Ten findings on the clean-sweep GOP defeat in the midterm:
BEING FROZEN OUT IS GREAT
1. Democrats yelled and screamed when the Republicans shut them out of all meaningful political activity in Congress for the past five years (no amendments, no debate, no invitations to conference committees, etc.). It was one-party authoritarian rule, and the Dems complained loudly.
But being cut out of the loop of Congressional decision-making meant that the Democrats were ignored by those interested in buying and bribing their way to access. Instead, those lobbyists and corporations devoted all such corrupting efforts at the Republicans, who had the power to get bills passed.
And why did one third (one third!) of evangelicals, and many other moderate-conservative Republicans, vote for Democratic candidates on Tuesday? "Corruption" was cited way up there with Iraq and the economy and terrorism, according to the national exit polls.
In short, you never know how things will play out. What seems like the worst sort of calamity could turn out to be your lifeline later. Democrats know that well now.
THE "VALUES" VOTERS
2. Add the financial corruption (Abramoff, Ney, Cunningham, K-Street lobbyists, etc.) to the GOP House leadership's coverup of the Foley sex-scandal, and then factor-in the sex-and-drugs scandal involving evangelical leader Ted Haggard (who had close White House ties), and a perfect storm of revulsion was generated for so-called conservative "values" voters.
To keep those "values" voters inside the Democratic big-tent for more than simply this election, the Dems must keep their ethical noses as clean as a whistle. If they slide into the arrogance of power and start making under-the-table deals with lobbyists, or getting involved with illicit sex and drugs, or starting to act all high and mighty, much of the positive momentum of the 2006 election will be destroyed.
In addition, if Pelosi takes the party too much toward the accomodate-and-compromise center, the progressive base may rebel, with unforseen consequences. Quite a high-wire for her to walk.
A VOTE OF NO-CONFIDENCE
3. As many commentators have noted, the Democrats succeeded in making this midterm election a national no-confidence vote on the Bush Administration. By doing so, they didn't have to present a platform or agenda of their own.
All they had to do was point out the obvious: the thorough-going incompetence (Iraq, Katrina), the deadly mistakes (Iraq, Katrina), the lies and deceptions (Iraq, Katrina, EPA), the disconnect with reality (Iraq, Katrina, global-warming), the stubborn arrogance (Iraq), the mediocre nominations for high posts (Don Rumsfeld, Harriet Miers, Michael Brown, Bernie Kerik, Michael Chertoff), and on and on.
The one constant running through all of those areas, and more, is a steadfast hubris that refuses to budge to accomodate anything or anybody outside its narrow focus; Bush and his crew act as if nobody else's opinion, and reality, do not matter. Stay the course on everything. If that strategy takes the Constitution, the economy, the safety of the nation over the cliff, that's the price one pays for being right -- that was the atittude.
But now, with the GOP losing control of the House and Senate, the new Democratic majority in Congress is going to be forced to help initiate policy and to govern. In short, they need to develop a clear and compelling agenda.
Pelosi is smart enough to start off with popular issues that most Democrats, and perhaps even most of the country can agree on: increasing the minimum wage, establishing tax credits for college tuition, permitting the government to negotiate with drug companies to lower the cost of Medicare prescriptions, expanding stem-cell research for terrible diseases, and a few other such topics.
Bernard Weiner, Ph.D. in government & international relations, has taught at universities in California and Washington, worked for two decades as a writer-editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, and currently serves as co-editor of The Crisis Papers (more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
There's a good body of evidence this election was Ronald Reagan waving goodbye. Now if Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and Bill Clinton will follow suit American politics might stand a chance of entering the 21st Century.
Nice article. Thanks for sharing it.
J
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Jack Purcell (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 102 comments) on Friday, Nov 10, 2006 at 1:42:47 PM
"If the dems can avoid under the table deals?" (Can you say William Jefferson?) " If the dems can avoid illicit sex?" (Can you say Bill Clinton?) "If the dems can avoid illicit drugs?" (Can you say Patrick Kennedy?)
Just because the dems finally won an election let's not be hypocrites! Have some dignity.
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larry booth (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 303 comments) on Friday, Nov 10, 2006 at 5:29:20 PM
I agree with Joree 47 , in that there is no need for the Democrats to turn into Saints. Clinton only did what many normal american people do, and I hardly think his affairs were unusual, or noteworthy. (which does not mean, that such an affair is not extremely painful to the partner. It always is. That's life.) Plus, look at Kennedy, and all the Kennedy's for that matter. They just seem to have better taste in women. Same with drugs and alcohol. Let's be reasonable, and I think most Americans are by now.
The fanatic religious have so little integrity, I am certain they will change their minds and beliefs in an instant, and not even remember tomorrow what they stood for today.
I agree with the author on the impeachment issue. I also think the article is altogether very, very good...and 'Thank You'!
PS: Perhaps we should though watch the 'Republican Core Figures' very carefully these next few months. The Democrats will be very busy with their own agenda, and we, the Public, need to police as much as possible, and certainly no less than we have been. (I mean those of us, who have been watching)
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Katrin R. (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 13 diaries, 657 comments [15 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, Nov 10, 2006 at 10:23:52 PM
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