Let's see what's happened during this manufactured budget crisis

[No Elephants]

1/ Over 60% of Americans want to throw out all incumbents.

Americans tend to hate Congress, but like their own Senators and Representative, but even that is changing.

Should Americans dump all incumbents--and I don't think they will--that could put the House in the hands of Democrats and the more powerful Senate in the hands of Republicans.

Given the 60 vote rule in the Senate, though, what would really change?

The danger I see here is that incumbents in the Senate tend to get re-elected, even more so than incumbents in the House. So the Senate might stay Republican, while re-districting might flip the House back to Republicans in short order.




2/ Over 60% of Americans say the country needs a third party. As I've written, America already has at least 33 national parties, of which 5 are considered major parties. Three of those five are rightist parties--Republican, Libertarian and Constitution. Only two can be considered leftist in the least--Democratic and Green. And if more parties are birthed as a result of this, you know they ones funded will be rightist.


3/ Over 60% of Americans think the federal government sucks. That's a win for Republicans, who have been trying to peddle that idea for many decades.


4/ Last night on CNN a Republican in one of the few remaining purple districts in the country, Denham, began talking about forgetting about Democratic solutions and Republican solutions and going for No Labels solutions. Problem is, that No Labels was founded by Bush Republicans and is peopled by them and the right of the DLC clan. It lumps liberals with Tea Partiers, calling both extremists. Since I discovered New Labels a few years back, I've been saying that I consider it more dangerous to Democrats than Third Way and DLC.

It is very convenient for Republicans because it is essentially a Republican organization that condemns Tea Baggers, who tend to primary Republican incumbents. For a liberal Democrat? Not so much.

5/ Anericans are more ready for cuts to entitlements, a budget containing which is already in the House, awaiting passage. Maybe Americans will be relieved and grateful when it passes, instead of outraged, as they would surely have been five years ago.


BTW, what else has gone on in the last two weeks? Progress on Keystone? The TPP? Something we haven't even heard about yet?

So, who really won this crisis? Dunno. Don't care, because I know who lost. America and Americans, maybe even the 99% in other nations.

[Enthusiast]

1. I cannot disgree.

The crisis wasn't manufactured for the manufacturers to lose. See?

They want to cut "entitlements" so they will. Yes, the nation lost. Such is governance in this age of unrestricted NSA surveillance and Citizens United. We're being crushed under to foot of the Fascist.

[No Elephants]

2. Seems as though I am always marching to a different drummer.

Everyone else seems to think Democrats are the big winners in the shutdown debacle.

[Enthusiast]

3. It's pure kabuki.

Just wait and see. Well, we might not be able to afford cable TV after they are done.