The cyclical nature of American elections
Kevin Burns
Issue date: 2/23/10 Section: Commentary
Following President Bush's 2004 re-election victory, pundits (Karl Rove, most notably) foresaw a massive political realignment and claimed that Republicans would usher in a 20-year majority. Obviously, they were wrong. After President Obama's 2008 victory, various liberal pundits and the media gushed of a liberal realignment and hailed landslide congressional victories for Democrats as tremendous popular approval of Obama's mandate.
At the time, the financial markets were crashing, and the idea of spending our way out of a recession was popular. Sixteen months later, the situation has changed. According to Rasmussen polling, 61 percent of Americans believe the economy will be best served if the government stays out of the housing market. The majority of Americans, 56 percent, oppose the passage of a second stimulus package, while a whopping 58 percent of Americans believe the stimulus has not improved the economy, and 51 percent believe that the first stimulus package should be canceled. Additionally, all of Obama's major policy initiatives have failed, in large part due to public anger and the hesitation of Blue Dog Democrats to buck their constituents.
America did not vote for socialized medicine, uncontrolled government spending, cap-and-trade and card check. America voted against Bush. Obama was elected because he was not a Republican and because he promised to save the world. He told the voters what they wanted to hear: He assured out-of-control Americans that a massive government spending bill would allow them to continue their reckless financial behavior. Ultimately, Obama won because voters did not trust Republicans. Prior to the 2008 election, Rasmussen polling indicated that 54 percent of Americans believed that Democrats would be more fiscally responsible than Republicans.
Today, it appears that Republicans will make huge gains in the 2010 congressional elections. Whatever the exact results of the election, Republicans will undoubtedly wield significant power in January 2011. At the very least, they will be able to easily filibuster any bill in the Senate. In a best-case-scenario for Republicans, they will control both houses of Congress. The myth of a liberal realignment will have been proven bogus. What then?
Republicans have not proven that they can govern responsibly. They have proven that they can obstruct their opposition for political gain. They have shown that the Democratic Party is even more reckless and irresponsible. Voters will doubtless support Republicans for a time, before realizing that Republicans will not govern responsibly either. This has happened in American history, and it will happen again and again, unless some party - any party - manages to produce a breed of politicians who will stand up to the momentary whims of the public and do what is right.
At the time, the financial markets were crashing, and the idea of spending our way out of a recession was popular. Sixteen months later, the situation has changed. According to Rasmussen polling, 61 percent of Americans believe the economy will be best served if the government stays out of the housing market. The majority of Americans, 56 percent, oppose the passage of a second stimulus package, while a whopping 58 percent of Americans believe the stimulus has not improved the economy, and 51 percent believe that the first stimulus package should be canceled. Additionally, all of Obama's major policy initiatives have failed, in large part due to public anger and the hesitation of Blue Dog Democrats to buck their constituents.
America did not vote for socialized medicine, uncontrolled government spending, cap-and-trade and card check. America voted against Bush. Obama was elected because he was not a Republican and because he promised to save the world. He told the voters what they wanted to hear: He assured out-of-control Americans that a massive government spending bill would allow them to continue their reckless financial behavior. Ultimately, Obama won because voters did not trust Republicans. Prior to the 2008 election, Rasmussen polling indicated that 54 percent of Americans believed that Democrats would be more fiscally responsible than Republicans.
Today, it appears that Republicans will make huge gains in the 2010 congressional elections. Whatever the exact results of the election, Republicans will undoubtedly wield significant power in January 2011. At the very least, they will be able to easily filibuster any bill in the Senate. In a best-case-scenario for Republicans, they will control both houses of Congress. The myth of a liberal realignment will have been proven bogus. What then?
Republicans have not proven that they can govern responsibly. They have proven that they can obstruct their opposition for political gain. They have shown that the Democratic Party is even more reckless and irresponsible. Voters will doubtless support Republicans for a time, before realizing that Republicans will not govern responsibly either. This has happened in American history, and it will happen again and again, unless some party - any party - manages to produce a breed of politicians who will stand up to the momentary whims of the public and do what is right.
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