Posted on 10/07/2003 11:04:37 AM PDT by dpflanagan
DEMOCRATS PEAK, THEN BEGIN A LONG SLIDE
In 1992, shortly after Bill Clinton's stunning victory over incumbent George Bush gave Democrats control of the House, Senate, and White House, it seemed as if the Democratic Party had entered a new golden age of power and influence. As golden ages go, theirs was relatively short-lived. Just two years later, Democrats were tossed out of the House and Senate in record numbers, and Republicans took control. Shortly after, Republicans also won a majority of governorships in the US. Then, in 2000, George W. Bush defeated then V.P. Al Gore to become the 42nd President of The United States.
So, in just eight years, Democrats in Washington went from monopoly to minority; from feast to famine. In November 2002, just a year after Senators Daschle and Jeffords managed to disenfranchise Vermont voters and shift the balance of power in the Senate, Democrats again lost the Senate to Republicans. Not only that, they also lost seats in the House they had expected to gain and failed to win the number of governorships they had expected.
For Democrats, the worst part was the fact that President Bush, who took an enormous political risk in supporting his fellow party members during the midterms, was the key to success in several strategically close races. Somehow, certain victory had been turned into stunning defeat, and hard-line Democrats have grown increasingly frustrated with each defeat suffered over the past decade.
Thus has heralded the rise of what conservatives now call, the “Angry Left.” They cannot fathom why it is they have been consistently rejected at the polls by mainstream America. What they do know is that their party is on a consistent losing streak and SOMETHING has to be done about it. They just do not know what can be done other than supporting Howard Dean, the man with their same leftist vision but no future in politics.
NOW WHAT?
Now it is 2003, the thirteenth year marking both the beginning and the end of the golden age of the Democratic Party. Will year thirteen prove better for Democrats? Well, if we look to California, THE liberal bastion in America, which at this very moment is undergoing a recall election of the Democratic Governor, Grey Davis, because of his monumental incompetence, its not looking good.
But the story behind the recall and all of the factors leading to this moment are not really as important as the question we must now ask: If Grey Davis loses today, how will the Angry Left react to yet ANOTHER stunning defeat?
In truth, the possible answers worry me. My personal opinion? I think the Angry Left is going to morph faster than the “Mighty Morphing Power Rangers” into something more like the “Engraged Left,” or the “Berserk Left.” In other words a group that loses control entirely.
The fact that Davis and the LA Times have thrown every bit of dirt possible at Schwarzenegger in the last days of the race says nothing of the desperation the left will experience should these typical Davis tactics NOT work. So, what have Democrats done in recent years to turn things their way when they don’t like what voters have given them?
Its more than obvious that, should Davis lose, they will immediately appeal the results of the election, hoping that a court like the radical 9th Circuit will again play accessory to the crime of voter disenfranchisement. What other tactics might we see? I shudder to think, but I am convinced that it will make the pre-election sleaze tactics from the left look like a pleasant stroll in the park. Expect that they’ll pull out all the stops and go for broke. They’ll do whatever it takes to retain power, and the law or the will of the people will not stand in their way if they can help it.
DUCK AND COVER
Another Florida recount scenario? No, expect FAR worse. First of all, Davis will not give up the office without an intense fight, secondly, Democrats on the local and national level will use delay tactics and stonewall any moves to transition power to a Schwarzenegger administration. Meanwhile, expect reports of bullying at the polls, manipulation of votes, demands for multiple recounts, and multiple third party lawsuits from groups like the ACLU to stall or overturn the election results.
In the end, if they STILL lose, then expect a plunge by the Angry Left into some new level of denial and an increased effort to lash out at conservatives in general and the President in particular. Liberals will posture and condemn the whole process; they will demean the Governor-elect, and plot ways to scare Americans into thinking that Republicans are actively subverting the democratic process in America. It will be a sad and disturbing sight, no doubt.
I hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid that I’ll be wrong only in that things will be worse than even I imagined. One way or another, we’ll know how bad, or good, things are in the next few days. Lets hope for the best… and prepare for the worst.
