Letter: Obama soundly routed right

The election is over and President Barack Obama, thankfully, won in resounding fashion (51 percent and 332 electoral votes).

Other notable results include Tammy Baldwin being elected the first woman senator from Wisconsin, beating Republican Tommy Thompson. She will also be the first openly gay U.S. senator. Elizabeth Warren defeated Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race and Arizona elected an openly bisexual woman, Kyrsten Sinema, to Congress.

Maryland, Maine and Washington states approved same-sex marriage. Minnesota defeated a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, while Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana for recreational use. These results signal a fundamental shift, for the better, in the U.S. electorate.

On the losing end (again, thankfully), were the various religious fundamentalist groups that held the opinion that Mitt Romney would win because they “prayed” to their “god” for Obama to be defeated. Fanatical far-right billionaires dumped hundreds of millions of dollars into GOP coffers in the hope to defeat Obama, only to come up empty.

Todd Akins and Richard Mourdock (of women-can-shut-that-down, and rape-is-God’s-will fame, respectively) were defeated. Apparently, a god and money can’t stand up to secular progressivism and common-sense morality. Theocracy, corporatocracy and unfettered capitalism have been repudiated.

Scarcely mentioned during the campaign was the prospect for new justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. With the president being re-elected, the country can be assured of fair-minded nominations to the court should the need arise. This is in stark contrast to the hard-line right-wing ideologues that would no doubt have been nominated had Romney won, given that Romney stated he would appoint Robert Bork as the head of his judicial advisory team.

Another important aspect of this election is that the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare,” will be implemented in full. Hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, the U.S. will move to a single-payer health-care system like the rest of the modern industrialized countries.

This election is a mandate for equal rights, the rights of individuals (especially women), immigration reform and progressive governance. Even those with religious affiliations rejected the message of hate and bigotry espoused by the far-right fundamental religious groups and a clear majority rejected the GOP’s regressive and oppressive policies of catering to the 1 percent and depriving the middle class of dignity and a means to prosper.

If this letter sounds like I am gloating, it is only because I am. After four years of constant attacks on, and lies about, President Obama, I am very happy that the right-wing factions in this country got their collective derrieres handed to them.

Michael Polito

chemist

Clinton

Comments

1) Comment by brcitizen2010 - 24/11/2012

Big government is big government, no matter how you spell it (with a “D” or an “R”), “We the people” are just little fish in a big sea of corrupt politicians, warmongers, international bankers, and opportunist all willing and able to turn us effectively against each other. The majority of Democrats vote that way because they hate the Republicans, although I doubt many could tell you exactly what the Republican Party’s platform really is. The same thing goes for the Republicans. They vote Republican for the same reason. Until the two party systems are abolished, this country will remain in a state of unrest. We will continue to attack each other, while those in control will continue to reap the rewards of their positions, at our expense. The poor will remain poor and the rich will maintain their hold on government, regardless of party affiliation. In this era of entitlement and self gratification, the only ones benefiting are the Washington elite and the lobbyist who have bought their way into the White House.

2) Comment by nimby? - 22/11/2012

Bouncer ,the biggest divide in the country is between urban and rural . all one need do is look how the country voted not by state but by county . I do travel , and believe it or not there are bubbas/rednecks in every state . they aren't happy either ...

3) Comment by Bouncer - 22/11/2012

Some of you need to venture outside Louisiana once in a while. Talk to people who live elsewhere and aren't exactly like the Bubba who lives next door to you. Seriously, it would be good for you to learn and observe firsthand that this big, wide, spread out land mass called "America" and her many residents are far less provincial and far more tolerant of difference than the typical citizen of this state.

4) Comment by nimby? - 22/11/2012

chem , our christian president has asked for prayer on number of occasions . does that make him a hypocrite or a fool like the rest of us . "throwing obscene amounts of money" , check who spent more . misinformation , distortion of truth , manipulation of numbers , ignored policies , excuses , issues backloaded til after the election . that the only person in the administration with the cajones to accept any responsibility for the mistakes made in Libya was a woman(Hilary) doesn't surprise . be thankful and enjoy , the 49 percent will be watching very closely ...

