think this through.

For the most part the teabaggerati were side-lined in favor of more traditional republicans. Blue dogs were fired (yay!).

It is really not so complicated. People want jobs and they want to keep their homes. There is no such thing as a "jobless recovery". It doesn't matter if you call yourself republican, libertarian, communist, or buddhist - politics is economics. Give the people jobs and you will get the votes.

[Poboy]

4. We are on the verge of a new gilded age, where the corporation is KING.

[Toots]

5. Well maybe we can get a new War going someplace...

:shrug: There must be some new torture techniques we haven't yet tried...

[liberalmuse]

6. Democracy is on it's last legs.

Corporate America is more firmly entrenched than ever in our politics. They own the news stations. The own the Tea Party. They own the USSC - and then there's 'Citizen's United'. Unless we overturn that horrible USSC decision, we are eternally fucked. I somehow doubt the soulless corporate entity is going to be throwing much money to progressive causes.

[socialshockwave]

7. Perhaps...

Possibly since I'm a Canadian progressive looking in on your elections, it seems that there was not much of a progressive movement anyway.

The Democrats seem to be full of Blue Dogs or moderates who are unwilling to appeal to the left, and the Republicrats are able to take that and run with it. Tacking "socialism" onto any Democratic policy is something that they want to avoid. The Tea Party is picking up victories because of the lack of confidence and support of a "moderate" president, who's done more in two years then the Republicrats did in their eight.

Again, possibly because I'm not an American(though I do watch a ton of your news stations and sympathize with progressive Americans :) ) I don't understand the issue. But it seems to me that the last true progressive Democrats have long since died out, and the party is full of moderates and those wanting to try bipartisanship, which the Republicrats would never, ever do if they held the Senate and White House.

[Bonhomme Richard]

8. I think we are in for a dark time but the reality is....

that the republicans have to govern or all that anger will be focused on them. The bright light is that the average American voter can surprise just as they did electing a black President, and I never believed they would. That alone gives me just a smidgen of hope for this nation. Just a smidgen.

[walldude]

9. The end is nigh!

please... The Republicans hold the house, that's all. Lame ducks. They'll talk a lot of shit and do nothing. They'll investigate the Presidential Penis for 2 years and then crawl back in their hole.

[caveat_imperator]

12. And those "investigations" will hurt them big time.

[Odin2005]

10. Baloney. We will salughter these fuckers in 2012.

[still_one]

11. I see just the opposite. The Democratic party as we have known it for the last 20 years may be on

its last legs, but not the progressive movement.

For one thing, my state, California solidly rejected the corporate takeover of the government, and actually said enough is enough

There are other states who also sent the same message, some stronger then others

The repukes now control a house, and if they decide to continue a policy of obstruction, or are even stupid enough to try and impeach and bring up inane issues, they too will be held accountable. They also do not own the tea party, and the tea party will not be led by the nose by the repuke leadership. In fact, the repukes will wish the Democrats are their only adversary. They made a pack with the devil, and that devil will divide the republicans. In other words, the republicans will no longer be as united as we have seen through the last couple of decades, and that makes them vulnerable.

I don't know how many progressives actually came out to vote, but at the minimum they have been demoralized by the corporate wing of the party. The loss of Kennedy's seat should have been a loud warning sign to them, but wasn't heard. Instead of uniting the party, spokespeople from the administration belittled liberals and progressives. Not a brillant move. The Democrats better come to consistent unified message, without nuance, and one they are willing to fight for.