Partisan politics normal since Obama's election

The quandary among Republican leadership and many news outlets has to be how to deal with Democratic proposals, plans, policies and positive attitudes when just responding with “No” gets a bit tiresome and lacking in news value.  But they have figured out a way, and it is interesting to hear and watch.

It simply involves taking every problem, crisis, and near crisis that comes up within the U.S. and the world and spinning the root cause of that particular problem as resting squarely on President Obama’s shoulders and with the Democratic party.  Just to name a few:  National health care, Benghazi, Syria, Iran, Ukraine, troop withdrawals from questionable wars, NSA, VA, Economy, Job growth.  The list goes on and on.  Fortunately we have a president who is reasonably and calmly active and not emotionally reactive.    

Such vicious partisan politics is not historically normal in America.  It has become normal ever since Barack Obama was elected president in 2008.  His election came as a total shock to many.  This happened too fast as a cultural shift for many people to accept.  This set the tone with the Republican establishment for legislating to make sure it would not happen again.  But it did.  Karl Rove’s incredulous and ‘out of control’ reaction on television on election night in 2012 was the perfect illustration of not only what was happening right before America’s very eyes, but also what was to come for the next four years in Republican strategies.  The “Party of No”, determined to fight Obama at every turn; stopped passing proposed legislation; brought government to a standstill; and aggressively spun every problem as a White House caused disaster by a do-nothing, weak, out of touch, and diplomatically inept leader.

What I suggest here becomes so obvious and pointed as I read, watch and listen to much of the daily fare of news and opinions from otherwise very bright, informed, respected, and long-time purveyors of news and views.  But at least much of this is out in the open now.  There is hope.

Bob MClellan, Polson