So what does it mean that the Democrats took the U.S. House and may yet take the Senate?
Everyone says it was about Iraq — but what does that mean? Those of us who have backed the war from the start have demanded changes in the way the war has been prosecuted since early on. We’ve been demanding Rumsfeld’s head, more troops, better diplomacy with allies, etc.
Democrats ran against Iraq. But now that they won, what’s the message? So far, none. I heard Nancy Pelosi and John Murtha on the radio this morning. Pretty nonspecific. They want change. Nobody’s saying pull the troops out. They know better. The party’s most agitated branch will be screaming for that, but there’s no mandate for that. If there were, Ned Lamont would have won.
Personally, I think the country was rejecting the bitter partisanship of the last few years, of which the president and Dennis Hastert are prime examples. They want people who will work across ideological lines to the betterment of the country, both at home and abroad. They rejected the Ned Lamonts on the left and the Rick Santorums on the right. They want common sense, not MoveOn.org or Rush Limbaugh.
But that’s what I think. What do y’all think?
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The GOP base stayed home because:
* Tax cuts too small. Flat tax blocked.
* Social Security still a bankrupt welfare program and not being replaced with real savings plans.
* 3,600,000 H1-B workers here taking American jobs, and GOP supports it for big business, just as the Democrats do.
* GOP does nothing to get rid of the millions of illegal aliens pouring in from Mexico. Lindsay Graham and others actually block all reforms.
* Iraq war not being prosecuted vigorously. Muslim clerics not being arrested, Mosques used by terrorists are left as sanctuaries.
Just checking in – wow, lot’s of blogs since I last checked a week ago!
Anyway – I did want to say – you’d be glad to know I did as I promised – I voted for each person rather than just party-line! 🙂 Promise kept, ok?! 🙂
Also – interesting, this week I heard a guy from Sudan speak in our church – he specifically addressed how our voting in America affects their life in Sudan directly and that they watch our elections with great interest and concern. He was actually pretty outspoken about his political persuasion (he has the freedom to do that from the pulpit – he’s not American!)
Also said something interesting – we could have gotten Bin Laden easily a few years ago while he was still in Sudan but we didn’t go after him and now we’re reaping the consequences. Needless to say he was very outspoken about being thankful for Bush being in office right now and for what Bush has done for their country.
I say all that to say that I voted yesterday with a different sense of purpose – an understanding that how we vote here doesn’t just affect our little lives – it has rippling effects across the globe and we need to take this priviledge seriously and do it thankfully and responsibly. I hope you did the same.
Speaking of Rush Limbaugh, he is actually good for something. His tirade against Michael J. Fox probably cost the GOP the senate. It angered just enough voters in Missouri to make the difference. Thank you Rush.
In response to Warthen’s question, what I think is that, as usual, he fails to analyze what happened. Instead, he chose a message that he wanted the results to show, took one result as confirming his viewpoint, and failed to recognize or mention other races contradicting his viewpoint.
What voters want is the betterment of our country, not “working across ideological lines for the betterment of our country”. “Working across ideological lines” is one of Warthen’s 3 or 4 idées fixes. It relates to process, not substance. Warthen values compromise as an end in itself, but voters don’t care about compromise except as a mechanism for getting the best possible result. Voters don’t want their representatives to compromise for the sake of compromise. They want their representatives to stand firm on important issues. Standing firm can often force the other party in a negotiation to come to you, and a bad deal is worse than a failure to reach a deal.
Voters didn’t “reject the left and the right.” They put in Sherrod Brown, whose National Journal liberal rating is 84.2. Harold Ford’s is 58.3. They put in Sheldon Whitehouse, who is more liberal than Chafee. They put in Claire McCaskill, who is a progressive on every issue. Missouri voted in favor of stem cell resarch. Jon Tester is more conservative than Brown or Whitehouse, but he’s against a flag burning amendment, against an amendment banning gay marriage, against, the Patriot Act, and against the war.
Yarmuth in Kentucky 03(!) is an unabashed liberal.
If there’s to be compromise, it will need to be a result of Republican movement toward where the Democrats and the country stand, not a result of establishing a center point between the Democrats and the Republicans and labeling that a “compromise position”.
Warthen could have found out information about who won and their political positions. But he didn’t. The fact were irrelevant to his purpose, which was to interpret the election results to support a viewpoint he already held.
Beautiful analysis,Mary.Absolutely brilliant.
Kudos Mary Rosh. I couldn’t have said it better. Frankly I don’t think congress will move dramatically to the left but as I said in another post, the far right agenda that may have been foisted upon us with a GOP victory, is now dead. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but perhaps, just perhaps, Joe Leiberman will come to his senses and move away from his war-mongering position. He could serve as a catylist to move us in the correct direction.
Wonderful, this blog. It’s either my way, or the highway. Also a wonderful thing, what democracy has become. With this type of positioning, I’m sure we will have more of the same: stalemate, and rising frustration and anger on both sides.
