Where’s Ross Perot When We Need Him?

What happened this past Tuesday night might cause a massive shift in the political landscape over the next five years. It could also be the catalyst for something that is much needed in American Politics today. But it’s not what you think.

You will hear in the coming days and weeks that the Republican victories were a vote against Obama. That this was a referendum against a far left agenda. That the Republican Party is back with a vengeance, and the Democrats have much to fear in terms of next years congressional elections, as they ponder how to vote on a sweeping program inclusive of government run Healthcare.

For the Democratic side, you will hear spin and back peddling. You will be confused as to why if you logged onto CNN.com yesterday AM, you only saw a single line about the elections on the front page. But you saw a lead article explaining why “the change we need” is taking so long.

And this is all true. But there is a greater truth, a greater opportunity.

Last night while watching election coverage on FOX, I saw that FOX convened a voter focus group in Virginia. Granted, most of the folks who are going to show up are probably conservatives, but there seemed to be a good mix of Democrats and Independents as well judging from the dialogue.

The commentator asked a really interesting question, I will paraphrase because I don’t recall his exact words. “Who is just angry at our government?” Three fourths of the hands in the room shot up as if they had just been offered free money to whoever raised their hand first.

Then the commentator asked, “Of those who are angry, who voted for Bob McDonnell?”. Every single person who claimed to be angry – voted for the Republican McDonnell.

The anger in America has shifted. The anger and protest that elected a Democratic President, has moved in favor of the Republicans. A protest vote against government is now a Republican vote.

Now let’s do the heavy lifting and thinking. Is this really a swing to the Republican Party?

No its not. It is however validation that government, as it currently exists, is not working for the American people. It is a referendum in favor of a third party, and against both parties. If the anger can shift so fundamentally, in 12 months, against an incredibly likeable President, then it means far more than a shift in political party momentum. It means its time for a viable third choice.

Let Election Day 2009 be the day the Americans collectively said “We’re mad as Hell, and we are not going to take it anymore”

We need change, and not the change that either party can provide.

What do you think?

Guest Blogger – Jeff Hine

President Obama’s Response to Iranian Election Unrest

Transcript in English:

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Good afternoon, everybody.  Today, I want to start by addressing three issues, and then I’ll take your questions.

First, I’d like to say a few words about the situation in Iran.  The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days.  I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.

I’ve made it clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and is not interfering with Iran’s affairs.  But we must also bear witness to the courage and the dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society.  And we deplore the violence against innocent civilians anywhere that it takes place.

The Iranian people are trying to have a debate about their future.  Some in Iran — some in the Iranian government, in particular, are trying to avoid that debate by accusing the United States and others in the West of instigating protests over the election.  These accusations are patently false.  They’re an obvious attempt to distract people from what is truly taking place within Iran’s borders.  This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won’t work anymore in Iran.  This is not about the United States or the West; this is about the people of Iran, and the future that they — and only they — will choose.

The Iranian people can speak for themselves.  That’s precisely what’s happened in the last few days.  In 2009, no iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests [sic] of justice.  Despite the Iranian government’s efforts to expel journalists and isolate itself, powerful images and poignant words have made their way to us through cell phones and computers, and so we’ve watched what the Iranian people are doing.

This is what we’ve witnessed.  We’ve seen the timeless dignity of tens of thousands of Iranians marching in silence.  We’ve seen people of all ages risk everything to insist that their votes are counted and that their voices are heard.  Above all, we’ve seen courageous women stand up to the brutality and threats, and we’ve experienced the searing image of a woman bleeding to death on the streets.  While this loss is raw and extraordinarily painful, we also know this:  Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.  The Iranian people have a universal right to assembly and free speech.  If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect those rights and heed the will of its own people.  It must govern through consent and not coercion.  That’s what Iran’s own people are calling for, and the Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government.

Episode 40 – Twitter, Iran and Healthcare

Let’s get social for Episode 40 of PoliTalk. In this show, you’ll hear not just about what is happening in Iran, but why, and how social media has been a driving force behind the political reforms in Iran. Glenn and Jeff debate the ramifications of using social media in a dictatorial regime, and its role in the future of Iran and other such states. They also explain the parallel behind its use in Iran and how it plays into the current health care reform debate. Getting to the root of the policy discussion, they explain what isn’t being talked in this debate, how social media might influence the health care reform discussion, and why you can’t call it “reform.” Always informative and entertaining, it’s PoliTalk, your weekly political podcast.

Listen to the current installment of PoliTalk and get yourself informed, inspired, entertained and ready for the day… spread the word… tell two friends, and so on and so on…

You can get the PoliTalk Podcast from Podcast.com and iTunes.

What is happening in Tehran, Iran? – Read it as it happens on Twitter

Twitter Search for Tehran

Want to find out what is happening in Tehran Iran over the election? You can find out for yourself by using Twitter. With Twitter, you can see what people in Tehran are saying about things. Just click here to get a search for “Tweets” that are coming from within 15 miles of Tehran.

It is amazing. You can read what is happening from the people who are there and experiencing the political unrest. Social Media tools like this can be a game changer for political movements.