Is The Democratic Party Is Too Old?

 

• Joe Biden 78. Has stated he will run again in 2024
• Nancy Pelosi 82. Running for re-election
• Chuck Schumer 71. The ineffective Senate leader and "Spring Chicken"
• Dianne Feinstein 88. Often confused around own clerks
• Patrick Leahy 80. Assumed Office: January 3, 1975, I was 14 then, I'm now 62

This (above) will not get the vote out or win with young or middle-aged people.  Experience is one thing, not being able to give up the power and fame is another.  I'm sorry but I'm 62 years old and I am certainly not as sharp as I used to be.  This group has absolutely no appeal to anyone under 50.  You must generate excitement to get people to get to the polls!  The Dems need to promote youth, these people look old and tired. Honestly, they are the reason that Congress and especially the Senate are as clogged up as a grease trap at a restaurant that serves a fried chicken buffet. 

One of the worst perceptions put out there lately was Nancy Pelosi flip/flopping on the potential congressional stock trading ban.  Uh, we actually know what your salary is, it's publicly stated.  You and everyone else in congress either must have the best investment portfolio manager or the rest of us just don't get the insider...uh...nothing.  Being in their positions though, must be wonderful because Strom Thurmond served in the Senate for 48 years, in his 90s he was still running for office.  Can you imagine how great these jobs must be?

Whatever gets people to run for office is obviously beyond me.  They must crave the power, the fame, and the money.  It seems to me if we just removed everything but serving your constituents as the goal and removed the "side income" from politicians, we'd have leaders who were not only there for the right reason, but there for the purposes in which this government was designed.           

My dream is to have term limits:

1. President two terms (remains the same)
2. Senate three total no more than 18 years
3. Congress no more than 20 total years
4. Supreme Court 20 total years or 75 years old, whichever comes first   

There should be no "life-long" politicians.  They lose touch with the everyday struggles and real life as the rest of us know it.  I believe our founding fathers may have been a little naive at the time of the drafting of the constitution. They may have assumed that no one would take advantage of their offices the way they do now.  That document was very altruistic and envisioned to be a template for jurisprudence, now certain officials use if for "guidelines" on what can be stretched and twisted for their own purposes.  There is also a certain philosophy among leaders that we do not feed on our own.  There is a Jan. 6 Committee that is investigating who may have been attempting to overthrow our government. Now I'm no genius, but it seems after 471 days, someone might have asked/subpoenaed Donald Trump to appear, but again, who am I?               

*Don't get me started on the supreme court, they should be voted on during every presidential election, not just as a favor to a party or ticket.  Also, there needs to be some sort of oversight, to which there is none now. 

So, what do Dems do for sucess in the next two election cycles?  My thoughts:  

1. Remind voters exactly what the Republicans have stood for lately, don't sit on your heels and act like a punch-drunk fighter
2. Promote the ideals of the Democratic platform, equality in pay and opportunities for the middle and lower class.  Make the rich pay their fair share.   
3. Promote the youth of this party, there are some very dynamic people here and they should be promoted into leadership positions!

For far too long the GOP has been louder and more focused on their message.  They are more unified (see the Senate voting record under Mitch McConnell) and therefore have mass appeal.  The progressive wing of the Democratic party initially sabotaged the Build Back Better Bill by infighting and challenging every single point until finally, there IS NO Build Back Better Bill (huge mistake).  The Republican party will repetitively pound a point, whether it's true or not, and the message will become "true" due to the nature of it being repeated so many times.  Then it becomes "true" in the minds of the electorate (see stolen election).  Democrats could use a similar tactic, but Pelosi and Schumer have been very ineffective at their unification efforts.  Bottom line, take on your opponent, "fight like Hell" remind the electorate of their lies.  

The Democratic platform has been splintered into progressives and the old guard.  A divided party has no chance in an election against a unified party.  Let's take Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema out of this equation because he stands for coal and is one of the most corrupt Senators ever, and I'm not real sure of what she stands for except corporate greed.  This party needs a platform period.  We've already seen the Republican platform which includes "sunsetting" social security and Medicare (Rick Scott, thanks for saying that out loud).  The Bible said that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us, no matter what religion this saying is attributed to, it is how a just society is judged.  We are headed to a place where there is only the wealthy and the poor. It is time to turn this around!  We are the people for the people, not just the rich or entitled.  

