A Typical Midterm

American Spectator ^ | 9 November 2006 | R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.

[Aussie Dasher]

WASHINGTON -- From the riotous coverage of this election, starting months ago and ending with the November 7 crescendo, one might conclude that momentous events are afoot: To the Barricades! Out with the Old, in with the New!

Actually we have just endured a typical midterm election, when a president halfway through his second term suffers losses on Capitol Hill. On average that has meant 31 House seats lost and six Senate seats poof. Now, once the lawyers have conjured with the corpus delicti in all the close elections, we shall see that this is about what happened. Do not let the clang and bang of the media fool you. When President George W. Bush picked up seats in 2002, that was the unusual event, not his loss this time around.

We might well ask why the media's near hysterics? To be sure there was enormous effort made by both parties, but in the end only some 40% of the electorate turned out and that was about normal for a midterm election. Once again the ordinary Americano is more sensible than the Washington elites. The 60% that does not vote is usually pretty much satisfied with the way things are.

[Aussie Dasher]

This may be some consolation (or rationalization???) but there was so much at stake - and we're still stuck with a 'Rat Congress for at least the next two years!

[goldstategop]

Conservatism cannot be reversed. The Democrats NEVER ran as liberals. Consider Blue State California - ALL the tax increase proposition on the ballot lost in a landslide, even Proposition 87 heavily endorsed by the likes of Clinton and Gore. Marriage referenda won across the country. In Michigan, voters turned out the RINO GOP but at the same time, resoundingly endorsed a ban on reverse racial discrimination. Liberalism is not on the ascendance in this country.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[YaYa123]

GREAAAAT Post for us this morning, Mr. Dasher! thank you!

The MSM will continue to tout the left's amazing victory, as some seismic = tsunami = blue wave = monumental shift to the left = blah blah blah, we'll know it just ain't so, courtesy of your post.

(Did you get to see Bush' press conference yesterday? No whining there, and

[lesser_satan]

True, but there were severe problems that needed to be taken care of in our party, and without this loss they would have metastasized further. Now is the opportunity to rebuild. We have a mere two years, so let's get the f#$k to work and kick some ass in '08. I hope you Aussies will understand, considering what a great friend you've been to us in these trying times. You concentrate on supporting Howard (one of the world's truly great statesmen), we'll clean up the mess here and come back stronger than ever.

[Aussie Dasher]

I pray you do!

[goldstategop]

If this country is liberal, how come the Democrats didn't campaign for higher taxes, more entitlements and abortion and gun control? None of those liberal staples was mentioned during the campaign. Instead, the Democrats ran as the party of fighting corruption, fiscal discipline and promoting individual freedom. The party's leftist leadership knows this is NOT a liberal country. Only 18% of Americans are liberal and that means they can't go too far from the middle or get punished by losing power. Americans have decided to see what they will do after all their whining, bitching and moaning about how corrupt, evil and incompetent the Republicans were. Now that they are in charge, they have to deliver.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[fortheDeclaration]

Conservatism cannot be reversed. The Democrats NEVER ran as liberals. Consider Blue State California - ALL the tax increase proposition on the ballot lost in a landslide, even Proposition 87 heavily endorsed by the likes of Clinton and Gore. Marriage referenda won across the country. In Michigan, voters turned out the RINO GOP but at the same time, resoundingly endorsed a ban on reverse racial discrimination. Liberalism is not on the ascendance in this country

Yes, and the GOP has to acknowledge that fact and stop apologizing for being the Conservative Party.

A bright spot in the election is the removal of a number of Republicans that couldn't get removed in the primary, such as Chafee and Dewine.

Would I rather have control of Congress, ofcourse, but now we need to regroup and get some new, principled Conservative leadership for 08.

[goldstategop]

Agreed. I have never apologized for being a conservative and my views are not determined by the outcome of an election but by adherence to tested, true and timeless principles.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[lesser_satan]

I just visited Howard's site, BTW, and really like this pic:

[Aussie Dasher]

He is a truly great conservative leader.

Got anyone over there like our bloke?

[goldstategop]

We don't have a CONSERVATIVE leader in America. We Americans had Ronald Reagan. In some respects, Bush is a decent man but he isn't the leader of an ideological movement. He agrees with conservatives on some issues but he isn't a conservative per se. That's the problem we have here and that's why the GOP is now in the political wilderness.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Bahbah]

Ah, a nice little pick me up article for the first day of the battle (I just wasn't up for it yesterday, and the thought of Speaker Pelosi still makes me physically ill). I think that Hastert's big mistake didn't have to do with Foley, but rather William Jefferson, where he appeared to have the imperial "don't you know who we are" attitude about the special status of our elected masters that we have come to know...and not to like.

[lesser_satan]

There are two at the bottom of my homepage, Michelle Bachmann (a new congresswoman), and John Kline (a wonderful congressman and highly decorated Vietnam vet) who both won handily (Kline by 30%, IIRC). They're two of my political heroes. Unfortunately neither of them have presidential aspirations in the immediate future. We need to find somebody from the Ronald Reagan mold for '08, if any such creature exists.

[goldstategop]

I don't know if we will find a Reagan in time for 2008. All I do know is the prospect of a Hillary Clinton presidency is not how we ought to spend the next decade.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Coldwater Creek]

Hastert was the worst ever. Outside of Lott and Frist.

[Michael81Dus]

When will you become a Republic? Or the Kingdom of Australia? Do you like being subject of QE2?

[Bahbah]

Hastert, Lott, Frist, a pox on all their houses. Pence and Shadegg are two good men. I'm pulling for them.

[goldstategop]

The House has good conservatives. I'm pessimistic about the Senate GOP. The most prominent contenders for the Senate GOP leadership are RINOs.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Bahbah]

Well, we're probably not going to get Tom Coburn, who actually cares about this country and conservatism, but do you see anyone decent who might be considered?

[goldstategop]

Tom Coburn would be a solid choice for Senate GOP leader. I don't think the RINOs want him because he is just a too in your face guy like he was in the House. He doesn't care for Washington's big spending ways.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus