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Congratulations, Republicans!
raisindot
Posts: 1,294 ✭✭✭
In the spirit of (temporary) ecumenicalism, I congratulate the Republican Party for taking advantage of the usual mid-second-presidential-term party shift to add to their majority in the House, win back the Senate and grab a bunch of governorships. Certainly, voters were expressing with their ballots their disapproval of President Obama (who has certainly earned it in his second term, even among his longtime supporters) and the Democrats, but the Republicans did an excellent job of conveying their message to voters and getting their constituencies to the polls, when they could have easily just have stayed at home in disgust. The Democrats not only failed to get their voters out like they did in 2012, but they ran an absolutely shoddy campaign based on a "Obama? Who's that guy?" tactic that fooled nobody. And even though the Republican voter idea laws kept thousands of long-term voters (particularly in Florida) from being able to vote, the GOP margins of victory were wide enough that the disenfranchised would have had no results on the outcomes.
Even here in looney liberal Massachusetts, we returned to a tradition of electing a Republican governor (albeit one far more liberal than the GOP mainstream), although part of his victory has to be attributed to the fact his Democratic opponent, Martha Coakley, is one of most unlikeable people (I voted for her twice and I despise her.) in Massachusetts politics. A number of Republicans won seats in our traditionally Democratic heavy legislature, and most of the "liberal-oriented" ballot initiatives failed to pass.
The only bright spot for us Democrats is that fact that New Hampshire voters wisely decided to keep Democratic Senator Jean Shaheen instead of giving carpetbagger and Playgirl empty suit Scott Brown another term.
While many Democrats may be renting their garments over these results, I'm not. Change in power and political control is a healthy thing. Over the past 30 years or so the pendulum has swung back and forth, and that's good for the country. The way it is now, Congress won't be able to get anything meaningful enacted unless they're willing to compromise with Senate Democrats to create a veto-proof majority. Obama is truly a lame duck president, just like Bush was in 2006 and Clinton in 1998, and will get nothing done either. Republicans should relish their victory now, but they'll need to put some kinds of achievements on the plates if they want to make a convincing case for staying in power and regaining the presidency in 2016, given that the Democrats will be galvanizing the same younger, minority and women voters who elected Obama to support their candidates.
We shall see.
Even here in looney liberal Massachusetts, we returned to a tradition of electing a Republican governor (albeit one far more liberal than the GOP mainstream), although part of his victory has to be attributed to the fact his Democratic opponent, Martha Coakley, is one of most unlikeable people (I voted for her twice and I despise her.) in Massachusetts politics. A number of Republicans won seats in our traditionally Democratic heavy legislature, and most of the "liberal-oriented" ballot initiatives failed to pass.
The only bright spot for us Democrats is that fact that New Hampshire voters wisely decided to keep Democratic Senator Jean Shaheen instead of giving carpetbagger and Playgirl empty suit Scott Brown another term.
While many Democrats may be renting their garments over these results, I'm not. Change in power and political control is a healthy thing. Over the past 30 years or so the pendulum has swung back and forth, and that's good for the country. The way it is now, Congress won't be able to get anything meaningful enacted unless they're willing to compromise with Senate Democrats to create a veto-proof majority. Obama is truly a lame duck president, just like Bush was in 2006 and Clinton in 1998, and will get nothing done either. Republicans should relish their victory now, but they'll need to put some kinds of achievements on the plates if they want to make a convincing case for staying in power and regaining the presidency in 2016, given that the Democrats will be galvanizing the same younger, minority and women voters who elected Obama to support their candidates.
We shall see.
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I dont follow politics, cuz it pisses me off, however if there were more stories about how politicians were keeping the promises made to their states, and actually doing some good somewhere, I may pay more attention.
I am inclined to believe what you posted. But, all they do now is take away votes from the lesser of two evils. Would that they join the party of lesser evil, and get their foot in the door.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
He has already ordered 35,000,000 green cards to be printed. One would hope that the new elects have the nads to stop him.
Temporary meds euphoria.
I'm pretty sure that he meant that democrats didn't get out to vote because they are unhappy with his leadership and will do what he can to change it in the next 2 years. (not that he will, but i don't think he took the fact that only an estimated 14-18% of democrats came out to vote as a mandate that he can keep on doing what he is doing)
That's how I interpreted Obama's statement. He's acknowledging that just about everyone across the spectrum is p****d off with him. Just as everyone was with Bush I in '90, Clinton in '98 and Bush II in '06.