5) Comment by gofigger - 22/11/2012

Nimby, they're not going to listen.........too much Unicorn milk makes them drunk.

6) Comment by chem - 21/11/2012

Frankly, I do not want to "get over it." Every chance I get, I will toss this past election in the face of the Republicans. This country had to endure, unnecessarily, a much slower recovery because of the Republicans intransigence on every issue. The Republicans and their masters, the Tea Baggers and the religious fundamentalist, were so smug about bringing down Obama, that they did not see the world pass them by. They thought that thwarting him at every turn would win them the election. They thought that throwing obscene amounts of money into the system would by them the election. They thought that all of that stupid praying to god would somehow gain them the upperhand and win the election. They believed that dragging the country back to the middle ages would resonate is their favor. The Republicans were wrong on all counts and I will point that out every chance I get.

7) Comment by nimby? - 21/11/2012

chem , I could come up with similar site embarrassing to individuals on the left . but of course those links "would exhibit a partisan bias therefore deeming them unacceptable" . you won , get over it ...

8) Comment by chem - 21/11/2012

Reading the GOP platform that DMJ provided the link for. Some of the stuff in there is frightening. If you want to see some frightening and at the same time hilarious stories, go to rightwingwatch.org. One of those religious nuts said that scientists cannot date the age of the earth. That can only be done by "eyewitnesses"!!! That's where the bible comes in. There were eyewitnesses to the creation of the planet. And these loonies are the ones that have taken over the Republican party. I certainly hope they keep the status quo. They will never get elected again. Can't wait until the 2014 elections to clean out the rest of the nutty neo-cons in the House.

9) Comment by gofigger - 21/11/2012

@ NearBarbarian - It may just be better to be lucky than good

10) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 21/11/2012

Whatnow, you apparently did not pay attention to your own party during the election. Nor have you paid attention to the actions of the RP in state houses all across this land. Where exactly have you been? I'll guess-- watching fox news? >>>>>>>>> NearBarbarian, I won't ridicule you. I tend to agree. The Dems are in the center. They are the moderate party now. Mostly, I agree that the leadership of both parties have a lot in common when it comes to certain issues (NDAA comes to mind). Obama did ignore the bankers and allowed them to go unpunished for their massive fraud. The Dems are the lesser of two evils. That is all.

11) Comment by DMJ - 21/11/2012

You know what, guys.... you didn't lose. You won. Congrats. Keep pushing the same ideas. Good luck.

12) Comment by DMJ - 21/11/2012

"Rape victims to give birth? Is that on the Republican platform?" Yes, it is. - http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_home/

13) Comment by NearBarbarian - 21/11/2012

First, the tone of Mr. Polito's letter is understandable but inappropriate. It sprouts from anger that he, I, and others on the left have suppressed while watching, almost helplessly, the right-wing turn the words "America" and "United States" into at least jokes, if not terms of derision. We've also watched the Democrats--who have become conservatives while the Republicansnhave become a toxic blend of oligarchs, autocrats, theocrats, crude populistis, nationalists, social Darwinists, and nihilists--will frequently enable the right by feigning opposition and then doing what the right wants, just putting a pastel patina on the unseemly parts (e.g., ACA, tax cuts, Wall Street regulation, "war on terror," NCLB, GITMO, etc.). And then, after trying to please the right, Obama and the Democrats are accused of being uncooperative, socialist, ad infinitum. So, we get angry and try to compete with the vitriol of the right. (As one can see from the comments on this page, those on the left have little chance in competing with it.) Second, the opinions of the right expressed on this page and elsewhere bely the reality that the white male middle and upper classes thrived under President Clinton and were actually the cause celebre during President Obama's first term. For example, Papa John, the Brothers Koch, and the like have made record profits during the last three years. The stimulus, continued tax cuts, and Wall Street reforms were aimed heavily at settling down the markets (white-male dominated), reenergizing lending to small businesses (white-male dominated), reassuring the middle class (white-male dominated). (Because I'm to the left of liberals and democrats, I'm deeply concerned about Obama and the Democrats' growing conservatism and incremental reforms on a whole host of issues: economics, military funding, energy, race and gender issues, etc.) Now, I'm not naive, and I know that everything I just wrote will be denied and/or ridiculed. The point, nevertheless, is this: those complaining the most have been, are, and will be a privileged group, even if it is composed of people who are collectively becoming a smaller tile in this mosaic called the USA. With that fact in view, what the recent elections should signify to us is the need to stop trying to reason/argue with an increasingly anti-American though privileged group and start dealing with reality--in a productive, adaptive way. Today's reality is not as mysterious as some would have it. Regardless of the right's protests, the majority of Americans have similar needs and concerns. The international scene is not only volatile (e.g. the "Middle East") but vibrant (e.g., Africa, South America, Scandinavia.) There are societies across the globe doing all sorts of innovative things economically, politically, and internationally while the American chattering class ("conservative," "liberal," and "moderate") persuades us to become more obsessed with our reflections in a stream. Americans once had the reputation of being open-minded, innovative, forward-thinking, optimistic, smart, compassionate, and the list goes on. Whether that reputation was based on reality or hope is beside the point; that reputation indicated what Americans were most likely to be and become. Maybe the expectations were too high, and maybe we believed that just by saying we had certain characteristics and virtues was enough. It's not, and maybe we should adjust our expectations to match current reality and the one that is emerging. Maybe we should stop trying to be "great" and focus on being "good" in the sense that Socrates and many in ancient Athens used the term.

