I also believe that there will be additional buyers’ remorse and cynicism when unrealistic expectations of the more mainstream Obama voters do not come to pass. The incoming Attorney General masterminded the pardon of a convicted felon in exchange for significant financial contributions to the Clinton library, for example. Now there’s a drawdown, not an immediate withdrawal, from Iraq and a Sec’y of State appointee whose view on the war couldn’t be more divergent than the one promoted with Obama voters. But, as you say, maybe there isn’t too much attention paid to these things.

It seems to me that many voters want to place their faith in a personality – hence the troubling messianic aspects, rather than policy (or lack thereof). Now the media has self-assessed and found itself wanting in balance coverage, so it attempts to become more critical in order to salvage appearances. We may even get the vetting that should have occurred prior to the election.

More than anything, I’m concerned that the plan appears to be that the nation will spend its way out of the recession. This can only mean that more money comes out of our pockets – despite assurances of ever-changing income thresholds – and is redirected by those who have mismanaged oversight in the first place.

If we really want health care then we will do the research and gain the understanding with the assistance of our elected leaders and hold our top dog’s feet to the fire until what we need is accomplished. Businesses pay lobbyists to do that now for them….Citizens must take back our rights, privileges and responsibilities and do take care of our responsibilities. Education, Education, Education….
Ronald Reagan really truly let everyone off the hook and said go to Disneyland/ buy/ consume/ this is the new morning in America…and most of the citizen’s did just that – I can not tell you how many people tell me they are just not interested as long as “it” doesn’t affect them – or so they perceive it does not affect them

We can not let the financial experts re-create the disaster they have already given us….we must hold them accountable…our politicians forgot to hold AIG accountable and gave them billions of our dollars..
why are the citizen’s not learning the lessons they were taught in school – or were supposed to learn?
why have we dumbed down our schools and our children until all the rich are private schools and the middle class are being entertained and the poor get the cast offs? Because we were not paying attention and I believe it will need to get even more painful for the citizens before they understand…”And the mean and bling generation”, I think most of them will be on the dole all of their lives….
As 36% of our high school students do not graduate and don’t care…we are in big trouble at the grass roots….

I think Obama understands this….Bush has not got a clue…never did…
But it is up to us to educate and have this dialog and conversation and for our writers of novels to make projections based on our here and now
I was so excited to see so many young people involved and hope they will remain involved.
When I read in the State History text, while my children were required to take the class to graduate, I read this line: ” The bankers, land barons, and train folks in the East decided and paid for exploration of the West. It was decided that ______would be a territory settled to encourage communities, families, farmers, and civilization. __________ territories would be established as Military intrusion/check points and would be strip mined for every resource available and useful to the people of the East Coast. If the Indians were a problem and got in the way – kill ‘em” The history of those two states now make perfect sense – hindsight is so 20/20!

Oh expect a candidate to deliver, but I expect the citizens to be the ones pushing for the delivery with knowledge and ideas…First and foremost our National Leaders are they for our safety…and they have been too long there to make money and exploit power….
This took years to come about….Have you read Naomi Klein’s The SHOCK DOCTRINE…pretty amazing stuff… I reviewed the book on my blog about a year ago…I don’t know how to link it up
diversity is such a key to success…as is education

Wow this is fun….way fun….thank you

If one doesn’t expect a candidate to deliver, yet one tries to vote based upon who is going to create balance and provide vision, what part does accountability play? Maybe I’m not understanding what you said there, as it doesn’t compute for me. It seems as if you want an articulation of vision, but you’re not going to necessarily hold the person articulating it accountable. Why bother? Also, the top of the line information really fell apart with respect to WMD’s and Fannie/Freddie, didn’t it?

That being said, I agree that grass roots action is inspiring, and often more creative than top-down policy. And I also believe that collectively we spend too much time focused on government solutions to our immediate personal needs, as opposed to focusing on creating opportunities for more self-sufficiency in income creation, consumer-based decisions and flexibility in our choices. Government should be working for us, as you say, but not in the business of nanny-ing.

Citizen interests are as varied as there are numbers in the citizenry. It’s hard not to disassociate from our personal circumstances, but I think we ought to try. I do believe certain campaign messages struck a chord with some voters in that the message appealed toward a common ideal of the greater good. But there’s way too What’s In It For Me? afoot for my liking.

Thanks for your comments. It’s fun to think about and discuss this stuff!

In our state there are thousands of volunteers working with the Sound Alliance to put our 5 most important solutions out to the Governor and the State….the Environmental Ideas and the Health care solutions coming out of these polar opposite – ground level workers is awe inspiring…and the candidate that said I don’t wish to be king….I wish to see these great concepts implemented for the people of the state – WON.

Our politicians are only workers on our behalf….and one thing I liked about our last campaign is that Obama’s team presented new problems and the nation saw that individuals were willing to add these new problems to their lists of solutions for the country. Politicians are to give us an accurate overview of what is going on….they are a resource and have the top of the line information available – they are teachers

I felt like the campaign speeches reflected clearly who was listening to the people and who was not….I am still working on health care issues and making myself heard….and researching and gathering data…and writing my representatives locally and nationally….That is my responsibility as a citizen…and to get my needs and my children’s needs met with vision to the future.
Lobbyists represent organizations and businesses… a few represent citizen interests…who do you fund? Look who is on your payroll –
are you supporting the gas and oil lobbyists or the drug companies or the military or shopping your heart away? hmmm
Great piece and good information…well written and thought provoking – thank you for putting this out…

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Hi Cath – I think if we’re not vigilant, then we hear what we want to hear from a candidate – that’s why speechwriters get paid good money and policy wonks await in the wings. What worries me is a house divided cannot stand. Perhaps we are moving toward unity of purpose with the economic threat, but until everyone pulls together, we are vulnerable to evil elements. Thank you.

But it’s a good point – we choose candidates on these promises and they don’t fulfil them. Really, we’re just voting for the best bullshitter.

And what you say about creating or saving jobs is so true – it sure is a flexible statement.

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Actually, I don’t think people necessarily voted for Obama based on his promises. Some just voted out the Republicans. I tend to vote for the party rather than the candidate, as I don’t ever see the Republicans as offering a viable solution for the middle and lower classes.

“…campaign promises are tacitly understood to be flexible…” I’m more cynical than that. I’d say campaign promises are tacitly understood to be vacuous, but perhaps not by everyone.

Interesting series. History was my worst subject, so I’m all ears now.

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Hi Vered – In sales, we learn that all decisions are made on emotion and then justified with logic. What’s difficult sometimes is to accept what passes for the logic part in election outcomes. Thanks.

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Oboy, don’t’ even get me STARTED on Canadian Politics. (Don’t know if you follow Canadian news, but we’re in the middle of a fairly serious crisis right now.

Last fall, all the other parties kept threatening to bring down the govt. So Stephen Harper called their bluff, and held an election. And he WON….fair and square. That was 6 weeks ago.

Stephane Dion, the Liberal Leader who lost, did so badly, his OWN PARTY no longer wants him as leader.

But the latest: is that Dion has formed a coalition with the other two parties (including the Seperatists who want to break up Canada!). Talke about getting in bed with the enemy.

And Dion still wants to bring down the goverment. (He cant’ accept that he lost!).

The thing is…he might get his way too. By some stupid Parliament rules, he can potentially kick Stephen Harper out, and DION can become Prime Minister, instead.

So the Loser from our election 6 weeks ago might be able to turf out the winner, WITHOUT even another election being held. WITHOUT Canadians having any say in the matter.

(Go figure…I’m still shaking my head over this one! Many Canadians are).