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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

DebateCorner

In wake of mid-term elections, GOP and progressive left draw battle lines in the sand




A week removed from the most sweeping election in at least the last 75 years, the true realities of what has resulted are becoming more and more clear by the day - change is coming to Washington, and some are not too thrilled. Much has been made about comments uttered by Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY), in which he declared the number 1 priority of the Republican party over the next 2 years is to “defeat President Obama”. MSNBC talking head (and one could argue, blithering fool) Ed Schultz lambasted Mr. McConnell. But, lets get real…is it THAT much of a shock that the Republican leader in the Senate believes his goal, and the goal of other Republicans in Congress, ought to be to ensure a Republican takes over residence in the house that Ronald Reagan called home for 8 years? Of course the leader wants to get Obama out of office. Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has already declared that the Republicans better not block legislation he brings to the floor, and that we better not get in Obama’s way. The most efficient way to derail the Obama agenda, and implement conservative policies, is to pave the way for political leaders who will further the cause.

Republicans swept Speaker Pelosi out with the rest of the filth clogging up the Capitol building, riding the coattails of an absolute repudiation of the politics of the last 2 years. But really, it goes even beyond that. Republicans lost control of the House following the 2006 mid-terms, for much the same reason that the Democrats lost control following the latest mid-terms: a failing president, who’s popularity slithered away, and a group of tenants who failed to live up to what they campaigned on. When you provide a rubber stamp for an agenda which is egregiously to the left of mainstream USA, and the people flock in droves into the streets under the Tea Party label, to protest the takeover of 1/5 of the American economy, you have no reason to NOT expect to be rebuked. Several Democrats in the House had the brass to stand up to Pelosi, and came away with a campaign victory as a result (Jason Altmire, I’m talking about you). And several others, who under normal circumstances would have cruised to re-election, surely had to have been sweating for some time last Tuesday evening (or, if you’re Ike Skelton or John Spratt…well….adios). Yet despite the Democrats having little to no pull in the House beyond December, despite Nancy Pelosi becoming irrelevant, and despite Republicans pulling to within 6 in the Senate, delusional Harry Reid has the gall to threaten us? REALLY?

Lets get some things straight. First of all, Harry Reid has 2 years left to be Majority Leader. Close to 3 dozen Senate seats are up for grabs in 2012, and half a dozen come to mind automatically as being quite vulnerable (Bill Nelson in Florida, Ben Nelson in Nebraska, Claire McCaskill in Missouri, Jim Webb in Virginia, Bob Casey in Pennsylvania, Joe Manchin in West Virginia). Among the other seats that will be vulnerable:

Jon Tester - Montana
Kent Conrad - North Dakota
Jeff Bingaman - New Mexico
Sherrod Brown - Ohio
Herb Kohl - Wisconsin

North Dakota has already gone red with John Hoeven. New Mexico just elected a Republican Governor to replace Bill Richardson. Ohio just rejected progressive liberalism, outright. Wisconsin gave Russ Feingold the boot, and after 8 years of Jim Doyle, rejected Tom Barrett. Florida said no to Obama liberal, Alex Sink, and gave total control of the state to the Republicans. One would think, in the face of total backlash, Nebraska will send Ben Nelson packing, especially after folding on Obamacare. Virginia sounded the first shots against the progressive cause by electing Bob McDonnell, and suing the federal government in the wake of Obamacare’s passage. Pennsylvania followed Ohio’s salvo, and Bob Casey is likely next.

The moral of the story is this, folks - while the perceived cunning competence of former DCCC chair Rahm Emmanuel led to the overthrowing of the Republican majority in the House; and while former DSCC chair Chuck Schumer was successful in crowning Prince Harry in 2007...the sobering reality is that both majorities were built on, to use a fitting analogy as a resident of a town built on sand, one gigantic sink hole that was activated by the most polarizing, controversial president, likely in United States history. When you develop your majorities using mainly “blue dog” Democrats, and they carry out an agenda rooted in Marxism, it makes little sense to a common man to NOT expect this result. But, that’s the sad state of politics in this country right now. The sad state that leads to elected officials, in a representative democracy, who are sent to Washington to vote with the consent of the governed, and end up governing with the consent of the thugs who are better off behind bars. When you lack the integrity to stand on principle, and instead cower to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, you get what you deserve. When nearly 50% of the electorate identifies themselves as conservative, and a mere 1 in 5 identify themselves as liberal, you get what you deserve. A repudiation of the prior administration is not an equivalent to the romanticizing of the “other side”. Nowhere is this more evident than in the historic lead by Republicans in the generic Gallup polling, despite less than stellar approval ratings.

The party of Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan has been returned, at least in part, to power. Not because of brilliant success, but because it stood with the people, against the progressive agenda. Progressives can attempt to insult us as being the “party of no” all they want, because in this particular instance, it happens to be the ultimate compliment. The Republicans have netted 5 governorships, a slew of state legislatures, the House of Representatives, and have essentially ensured GOP dominance for the next decade. 4 years might have convinced Prince Harry that he still has the final say, and 2 years might have convinced Mr. Obama that he has a mandate…but the results speak for themselves. The ripples of the 2010 mid-terms could roll right into 2012; and if that happens, Mr. McConnell could get his wish. The battle lines have been drawn, and if last week was any indication of the future…well, lets just say that there will no orders for drapes from ANY Democrat for a long, long time.

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