Is this the Most Important Election since 1980?

[Rhodie]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-11/this-is-now-the-most-important-election-since-1980.html

Interesting article from Bloomberg. Discuss...

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

All the elections are important in one way or another.

[Rhodie]

All the elections are important in one way or another.

True. But 1980 signalled a final, clean break from the New Deal alignment, and the way of doing things established by Reagan is still in force now.

[Lief 🗽]

Yes. If Romney/Ryan wins, this country returns to the Gilded Age. It's really pretty terrifying.

[© tweed]

Yes. If Romney/Ryan wins, this country returns to the Gilded Age. It's really pretty terrifying.

such a thing is inevitable, unless the masses inject themselves into history and stop it.  electoral politics is a sideshow, though admitted a Romney victory expedites the process.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Yes. If Romney/Ryan wins, this country returns to the Gilded Age. It's really pretty terrifying.

such a thing is inevitable, unless the masses inject themselves into history and stop it.  electoral politics is a sideshow, though admitted a Romney victory expedites the process.

Yes, because no non-Marxist administration can ever make any sort of meaningful progress. Just look at all the progress FDR and LBJ didn't make.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

2008 was much more important.

[Kalimantan]

no, possibly 2000 as the choice between Gore and Bush was one of the starkest in memory, and possibly 2008, but right now it hardly matters who is president because of the polarisation of the houses.

[Cory]

It's the most important election since 2000 maybe.

[Napoleon]

the choice between Gore and Bush was one of the starkest in memory,

[© tweed]

Yes. If Romney/Ryan wins, this country returns to the Gilded Age. It's really pretty terrifying.

such a thing is inevitable, unless the masses inject themselves into history and stop it.  electoral politics is a sideshow, though admitted a Romney victory expedites the process.

Yes, because no non-Marxist administration can ever make any sort of meaningful progress. Just look at all the progress FDR and LBJ didn't make.

my argument would be that the 'progress' pointed to at the top (New Deal, Civil Rights, etc). was made possible only by the organization of the masses: the great industrial organizing of the 30s, the civil rights movement and other popular movements in the 60s, etc.  this is not to say that leaders are not historical agents in their own right, but a return to the gilded age has been long coming, and history has moved in that direction for a while now, though all sorts of administrations, without much of a hiccup.

[Eraserhead]

2008 was much more important.

So was 2004.

[The Mikado]

This is probably one of the least important.   

[Lief 🗽]

This is probably one of the least important.   

Seriously? This election is less important than 1996 or 2004? No.

[Eraserhead]

This is probably one of the least important.   

Seriously? This election is less important than 1996 or 2004? No.

Probably more important than 1996 but definitely not nearly as important as 2004.

[Lief 🗽]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

[Eraserhead]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

[Brittain33]

Hard to argue that 2000 wasn't most consequential.

[ZuWo]

Obama and Romney will probably govern in a very similar way, so I don't think this presidential election is particularly important.

[Brittain33]

Obama and Romney will probably govern in a very similar way, so I don't think this presidential election is particularly important.

It's important for solidifying PPACA against repeal and also preventing or enabling a rightward shift on the Supreme Court equivalent to the one when O'Connor retired.

[ZuWo]

Obama and Romney will probably govern in a very similar way, so I don't think this presidential election is particularly important.

It's important for solidifying PPACA against repeal and also preventing or enabling a rightward shift on the Supreme Court equivalent to the one when O'Connor retired.

You're right about the Supreme Court pick but I doubt Romney has the guts or the desire to repeal the entire PPACA despite what he's saying now.

[Brittain33]

Obama and Romney will probably govern in a very similar way, so I don't think this presidential election is particularly important.

It's important for solidifying PPACA against repeal and also preventing or enabling a rightward shift on the Supreme Court equivalent to the one when O'Connor retired.

You're right about the Supreme Court pick but I doubt Romney has the guts or the desire to repeal the entire PPACA despite what he's saying now.

If Congress sends him a bill on this issue, he will sign it. End of story.

[Lief 🗽]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Uh, they want to basically end medicare and social security. And Ginsburg is not going to survive until 2017. A Romney victory would dramatically transform this country.

[milhouse24]

Looking back, I don't think 2008 was that important, only from a superficial standpoint with having a Black president.  The Iraq war was clearly winding down and military spending would decrease.  The economy is still struggling.  Obama's only real accomplishment is Universal Health Care, and the jury is still out on whether that will succeed.  But I don't think Obama has radically changed America for the better.  He is trying to increase socialism in government programs, but those are still a work in progress.  Not sure how much obama would accomplish in a 2nd term.

[© tweed]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Uh, they want to basically end medicare and social security. And Ginsburg is not going to survive until 2017. A Romney victory would dramatically transform this country.

Clinton wanted to end SS too.