the soapbox

2008

9 July 2007

The drumbeat started incredibly early this year with candidates out and about vying for votes. Would be Senators, Congresspeople and Presidents are off chanting their mantras, pounding the pavement and
circulating video footage of babies being kissed and stumps being speeched.

We talk about 2008 as though it were today. It's as if 2007 isn't even afforded a space on the messaging
screen, despite it being the fundamental piece to the upcoming campaigns.

So what is 2008 about anyway? There are theories from bobbleheads and talking points from spin-masters and spin-mistresses. I figure it's time I weigh in with my humble analysis of the 2008 ... er 2007... election.

Folks are off and running with regard to the Iraq War and Impeachment, countless people promoting this as the be all and end all issue of the coming election. I disagree. I see it as part of a broader issue.

We have lost faith in our government. And, considering our government is "Of the People, For the People and By the People," we are the government. Essentially, we have lost faith in ourselves.

The current administration has intentionally underfunded governmental programs, or reinvented their
purpose altogether (see Brownie's testimony to Congress). This reenvisioning of governmental programs has limited the overall effectiveness of our government. Combine that with serious corruption and corporate interests over the interests of people, and folks are fed up. We feel as though we have lost our way.

Candidates who speak to people about restoring faith in government will resonate immediately. The issues of the War and impeachment fall underneath this issue of restoring faith in government. They are pieces of the broader puzzle.

The second primary issue that will resonate in 2008 is that of health care. Americans are ready for
single-payer, universal health care - if properly implemented. Currently, presidential candidates are
promoting several versions of universal health care, none of which appear to me to be single-payer. We
continue to stop short of doing the right thing for fear of corporate interests. The paid lobbyists continue
to tell us that we're not ready for single-payer health care for all Americans. We, as Americans, buy into
this rhetoric because we have lost faith in our government's ability to do its job adequately. If we restore
faith in our government, it will be the natural evolution to have government responsible for our health care
delivery system.

We, as Democrats, must stop buying into the rhetoric presented to us from across the aisle. It is time for
single-payer health care, and the American public is ready for it. We're just too damn scared to put
ourselves out there and put forth a vision of what life under Progressive policies would look like.

It is time to stop talking about all the Bushite things we are AGAINST and start creating a vision FOR the
future, a vision that resonates with real people. It's time we started proposing bold, innovative legislation
that, yes, will piss off the insurance lobbyists in Augusta and DC. We can do that by framing our vision as
part of an overall commitment to rebuilding our government in the image of its people, not corporate
interests.

What do you think 2008 is about? Send me your responses and I'll post them.

Cheers,

~The Mysterious MissDem