Posted by
Patrick Henry on Wednesday, November 03, 2010 12:07:16 PM
Last night the Democratic congressional supermajority died swiftly, painfully and in
agony. With it perished cap-and-trade legislation, blanket amnesty and a dozen other
top Obama agenda priorities. Today, Democrats begin the blame game. Voters were
scared and not smart enough to understand the issues, while the GOP won in a landslide
it was all about the economy and does not constitute a repudiation of Obama's policies,
the incumbent party always loses seats in a mid-term, yada, yada, yada.
But when we sort the facts from the "politicospeak," what lessons really emerge from
this historic election? The most obvious is that Americans are sick of being patronized,
condescended to, lied to, being called stupid, racist, reactionary and the like. What
happened last night was far less an affirmation of Republicans, who are still not trusted
by many, than it was an expression of anger against the arrogance of Barack Obama,
his elitist party and their radical agenda. A clear majority believe Obama and his minions
are hastening America down the road to ruin, and their mid-term message was a clear
and unambiguous "STOP."
Another message is that Americans have had it with one-party rule. The opportunity
for abuse of power is simply too great, and the Democrats' performance over the last
two years is proof of it. It is noteworthy that while Republicans made significant gains,
they did not succeed in flipping the Senate. This is likely because Americans are more
comfortable with congressional gridlock than they are with either party in complete
control.
What Republicans are loth to admit, is that for many centrist Americans the jury is
still out on Barack Obama. Majorities hate healthcare reform, his signature initiative,
and see his agenda as well left of the mainstream. But many still like him personally.
Both Presidents Reagan and Clinton also suffered low popularity ratings midway
through their first terms, yet went on to solid re-elections later. Whether Obama
survives, or continues to tank in the polls, depends upon several things. First, will he
come to meet Republicans halfway? If he does, public sympathy may well swing
back toward him, assuring him a second term. If not, voters will consider it a
confirmation of the decision that led to last night's election debacle, and sweep him
out in 2012 with the rest of the riff-raff. Second, is he more committed to ideology
(his "agenda") or to getting things done that Americans want and expect to see done
(governing)? If it is the former, he can kiss a second term goodbye. If the latter, he
still has a shot at redemption. Many have referred to him as a narcissist. If he is, he
won't budge, and that will be the end for him. He cannot win re-election on his
platform as it has heretofore ben rolled out.
What about the Tea Party, its effectiveness and its future? There are those who
consider the failure of Sharron Angle in Nevada, and Christine O'Donnell in
Delaware, along with the pending failures of Joe Miller in Alaska and Ken Buck
in Colorado as signs of a fatal defect in the Tea Party. While it is true that these
candidates were rough around the edges, gaffe-prone and not very well vetted,
the fact remains that Marco Rubio in Florida, Ron Johnson in Wisconsin and Pat
Toomey in Pennsylvania won solid electoral victories in their states. In fact, of
the 129 total candidates the Tea Party formally endorsed, 113 won. The
contribution of the Tea Party, however, goes well beyond individual races. It
was the anger and energy of the Tea Party that gave average Americans, both
Republicans and Independents ventilation, a voice and a determination to reclaim
America from the liberal drive toward socialism. That contribution simply cannot
be over-valued.
Republicans have already won over 60 seats in the House of Representatives,
with more races still too close to call. That is, by any criterion, an epic landslide.
What is its practical importance? It means that Nancy Pelosi is no longer Speaker,
Steny Hoyer is no longer Majority Leader, the GOP gains the chairmanships and
majorities in every House committee, and they are in complete control of budget
and taxation legislation. Complete miracles cannot be expected, since Obama
retains the prerogative of veto. But the GOP can nibble away at the edges of
bloated government, de-fund initiatives or even whole departments and reign in
Democratic big spending. If they succeed, they may get the tools they need in
2012 to completely reverse the damage many believe Obama and his administration
have done to the country.
Today, the President will hold a news conference. It may provide a window
into whether he was instructed by the election's outcome, or intends to proceed
in his merry effort to replicate Europe in America. That will also tell us if he's
really as smart as Democrats keep telling us he is. If he doesn't open the door to
very significant compromises, then he isn't. Stay tuned.