It really saddens me to see Senator Ted Kennedy's seat go to the GOP, although, it does not surprise me. Since the Presidential election, democrats have been walking around as if they have a stick up their behinds. It's sickening. You would think that for once they could get it together. You would think., but nooooo. The democrats selected an establishment candidate when clearly, the country, and yes; even Massachusetts was not going to embrace another career politician even if it meant having the seat go to a republican. Pure arrogance and lack of foresight or judgment are the primary reasons for Sen. Kennedy turning over in his grave fuming at democratic leadership.
Let's face it; on the surface, it would appear that over the past year, democrats have accomplished nothing, nothing at all. Now, we know that's not entirely true, but it is true to the extent that they haven't accomplished making Americans feel confident and secure with what they are doing. Additionally, most Americans will not be able to identify any major piece of legislation that democrats can claim victory for that resulted in some tangible progress.
What's even more heartbreaking, is that it seems as if the President is now becoming much more of an enabler of this unorganized and weak minded congress then the forceful leader that we all expected him to be; leaving him vulnerable because of their inability to harness the support that he needs to ensure passage of his legislative agenda. Sadly, leadership in both houses have negotiated all of their leverage away for a singular vote, that now with the loss of Senator Ted Kennedy's seat, that vote, now holds no significances in being able to ensure that a final health care package will ever see the day of light; not to mention any other progressive legislative proposal.
Democrats need to take a lesson from the republicans and start thinking like them. The one area republicans' gain over whelming support in their governing is in the area of commitment. Republicans are committed to their party, their legislative agenda, and to their opposition of democrats. Even when they disagree internally, in the end they will more times than not, stick together for the sake of the party, their agenda, or for nothing else, to make sure democrats are not able to gain any edge. Democrats on the other hand, seek to compromise with everyone including members that offer them no value beyond the point in which they were engaged.
The tragedy of a Brown Senate seat for African Americans is that the ability for affordable healthcare was buried on Tuesday with the loss of Sen. Kennedy's seat. African Americans were counting on democrats to secure and pass legislation that President Obama could sign into law. The democrats lack of ability to do that, only reinforces my opinion that democrats will negotiate away the very ideological differences that makes them democrat rather than republican.
Unfortunately, Black America, our dependence on any ideological group, is no longer a viable option. Over the past decade, we have seen a great decline in our political and economic capital that we realized under the Clinton administration. The reality is, that President Obama, no matter how much he may want to, will never expressly address African Americans and our issues head on for fear of alienating mainstream America which elected him; reinforcing the need for Black Politics Today to educate, inform, and address the impact of legislation and the lack thereof for African Americans across the country.
