With Big Midterm Republican Wins, What the Hell Happens Now?
I’ve been out of the Technorati loop the last few weeks, and apparently I’ve missed a few things, including, but not limited to, candidates for the governorship in Florida not knowing the state’s minimum wage, near riots among the supporters of the candidates for a U.S. Senate seat from Kentucky, and a candidate for a Senate seat from Nevada being called a bitch on national television.
Oh yeah, and then there were the events of this past Tuesday where we saw a so-called “tidal wave” usher in a new Republican majority in the House and chip away at the Democratic majority in the Senate. Contrary to what many people on both sides of the aisle might have concluded once 100 percent of precincts reported, nothing was automatic on Wednesday morning except for perhaps increased expectations.
I’m not entirely inclined to say that the results of the midterm elections were completely a repudiation of President Obama policies. My guess is that they were somewhat more of a declaration that the nation’s current course isn’t working and that most voters felt the Democrats had their chance. They voted for change they feel they can believe in.
The GOP has a lot to be proud of this week. Let’s not forget that many pundits and experts and people supposedly smarter than the average Joe Blow wrote them off after the last congressional and presidential elections. On Nov. 4, 2008, the Republican party was declared dead on arrival, and our young, charismatic, newly elected president, along with Nancy Pelosi and that son of a Behar, Harry Reid, were going to dictate the a new path for Americans.
In defense of the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, while some of their promises fell by the wayside (the closing of Guantánamo Bay comes to mind), they did live up to other, much larger promises. You don’t need me to bring up the bailout of the automobile industry, banking reforms, last year’s $787 billion stimulus package, and a little concept known as health care reform.
Unfortunately for those in Washington who voted for these measures, many did not quite accept them as anticipated, especially when it comes to the health care reform bill, or the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It’s certainly no secret that overall, a large number of Americans decided that ObamaCare was the last straw when a majority in Congress passed it against the will of a tremendous number of their constituents.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati