Musical Chairs: Democrats v. Republicans

It seems that the hits just keep coming for Democrats hoping to keep control of the House and Senate come November elections. I almost am wondering if I can hear Republicans rejoicing already. The latest drama to hit the Democratic camp is Charles B. Rangel and the 13 charges of ethical violations brought against them. Is there any way for Rangel and the Democrats to salvage what is left of their chances to come out on top in November?

The way I look at it, Democrats are already terrified of losing control of the House and the Senate in the upcoming elections, which I think is justifiable. Obama’s decisions to keep pushing through bills that are not directly addressing the issues that are keeping most Americans on the edge of the seats, has begun to allow Conservatives back in the game. The unemployment rate is still rising, and Obama’s apparent incompetence in dealing with the Oil Spill has definitely done him no favors. The issue with Rangel is the next blow, which the Democrats did not need. There have been reports that some Democratic Party officials have asked Rangel to not go to trial with these charges, while others have asked him to resign.

I believe that if the Democrats have any small chance of keeping control of the House then Rangel needs to resign. Regardless of whether or not, in trial, he is cleared of these charges, some people are going to believe that he is a crooked House member. They will begin to not trust any Democrats because of this one man. On top of that, if he is cleared, some people are going to believe that it was Democratic influence and the need to protect themselves that led to Rangel’s innocence. I believe if he doesn’t resign it will only make it infinitely worse for all democrats involved. Obama has already begun to lead the way for a democratic demise, which is evident in his declining approval rating. When he took office, his approval rating was up around 70%, the last number I looked his approval rating had dropped to around 50%. This gave Obama the fastest declining approval rating for a president to date.

If the Democrats want to save seats in both the House and the Senate, first Rangel must resign. This would be the easiest start. Next, Obama obviously needs to change his game plan a little. He needs to start really focusing on the issues that seem to plague and worry the people in our nation. The relations between the Democrats and the Republicans are at dismal point these days, mainly due to the fact that Republicans and Democrats hardly ever agree on anything. Obama needs to refashion his views. Our people need jobs, and the people on the Gulf need help in the aftermath of the great tragedy that took place. We do not, however, need our President looking for ways to pass new bills through that do not even begin to address our largest issues. If Obama and the Democrats do not start listening to the people, then come November they will once again see the majority in the House and Senate shifting towards the Republicans.