14) Comment by Whatnow - 21/11/2012

"Perverted view of religion?" Because I won't vote for a man who condones live birth abortion? Please. Some of your statements against the Republican party are false. Rape victims to give birth? Is that on the Republican platform? Against birth control and education? They are against those being forced upon religious venues. The Republican party is not against it at all. You put out talking points like it's all black or white. You don't even allow the gray.

15) Comment by gofigger - 21/11/2012

@palefire - Not in the slightest - bigot, if that is your term for me, till death.......God willing.

16) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 21/11/2012

Nice heart strings ya got there Whatnow. To bad your parry is on the losing side of that issue and always will be. The Republicans have never been serious about preventing abortions. If they were, they would understand the necessity of sex education and birth control. The RP's position on abortion is pure insanity. Forcing rape victims to give birth? You think we want a leader that would stand for that? The bottom line is that the RP has been taken over by fanatics. Y'all talk alot of morality, but have no clue how to lead a free country. Y'all are authoritarians forcing your perverted view of religion down our throats. No thank you.

17) Comment by DMJ - 21/11/2012

The writing's on the wall: the red states are getting redder and fewer, and the country is getting more progressive as a whole. Here are some policy issues the Republicans should consider reforming if they are interested in playing the long game- immigration reform, women's reproductive rights, gay marriage rights, drug law reform, health care reform... Being stubborn and trying to claim that the only reason Obama won is because Mitt Romney wasn't conservative enough is not a winning strategy, in my opinion.

18) Comment by palefire - 20/11/2012

gofigger, you are joking I hope. Just bc you have never seen two male dogs go at it, doesn't mean that is the reality. I've seen it happen. It is has also been documented that our closest relatives the bonobos also perform homosexual acts. And yes you are by definition a bigot.

19) Comment by Whatnow - 20/11/2012

Old Man Kensey, hmmm, that's the same reasons I left the Democrat Party. But, since you want less generalization. I would never want a man to lead my country who pushed for live birth abortions. I consider that the lowest form of murder there is. When a defenseless baby, who is alive and will be put to death because the Mother was stupid or inconvenienced, is killed, I have to fight against anyone who condones this and tries to make it legal. I consider that man a monster and pure evil along with the mother and the medical staff who preform this service. To me, they are murderers and do not value life, just as any criminal with a gun. I will fight against this until I die. Endangered animals are treated better. It just makes no sense to me how anyone could condone this man who voted for it over and over without an ounce of compassion for the innocent.

