« A Recipe for Defeat: Europe is Pelosi's America | Main | Meet The Congress You Voted For, America - The Most Corrupt, Ever! »
November 09, 2006
Election Analysis That Nails It!
Topics: Political News and commentariesMore post-election analysis from Hugh Hewitt, who nails it:
As cooler heads sort through the returns, they will see not a Democratic wave but a long series of bitter fights most of which were lost by very thin margins, the sort of margin that could have been overcome had there been greater purpose and energy arrayed on the GOP's side. The country did not fundamentally change from 2004, but the Republicans had to defend very difficult terrain in very adverse circumstances. Step by step over the past two years the GOP painted themselves into a corner from which there was no escape. Congressional leadership time and time again took the easy way out and declared truces with Democrats over issues, which ought not to have been compromised. The easy way led to Tuesday's result.Continue reading, "The Road Not Taken: Forfeiting a Majority."The criminal activities of Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney and Mark Foley were anchors around every Republican neck, and the damaged leadership could not figure out that the only way to slip that weight was by staying in town and working around the clock on issue after issue. The long recesses and the unwillingness to confront the issues head on --remember the House's inexplicable refusal to condemn the New York Times by name in a resolution over the SWIFT program leak?-- conveyed a smugness about the majority which was rooted in redistricting's false assurance of invulnerability. Only on rare occasions would the Republicans set up the sort of debate that sharpened the contrast between the parties. In wartime, the public expects much more from its leaders than they received from the GOP.
In the Senate three turning points stand out.
On April 15, 2005 --less than three months after President Bush had begun a second term won in part because of his pledge to fight for sound judges-- Senator McCain appeared on Hardball and announced he would not support the "constitutional option" to end Democratic filibusters. Then, stunned by the furious reaction, the senator from Arizona cobbled together the Gang of 14 "compromise" that in fact destroyed the ability of the Republican Party to campaign on Democratic obstructionism while throwing many fine nominees under the bus. Now in the ruins of Tuesday there is an almost certain end to the slow but steady restoration of originalism to the bench. Had McCain not abandoned his party and then sabotaged its plans, there would have been an important debate and a crucial decision taken on how the Constitution operates. The result was the complete opposite. Yes, President Bush got his two nominees to SCOTUS through a 55-45 Senate, but the door is now closed, and the court still tilted left. A once-in-a-generation opportunity was lost.
A few months later there came a debate in the Senate over the Democrats' demand for a timetable for withdrawal for Iraq led to another half-measure: A Frist-Warner alternative that demanded quarterly reports on the war's progress, a move widely and correctly interpreted as a blow to the Administration's Iraq policy. Fourteen Republicans voted against the Frist-Warner proposal --including Senator McCain-- and the press immediately understood that the half-measure was an early indicator of erosion in support for a policy of victory.
So, what are McCain's chances in 08? Zippo! Conservatives may have voted stupidly or not at all this time around, but they aren't going to be perpetually stuck on stupid. As for the Republican leadership, it's time for some serious house cleaning.
Hat tip - Wizbang
Posted by Richard at November 9, 2006 07:49 AM
Articles Related to Political News and commentaries:
- Meet The Congress You Voted For, America - The Most Corrupt, Ever! - Nov 09, 2006
- A Recipe for Defeat: Europe is Pelosi's America - Nov 09, 2006
- New Expectations - Nov 09, 2006
- Democrats take control of the Senate - Nov 09, 2006
- On The Leftist Political "Coup D'Etat" Pulled By The Democrats In These Elections! - Nov 09, 2006
- Minnesota's New Muslim Congressman Has Ties To Terror - Nov 08, 2006
- Rumsfeld Resigns, Robert Gates Nominated - Nov 08, 2006
- Have Democrat Leaders Sent Official On Secret Mission To Iran? - Nov 08, 2006
- Is This To Be America's Reward? - Nov 08, 2006
- Looking At Good News For The GOP - Nov 08, 2006
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
Comments
Subject: Great ExpectationsTo All:
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?782565e6-09d8-40f6-9ca6-5d842fdcd926
Great Expectations of Hawaii's Congressional Delegation? Not!
By Jim Henshaw, 11/13/2006 5:42:26 PM
I, for one, have great expectations for our new Democratic-controlled U.S. House and Senate.
Given that it will be led by people with such laudable character and rare common sense as Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Congresswoman Elect Mazie Hirono, we should fully expect these campaign promises to be fulfilled in the next two years:
The federal budget will be balanced by giving those evil rich people the whopping tax hikes they deserve, while reducing the tax burden for the downtrodden.
The economy will take off, as the wasteful investments of the idle rich are diverting into productive, job-creating government programs.
We will swiftly pull all of our troops out of Iraq, and no civil war or killing fields will ensue.
Terrorists will not conduct any more attacks against us, and the phrase "Death to America" will fall out of vogue in the Mideast, now that they see we are led by humane, good people.
The minimum wage will rise dramatically, and unemployment will plummet, as employers repent of the error of their ways in dramatically underpaying unskilled, entry-level workers.
And, last but not least, a renewed investment in scientific research will pay off with the creation of winged versions of our porcine friends, who will then fly.
With Aloha,
# Posted by harry at 11/14/2006 06:14 am - reply- forum
