Posted on 12/15/2014 4:39:01 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The passionate stand by Americans across the country in protesting the failure of grand juries to indict policemen for killing two unarmed people – both poor, black men – is revving up the demand for a political response from Democrats in Washington.
Young people of all colors, but mostly blacks, Hispanics and immigrants, are the primary source of that pressure. Their political agenda extends beyond outrage over the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in New York. They also want Democrats in Congress to get busy defending ObamaCare. But their rising political engagement is best seen over the last few weeks in the ongoing demonstrations.
The problem is that Congressional Democrats, wounded by the midterms, are failing to capture the political energy of this youth movement.
President Obama is trying to contain the fire. He has met with young activists in the White House. He has gone on television to endorse peaceful protests and has spoken of his personal discontent with the “deep unfairness” in how the grand jury process can be manipulated by prosecutors to favor police.
Obama might even take the drama to the next level by going to Ferguson and joining protest leaders in the streets.
But the president – even the first black president – can only do so much.
It is up to the Congress, not the president, to address the cancerous distrust that young people and minorities harbor for the criminal justice system. Only Congress can bring the nation’s attention to high alert with public hearings and legislation to repair a broken judicial structure.
The Congressional Black Caucus has called for hearings on the shooting death of Michael Brown. But it will be up to the House Republican majority to call the hearings and set the agenda.
Speaker John Boehner(R-Ohio) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) have said they are “absolutely” open to hearings on the death of Eric Garner, a New York man choked by police as he was arrested for selling cigarettes. Boehner told reporters the deaths of Brown and Garner are “serious tragedies.”
But Boehner’s base voters – older, white southern conservatives in particular – are reflexively quick to defend all police and are therefore likely to resist him if he allows hearings to take place. Unyielding pressure from House Democrats will be needed to force the Speaker’s hand.
The same dynamic is also now coming into play around ObamaCare.
The incoming Republican majority on Capitol Hill is looking for ways to dismantle the law. It is clear who will get hurt if that happens. Before the Affordable Care Act took effect, 28 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 lacked health insurance, as did 10 percent of children under 18.
Those young Americans are looking for the Democrats to replicate the fury of the Tea Party caucus on the far right and become loud, unabashed flag-waving advocates for the success of national healthcare.
President Obama can talk about the success of ObamaCare, specifically the 25 percent drop in the total number of Americans without insurance. He can veto efforts to defund and repeal the health care act. But it will be up to Democrats on Capitol Hill to wage the day-to-day fight and open eyes to the benefits of a program that is lagging in polls because of unyielding attacks from the GOP.
Don’t expect to see Senate Democrats make the fight. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is already blaming ObamaCare for the party’s declining fortunes in Congressional races. The liberal heart of the party is going to have to find its blood, its passion in the House.
On both fronts, the police killings and healthcare, the central political audience is young America, the voting base that will determine Democrats’ fortunes in 2016 and beyond.
Almost a quarter of the U.S. population is under the age of 18. Another 36 percent of Americans are between the ages of 18 and 44. And these groups are filled with minorities, immigrants and children of immigrants as well as a disproportionate share of college graduates and single women of all races.
Congressional Democrats gave those voters little reason to go to the polls this year. No one on Capitol Hill was standing up for their agenda. As a result, exit polls from this year’s midterms give Democrats only an 11- percentage-point edge over Republicans among 18-29 year olds and a mere 3-point edge among 30-44 year olds.
Basically, the Democrats’ lead over Republicans among young voters was cut in half in 2014. And among 18 and 19 year olds, turnout dropped from 19 percent in 2012 to 13 percent in the midterms, a loss of about 14 million voters.
The exit polls also showed a five-percentage-point jump in young voters who self-identify as Republicans – 31 percent this year as compared to 26 percent in 2012. Self-identified Democrats as a share of young voters dropped from 44 percent in 2012 to 37 percent this year, while independents went up from 30 percent to 33 percent.
Republicans are pressing their appeal to young voters by bringing in fresh faces, such as 30-year-old Elise Stefanik of New York and 39-year-old Mia Love of Utah.
The big question for the coming Congress is whether the House Democrats will get off the floor and fight for the interests of young voters.
He has such a strong message for the youth of America that his own son doesn’t even buy it.
When was the last time you listened to that speech?
EVERYTHING right up to the last sentence is pertinent to today.
At least Whine Williams didn't say, "for murdering two unarmed people" as he did in a previous article.
I’ve got news for Juan. This group of rip off artists just stole their last trillion from the young people he speaks of
When the conservatives explain this to them without the news media, who are done aiding and abetting, it’ll be over
These guys don’t ask for permission and what people say about them doesn’t change their minds
And they are taking and publishing names
This is so funny. the very people who want big government are now protesting some of its results.
In this case, regarding FOX, I’d settle for fair and forget balance. Williams is a nutcase and like his brother Beckel, gets red in the face whenever he is confronted with the truth.
They are fighting Jaun, they’ve been using every weapon in the communist alinsky arsenal, so much so; young people are beginning to catch on to the deceit.
Don’t fret too much, Juan.
They may start voting Republican - until they find out they’re being screwed by THEM too.
Then they’ll go back to doing the ‘cool’ thing and vote democrat again. At least then, they’ll have ‘cred’ among the hip.
failure of grand juries to indict policemen for killing two unarmed people
I am always amazed that people consider unarmed as an excuse for not being killed.
Humans are most violent, they use clubs,rocks, sticks, guns,swords,knifes and fists as weapons.
Humans use whatever is handy to kill other humans.
Do the enlightened fail to see that humans are cruel,evil or just plain murderous, given provocation.
Juan is mistaken about who these young protesters are. They are from the occupy crowd.
Juan is as relevant as an unsold guinea pig in your local pet shop.
“Williams is a nutcase and like his brother Beckel, gets red in the face whenever he is confronted with the truth.”
They both belong in a politburo in Cuba. (Then again, they might be ready for a politburo here in the states when the time is ripe.)
IMHO
Both of these deaths were preventable. Obey the officers lawful orders and you will not be harmed.
The passionate stand by Americans across the country in protesting the failure of grand juries to indict policemen for killing two unarmed people -- both poor, black men -- is revving up the demand for a political response from Democrats in Washington.Been on any planes lately, feeling uneasy about the guy in the turban, Juan? Racist Demagogic Party-line Media Shill ping.
I couldn't get past this first sentence, so I mentally flushed the rest of Williams' rant.
OK, Juan, whatever. I advocate people doing whatever you say. After all, as wrong as you are on issue after issue after issue, go for it! It can only help conservatives.
Here The Hill uses this phoney, Whiney Williams, to explain away Obama/ Holder’s use of racial division to protect themselves from any congressional questioning of the constitutional usurpation division of powers (ie impeachment) being applied by this regime.
Here’s Whiney’s explanation of the exploitation of the WH in those racial episodes in Florida and Missouri.
“President Obama is trying to contain the fire. He has met with young activists in the White House. He has gone on television to endorse peaceful protests and has spoken of his personal discontent with the “deep unfairness” in how the grand jury process can be manipulated by prosecutors to favor police.
Obama might even take the drama to the next level by going to Ferguson and joining protest leaders in the streets.”
Somehow he guests up on talk shows run by GOPES (gop elite statists) pseudo conservatives when he should be ignored. And other views offered by true black conservatives givem that opportunity.
Good point. I really do not see a majority of these kids becoming regular voters. From what I hear from my daughter (20 yrs old) and her friends, the system is completely rigged, and the only way to shape policy is protesting.
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