A 20 year old man walks into the breakroom at his barely-over-the-minimum wage job. The year is 1996 and his first vote for President is right around the corner. He sits down in the breakroom, opens the newspaper, and reads "Bill Clinton is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders." Every time the man turns on his radio or TV he hears "Bill Clinton is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders."
The man's friends and family tell him that "Bill Clinton is for workers!" The man rolls his eyes at the two extreme rhetorics and votes for the unzipped Democrat anyway.
Four years go by. The man is now married and has a working class Union job at the local bread factory, the third male in his family to work there. The man is making decent money as he watches his daughter take her first steps. He is disappointed that the two most Conservative laws passed in his lifetime were signed by a Democrat, the repeal of Glass-Steagal and NAFTA. He watches as the media reports that Al Gore rolled his eyes but somehow fails to mention that GWB promised to sign Cap and Trade.
He sits down in the breakroom, opens the newspaper, and reads "Al Gore is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders."
The man's friends and family tell him that "Al Gore is for workers!" The man rolls his eyes at the two extreme rhetorics and votes for Ralph Nader.
Four more years go by. Now the 28 year old man is sick and tired of GWB and blames himself for voting for Nader, even though he is disappointed in the number of Democrats who voted for an unfunded murderous war (rhymes with Billary). He still has the same good Union job. His family moves from Iowa to Kansas so his wife can go to a graduate school close to a bread factory. He believes his daughter should have every opportunity to succeed in life. The man has become an accidental Feminist without even thinking about it. The man even supports marriage equality, not because of politics, but because of the reality of his friends and family.
Still the man opens the newspaper, turns on the TV or radio and hears "John Kerry is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders."
The man's friends and family tell him that "John Kerry is for workers!" The man rolls his eyes at the two extreme rhetorics and votes Democratic anyway.
Four years later the 32 year old man and the nation have suffered through eight years of GWB. Enough is enough. He joins his Union Brothers and Sisters in fighting for Barrack Obama, the first (and only) Progressive/Populist national campaign of the man's lifetime. The man is vested in his Union and looks forward to the pension he contributes to every day of his life. His wife nears her Masters degree and the family grows to four with a second daughter.
Nevertheless, the man opens the newspaper, turns on the TV or radio and hears "Barrack Obama is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders."
The man rolls his eyes and tells his friends and family "Barrack Obama is for workers!" He charges into the voting booth and casts the most exciting vote of his lifetime!!!
Four more years go by. The 36 year old man's Union job has been taken over by hedge funds. His pension contributions are being stolen directly off of his paycheck. He continues to go to work every day in the hopes that it will be worked out in court and through the Union. The Democratic party squanders it's historical House/Senate majority and does nothing significant to help the working class or protect pensions. His two daughters are little geniuses with bright futures. His wife is now chasing her Phd while his Union warns him that the bread factory may close and keep his pension contributions forever.
Even though this era will go down in history as a bipartisan golden age for Wall Street the man opens the newspaper, turns on the TV or radio and hears "Barrack Obama is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders."
He tells his coworkers "Barrack Obama is for workers....and at least he doesn't suck as bad as the Republicans." They roll their eyes at him as he hopes they vote Democratic anyway. Within days of the election the bread factory closes for good.
Another election cycle is passing and the man will be 40 years old soon. The stock market is at record highs while the poor and working class are seeing none of it. The hedge funds closed the bread factory in order to sell the brand name$ at auction and to keep the man's pension contributions, along with those of his Union Brothers and Sisters. He is now unemployed and his family is introduced to a new financial reality. He sends an email to the nearest elected Democrat in the Senate, Claire McCaskill, and asks her to help the bread factory workers. He receives a form letter in return asking for a contribution so that she can keep "fighting for workers." The man rolls his eyes as he enrolls at a nearby tech college.
He is now the freeloader he has heard so much about, receiving unemployment (too briefly) and tuition assistance. But at least his highly educated wife can support the family while he attends school. An advantage many of his former Union Brothers and Sisters do not share.
As the next election approaches the left of center voices the man has grown to trust have settled on a favorite. The man is not so sure about the choice. When he voices his concerns, they roll their eyes at him.
Needless to say, when the man opens the newspaper, turns on the TV or radio he hears "Hillary Clinton is a lying socialist who will tax your paycheck and give your money to freeloaders."
The man does his daily routine of visiting the Dailykos, where he is reminded "Hillary Clinton is for workers!" The man rolls his eyes and....
Punch line below the fold-
Punch line?! Do you think this is funny?