Dixie - In Memoriam
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I recently read a good article by Charles Krauthammer:
According to the pollsters, pundits and pols -- Democratic and nervous Republican -- a great anti-Republican wave is a-coming. Well, let's assume major Democratic gains: 20 to 25 House seats and four to six Senate seats. The House goes Democratic for the first time in 12 years. The Senate probably stays Republican, but by such an excruciatingly small margin that there is no governing majority.
What to say about such a victory? Substantial, yes. Historic, no. Before proclaiming a landslide, one has to ask Henny Youngman's question: "Compared to what?" (His answer to: "How's your wife?") Since the end of World War II, the average loss for a second-term presidency in its sixth year has been 29 House seats and six Senate seats. If you go back to Franklin Roosevelt's second term, the House loss average jumps to 35. Thus a 25/6 House and Senate loss would be about (and slightly below) the historical average.
Krauthammer raises an interesting point, regardless of the outcome, this election will not give a governing mandate to either side. It will simply result in changes in chairmanship seats, if Republicans lose the majority. Legislatively, there will still be a fairly even split, and neither party has the power to implement an agenda.
I used this article to segway into a discussion about gridlock, because this is the classic conditions of gridlock, and regardless of how the elections go on Tuesday, the next Congress is destined to endure it hopelessly. In light of this inevitable reality, and using common sense, one can understand, at some point in time, left and right are going to have to resolve the partisan divide, and get on with what is best for the country. This can't happen when the two sides are so vehemently polarized, and stubbornly defiant. Yet, it will ultimately happen in this instance, just as it has in every previous instance.
The point of this thread, is to discuss how we get from A to B. We realize and understand that we must come to some compromise on our viewpoints at some point, in order to work together again, in bipartisan manner, to address the problems facing America and our future. How can this be done?
Now, I am certain the first pinhead response to this, will be the same old angry and bitter cries to impeach Bush and Cheney and run every Republican out of Washington who they can't lock up.... blah blah blah. But in the reality of the political world we live in, this isn't going to happen. See gridlock/mandate explanation above. Democrats will lack the power in Congress to even bring impeachment hearings, much less, actually impeach the president. This election will not provide enough of a power shift for that to happen, no matter how much koolaid you're currently consuming.
If Democrats do win control of either house, it will not be a mandate, and they have no plan for resolving the current problems, just a generic call for change. But, in the words of the Great Philosopher, Mick Jagger, you can't always get what you want. Change is not conducive with Gridlock.
According to the pollsters, pundits and pols -- Democratic and nervous Republican -- a great anti-Republican wave is a-coming. Well, let's assume major Democratic gains: 20 to 25 House seats and four to six Senate seats. The House goes Democratic for the first time in 12 years. The Senate probably stays Republican, but by such an excruciatingly small margin that there is no governing majority.
What to say about such a victory? Substantial, yes. Historic, no. Before proclaiming a landslide, one has to ask Henny Youngman's question: "Compared to what?" (His answer to: "How's your wife?") Since the end of World War II, the average loss for a second-term presidency in its sixth year has been 29 House seats and six Senate seats. If you go back to Franklin Roosevelt's second term, the House loss average jumps to 35. Thus a 25/6 House and Senate loss would be about (and slightly below) the historical average.
Krauthammer raises an interesting point, regardless of the outcome, this election will not give a governing mandate to either side. It will simply result in changes in chairmanship seats, if Republicans lose the majority. Legislatively, there will still be a fairly even split, and neither party has the power to implement an agenda.
I used this article to segway into a discussion about gridlock, because this is the classic conditions of gridlock, and regardless of how the elections go on Tuesday, the next Congress is destined to endure it hopelessly. In light of this inevitable reality, and using common sense, one can understand, at some point in time, left and right are going to have to resolve the partisan divide, and get on with what is best for the country. This can't happen when the two sides are so vehemently polarized, and stubbornly defiant. Yet, it will ultimately happen in this instance, just as it has in every previous instance.
The point of this thread, is to discuss how we get from A to B. We realize and understand that we must come to some compromise on our viewpoints at some point, in order to work together again, in bipartisan manner, to address the problems facing America and our future. How can this be done?
Now, I am certain the first pinhead response to this, will be the same old angry and bitter cries to impeach Bush and Cheney and run every Republican out of Washington who they can't lock up.... blah blah blah. But in the reality of the political world we live in, this isn't going to happen. See gridlock/mandate explanation above. Democrats will lack the power in Congress to even bring impeachment hearings, much less, actually impeach the president. This election will not provide enough of a power shift for that to happen, no matter how much koolaid you're currently consuming.
If Democrats do win control of either house, it will not be a mandate, and they have no plan for resolving the current problems, just a generic call for change. But, in the words of the Great Philosopher, Mick Jagger, you can't always get what you want. Change is not conducive with Gridlock.
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