Yesterday, Wisconsin held a recall election for six Republican state senators. The results are in. Four of the incumbents were re-elected which means the Republicans retain their majority in the State Senate.
Let's put it bluntly. It's a sad day for teachers, firemen and other unionized members, not only in Wisconsin but the country as a whole.
By retaining the majority in the state senate, the Republican governor, Scott Walker will undoubtedly interpret the election results as a mandate to continue his union busting and no collective bargaining tactics in the state.
This will surely embolden other Republican governors in other states notably Ohio, Indiana et al to follow Walker's lead in dismantling their states public unions and the collective bargaining agreements in those states.
These recall election results in Wisconsin should send a chill to all Democrats not only in Wisconsin but nationwide.
It should also be a wake up call to the current occupant in the White House. Obama's appeasement and capitulation to the hard right Republicans in the debt ceiling extravaganza was a surrender to right wing extremists.
But maybe, just maybe it'll be a wake up call to the American people who in polls reject both Republicans and Democrats.
Getting back to those recall elections in Wisconsin, is it possible that many who disagree with Republican Governor Scott Walker and his Republican henchmen in those recall elections were equally dismayed by the Democrat alternatives and simply stayed home, disgusted with the alternatives of either party?
Maybe it's unfair to link the results in a state wide recall election to nation-wide politics. But are these contests not harbingers for what we may expect in the next election cycle?
The fact is, more than 40% of people eligible to vote in this country don't even bother to show up at the polls on election day, and that's for presidential elections. In off year elections it's less than a majority of eligible voters who take part and in special elections like yesterday in Wisconsin, it's less than that.
What this means is every person elected in this country is elected by a minority of the people eligible to vote. Is it because these people don't care or is it in their eyes, it doesn't matter who is elected as there is no difference between the parties?
Considering the political shenanigans we were forced to endure in the weeks before August 2 (the deadline to prevent the country from defaulting on its debt obligations) is it any wonder most people polled rejected both parties by overwhelming majorities.
That's the tell tale sign the majority of the people believe their elected officials don't represent them.
Let's face it, the two party system is bankrupt and it's long past time for a third party alternative to be formed that could represent the majority of the American people who are totally disaffected by both the Republicans and the Democrats.
