Will 2012 be too Late to Save America?

"If you believe that the end justifies the means, then you don't believe in Constitutional government. And, without Constitutional government, freedom cannot endure. There will always be a 'crisis'-- which, as the president's chief of staff has said, cannot be allowed to 'go to waste' as an opportunity to expand the government's power." -Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell's recent column entitled "Degeneration of Democracy" on Townhall has me thinking more about something that has been gnawing at me for several months. That is, how can the Obama administration continue to pursue such overwhelmingly unpopular policies? Indeed, his response has been to ramp up efforts to expand the reach and power of government even as his poll numbers sink into oblivion. Surely, the politicians in his circle have not completely lost their primary instinct of political survival? Or, might it be that they are confident that if they put into place a power structure no longer beholden to the constitution that they will not need to give up the reins of power? Are they creating a system that is no longer within the reach of the electorate? Might it be that they have no intention of relinquishing power in 2010 or 2012 even if they are voted out of office? Scary stuff for a country that has taken for granted for over two centuries that tyrannical usurpation either violent or soft could never happen in the United States.