"It's the economy, stupid."

I cannot rightly say that I had not anticipated the reaction I’ve observed from many close confidants, because the marrow of their existence radiates red ideology; whatever the hell that means anymore. While I have not seen much of a shift in individual ideals throughout the course of the past eight years, the radically-altered paradigm of Republicanism has left those who for long were encompassed within its fiscally-responsible core (what I see as the historical core of the party, that is) flittering on their own, accepting the brand on a platform-selective basis and ignoring the monster that has become the GOP. The sad truth of this reality is that due to their selective memories, most of the people who have been a victim of this, don’t much realize that they’ve been abandoned at all and cling to a fleeting memory of a platform-mortius where the emphasis on fiscal conservatism is merely a shadow in the night when compared to the moral-majority that has become synonymous with Conservatism. So again, I say… I had very much anticipated harsh tongues in regards to the Obama Presidency.

What, pray tell, is the end-game for Republicans here? And what is the expectation of those who have so quickly discarded the stimulus package, among the many other Obama policies implemented in what hasn’t even yet been sixty days in office…? What had you expected, may I ask? Instantaneous revelation and economic healing…? I heard someone say the other day, “you know, they keep saying it’s not his fault, it’s not his fault… but when he released news about the stimulus package, the market dropped and has continued to fall ever since. At some point, it’s his fault. And I think he’s had enough time now that you can say any drop in the market is his fault."

WHAT!? Really, guy… really?

People, I understand your bends toward conservatism; Harry Caray, may he rest in peace, could vouch for me that despite all of my disavowing, disenchantments and disgusted feelings of betrayal over the last eight years… I still lean Republican. Despite my general election vote and intensely liberal social politicking… I still lean Republican. My ‘Decline-to-State’ voter status, is as it is for good reason; because despite how much hot-air and bullshit the Republicans have been shoveling the past eight years, so much that I felt it necessary to de-Republicanize myself on my legal registrations… I still can’t, in good sense, subscribe to a party ideology that favors programs which can be closely identified with communism (and for all you Democrats out there, you too are blind if you don’t see the correlation). But, my friends… desperate times call for desperate measures and we’ve been here before.

I will not use the word “depression” to signify our current economic crisis; that would be blatantly false and irrevocably dangerous. According to Labor Bureau statistics, our current unemployment rate is 8.1%. Do not get me wrong, the increase of nearly two-percentage points in the course of five months is rightfully alarming; however, when you’re comparing 8.1% of 300million+ people to 1933’s National High of 24.9% among a population of 125million… the situation today seems far less dire. Accounting for inflation in the 1930’s, today’s current crisis is hardly a blip on the radar of historic economic crises. Regardless, we are at a crossroads and 8.1% is a figure that needs to be checked before it itself inflates and we’re deeper in the muck than we can function with.

Fine, Republicans… the current economic situation is not the fault of George W. Bush: I never said it was. Yes, it is much adieu to President Clinton’s lending acts, especially housing and lending policy imparted in 1996 and I’ll even ignore the fact that they were the acts and ideas of a Republican congress. However, W. only exacerbated the situation by not clamping the predatory lending policies of the Clinton administration and actually increasing the federal deficit by renewing the Clinton-era policies and then further cutting taxes for “the exploration of small business opportunity”, which somehow managed to stifle small business enterprise in this nation and give a larger slice of the pie to the big boys who were already established fat cats and moving jobs overseas. I recant, 2003’s Market-drop was not W’s fault… 2008’s was; because all he did was pick up the stick and keep the wheel rolling and now we’re in this mess. Where China owns more of our money than we do, foreclosures are approaching an all-time high and we are seeing serious swings in unemployment. As catawampus as the market is, not even God-himself could instantaneously balance it with a steady hand. THIS, my friends, this is what we get for abandoning long-term investment strategies in the 1980’s and expanding upon the “Quick-Buck” ideology during the 90’s internet boom. This (faulting Democrats AND Republicans), is the big I told you so that people like Brooskley Born and Paul Krugman had warned you was coming years ago.

And now you mock the stimulus package, well you know what… Fuck You. What the hell do you know? What school of economics did you attend and even if you are a doctor of economics, where the hell were you last summer? Five years ago? Twenty years ago? Your authority has been undercut and for good reason… because your science is flawed and obviously even the best of you (or at least those thought to be the best) didn’t fully understand our economic infrastructure, because look at us now! So what is Obama doing? He’s applying a proven method of recovery that FDR used during the Great Depression to slowly and soundly replace the foundation of our economy, because frankly… it hasn’t been tried since then. So how the hell do you know that it’s not going to work? Please, your crystal ball, if you will. And it makes perfect sense…? Private sector unemployment rising? Raise government employment levels by creating new infrastructure projects. Medical insurance approaching astronomical levels? Implement socialized medicine AND create jobs in the process. Technological stagnation? Open up stem-cell research and emphasize incentives for alternative fuels, hybrid technology and information technology. The data-entry requirement alone to move us paperless employs half of our unemployed (that’s an exaggerated comment). Economy drowning? DO SOMETHING! And that’s what he’s doing… something, anything; just so long as it’s not a continuation of the short-term gain policies that have dug this whole for the past 30 years. Build the goddamn train! I don’t care where the money comes from, the long-term revenue stream is invaluable to America 15 years from now. It’s money in the pocket of our children and isn’t that the point?

So what Republicans…? What now? Tow the opposing line so that if this thing blows up in Obama’s face, two years from now your “I told you so’s” cement your return to congressional power? You’re as transparent as glass over water and I really don’t much appreciate your political play here, because it is not what we need right now. Furthermore, I abhor your attempts to pass yourselves off as the reborn fiscally-responsible party… where the hell have you been for the last eight years? You’re in the doghouse, my red friends, and you’re not going to get off that easily this time. You have some debts to pay in the minority sector and some trust to rebuild with former allies and the people before me, and people like me even give heed to a word you speak. Consider this political prison time. You deserve it.

Two years. I refrain from passing judgment on Barack Obama for two years, because this chaos he’s sworn into is not a quick fix and will take at least that long to prove the validity of his program. If after two years our situation is worse, if we are not even near the halved-budget deficit he’s said is possible… well then, I’ll begin to criticize and my politics will then be reviewed for propriety; but that’s the least I can afford the man, because he deserves two years at least. And I implore all of you to do the same, because this is not his fault and he has been forthcoming in saying that this will take years to alleviate and I appreciate his pragmatism. If after two years his milestones are miserably short… you have your referendum on him in the form of 2010 congressional elections, but until then… you are not an economist and even if you are, that means not a damn thing right now; so please, shut your mouths and let the man work. Should he fail, your pride will be uncontrollably bright; should he succeed, your end-game is the veritable destruction of Republican power for the next decade, if you’re lucky. Shut your mouths and pray. Pray this all gets worse, because secretly, that’s all I see you really wanting right now. Failure for the right to say ‘I told you so’.