20) Comment by gofigger - 20/11/2012

My opinion, which as of today, is still allowed - Gay, happy......whatever you want to call it, is an atrocity against nature. Have you ever seen two male dogs procreate? Of course not, even they have enough instinct to know the difference. If am to be called a biggot for feeling this way, then so be it. I'd rather be a biggot than a phaggot! I have no problem helping people share with healthcare, but when it becomes the same suckers year after year, the teats get a little sore.

21) Comment by nimby? - 20/11/2012

the cost will still be passed on to everyone else via subsidies .

22) Comment by chem - 20/11/2012

I have yet to hear from anyone, and not just on this forum, how trying to get healthcare to everyone or gay marriage is a bad thing. Yea, I've heard that it is a "sin" because "god" said it is. But how does it really effect anyone or anything. It doesn't. I will still have my job. I can still do the things I like to do. It has no effect on me or my family. Healthcare is something to which everyone should have access. How is that a bad thing? Those who do not have healthcare and go to the emergency room have their costs passed on to everyone. It would be cheaper if they had insurance. What is so wrong with that?

23) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

Whatnow, you didn't learn not to generalise. I am an independent. Left the republican party years ago because i didn't like the fanatics they were attracting. And by this election, I see that many more are waking up to that fact too. The Republican parry has ran to the fringe and now they are putting the crazies in charge. I strongly believe the reason they obstruct is because they don't know how to lead or manage (not without the moderates anyway, but y'all call them rhinos and allow the t parry to run against them). Expert at playing politics, but have no ideas on how to move the country into the future. But, such is life. History is riddled with a few dragging the rest into the modern world while they kick and scream to stay locked in the past. We will move forward as a country, with or without you.

24) Comment by nimby? - 20/11/2012

the moment's over , nothing has been won yet . time to get to work .

25) Comment by Whatnow - 20/11/2012

Old Man Kensey, what should I learn, BTW? My values will never change. I never did follow the crowd of liberal lemmings and I won't give up my values for anyone or anything. No, I'll just sit back and watch you gloaters learn and try to stay afloat because of your choices.

26) Comment by Reb - 20/11/2012

Polito signs his letters as being from Clinton.... Yet no one from Clinton has ever heard of him.... What is he trying to hide???

27) Comment by chem - 20/11/2012

Again, Old Man Kensey is correct about the House. It is gerrymandering that allowed the GOP to maintain a majority. They did lose seats however. And almost every Tea Bagger backed Republican lost. 51% is a good margin if you look at elections over the last 20 or 30 years. 332 electoral votes is definitely a rout. When you look at the election overall, more woman being elected, idiots like Allen West being thrown out, the gains of lesbians and gays, the emergence of a minority block of votes that won the election for Democrats, and the legalization of pot for recreational purposes in two states (with about 17 states having pot legal for medical use), all indicates a rout in my opinion. THere is nothing in this election that the right-wing can be happy about.

28) Comment by chem - 20/11/2012

Old Man Kensey: You are right on the money. Well said. The Fox News crowd is all over the place trying to make excuses. Mitt wasn't a good canditate; should have been more conservative; conservatives did not vote; and on and on. Jindal sounds like Nancy Pelosi these last few days and the religious right is preparing for judgement day. They just don't get it.

29) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

Haha.. The demise of "white" America.. wow... That may be the biggest flaw of y'alls ideology. Our ideology states that there is only one America. We sink or swim together. If you didnt notice, when y'all are done dividing, the dems pick up the pieces and turn your ignorance into one big powerful tent.

30) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

Seriously, this election did have profound consequences. It was a sound defeat to modern Republican brand of politics. You can try to force yourself to believe that it was only a popular vote difference of 3%, but when you look at all other factors the defeat becomes clear. The country rejected the austerity policies, trickledown theories, and the authoritarian governing style of the right. All but one swing state went to Dems. Every state that turned red in 2008 & 2010 turned back blue (attacking workers and teachers was not a bright idea). Highest number of women going into the senate. Openly gay and lesbian legislators (even from traditional red states). One state, cant remember which one, voted a dem into the senate for the first time. The dems weren't even trying to win the seat. Yes, therr was a clear repudiation of the right wing rule in this country. And by all means whatnow- ignore it. Dont learn from it and watch it happen again in two years.

