General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThings that aren't going to happen in the U.S.
in the forseeable future:
1) A Constitutional Amendment declaring that life begins the second that little sperm hits the ovum.
2) A Constitutional Amendment overturning Citizens United or one that makes elections publicly financed.
3) A reduction in the Defense Department budget
4) Federal gun control legislation
5) Single Payer Healthcare coverage
6) a reduction in the income gap between the very wealthy and everyone else.
Hotler
(11,425 posts)Lurks Often
(5,455 posts)(Not that I disagree with you)
Autumn
(45,106 posts)MineralMan
(146,317 posts)That's too bad. However, if we elect Democrats to office, we'll make progress, nevertheless. But it means electing substantial Democratic majorities in Congress and in state legislatures, as well. Without those, no President will be able to get progressive things accomplished.
For all of those things, our legislators are far more important than the President. We constantly seem to forget that, to our detriment.
As long as we let Republicans win majorities in legislative bodies, all of your points will not happen. As long as we fail to follow through during mid-term elections and continue electing Democrats, we will lose over the long term.
We focus far too hard on the President. Important as Presidents are, they have limited power to make changes. If we don't support them with Democratic legislatures, we still lose. If we elect Democrats to control state and federal legislatures, we can change anything. I don't understand why we don't recognize that and behave accordingly.
malthaussen
(17,202 posts)... but I suspect it has something to do with the way our culture glamorizes celebraties and likes to reduce everything to personalities.
-- Mal
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Hell for ice freezing
To your list I would only add city councils and board of supervisors, where future state and federal legislators are honed.
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)had since Reagan to turn around the March to the right.
1. We could very well elect a Dem President and Senate in 2016.
2. The next Predident could possibly name 4 Supreme Court Justices in the next eight years. That would give us a liberal court for the next 30 years.
5.We could win back the house with the rising minority population of voters becoming a manority.
6. Even Wall Street knows that income inequality is not sustainable.
cali
(114,904 posts)We may elect a dem President, the odds are stacked against electing a dem Senate, particularly in light of Reid's recent decision not to run.
Yes, the SCOTUS is a point, but one thing about SCOTUS appointments is that they have a history of surprising us.
The odds of winning back the House in the next 2 or three cycles are slim.
Wall Street doesn't give a shit, by and large. They are still pushing the same disastrous crap.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)cali
(114,904 posts)I've only posted that dozens of times including OPs, sea.
That's not why I'm supporting him.
I'd explain it to you, but it's not worth the bother.
ta-ta
haikugal
(6,476 posts)If for no other reason than the bully pulpit..our climate is deteriorating as we speak. We need voter registration drives, get people involved...I don't think we have a lot of time left.
Initech
(100,080 posts)It sucks but as long as people keep listening to scumbags like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck, there will always be people who vote in favor of the freepers and teabaggers.
malthaussen
(17,202 posts)And, overall 8) Any reduction in people hating each other for no rational reason.
-- Mal
NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)hifiguy
(33,688 posts)going to have to collapse before anything humane can be built upon the ruins of predatory capitalism. But at the rate the billionaire class is going that should take no more than 20-30 years. It WILL collapse.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)nt