Don’t worry, he most certainly will serve as a catalyst, and he knows the right direction.
And he came to his senses back when the party he had served for so long turned on him. He understands now that neither party is a fit home for a thinking human being. He realized there was no use trying any more to appease a bunch of raving extremists in order to gain their acceptance. The electorate as a whole, if you give it a real choice, doesn’t demand that. A most liberating realization indeed.
The catalyst is now in his element. I can’t wait to see him go to work on this dead-from-the-neck-up system.
Sorry, Brad, maybe I’m taking too much of my lead from this blog, but then these are the people who voice their opinions, and I don’t see much evidence here of the electorate not demanding extremism. Hopefully you’re right.
On the lighter side, here is an experience that a friend had yesterday with her son at the polling place (as described by another friend). For Jacob, the governor’s race was serious business:
This whole outcome reminds me of the Wizard of Oz – the moment after the Wicked Witch was melted with the water. Her gaurds celebrated their sudden freedom.
This was the melt down of W, his white house boyz, and the K-street boyz.
The funny thing to me is that it is great to be a Democrat in South Carolina today. To here the shills and crazies around here who are the majority in SC, and think that they also represent the mainstream across the nation.
Sorry to break it to you, but SC is, and always has been an anomally. SC is the last bastion of crazed renegades and fringe lunatics.
Take your Sanford, Bauer, Floyd, Wilson and the rest. They may matter to you here in SC, but the reality is that outside of South Carolina, no one knows who they are, or for that matter cares who they are.
Whoopee, Mark won, Dre won, whoever the other idiots and criminals running for offices that I couldn’t force a homeless man to accept, won. They all won, but what does it matter? Andre will continue to steal and speed. Mark will continue to get nothing accomplished. I imagine that Richard might even go on vacation to Minnesota again this summer. T. Rav will continue to refer to himself in the third and fourth person while looking at himself in the mirror. And one day I might even figure out who the Secretary of State is and why we need one.
My votes may have been cast for mainly losers in this state, but it is comforting to know that in the end, my mindset is in line with the majority of Americans, while the majority of voters in South Carolina voted Andre Bauer Lt. Guv again. (I cannot think of anything else that should shame people more than this)
South Carolina never ceases to amaze me.
I meant “hear the shills”
Change the system then.
Man…can u guys “over read” the situation. it is one election!
Next week will be very much like last week…so u guys go find a life. The world rolls on! The same problems that troubled the reps will now trouble the dems.
so life goes on…get over it regardless if u won or lost!
“Life will go on” a great deal better for the working poor if they get a wage increase.
The elderly needing a break from prescription drug costs may fair much better.
Those who can’t afford medical insurance may be better off as well.
Of course, the wealthiest Americans may have to cut back on their Hummers and boats…Big oil execs may be sweating…
Preston & Brad,
You two should read a book called , “Origins of Southern Radicalism” by Dr. Lacy Ford as it is a roadmap to South Carolina politics and the fiery rhetoric and actions that accompany it. A great read that secribes the political climate in South Carolina before the War Between the States, and encompasses many quotes that are indeed priceless. Moreover, it may help you understand the political landscape better, with quotes like this; “South Carolina is to small to be a Republic and tooo large to be an insane asylum” describing the tensions before the Secession convention.
Definitely a book that will give you feel for the masses here.
That would be “FARE”.
Now chris, don’t get all Lee on us and presume what will happen. At least give let Dems screw up before making accusations. That is sore-looserism of the worst kind.
Since Clinton’s botched adventure in Kosovo is still going on, how long do we have to wait before we can call it a “screw up”?
Bob, have you read Hornet’s Nest by Jimmy Carter? It provided great insight into how we Americans found our identity as a people.
Rat’s Nest is how the Democrats found their identity.
Lee, maybe we are waiting for the “exit strategy” out of Kosovo.
The Democrats never had any strategy for their illegal, undeclared military adventures under Generalissimo Clinton.
Attention, Bob Dunlap:
That Petigru quote is the best description of SC– even today.
No one who is truly concerned about low wages for workers would not also work to close our borders and deport the illegal aliens.
No one who is truly concerned about medical costs would oppose health savings accounts, and privatizing medical insurance and retirement funding to the individual. Abolishing the WWII relics of corporate pensions and medical insurance, and the socialist welfare programs of Social Security and Medicare, would make retirement better and healthcare more affordable for working Americans.
Wow! That looks like fun, Lee. I’ll try it.
No one who has living gray matter between his ears would give Lee’s statements the slightest credence.
Yep, just as I thought: easy but ultimately unsatisfying to make blanket statements without the slightest support.
But, what am I saying? This entie blog is full of Lee’s posts.
Case closed.
Since you didn’t address any solution I posted, all of which are working fine in other industrialized nations, I assume you have no grasp of the subjects.
That is just what the demagogues want – ignorant, frightened masses, looking for someone to promise them meager material goods in exchange for their freedom and dignity.