As the Joker so famously said: “Let’s turn the clocks back a year.”
Last October seems so far away. America had a mortgage crisis that nearly put us into a depression, we elected the first African-American president, Bernie Madoff nearly bankrupted the Mets*1, Sarah Palin resigned as governor of Alaska, Congressman Joe Wilson shouted “You lie!” in a joint session of congress, and just recently Glen Beck’s “Buzzword Army” marched on Washington. I didn’t even mention soon-to-be household name Max Baucus and the ruckus he’s causing.
So what the hell happened? The ‘08 mortgage crisis almost put us back in the Stone Age and there’s no specific reason as to why it happened. There might be 100 people that played a hand in the collapse, but we can’t charge one specific person with all of it. People panicked and the unemployment rate skyrocketed. Everyone was afraid to spend money because they might lose their jobs. The hysteria and paranoia spread nationwide. Things went from bad to worse.
Most democrats blame corporate greed. And all the while, as the sh** *2 was hitting the fan, young people started to become politically aware. They got interested in politics right when Barack Obama was calling for change. College students saw their bright future slipping away and decided to make their stand. A generation of pissed off youths did something that no one thought they were capable of; they turned the tide of a presidential election. That’s how Barack Obama became the president. Well, that and Oprah.
A few months after Obama took office, something happened. College students stopped caring. Young people ceased to mobilize for their cause because they were too busy with school and work. Obama wasn’t giving speeches every night because he was behind a desk trying to fulfill his campaign promises. His message of hope and change began to fade. Obama fever went away.
Then Sarah Palin gave conservatives a game-changing opportunity. The former vice-presidential candidate used Facebook to voice her concerns about Obama’s healthcare plan. The plan called for a government-run public option that Obama claims would drive down healthcare costs and create competition in the marketplace. Palin felt the new plan would force hospitals to ration resources to the elderly. She used the term “death panels.” Say what you want about Palin, but that term may have been the “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” to this healthcare debate because it gave conservatives a renewed vigor.
Healthcare reform has proven to be one of the most fiercely debated topics in recent memory. Barack Obama has worked tirelessly to get a public option worked into the bill. Conservatives blame him for moving too fast on healthcare reform while democrats are saying he’s not moving fast enough. Democrats have a majority in the house and the senate. They don’t need a single republican vote to pass a bill.
This is where Max Baucus comes in. Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, was appointed to write a healthcare proposal for Obama. Baucus, a conservative “Blue Dog” democrat, decided to go a different route in crafting the bill. He decided to go the bi-partisan route and put three democrats and three republicans in a room to try to create a bill that was fair for both sides.
While this was happening, conservatives forged forward with an unforeseen vengeance against the public option, Obama’s policies and the people who worked for him. Van Jones became collateral damage and proof that conservatives still had their fastball. They exposed Mr. Jones, and five days later he resigned as Obama’s czar of green jobs.
When Obama tried to make a speech to the nation’s children, a part of the conservative fringe attacked and said they didn’t want their children to be brainwashed. The word socialism crept into people’s heads. Conservatives were scared of a government takeover of the healthcare system. They also took habits and feel that Obama shouldn’t be spending so much while America’s in a deficit.
Obama felt the opposition to his healthcare plan, so he decided to make a speech to a joint session of Congress to address some of the concerns. One of the concerns was that illegal immigrants would be able to receive healthcare under Obama’s plan. While he was trying to dispel that notion, South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson shouted, “You lie!” The speech boosted Obama’s falling approval ratings, but Wilson’s outburst helped him raise $2 million and made him a hero in some groups.
A few days after Wilson apologized; around 100,000 people took to the streets and marched on the nation’s captial. They were so-called Tea Party protesters who affiliated themselves with Fox News’ Glen Beck. The group is concerned with the federal government having too much power. Former President Jimmy Carter spoke out on the protest, citing race as a major motivator.
Then Baucus came out of hiding and unleashed his new healthcare bill. The consensus was that no one would vote for it. Democrats felt the bill didn’t do enough to reform healthcare because it didn’t have a public option. So, after all that bi-partisan negotiating, America is back to square one on healthcare reform.
The last year in politics has given people a lot to talk about. It’s only the tip of the iceberg and there will be many big changes in the coming months. I implore young people to start paying attention again because the issues that affect you and are being discussed and debated as we speak. note of Obama’s spending
1 comments