Election 2012 - part II

Well, there's another debate tonight.  The prez has slipped in the polls to even or trailing.  It looks sort of bleak, but does it really matter?  Over the past few years the custom has evolved in the Senate  for the minority party to exercise a veto by filibustering any legislation they do not want brought to the floor for a vote.  They do not even have to carry out the filibuster.  They only need to threaten it and nothing gets acted upon.  The majority party needs sixty votes to override the tactic and such a majority seldom exists. What once was a rare tactic is now commonplace.  In all the history of the Senate 1/3 of the uses of this parliamentary device have occurred in the last few years.  I think we can look forward to continued gridlock irrespective of who is elected President.  Nonetheless there are a couple of places where the election matters.  Foreign policy is one where the office still seems to have power to direct the path of the nation.  Appointment of Supreme Court Justices still matters.  And the executive still can provide lax or vigorous regulation of the existing codes in finance, health care, and the environment.  In particular the Dodd-Franks financial regulation bill of a couple of years ago remains unfulfilled due to lack of appointments of critical personnel.  Part of the reason for the financial meltdown of 2008 was that the Bush appointed head of the Security and Exchange Commission didn't really believe in doing his job.  He thought markets were self regulating.  You can imagine who the former CEO of Bain Capital would appoint to carry out the regulation established by Dodd-Franks.  So it does matter who gets elected.

What I would like to see in this campaign is for the President to make the case that the Democratic party has shown itself to be the best for the country historically.  It is the Democrats who have given us Social Security, Medicare, environmental protection, auto safety, and the most effective economic policies.  He should run on the record of his party for the past 60 years as well as his own.  He should do all he can to get Democrats into the House and Senate.  I would like this election to be a referendum on the policies of the two parties.  If the people want Republicanism, let 'em have it. They'll get what they deserve.  Unfortunately their children will get it too.