From Maine comes this dispatch from a historian friend of mine, Alan Ginsberg, who, like many of us, has become discouraged by the wall-to-wall squabbling that has dominated Washington: "The rhetoric daily seems to grow more bitter, even destructive. The incessant arguing over money, money, money sounds like a bad marriage that is coming totally apart."
Of course, he is right.
The Great Public Squabble of 2013 may not be helping the nation. But it is manifestly hurting the Republican Party. In the most recent Wall Street Journal-NBC News national poll, one original question captured that fact: "Based on what you have seen, heard or read recently, do you feel that (fill in the blank) is emphasizing unifying the country in a bipartisan way or emphasizing a partisan approach in a way that does not unify the country?"
A plurality of Americans, 48 percent, believes that President Barack Obama is "emphasizing unifying the country in a bipartisan way," while 43 percent see the president "emphasizing a partisan approach." Not spectacular marks, but impressive when compared to the failing grades these same voters on the same question give to the Republican Party.
Consider these two numbers: More than one out of three (34 percent) of those polled self-identified as Republicans, but barely one out of five of the total (22 percent) feel that Republicans are acting in a bipartisan fashion to unify the country. That's right, not even two-thirds of Republicans give their own party positive grades. By an almost 3-1 margin instead, some 64 percent of respondents see the GOP as following a partisan course "that does not unify the country."
Republicans also trailed Democrats on a whole series of questions about which party could better help the middle class or handle Medicare to which could better deal with the economy, immigration and taxes.
(Out of 12 issues asked, Republicans were given the edge on just three — reducing the federal deficit, controlling government spending and ensuring a strong national defense.)
Democratic pollster Fred Yang, who collaborated on the Journal-NBC News poll with Republican pollster Bill McInturff, referring to the Oscar-nominated movie, observed that "Republicans don't need a silver lining. They need a whole new playbook."
This marks the end of good news for the Democrats. Compared to Republicans who currently suffer from the political equivalent of terminal halitosis, the D's may not look that bad. But compared to themselves from four or even 12 years earlier, today's Democrats look really bad.
In a 2001 Pew Research survey, the Democratic Party had a 60 percent favorable rating from voters. Eight years later, some 62 percent of those asked rated Democrats favorably. Yes, today only 33 percent rate the Republican Party favorably, which is awful. But in the most recent Pew poll, the Democratic Party gets favorable remarks from only 47 percent of voters, a significant 15 percent drop from 2009.
Disappointment and discouragement with Washington is followed by continued loss of confidence in the national government and its ability to be wise in policy, practical in action and prudent with the public purse. The climate in our capital city reminds me of what Grantland Rice, the wonderful sportswriter, once wrote: "For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name, He marks not whether you won or lost — but how you played the Game."
But in the current atmosphere of political recrimination, bickering parties and diminished trust, Rice's quote would read differently: "For when the One great Scorer comes to write against your name, He marks not whether you won or lost — but who gets the blame!"
To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
COPYRIGHT 2013 MARK SHIELDS
|
 |
Comments
|
4 Comments | Post Comment
|
|
Sir;... Majority rule is a piss poor excuse for democracy; but it is better than partocracy, and the people are beginning to universally notice that fact... They have been sold on the notion of majority rule, but they would have to be blind to not see the way districts left and right are gerrymandered to send representatives to Washington free from any obligation to the people of their districts who can be used, since they are always comprised of left and right neatly divided, to justify any vote, left or right...
The people know what they need, and if they do not know it exactly- do know that they need something from government that is being totally disregarded... Even the worthless sops the government throws to the people have not the value of a true sop in any sense of the word...The people have lost control of their government, and they have been so divided, and made so mutually antogonistic through the free expression of money in politics that what they get from a government of their choice is a momentary and worthless defense against those who hold alternative opinions...
We have not got a government... We have a mad house filled with so many delusions of grandure and wanna be Napoleons... Not one of these people will dump the power back into the laps of the people... Everyone of these officials will blame the people in one fashion or another for being stupid enough to elect some so in so with out sense enough to butter his bread right side up...
What choice have the people in their own affairs??? That is the ultimate test of freedom: How well you can defend yourself from the whims and wiles of your neighbors and how well defended is he... Now; no one gets a defense, and no one gets a vote on the larger issue, and instead we are inticed into voting on cosmic or religious issue over which frustrations build, while nothing is accomplished...
