Did Democrats Blow It?

Although Wally took advantage of Colorado’s easy vote by mail system, were he not black, chances are he might have not cared enough to buy and affix the two postage stamps necessary to return his completed ballot. 

“Problem is,” he recently told friends, “the main reason I voted was that a Republican governor and legislator would start looking for ways to restrict the rights of African-Americans, Latinos and other people of color to cast our votes.”

So for Wally and others like him, voting was very personal.   “This is one of those times where us people of color either use it or lose it,” he said.  “So for me it was more a matter of desperation as opposed to enthusiasm.”

And although Attorney General Eric Holder made a valiant effort to push back on voter suppression, he let the big banks and Wall Street off with a mere slap on the hand and then a wink and a nod.  In other words, he didn’t do a damn thing of substance.  “Both Wall Street and big banks got off with meaningless fines that are nothing more than a mere business expense,” said Wally.  “Besides, everyone knows that it’s the stock holders and not the decision makers who pay the fines.”

Granted, unemployment is under six percent and economic growth is between 3.5 and 4.6 percent so far this year but, according to Wally, “most of us are still feeling like shit.”  And that is because the financial sector killed our economy and got clean away with it.  “Huge fines which they can easily afford don’t count,” he said.

But even as economic numbers get better, there’s an uneasy feeling about and everyone’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.  “And with both bankers and Wall Street having gone unpunished,” according to Wally, “it’s like having a serial killer loose in the neighborhood just after another murder.  Things may be quiet for now.” he said.  “But everyone knows he’ll kill again.  Meanwhile, all that the rest of us can do is shit our pants and live in fear."