Common sense has been rationed in political climate
September 29, 2010
Why are we (supporters of President Obama's administration and the political leaders who support him) feeling frustrated, and a bit demoralized as we approach the upcoming November mid term election?
Because we are facing too many irrational voters.
* Too many voters refuse to accept the findings of most economists: the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (see recovery.gov) prevented our nation from entering into a repeat of a 1930s great depression.
* Too many voters have demonized The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (turning the term "stimulus" toxic), yet applaud the projects made possible by the Reinvestment/Recovery funds such as the improvements to The Glendale Village Square and the improvements to East Sharon Avenue.
* Too many voters blur The Troubled Asset Relief Program into the "stimulus" funding program.
*Too many voters have forgotten TARP was established by President George W. Bush.
*Too many voters have lost sight of the fact that the majority of economists agree the TARP loans prevented the total collapse of the world's financial system (see financialstability.gov).
*Too many voters have demonized TARP and turned the term "bank bailout" toxic.
*Too many voters fail to see, accept or understand that the vast majority of the TARP funds have already been paid back to the government by the banks.
* Too many voters seem to have forgotten President Obama arrived in office facing an unprecedented array of challenges. In the month President Obama took office, the nation was losing 750,000 jobs a month (see blogs.abcnews.com). [ed note: click on "Non-Verbal Answer to the Stimulus Doubters" on the right side of the blog -->] We are no longer losing jobs; there is today positive private sector job growth. All employment reports show continued signs of gradual labor market healing.
*Too many voters fail to accept the fact that prior to the passage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, our nation's medical and health insurance system was unsustainable, denied access to millions and provided protection for no one.
*Too many voters fail to see that The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the great Civil Rights Legislation of the 21st Century.
*Too many voters fail to see that the benefits of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 will be seen over time as equally valuable to our nation as are Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid (see whitehouse.gov -search "benefits of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010").
* Too many voters confuse the need for short-term government deficit spending in a global recession with the need for long term deficit reduction which has nothing to do with the Reinvestment and Recovery funding, but everything to do with addressing solutions to strengthening Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as well as addressing tax reform and a balanced budgeting process.
* Too many irrational voters have forgotten why this nation elected President Barack Obama. Those who are grumbling need to be reminded what this great nation liked about him in the first place.
Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school and middle school head, Cincinnati Country Day School. He is also a neighborhood team leader, Glendale Organizing For America Community Team (GOFACT.) He lives in Glendale.
PROVIDED
Richard Schwab Community Press guest columnist
