I'm Peter St. Onge, associate editor of the O's editorial board, and I'll be hosting today.
What are people talking about this morning?
The latest New York Times/CBS temperature-taking of our country yielded some interesting nuggets late yesterday. Americans, as expected, are distressed about the economy and willing to hand out blame to most every politician with a Washington, D.C. address. Two-thirds of those surveyed also don't want to ease taxes on corporations, and about the same liked the idea of increasing taxes on millionaires. Said the Times: "Almost half of the public thinks the sentiment at the root of the Occupy movement generally reflects the views of most Americans."
The most startling number of all, perhaps: American's approval of Congress dropped to single digits in the poll, an historic low at 9 percent. That figure is the product of the economic non-recovery, of course, but it also reflects the culture of protest our struggles have spawned, beginning with the successful tea party and now including the burgeoning Occupy movement. Americans have, across all demographics, become less inhibited about expressing our dissatisfaction loudly.
The question, however, is will that translate to another historic shift - the way we vote? Democrats and Republicans in Washington continue to bet no, believing that voters ultimately will choose party over protest, that we will pick a side to blame rather than vote against those in either party who chose to block progress for the sake of ideology.
If, a year from now, we're still mired in unemployment and stagnant growth - or worse, another recession - will voters finally act on the oft-stated and never-realized sentiment of voting as many of the bums out as we can? Despite numbers that say we're readier than ever, probably not.
Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments...
Opinion closer to home
A judge says that the N.C. Department of Transportation checked all the appropriate boxes for the Monroe Bypass to be built, but today's Observer editorial says that doesn't make the new road a good idea.
Our letters to the editor explain why the Panthers don't fill the seats with more home fans (blame Northeasterners) and why we should celebrate the Jeff Gordon Expressway.
The Greensboro News & Record says N.C.'s Fall Furniture Market offers hope for a revival of American manufacturing.
Nationally
The blog Red State takes a conservative look at Rick Perry's flat tax plan.
The Washington Post's Dana Milbank says House Democrats have become irrelevant.
And finally, one to chew on...
Time's Josh Sanburn says it might be time to kill the dollar bill.
And finally, one to chew on...
Time's Josh Sanburn says it might be time to kill the dollar bill.
Posts
7 comments:
I at first thought the Observer had done a poll on we their readers from the headlines?
Peter,
I would like for you to address the origins of the very obvious and coordinated blackout of the candidacy of Ron Paul in the Observer and in other mainstream media outlets. This blackout was confirmed and documented by the Pew Center, and is so pervasive that the Paul campaign promoted their latest "moneybomb" using the catchphrase "Black THIS Out" (it raised 2.3 million dollars in 36 hours, getting donations from more individuals in one day than Rick Perry got in the entire third quarter).
Last Monday Paul released a comprehensive and specific plan to immediately reduce federal spending by $1 trillion and to balance the budget within 2015, both goals that a vast majority of Republicans would welcome. Yet the Observer did not print a single word regarding the Paul plan, in contrast to its extensive stories on "9/9/9" which is a tax plan that only addresses revenue, rather than the actual spending cuts which - again - most rank and file Republicans support.
So please answer the simple question Peter: What is the origin of the Ron Paul blackout? Thanks.
My discontent is from having to struggle through the Southern Version of thw New York Times. The editorials in today's paper:
1. Obama the great unifier battling the evil Republicans.
2. The Occupy movement makes sense for the middle class.
3. Spending more money doing the same things we have been doing in education...not cutting taxes is the way out of the recession.
4. Rick Perry's "wink" to the birthers.
5. The Monroe bypass is not a good idea (so we will have enough money to run a train to Eastland Mall I guess)
6. A cartoon linking Mitt Romney to Obamacare
7. 3 of the 4 LTTE with political overtones were left wing.
8. This Opinion piece starts out with a NYTimes/CBS poll. That can never be good.
9. There is a letter from someone at the YMCA about giving but I was too exhausted from left wing nonsence to even read it.
It's a good thing you are acting as the moderate voice of balance for Observer editorial content. No telling what we would be getting otherwise!
"almost half" of Americans also think President Obama should be re-elected. Wonder if it's the same "almost half" that thinks the communists and socialists protesting Wall street are great?
If, a year from now, we're still mired in unemployment and stagnant growth - or worse, another recession - will voters finally act on the oft-stated and never-realized sentiment of voting as many of the bums out as we can? Despite numbers that say we're readier than ever, probably not.
If we vote the bums out, who will run the country?
Peter, the only way we're getting out of anything is for government to losen the grip on everyone and every business....
If, a year from now, we're still mired in unemployment and stagnant growth - or worse, another recession - will voters finally act on the oft-stated and never-realized sentiment of voting as many of the bums out as we can?
Pete,
I'd love to challenge you on this, and write about where the county is at a year from now. But let's be honest, the chance of you being here a year from now is pretty slim. Your company has lost 98% of its value in 6 years under CEO Gary Pruitt, who made $3.75 million last year while laying off 4500. When your company's value falls below the debt your creditors hold, its gonna hit the fan, and you will be out on the street.
Can anyone that runs a newspaper speak the truth? So much silly nonsense comes from a man that could be a voice for honesty and integrity. You have to have someone to vote in to vote someone out. If you are voting at all, that would be the primary reason to pull the lever. Most candidates are bought and paid for by some faction of corporate america. If not they will sit on the back of the bus until they learn "the ropes" The system is Broke and Broken. You know it, your newspaper is Broke and Broken. You are controlled as to what you can say or you will lose your job. That is an understandable reason for the daily nonsense. When we are all gone from these bodies, I wonder how we look back at all the fear that runs our life, knowing we should have stepped up to the plate.
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