Deja Vu All Over Again

There was a moment back in 2008 when we became a little frustrated at the lack of red meat in Barack Obama's campaign. While Republicans relentlessly ridiculed Obama and labeled him an Unpatriotic-Muslim-Socialist, it seemed as if the young candidate wasn't willing to get in the mud and fight. The liberal media was obsessed with Bill Ayers, ACORN, Jeremiah Wright, Joe the Plummer Handyman and the McCain/Palin accusation that Obama would rather lose the war in Iraq than lose the election.

McCain gained several points on then-candidate Obama in key states while Obama's campaign remained above the fray. All of us were screaming, "Fight back!" And then, to the cheers of 69 million Americans who voted for him, Obama finally took the gloves off and reminded everyone that McCain and Bush were the same (and that McCain owned nine homes, all of which were perfect spots for the Republican drill baby drill for oil plan).

Seems like years ago...

And here we are again in 2009. It was like dejavu all over again last month, watching the same uncivil, uncooth specimens spew their unholy venom at healthcare rallies. Nazi signs, cries of socialism and out-and-out racism. The perpetual loop of these images must have boosted ratings for cable news networks given the non-stop coverage we were forced to endure.

Now, once again, it appears that Republicans have got all the mileage they can possibly get out of their lies. Despite their best efforts to kill healthcare during the August recess, President Obama and progressive Democrats are still moving forward, and they're closer now than ever to true insurance reform. Another positive sign can be found in President Obama's approval numbers. They appear to have bottomed out somewhere around the low to mid-fifties, numbers similar to what he earned last November - along with 365 electoral votes. We shouldn't forget the electoral significance of 52.8% of the popular vote.

Here's what we can soon expect: President Obama will sign a healthcare bill this fall, at which point Democrats' national poll numbers will get an immediate boost. The new reform will be regarded as the greatest change since Social Security, and most importantly, 47 million Americans will have a greater hope in obtaining affordable health insurance - public option or not. Republicans will be the biggest losers, yet again. A majority of Americans will remember the sincere attempt by the Democrats to pass a bipartisan bill, only to be opposed almost all Republicans, most of whom offer no real solution.

With August behind us, President Obama seems ready to take the gloves off once again - just in time. The August smoke has cleared, and he's still standing. This AFL-CIO speech from Labor Day leaves little doubt that the president is as optimistic as ever about delivering CHANGE. From the looks of things, Fall 2009 may just turn out to be just as sweet as Fall 2008.