Justin Ruben
Justin Ruben is an organizer in the labor and environmental justice movements. He currently directs MoveOn.org from his apartment in Brooklyn.
REASON 73: A President Romney would possess a tool you might not even know exists.
Just because Democrats haven’t managed to dramatically transform our country in the last four years doesn’t mean Republicans won’t do so in the next four.In fact, Republicans are already salivating at the prospect of using a little-known legislative tool called reconciliation to destroy much of what progressives hold dear.
Though President Obama has done some important stuff—starting with Obamacare—gridlock has been the rule in Washington. The really big changes America needs remain elusive. So it might be tempting to conclude that a President Romney would be similarly frustrated.
That would be epically wishful thinking. Here’s why:
1) If Romney wins, it’s very possible that Republicans will also retake the Senate.
2) They’ve been very explicit about the key elements of their agenda:
-> Extend the Bush tax cuts and give corporations and the rich another fat round of cuts.
-> Repeal Obamacare.
-> End Medicare in favor of a hugely inadequate voucher system.
-> Roll back environmental and public health protections.
-> Cut Social Security and Medicaid benefits.
-> Increase military spending.
-> Effectively end the role of the American government as a vital support for the middle class via huge cuts to domestic discretionary spending (e.g., education, environmental protection, housing, and anti-poverty programs).
3) They will absolutely claim a mandate to do all of those things if they win.
4) And here’s the kicker: All of those things can be done within a month or two through a parliamentary process called reconciliation, which only requires 51 votes in the Senate. No filibusters. No delays. Because these things are all budget-related.
That’s how the Bush tax cuts were passed—same with Obamacare, after Senator Kennedy died.
But Democrats didn’t use reconciliation to pass the more sweeping elements of a progressive agenda. Instead, they tried to work with a Republican Party that was determined to stymie their every move.
Do you doubt that Republicans will cast bipartisanship aside to jam through their agenda, rolling back much of the progress we've made in the past century?
There are many good reasons to vote for President Obama. But if that’s not enough, then please get out there and vote against Mitt Romney. And work your ass off between now and November 6 to make sure others do the same.
Join the fight at MoveOn.org.
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Brooklyn, New York
REASON 59:
I’m voting for Obama because he makes the world safer.read essay →
REASON 63:
Obama expanded the lungs of our ongoing identity.read essay →
REASON 65:
President Obama ended stop-loss.read essay →