As far as leadership roles, there are some absolutely honest and dynamic people in this party if we would just listen to them.  I believe that if Ron DeSantis runs against an older version of Biden, democracy is done.  Kamala Harris needs to be on her own ticket running against other Dems for the party POTUS ticket.  Jamie Raskin needs to lead a new oversight committee to charge seated congressman/woman who attempt to usurp their constitutional responsibilities or parameters of office.  Cory Booker should be the senate democratic leader with Katie Porter as the congressional democratic leader.  Pete Buttigieg should be the Secretary of Veteran Affairs.              

• Kamala Harris 57 @KamalaHarris
• Jamie Raskin 59 @RepRaskin
• Cory Booker 53 @SenBooker
• Katie Porter 48 @RepKatiePorter
• Pete Buttigieg 40 @SecretaryPete

So, for all of the sound and fury that the GOP/Fox News spouts, it should not be that hard to trounce their ideology of lie, deceive, contort and obfuscate the truth.  We need to bring the truth, the actual truth, and nothing but the truth back out into the light again.  Until truth is reintroduced into our national conscience, we will continue to struggle against the potential overthrow of a 246 year string of Democracy and freedom.    

Sincerely,

Insensitive Bastard

Insensitive Bastard

Be Well      

An Open Apology to the Children

 

I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to the children of this country.  My generation, the generation before me and the generation after me have let you down in major ways.  I can only apologize for the people of the United States, although I’m sure, that at least parts of this apology are relevant to other countries and most members of this planet.  I sincerely hope that you do better than we have and are able to enjoy the same freedoms and unity that we once shared but have somehow taken for granted.      

We have failed to protect you from child predators.  Public Law 105-314-Oct. 30, 1998 (Protection of Children from Sexual Predators) should have been passed many years prior and we still fail to approve a sufficient budgetary support due to political wrangling and apathy.  According to UNICEF USA, there is child trafficking in all 50 states and most domestic trafficking victims are US citizens.  It’s time we make children’s safety a real priority in this country because they cannot protect themselves (see next paragraph).     

It's about the guns stupid!  Columbine, Sandy Hook, Stoneman Douglas and other school shootings have become common occurrences.  After each event, the politicians vow to change the laws but it is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.  The gun lobbyist/NRA treat you like collateral damage of a Right, but in reality, your right to live should be above any group that demands they have the right to bear arms.  YOU are the future of this planet and should never be considered anything other than precious and proprietary.  Again, we have failed you and I am ashamed. 

We have failed to protect you from cages.  The Trump administration and policies driven by men like Stephen Miller have attempted to reduce you to mere chattel that ends up being a pawn in an anti-immigration effort.  You were helpless, you asked us for comfort, and we dumped you in a cage with nothing but a mylar blanket and the hope that someone who cared would advocate for you.  What a terrible way to treat you!  We even separated you from your parents and THAT is completely and totally unforgivable.

Right now, Russia has attempted to overrun Ukraine in an effort to take back what they say is their right to do.  Ukraine is a sovereign state and should not have to accept this attack.  Unfortunately, since some of you were born on the “wrong side” of a line on a map, NATO and the United States have failed to protect you due to fear.  Fear that “our” countries may experience the exact same slaughter that you are experiencing right now, make sense, Hell no!  We should protect all of the world’s children from these atrocities, not just some.

As role models go, we are complete crap.  This country has divided itself into Democrats and Republicans.  We are as close to a civil war now as you can be without actually firing at one another, wait, we’ve already done that.  We can’t even settle disputes like you would in a sandbox over a shared toy.  Our elected officials are only about power, not you or any of the other people that vote them into office.  Protection of you is not their main concern (not everyone, just most people), though it should be.  If we lowered the voting age, that might change some minds.

Protecting the planet we live on, the only planet we live on, SHOULD be a top priority for everyone on this planet, but clearly is it not.  Coal and oil industry people have ridden the unsustainable gravy train for far too long.  Solar and wind technologies need to be implemented immediately if we are to have any chance for survival.  We need to agree as a planet that we have taken it for granted and now must immediately reverse the policies and damages we have inflicted on her.  One day I hope that you will enjoy the planet and it’s resources the way we used to. 

Finally, I pray that you may find it in your hearts one day to forgive us.  The history books will certainly not be kind and they have no reason to be.  In families as in generations, your hope is to leave those that come after you in a better place, and I’m afraid we’ve absolutely let you all down here.  YOU carry our names, our hopes and our dreams with you and I wish all of you nothing but happiness and contentment.  I remember as a child hoping for these things, and they are very hard to achieve.  I also wish you love, it tends to heal all things, if nothing else, try to remember that. 

Sincerely,

Insensitive Bastard

Insensitive Bastard

Be Well