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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

If the Democrats were to take the House, Senate and White House this Fall


It could happen.

I'm not in any way predicting it as there are just far too many variables. The voting public is fickle--very fickle. In spite of the differences between the two candidates for the presidency, people could well vote who knows how. And polls? They're only in effect the day they're taken.

In short, anything, anything could happen this November, with the election.

That said, it is entirely possible--in spite of the Republicans' widespread efforts to restrict the vote here in the good old US of A--that the Democrats could come out on top in all three of these venues--the US House of Representatives, the US Senate and the White House.

And if they do--if we do--I think it's clear they should "swing for the fences", so to speak and bring the nation back from its insanity of the last 3 decades.

Herewith are just some of the things I think the Democrats should do if we do, in fact, get both houses of Congress and the White House:

First things first, we must kill the Citizens United ruling of the Supreme Court by law. We need to make sure the American voter is preeminent in power and the voting booth, not the wealthy and corporations, as this ruling now has us.

Second, we need to kill campaign contributions, once and for all. We must, must get the big, ugly, corrupting money of, again, the wealthy and corporations out of our election system and so, out of our government. If we don't do this, nothing will ever change in the nation. The wealthy and corporations could continue to, in effect, buy our representatives, their legislation and so, our laws and government. It would continue to be government of, by and for the rich, first and last, as it is now, unfortunately. Various governmental representatives from both sides of the aisle have described the nightmare that their lives are because they have to chase these "contributions."

Third, at least here and now, we have to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine" the Republicans and right wing killed so long ago. It needs to be required that any media or news outlet give at least one other side of an issue, if they expound on one at all. We need more input in the nation, not just one-sided, emotional, even untrue rantings from our media as we now get with things like Fox "News" and even MSNBC.

Fourth, we need to make the Environmental Protection Agency stronger so we ensure good, clean air, water and soil for the nation for the foreseeable future. It's hard to believe we even have to say this.

Finally, we need to make the internet as free and open as possible and to all Americans, rich, poor and everyone in between. Since, as we know, knowledge is power, corporations shouldn't be able to charge more for faster access. The airwaves are ours--all of ours--and we need to make sure the lesser of us has equal access to knowledge and information, not just the wealthy.

The fact is, if the Democrats control both houses of Congress and the White House, the window of opportunity for change would be a very short one. These moves would have to be taken quickly and decisively.

Let me be clear, too, these changes would benefit both--all--political parties, as well as the nation. They're not completely one-sided, at all. They would not benefit the corporations or wealthy and that's nothing but an improvement.

I don't think it will happen but there's always hope.

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_doctrine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_united

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