31) Comment by nimby? - 20/11/2012

or to promote their own arrogance . it appears liberal atheist , more than any other group(s) are rejoicing at the "demise" of white America , hope they can afford the change ...

32) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

Whatnow, then who would point out the massive flaws in y'alls anger and opinion?

33) Comment by Whatnow - 20/11/2012

Old Man Kensey, we wouldn't be on here at all if you and Mr. Polito would take your own advice. "it is best just to remain silent, least you prove yourselves to be fools."

34) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

Gerrymandering

35) Comment by ScotB - 20/11/2012

Lib/progs are proficient at giving words new meanings. If 51% is the new definition of "resounding", then what word do we use to describe the House majority?

36) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

****Comment Removed for Violation of Terms of Use****

37) Comment by Old Man Kensey - 20/11/2012

Wow, our republican friends are frenzied today. Grasping to their last threads of unreality. You can almost hear them screaming as they hurriedly type away behind their computer screens. I can picture the tears streaming down Agagents face as he rebuilds the bubble he lives in-- his comment below so describes the fanatical right. He juat cant see it through the bubble. Rgeraldwallace pouts for his own happiness. And tradewinns plays a game of semantics to avoid the reality of defeat. >>>>>>> sometimes guys, it is best just to remain silent, least you prove yourselves to be fools.

38) Comment by spqr - 20/11/2012

Too many of you are Romans with your fashionable celebration of diversity and change while failing to understand you have turned your back on all things and people that made the nation great. You cheer the demise of your strength. You taunt past success and swear by proven economic failure. You despise religious faith, but will not give it credit for teaching a morality we do not see in government and a civility our streets slaughter. You chastise those of means who, through sweat and sacrifice, made their way via discipline the young cannot recognize in their video games. You demand more for those who will not fish and make it legal to take from those who awake at dawn to catch them. Choosing political decay and rising taxes are your sport of choice. You wish to lounge and grow fat in the homes built by our stongest citizens. You scorn prosperity while privately envy it. You vote for gifts rather than work for them and swear those that are successful never earned it because it makes you feel better. Unhappy people vote with their feet and the sound of their financial exit will silence your victory celebration. And soon.

39) Comment by chem - 20/11/2012

gofigger: Agreed. If any group has cause to complain, it is the Native Americans. They were, and still are, treated like dirt.

40) Comment by gofigger - 20/11/2012

@chem - This present society makes me wish the native Indians would have scalped everyone that set foot their shore.

41) Comment by gofigger - 20/11/2012

@chem - This present society makes me wish the native Indians would have scalped everyone that set foot their shore.

42) Comment by chem - 20/11/2012

What many "conservatives" don't get is that the era of the white vote carrying the day is over. The religious groups and the Tea Baggers are clearly less influential. And by religious groups, I'm talking about the fundamentalists. Young people, 18 to 30, voted in large numbers and clearly showed that they are a less religious, less bigoted group than in previous elections. They are the ones that will move this country forward, eliminating the silly hatred of people that are different, for example, gays. This group is also clearly in favor of women's reproductive rights, countering the mindset of the far-right neanderthals. The Republicans now think that just by changing their talking points, they will win over the people that voted against them. In other words, they continue to think that people are stupid or gullible. You cannot fool people by telling them what you think they want to hear. After decades of bad behavior, the Republicans are not going to sway anyone by changing the message. No one believes Jindal's recent claptrap. He has a record of what he did in Louisiana, which is 180 degrees to what he is saying now.

43) Comment by Whatnow - 19/11/2012

@gofigger, that's why I'm just going to wait and watch.

44) Comment by gofigger - 19/11/2012

They won the battle, but not the war. Give em' enough rope, they will hang by their own doings.

45) Comment by Scrooge - 19/11/2012

That a gun will save you? Christian, save thyself.

46) Comment by Scrooge - 19/11/2012

You mean gimmes like Citizens United, tax breaks, the freedom to pollute, forcing your religion on others, being able to call oneself a Christian while discriminating against those who are different, the Pharisee-ism that one's circumstances of birth makes one superior, etc. ?