David Flanagan
Viewpointjournal.com
Liberals, when shot at, will try to "understand their rage" and work with NGOs to engage in dialogue.
Conservatives simply shoot back. Being right-wing gun nuts, they're probably going to have a better hit rate (c8
I just got back from the range, my eyesight isn't what it used to be, had to put on my glasses to read my targets (after I retrieved them)
9mm pistol 14 of 14 center mass at 25 yds
7.56 Carbine (iron sites) 59 of 60 in the black at 50 yds, 30 of 30 in the black at 75 yards
Saiga 12 GA 14 rounds equal Target Destroyed (on the run from 25 yards)
Gotta get back to cleaning and oiling
They think they can get what they want by lying, but ultimately they only fool themselves.
The facts are a stubborn thing.
I agree. Much of what is going on seems Hitlerian, especially the control that the Libs/Dems have over the press/media. It's frightening...the fact that there are very few, if any, conservative outlets and none totally conservative on TV. The violence of the Enviromental-whackos is insane. This makes for a very bad mix. At some point the Liberals/Dems will pull out all the stops.
Hint to Schwarzenegger, Hatch, Cornyn, McCain, and President Bush: it ain't background checks and potential "guest worker" status." - Sabertooth
Even though McClintock had the better platform on immigration, with all fairness to Arnold he does have former governor Pete Wilson on his team, and Pete Wilson did take concrete action on illegal immigration.
It's a thing of beauty to see the "new" Democrats ignore their elder statesmen. Lieberman told them what they needed to do, as did Tony Blair, as did Zell Miller, and as has former NYC Mayor Ed Koch. Even former governor Jerry Brown has been ignored by the McAuliffe/Pelosi/Clinton wing of the Democratic Party.
Had the Democrats listened to their above-mentioned elder statesmen, they wouldn't have tried to make every nuance of the Iraq war into a major campaign issue, and they would have stabbed Gray Davis in the heart with a political stake that would have turned Bustamante into an instant Hispanic hero long before the recall even had enough signatures to qualify.
Thankfully, neo-Marxists such as Scheer at the LA Times, Bing, McCauliffe, and their "new" Democrat camp of amatuers are all insisting that mere mud-slinging combined with Gore, Bill Clinton, and the 9 dwarves in full Davis-campaign mode are enough to somehow win over voters who've been burned...even though no current Democrat in power is harping a single new "big idea" of their own.
So let's encourage them to spend more of their money. Hopefully they'll demand a recount or two in California, attempt to get a recall going against Arnold, attempt to impeach Arnold, and heck, maybe they'll even keep taking out their full page ads against Arnold. Go ahead. Let's watch them spend what little money that they have on a governor's race that they lost long ago rather than save that money to perhaps salvage one or two of their impending Senate losses in 2004.
In the meantime, while they are being bitter and perhaps even resorting to violence of one sort or another, we'll continue to take the high ground, offer more and more successful new ideas and programs and foreign policy actions, and keep our money in reserve for the really important elections next year.
No doubt the "new" Democrats will continue to fight every possible fight rather than to pick and choose their battles strategically. No doubt that they will continue to flail about with amatuers such as Terry M in place as their poster child of bitterness and obstructionism. No doubt they will wail about our Partial Birth Abortion ban in public and in the courts. No doubt they will waste their remaining political capital on our judicial appointments.
And no doubt they will lose again against the SB60 referendum in California as well as in the Senate and for the Presidency in 2004.
The new Democrats have destroyed their Party. We could easily start seeing 5% or even 10% defections from the Democrats to the Green Party. If Nader survives the 2004 primary season, he may actually come in 2nd place in some states ahead of the eventual Democratic Party candidate, should the "new" Democrats continue down their current path (and why wouldn't they, as they don't seem capable of admitting their own mistakes - only of blaming others for their woes).
But the story behind the recall and all of the factors leading to this moment are not really as important as the question we must now ask: If Grey Davis loses today, how will the Angry Left react to yet ANOTHER stunning defeat?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.