Kahuna,

Yes, your predictions were right on. Your posts continue to be accurate and thought provoking.

I have written you privately questioning why you are so insistent on never voting for an incumbent. It seems like such an unlikely, simplistic solution to our huge problems.

But now, for the sake of argument, I'll agree with you that Congress is totally dysfunctional, but I would ask how you can possibly conclude that newcomers will perform differently (better) than incumbents. I suggest they will not, for a number of reasons, but mostly because they too will be enslaved by the funding and attached strings which allow them to unseat an opponent.

So here's my solution: Forget Congress. Let's waste no more time and tears railing over a governing model our founding fathers would be the first to radically redo if they were around. My focus is entirely on the President.

Let's debate the wisdom of finding and supporting Presidential candidates who are smart enough and brave enough to push an agenda which will move us forward. No matter what his opponents say now, President Obama was widely seen, even by open-minded conservatives, as having real leadership potential. Displaying presidential qualities overcame the millions spent to defeat him and the fact that he was not a white man.
Scream and holler about government spending, but even objective tea party folks will admit you can't really affect change without reducing defense, social security and medicare costs. The new health care laws and the decisions to end our massive presence in Iraq and Afghanistan are monumental positive steps. The amazing record of 'lame-duck' legislation in the final months of 2010 is a huge accomplishment.
I will vote for Obama again in 2012. Perhaps as a lame-duck himself he will pull out all the stops and find ways to better control the funding of Medicare and Social Security. If he is successful, it will be by increasing the contributions of the wealthy. That sure won't play well here in TV, but it will be our only real solution. Smart and brave will require that he continues to twist arms as he has done. Never quitting means he will find ways to defeat the special interests and make the 'compromises' work for the good of the majority. I believe Obama can continue to essentially lead Congress by the nose to more needed reform. Congressmen will continue to vilify him for this or that, but it will hopefully not stop the progress.

I haven't seen any candidate whom I think will be better for America in 2012 than the incumbent. I'm already concerned about 2016, but in the meantime Congress can just go their merry way.