47) Comment by InPVille - 19/11/2012

@Scrooge: Only State Employee's Benefits here. State Employees had no SS deducted only state retirement and optional medical insurance at our choosing, at least during my tenure. -[**]- ACA Obamacare is a gimme. Gimme legalized drugs is a gimme. Paying for the medical care that goes with people who overdo the drugs results in another gimme. A 1% change in the election results could still have returned Pres. Obama to office. But the election would have been a popular vote tie and any claim that 51% was a sound route is mental" self-abuse". Anyone familiar with the concept of "bringing home the bacon" should be able to see that people tend to vote for the person who promises to provide the largest benefit to them as long as someone else has to pay for it. In other words. . . gimme.

48) Comment by nimby? - 19/11/2012

our president oft speaks of his christian faith , and of prayer , is this the truth or was this a lie pandering to voters ?

49) Comment by nimby? - 19/11/2012

Mygulfbleedsforu , guessing you don't know too many conservatives . as someone who has never owned an SUV , who's kids drove clunkers to school your statement is amusing , we , them , us , our , those , etc. never could figure out who/what "I" was . and didn't OUR president speak of shared sacrifices , shared responsibility ? still waitin' .

50) Comment by chem - 19/11/2012

Not sure that the right has yet come to grips with the election. Jindal is running around sounding like a born-again Democrat, while the others are in various stages of denial. Beyond the Presidency, the wins for gay rights and marijuana are huge. As the letter states, this is a fundamental shift in the U.S. electorate. Tea_Slayer has it right. It is absurd and worthy of scorn that the fundamentalists think their "god" is going to intervene in an election. So either "god" chose Obama, gay rights, etc, or else their is no god. It's just as ridiculous for each team in a football game to pray. Do they really think that a god is going to choose sides? What a bunch of fools.

51) Comment by dashwood - 19/11/2012

"Maybe peace would have broken out with a different kind of White House, one less committed to waging a perpetual campaign--a White House that would see a 51-48 victory as a call to humility and compromise rather than an irrefutable mandate." -- Senator Barack Obama, 2004

52) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 19/11/2012

dukeofwulf, he wasn't mocking the "prayers of the faithful". He was mocking those that would pray for the defeat of a politcal opponent (which is worhty of scorn from atheists and "the faithful")

53) Comment by dukeofwulf - 19/11/2012

Mr. Polito, as an atheist, I find it disturbing that you're mocking the prayers of the faithful. Your words misrepresent atheists, a very tolerant and respectful group on the whole. In the future, please be respectful of other people's beliefs, and try not to be such a jerk. You're making us look bad.

54) Comment by Mygulfbleedsforu - 19/11/2012

There is no doubt that we hear what we want to hear, because Whatnow's quote describes most conservatives I know to a T. People who have all they need, most of what they want, and still whine if the Louisiana poor will receive 25 cents of their considerable paychecks, because they just can't AFFORD it. Gasoline alone in their 17 year old son's brand new SUV is nearly $500 a month, and gasp, don't even ASK about the insurance! They say they admire hard work but the laborer who still needs and gets some assistance gets no respect while the wealthy stockholder who rarely lifts a finger outside the golf course gets plenty of their respect. Values? Pfffft. Our values won. Our. Values. Won. As well they should have.

55) Comment by nimby? - 19/11/2012

enjoy the moment . only time will time who or what was won or lost . according to the NY Times investors aren't too happy . lot of items , issues were backloaded til after the election , inauguration . guessing these will also be misunderstood , only to be explained later as to what was actually meant . gaffes will continue to be excused , ignored

56) Comment by Whatnow - 19/11/2012

Go ahead and gloat. What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself. ~Abraham Lincoln. Losers say what they can do. Winners show what they can do. “Greed, envy, sloth, pride and gluttony: these are not vices anymore. No, these are marketing tools. Lust is our way of life. Envy is just a nudge towards another sale. Even in our relationships we consume each other, each of us looking for what we can get out of the other. Our appetites are often satisfied at the expense of those around us. In a dog-eat-dog world we lose part of our humanity.” ― Jon Foreman

57) Comment by simbatigercat - 19/11/2012

Right on, Bro!

