The Democrats Should be Named “The Dumb Party’
by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.
The Democrats had no message in this past election; nor did the Republicans. Win, lose, or draw, the Democrats should have stood up and said what Jay Parini said best:
‘I do not agree with everything the President proposes, but he brought the American economy back from the brink of another Great Depression and we are doing extremely well. Jobs are back with unemployment steadily falling, and the stock market has soared, thus underpinning the retirement hopes of millions who rely on equity portfolios to sustain them in their old age. We have discontinued pursuing ‘war of choice,’ although it may take generations to recover from the mistake of invading Iraq, which will cost the American taxpayers two trillion bucks – with health care for veterans taxing our children and grandchildren for years to come.’
The Democrats didn’t lose, the voters did. Would you believe this only 35 percent of registered voters voted? How can you win an election if you don’t show up? So we can assume the Republican strategy to block the vote worked.
The Democrats have tried for 50 years to develop a healthcare system. They finally did it and they ran away from it. Within the past two years, Obama’s approval rating is going to be beyond 60 percent. My guess will be he will leave office with the highest approval rating than any other President in history.
In a letter entitled ‘Until I leave office’ Obama said:
Friend –
Two years: That’s all the time I have left as your president.
I know what I’m going to be fighting for until I leave this office.
And the work you do now with OFA – whatever it is that you choose to fight for – will define what we can achieve together in that time.
So let’s go. If it’s raising the minimum wage for hard-working Americans or fixing our broken immigration system that fires you up, I need you to stand up for it. If it’s gun violence prevention, speak out. If it’s marriage equality, or women’s rights, or getting serious about fighting climate change, your voice is needed like never before.
The elected officials I’ll work with in the last two years of my presidency need to be reminded that people like you aren’t going away.
They need to know you won’t let the special interests in Washington drown out the voices of Americans who want to drive our country forward. That’s what OFA was built to do.
So today, I’m asking directly: Will you commit to finish what you started with OFA?
I want to be clear about this: The difference you make isn’t theoretical – what you choose to do has a concrete impact.
When it comes to health care reform and the effort to help Americans across the country get covered in the months ahead, the role you play will be life-changing for real people. I’ve seen it.
Because of you, and groups like OFA, the face of American politics is fundamentally different today. You’ve changed what it means to get involved, and you’ve redefined how power is built.
Last week’s election doesn’t change that – it just makes your job all the more critical.
With or without help from Congress, I’m not done making real change for the American people. And I bet you aren’t, either.
Let’s hear it:
http://my.barackobama.com/Lets-Go
Thank you,
Barack Obama
Auburn Ran Out of Luck
In order to win any competitive sporting event two things have to happen: You’ve got to play good and you’ve got to be lucky. Last year Auburn played for the National Championship. It is going to be very difficult for any team to lose two games and be considered for the National Championship game. In the event Alabama wins, they will be No. 1 in the polls going into the week of the Championship game. It’s impossible for Alabama and Auburn to both have a chance to play because they play each other and, you don’t need a PhD in mathematics to know if they play each other, one team has got to lose.
If I had to choose a team today to play in that game, I would choose Mississippi State. In my opinion, they are now the best team in America. My Top Four Picks for this week are: No. 1) Mississippi State, No. 2) Oregon, No. 3) Florida State, and No. 4) Alabama.
This is a great time for football gamblers because this scenario will change from week to week. I’m different from most Auburn fans, if Alabama does not play, I will root for Auburn. Auburn folks would die before they root for Alabama.
UAB Football
I’ve written many articles regarding UAB football and here’s what I have basically said: The Board of Directors of the Alabama System wants only one football team in the State of Alabama: the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
UAB cannot be successful unless they have: a practice facility, a new stadium they can call home, and a marketing program to sell tickets.
There is nothing wrong with Legion Field; it’s the perception of Legion Field. Most people think perception is reality. On Thursday and Friday when UAB is playing at Legion Field, the radio talk show hosts have a field day. They tell people to watch out for their tires, be careful their car is not stolen and they will need a shotgun to protect themselves – which is totally inaccurate. I contend that Birmingham is the only city where the media constantly shoots themselves in the foot.
Two things can happen: The city is trying to build a stadium and UAB is trying to build a stadium. They need to get together and build one. Region’s Field should have been built for a dual purpose: baseball and football. It’s not too late to do this. It would be most impressive if the BJCC, the City and UAB would get together to build the facility they should have built 15 years ago.
This would work for all parties concerned.
email: jjlewis@birminghamtimes.com
