It has been quite an evening for politics in the "Great Republic". The GOP has come storming back after being declared DOA only two years ago. Picking up fewer than expected Senate seats but more House seats than even many of the most optimistic forecasts there is now no doubt that the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives and have a much larger presence in the Senate. Anger over the socialist policies of Obama sparked a massive conservative turn-out and the regime of Nancy Pelosi is most definitely over. Here at home Governor Rick Perry was reelected yet again after being our Governor for the last 10 years -a state record. That came as no real surprise though. In La Florida the Democrats quite simply got spanked. In general Republicans were the big winners. However, dramatic as the results have been, and with all the Tea Party talk on both sides I cannot help but see this as, to some extent at least, still a victory or at least not a defeat for the established political machine. It was certainly no sweeping victory for the "Tea Party candidates".The most prominent faces of the Tea Party have been mostly a list of defeats. To be sure there was victories like Rand Paul in Kentucky and Marco Rubio in Florida, but Christine O'Donnell lost in Delaware, McMahon lost in Connecticut, Paladino lost in New York, Tancredo lost in Colorado and Sharron Angle lost in Nevada. The northeast remains liberal Democrat, California remains liberal Democrat but middle America and the deep south are firmly in a sea of Republican red once more. The loss of O'Donnell and Angle stand out particularly because of their core support coming from the Tea Party and the fact that the GOP were against the both of them and they ended up losing. Whether it was because of their own failings, a lack of political support from their own parties or due to the media war waged against them is anybody's guess but despite all of the Republican crowing tonight I cannot believe that, in light of such losses as Angle, O'Donnell and possibly Miller in Alaska (results not in yet at this time but early reports were not too favorable), I cannot imagine the Tea Party people being too overjoyed tonight.
In any event, as someone who follows yet despises politics I can say it has been a very, very "colorful" campaign season. Illegal-alien maids, "Aqua-Buddha", "Taliban Dan", the WWE, The Rent Is Too Damn High Party, the weekend Waffen-SS candidate and allegations of witchcraft -I don't think I have ever been through an election quite like this one and I am very glad it is over and I won't have to see anymore of those horrific commercials anymore.
In parting, I offer this as a swan song for Christine O'Donnell...
The same old folks were re-elected in my state. I'm sure there were a few other places saw the same thing.
ReplyDeleteIts the same old Song and Dance. I'm just glad tis over so I cdont' have to listen to ambitious charliains squaking on why they shoudkl be given the "Honour" of such a High Ofice, and how Humble they are... no more signs on the satreet, radio ads, Television commercials, and no more useless commentary or pointless debate.
ReplyDeleteOl Master out, new Masrer in.
Politicians are contemptible as a class, but they don't advocate the same things. So elections do have consequences.
ReplyDeleteThat is true, though to varying degrees. Still, that is why I have voted in every election since I was 18 (the last presidential election was the closest I came to not voting but I was threatened with severe physical harm if I did not) as I did this time, even though I live in a very predictable part of the country. I know my local area will go Democrat in every election and my state will go Republican in every election. But, I will always participate.
ReplyDeleteScary ain't it folks?
I too have always voted since I turned 18. My first vote was for George H. W Bush against Dukakis, which I'll never regret.
ReplyDeleteI understand that some people believe that voting validates the system, which they don't like or consider illegitimate. That's probably true for some of us monarchists. But in the US it is already accepted that 50% of the populace won't vote, not for the any principled reason, but more from laziness or indifference. So if you were making a principled stand to not vote, you are a drop in the bucket compared to the unprincipled non-voters. So it's not much of a political statement. You are simply empowering the people who do vote.
For lesser offices on the local and state level, turnout may be as low as 5-10%, but nevertheless the winner, who may only depend on less than 5% of his constituents, is still viewed as legitimate. Obviously, he is only going to care about that small percentage of his constituents who do vote.
Do you live in Austin? I lived there for about twelve years and now I'm in Kentucky. I'm registered as an Independent and tend to support limited government. Even if we don't like the political system, it can't be ignored. They can still tax and regulate you. So, I need to do my small part to put a check on Big Brother, as much as it may seem futile on occasions.
See, if we had a charming and majestic head of state like HRH Elizabeth II, I would be less concerned about these Big Brother issues. The monarch is a check on a government out of control.