58) Comment by Whatchange - 19/11/2012

What did I just read.

59) Comment by tradewinns - 19/11/2012

(".. ..............., and rape-is-God’s-will fame, respectively"). please try and get your information correct. he was stating the conception was God's will, not the rape. i don't agree with either of these men, nor their statements, but accuracy is important. i am a pro choice conservative republican however.

60) Comment by agagent - 19/11/2012

They follow their leader, Obama, in being abusive, envious, divisive, smug, petty, uninformed, and dishonest. Taxing the rich will be bad for the economy. Obama said he would tax them anyway for his view of social justice. An exit poll showed that 47% of the voters favored taxing the rich, not a majority.

61) Comment by [e-mail] - 19/11/2012

Well, then Mr. Polito has nothing to worry about; Obama will fix it all and he and his gloating friends should be happy for a change, if it's possible for them to be happy as long as there is still one person not under their control. Don't worry about the rest of us; your happiness is the main thing Mr. Polito.

62) Comment by slye753 - 19/11/2012

obama won but did the 51% of the people that voted for him win?

63) Comment by Chucky - 19/11/2012

"No conquest can ever become permanent which does not show itself beneficial to the conquered as well as to the conquerors." Carlyle, Thomas

64) Comment by bourbon-soda - 19/11/2012

Assuming that he is actually receiving them, InPVille might rationally agree to relinquish those benefits if the government would refund all the taxes he has paid into Medicare with compounded prevailing interest, and exempt him from responsibility for the debt incurred to keep the program going, and exempted him from future taxes that go to Medicare. Ditto Social Security.

65) Comment by donnak - 19/11/2012

It's funny that the Repubs blame Romney for their loss....he was too liberal, he didn't fight hard enough. Repubs also blame their own messaging: we didn't express ourselves well enough, we didn't get our conservative message out. No! A majority of the country REJECTS the conservative agenda, and conservative values... PERIOD. A majority of the country REJECTS the hatred of the teaparty and other RW groups. The electorate has SHIFTED to progressive values, leaving the Repubs with only the deep south as their main support. This is now a Center-Left country, as people's values/beliefs have changed after seeing what conservatives stand for. People rejected these values. This is the New Normal....you can rail and weep and gnash your teeth and move even farther to the right, or accept the New Normal. Most people of this country do not see the Dems as "gimme, gimme, gimme." They see the Dem Party and government as protectors of the poor, the elderly, the disadvantaged....and they agree that these groups should be protected, that it is our duty as a nation to protect people who can't protect themselves. Welcome to the New Normal, and I, along with many others, intend to keep working to ensure it remains.

66) Comment by agagent - 19/11/2012

Obama beat a moderate because Romney is a moderate, not a conservative. Some conservatives stayed home and many Ron Paul libertarians stayed home. A college economics freshman has more formal training in finance, business, and economics than Obama, Plough, and Axelrod have combined.

67) Comment by Scrooge - 19/11/2012

Certainly InPVille would agree to a reduction or elimination of his taker Medicare benefits to benefit the maker job creators speaking of gimme

68) Comment by Scrooge - 19/11/2012

Certainly InPVille would agree to a reduction or elimination of his taker Medicare benefits to benefit the maker job creators speaking of gimme

69) Comment by dday198 - 19/11/2012

the roots obamacare came from newt and the heritage foundation make it work.

70) Comment by Spudaroonski - 19/11/2012

InPVille, oh what a juvenile response. Did your mommy help you type it?

71) Comment by postscript56 - 19/11/2012

No where in this letter does the author say "gimme" unless, maybe, by stretching it, the reference to single-payer health-care. But reality has no meaning to conservatives. Its all about the alternate reality they create in their heads. You know, the one where all true Americans vote Republican and all Democratic voters are lazy takers. That maker/taker construct isn't even a close approximation to reality, but why let that interefere with a snappy comeback?

72) Comment by InPVille - 19/11/2012

Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme

73) Comment by Bighug - 19/11/2012

I don't agree with everything the liberals stand for, but I do agree with the points in the letter. It is time politicians stopped trying to legislate based on their warped religious ideas.