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November: The Case for Staying Home
TCS Daily ^ | 9/14/2006 | Arnold Kling

Posted on 09/14/2006 7:06:13 AM PDT by Jane2005

"As a life-long Republican and occasional federal official, I must acknowledge a hard truth: I don't much care how a divided government is next realized. And, in 2006, there's only one way that's going to happen." -- William Niskanen

The Washington Monthly recently ran a forum entitled, It's Time for Us to Go, in which William Niskanen and six other erstwhile Republicans extolled the benefits of a Democratic victory in the forthcoming Congressional elections. Niskanen's views were based on statistical and historical analysis suggesting that divided government tends to mean smaller government. Some of the other writers were more emotional. A few of them sound to me, quite honestly, like they are cranky because their own time in power has passed. I am not coming from the same place as these has-beens. I am a never-was and never-want-to-be.

However, I agree that the Republicans deserve to lose this November. On Tuesday, September 12, I cast my last vote of 2006. A registered Democrat (I often find excuses to vote for Democrats, even though I disagree with them on many important issues ), I took part in the Maryland primary, casting my ballot for certain losers. I voted, futilely, against the "teacher-approved" slate. These are the union-endorsed candidates who before every election promise to "reduce class size" and "close the achievement gap" and who after they win proceed to enact their real agenda of raising the ratio of non-teaching staff to classroom teachers ever closer to infinity. In Maryland, and especially in Montgomery County, the "teacher-approved" slate always wins, and the education bureaucracy always gets more bloated.

(Excerpt) Read more at tcsdaily.com ...


TOPICS: Government; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: elections

1 posted on 09/14/2006 7:06:15 AM PDT by Jane2005
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To: Jane2005

Hitler came to power in Germany because many Germans felt like "staying at home."


2 posted on 09/14/2006 7:07:36 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Jane2005
Niskanen's views were based on statistical and historical analysis suggesting that divided government tends to mean smaller government.

That only works when there is a Democratic President or a Republican like Reagan who is strong enough to stand up to a Democratic congress. I am afraid with Bush, he will go along with many of the Democrats stupid spending ideas.

3 posted on 09/14/2006 7:09:11 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: Jane2005

Where's the barf alert?


4 posted on 09/14/2006 7:09:25 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: dfwgator

What's with this sudden penchant for "divided government" among certain conservatives?

What they don't seem to understand is that it ain't Tip O'Neil's Democrat party anymore.

It's Pelosi's.

If these conservatives expect "vigorous" debate and a satisfying compromise, they are sadly, delusionally mistaken.

Today's Democrat party is in danger of becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Moveon.org and the far-left nutroots blogtards like Atrios and Kos. Victory in November for the current crop of Democrats is only going to enhance the power of the hard-left fringe, to the detriment of not just that party, but the country as a whole.

We'll get impeachment hearings, obstructionism, progressive "wish list" bills that will be deposited on the notoriously veto-averse President Bush's desk, and a steady stream of MSM and pop culture nonsense about how the Left is back.

Dreaming of a Roe v. Wade reversal? Well, roll back over and hit the snooze bar, because if the Democrats gain seats in the Senate, you can FORGET about another conservative Supreme Court nomination and confirmation because its NOT going to happen.

I agree with all of my disgruntled fellow conservatives that the GOP is, shall we say, less than satisfactory on many issues and in many ways. But, my friends? The proposed cure (divided government, with today's Democrats in charge of Congress) would be far worse than the disease.


5 posted on 09/14/2006 8:03:17 AM PDT by borkrules
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To: Jane2005

What's your agenda here?

You have never written a reply.

Not a one.


6 posted on 09/14/2006 8:08:58 AM PDT by onyx (1 Billion Muslims -- IF only 10% are radical, that's still 100 Million who want to kill us.)
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To: Jane2005

Me thinks....A wolf in sheeps clothing here!


7 posted on 09/14/2006 8:32:23 AM PDT by dcnd9
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To: Jane2005

The most horrifying thing in the world to hear is "Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi", (almost as bad as President Hillary Clinton). This is no time to stay home, especially now. Vote like our lives depend on it....it could you know. I'll hold my nose and vote Republican because I have no viable 3rd party to vote for.


8 posted on 09/14/2006 8:56:27 AM PDT by Dawgreg (Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.)
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To: Jane2005
gee we can only hope the dimocraps will stay home and cry. I for one will vote. I fought for that right I will exercise it.
9 posted on 09/14/2006 8:59:31 AM PDT by SouthernBoyupNorth ("For my wings are made of Tungsten, my flesh of glass and steel..........")
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To: borkrules
Dreaming of a Roe v. Wade reversal? Well, roll back over and hit the snooze bar, because if the Democrats gain seats in the Senate, you can FORGET about another conservative Supreme Court nomination and confirmation

Bears repeating...........so true!

10 posted on 09/14/2006 10:32:39 AM PDT by Republic If You Can Keep It
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To: Jane2005; All

My tagline says it all.....


11 posted on 09/14/2006 6:22:23 PM PDT by TheRobb7 (How many Democrats will YOU elect by staying home on Election Day????)
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To: Jane2005

Me thinks thoust doth protest too much.


12 posted on 09/15/2006 10:16:34 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Defeat liberalism, its the right thing to do for America.)
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To: onyx

"What's your agenda here?

You have never written a reply.

Not a one."






You're right, that is a new kind of weirdness.


13 posted on 09/15/2006 10:29:54 PM PDT by ansel12 (Life is exquisite... of great beauty, keenly felt.)
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