Sir;.. I make not claim of having political skills... Even in the average politics of relationships I am a failure... I have succeeded as much as I have in life through the practice of mechanical skills as a mechanic using weight and leverage to accomplish some or another goal...Try that with people... The only kind word one can apply to my polical ability is improvement...But the whole of American history in regard to politics is dis-improvement... Look at what the people are saying in regard to politics... There is no comfort to be had by party or by partocracy... This game of divide and conquer, mastered by the Romans and handed down to us is failing them as badly as it failed them... If it did work at all, some one some where would be happy about it and say so...
People have a relgious attachement to the constitution that does not extend to the rotten eggs that eagle has layed... You cannot constitutionally forbid people from free assembly even if that results in corporation or parties working against the interest of the people; but at the same time you cannot prevent people from knowing they are not being helped and are being injure... Sooner or later, and even if they revere the constitution up to the final moment of its existence, the people must some day ask if it makes sense to let a written constitution destroy them when the worst of them might write a better constitution with a crayon...
Our founding document is not the constitution, but is the Declaration of independence, and the constitution must be judged in the light of the declaration as well as in the light of our own common sense...If you disregard the stated purpose of the constitution as found in the Preamble, consider what Danial Webster said in Ogden v. Saunders: "Commerce, credit, and confidence were the principal things which did not exist under the old federation, and which it was the main object of the present constitution to create and establish"... What do we have of that today??? Commerce is shot, and every where relies upon credit which every where government supports in lieu of demanding just wages for work, and must avail itself of in order to support it generally- so that confidence is stretched to the ultimate level of gullibility...
There is always the stated reason for any action and the real reason behind it...Considered in the light of its stated reason and its real reason, the constitution has been a complete failure, and we need to go back to our founding, and find what principals we can unite under... Do we believe in democracy??? Do we accept that an equal people in order to secure their rights have the power to institute governments of their choosing, deriving power from the consent of the governed???...
Look, man... This government has lost our faith by myriad tricks it has played on the faith of the people... Will it now settle a debt on the backs of the people that this people cannot possibly pay because we have been so long denied justice as a matter of course???... Let them try at their own peril... If the rich could not pay for their government, a government instituted out of regard for their desires and need for commerce, credit, and confidence; then let one be formed with human needs in mind by human beings... The rich have had their way and their day; and if now they will have the government sell us all into slavery for the right to call ourselves free, then all bets are off...Up the revolution!!!
Thanks...Sweeney
Comment: #1
Posted by: James A, Sweeney
Fri Mar 1, 2013 6:45 AM
|
|
|
|
Re: James A, Sweeney... If your proof reader worked as hard as your mechanic used to he could find a better job that paid him well to pay attention...Just between you and me and who gives a fry, consider not writing while something else is waiting on being done, and you know that means not writing at all... Retired ten years, and still haven't learned to slow down enough to have the dog nap on your lap...I guess I am going to have to retire from retirement if I am ever going to get to relax...Try to remember, as a note, that you can always come back and check the writing..
And by the way, Sir Mark... The metaphore makes for a good analogy, and the marriage can't be saved... But they are codependents, so at least their misery is community property...
Thanks...Sweeney
Comment: #2
Posted by: James A, Sweeney
Fri Mar 1, 2013 2:18 PM
|
|
|
|
Two words: "filibuster" and "gerrymandering"
Comment: #3
Posted by: Mike Ohr
Sun Mar 3, 2013 11:27 AM
|
|
|
|
Re: Mike Ohr... Filibuster actually grew out of the word: Freebooter, as in Pirate... On the one hand, democracy is purely defensive, and on the other hand it is meant to protect the minoritiy from the majority, and obligate people seek consensus; but it can as well force a dictatorship of the minority onto the majority... It is a fact of life that any determined minority in any form of organization can determine the course that all must follow; but if you consider that in a society the object is for all to reach a common destination together, then together people should decide that course and have good cause to seek out that goal...
In the matter of self government, no person has to be too smart to know what is best for him or herself... A person must by smarter by a great degree to say what is good for another even if much of it is common sense or the fruit of philosophy ready for the picking...
The tendency of our news people to join with government officials in saying what is good for America when it is clearly bad and painful for Americans is obscene... We have forever linked what was good for America with what was obviously preferable only to a small class; and now if we will not reconsider this notion we must give up on our government, and especially the privilages it grants to minorities like property owners, and press and church... Good for America must become again good for Americans...
Thanks....Sweeney
Comment: #4
Posted by: James A, Sweeney
Mon Mar 4, 2013 4:42 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
