The founding fathers gave extraordinary power to what is often called the fourth branch of government. Newspapers, or as they evolved into the major media, as we know it now. They have choosen to take sides rather than act as a watchdog, and they are paying a price.
Corruption could not exist if it was exposed as it really exist, and not glossed over as occurs now. One reason for this, is that those in the media today strongly believe in the same goals as the Democrats, and tend to wink at their corruption.
On the other side, the media will destroy someone they do not like.
I do not believe Republicans are less capable of corruption, they just have a more difficult time hiding it, add to that fact that the conservative base of the Republican party will vote a crook out of office (or at the very least stay home and not vote at all)it is hard for a Republican to become too corrupt before they are gone.
So the Democrats get a pass on the minor stuff, and then graduate to more and more corruption until it is too blantant for even the media to ignore.
Times are changing. The Democrats have had over 70 years to turn this country into a social paradise, and have failed. (Socialism is still rampant, but I firmly believe we have reached its peak, and we are at the begining of the swing the other way.)
The smart Democrats know this, and it scares them. That is the reason for these desparate measures. If the Republicans do not win the Senate this election, then it will be the next. Soon we will have a majority in the House, the Senate and have the Presidency.
The Democratic party will go the way of the Whigs.
It's a nice thought. In my life I have had but a handful of spectacularly fun election nights, some based on horrible misconceptions, and a few cliff hangers.
In 1968 (one of the great nights and a cliffhanger) I became quite euphoric at about 5AM when Nixon was projected to win. Of course he turned out to be one of the corrupt ones. Interestingly, he also turned out to be far more liberal than Humphrey was in his wildest-eyed days. Let's see...Nixon...liberal...corrupt. Sort of has a ring to it.
Naturally, 1980 was a grand night. I've heard we were lucky that election wasn't held about 3 days earlier.
Ah, 1994. That may have been the best election night I ever can recall...maybe ever will see. That wasn't a win. It was a rout of epic proportions. The misconception that night was in the need to discover what a weak leader Gingrich turned out to be.
This year has the potential to be interesting. Still, I have no illusions. It doesn't happen until it happens. Are New Jersey voters sufficiently disgusted? Something tells me no. How about California voters? If the answer is no, we can only hope that the Bush administration continues to tell them they dug their own economic hole, and they can fill it themselves.
How about Iowa voters? Or Minnesota? In all fairness, the Democrat and liberal ticket(s) are split this year in Minnesota. Pawlenty(R) should win the Governor race.
Coleman(R) in Minnesota should win the Senate although I believe the conservatives in MN and around the country will eventually start asking what there is about Coleman they found attractive. I think he will turn out to be of Eastern liberal characteristics.
The fact is, if Democrats were able to think, they would be too embarrassed to vote for Democrats. It's that inability of Democrats to think that makes Democrat politicians so invincible.
Well, almost...
.... They have choosen to take sides rather than act as a watchdog, and we are paying a price....