November 8, What then?We have vote by mail here in Oregon, so I’ve already voted. (Wouldn’t it be nice if I didn’t have to see another ad for the next few weeks?) So, let’s just suppose the election is done and we’re surveying the mess. What’s changed? What’s the same? Where do we go now? If Republicans maintain control of the legislature, do we still hear “hold the course,” or have they learned something from a public that seems to be growing weary of losses in Iraq? President Bush seems to have set the stage for a shift in strategy with the commission led by James Baker, yet the President has already said he won’t consider a partition of Iraq. Is he dooming Baker’s work to the trash bin? Will Republicans encounter any public discontent over the erosion of civil liberties, or have their ominous images of terrorists and burning buildings kept the public cowed? Perhaps banning internet gambling and working to protect the sanctity of marriage has really wowed the electorate. If Republicans win, will they see their victory as a mandate for more of the same, or a warning of shifting sentiments? I think whichever party comes out on top, they should realize that “more of the same” is not what voters are looking for. So, if Democrats gain control of the House? Does presumed Speaker Pelosi come to the podium and lockdown government with confrontation on every mundane issue possible, or is there a way to move issues with numerous little nudges in a different direction? I’m not in the habit of considering what I want Democrats to do, so I’ll fall back on what I hope Republicans do: I hope they don’t just dig in their heels. I wouldn’t suggest that they give Democrats a free ride, but I would suggest that they try to take a “high road” and look for constructive solutions. The 2008 campaign begins on November 8, and the party that can project an image of “problem solving” will have an edge in two years. Will Democrats really try to impeach President Bush, as some of the more zealous anti-war critics have suggested? I think they realize that any impeachment talk has too much potential to blow up in their faces. If either party uses their majority for mere self-preservation they’ll likely face voter backlash in 2008. Will Speaker Pelosi work to un-fund the Iraq war? I think there’s too much risk that they would be seen as not supporting our troops. But if they put support behind some of the Baker commission recommendations, that could be a good thing. Maybe the best to be hoped for is a split government that doesn’t do much of anything. As a proponent of smaller government I rather enjoy seeing a bit of deadlock now and then. Michael Previous: Give it some thought and Vote! -- Next: They got it right… Comment from crallspace: If Republicans stay in power, you can expect nothing less than fascism becoming our new political definition, whether Bush n gang call it that or not. They have FAILED our nation on EVERY single issue and every turn. Today’s Republican party should be remorseful for what their figurehead has done. He has been the biggest disaster, much more harmful than the little dopey retard we expected him to be. If the Democrats win and do not take immediate measures to investigate (which SHOULD lead to impeachment) they are no better. Impeachment is the basic building block of undoing this damage. Posted by crallspace Oct 26, 09:51 AM # |
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