Having suffered through the abysmal performance of many Democrats during the 2014 Midterm Elections, I am still left to ponder on the question of why can’t Democrats put together a cohesive argument to beat their Republican rivals?
I just came across an article by legendary singer and actress Barbra Streisand that laid out why Democrats are better at running the nation than Republicans and made me once again wonder at the Democratic political machine and its ability at messaging.
She starts off by asking a revealing question:
Have You Heard the Good News?
It is a most appropriate question, because somehow Democrats, as well as so-called left leaning broadcasters, are more concerned about Scott Walker’s rise in the polls than they are about getting out the news, on a daily basis, of the accomplishments of this current President and Democrats over the past 6 difficult years.
She went on to highlight the news:
In the wake of the financial crisis, President Obama took the helm of a sinking economic ship and help to right it. The unemployment rate is now once again at pre-recession levels -- the lowest in seven years (5.5%).
President Obama's Administration, with only opposition from the Republicans, has steadily helped put more than 11 million Americans back to work in the private sector. In the strongest period of American manufacturing job growth since the 1990s, the sector has added more than 750,000 jobs since February 2010. As New York Times columnist Paul Krugman notes, the economy is "now adding jobs at a rate not seen since the Clinton years." The dollar is on its fastest rise in 40 years; its value has increased 14% in this first quarter alone and it's the strongest it's been in 12 years compared to the Euro.
Now, it could be that Democrats loath discussing the accomplishments of their current successful president as it relates to the prospects of the 2016 elections. If this be the case, permit me to invoke the memory of presidential campaigner Al Gore.
Ms. Streisand then went on to point out the deficit of the Republican Party as stewards of the economy:
As Brad Plumer also noted in the Washington Post, "Since World War II, there's been a strikingly consistent pattern in American politics: The economy does much better when a Democrat is in the White House... the U.S. economy has grown at an average real rate of 4.35 percent under Democratic presidents and just 2.54 percent under Republicans." If one drops the Eisenhower years, it is far worse for the GOP.
Anticipating her critics, and with skillful political instinct, she addresses the issue of income inequality:
The frustration now is the lack of wage increases -- an obstacle that must be overcome both by raising the minimum wage and our corporations rewarding the increase in productivity among our workers. Of course there's not been an encouraging word from the GOP, which opposes any increase in the federal minimum wage. In fact, their 2016 frontrunner, Jeb Bush, does not think there should be a federal minimum wage.
The GOP does not care to understand the late Senator Paul Wellstone's maxim, "We all do better when we all do better." Increasing wages means more economic demand for more goods and services, and boosts the economy. Somehow, Republicans remain intent on cutting taxes for the already rich and devastating domestic spending.
And she ends by embracing the Affordable Care Act and not commencing a hasty retreat away from it as Democrats had done during the 2014 midterms:
They're also intent on misrepresenting the economic facts of the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to the ACA, 16. 4 million previously uninsured adults now have health care coverage under the ACA. The Brookings Institution pointed out in March that "more than 4.2 million households, or 7.5 million people, are likely to qualify for both the [Earned Income Tax Credit] and [ACA's] premium tax credit" - - this in addition to improved, comprehensive health care coverage. Over the next 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office projected the ACA will actually cost $109 billion less than previously anticipated.
And last year, the LA Times reported, "Insurance premiums are lower than anticipated, the Affordable Care Act will cost $9 billion less than previously estimated and the provision designed to buffer insurance companies from risk will actually raise revenue, not function as any sort of federal government bailout."
The Republican response to how the ACA is helping Americans and heath care costs is to try to repeal it (56 times as of February) and attempt to hobble it with litigation. GOP presidential candidate, Senator Ted Cruz, who this week vowed to "repeal every word of Obamacare," hypocritically receives health insurance for his family through the Federal "Obamacare" exchange.
Barbra Streisand has just presented a brief and effective symposium on how to craft an impactful political argument. I have always respected her amazing gifts as a singer, now I am respectful of her great ability as a Democratic campaigner. I encourage everyone to read her wonderful post.