It's hardly a surprise that the Democrats have their backs to the wall in this year's congressional elections. Not only do they have the strong headwinds of a struggling economy highlighted by continuing high unemployment and charges of fiscal irresponsibility, but they also have the problem that the "excitement factor" is on the Republican side.
The primary races getting the most attention seem to be the Republican contests in which large numbers of candidates, sensing a good year for the GOP, are trying their luck. For example, there were 10 GOP candidates for a U.S. House seat in Arizona vacated by a retiring member. Arizona was also a media focus in the Republican Senate primary where former presidential candidate and one time so-called "maverick" John McCain (now turned saber-tooth rabbit or toothless lion) was initially seen as running for his political survival, but turned out to be an easy winner. Considerable media attention and voter excitement also went to GOP Senate races in Florida and Alaska (as yet undecided).
That doesn't mean that Democratic contests have been completely drowned out in the GOP excitement wave. One major Democratic primary which captured national attention was in Pennsylvania where party switching, five-term Senator Arlen Specter was defeated by Joe Sestak, a two term Congressman and retired 3-star navy admiral. Far less attention was given to most other Democratic primaries.
Added to the "smell of victory" incentive in the Republican primaries was the added sound and fury from the far right via the Tea Party movement and endorsements by Sarah Palin. For the Democrats the sound and fury has come mostly from the party's most progressive, or left, supporters. Unfortunately, the vocalizing from the left is not that of excited cheerleaders, but voices of discontent that feel President Obama and the Democratic controlled Congress have abandoned them by not making quick exits from Iraq and Afghanistan and by those who think such major achievements as health care reform and regulation of Wall Street fell short of campaign and policy promises. Now, with the current murmuring that to save the seats of some conservative Democrats, party leaders in Congress may settle for simple extension of President George W. Bush's tax cuts with no tax hikes for those in the upper income brackets, one can expect further groans of despair from the party's progressive wing.
Two years ago, Obama himself was the excitement factor and, combined with a national weariness with eight years of Bush, Democrats won not only the presidency but also added significantly to their majority in the House and almost gained the magic 60-seat majority in the Senate. But it is clear at this point in late August that the real excitement for November lies with a re-invigorated GOP. Meanwhile, the Democrats just cling to the hope that they will be able to at least retain control of both the House and Senate, however slim the margin.
Next: The "Excitement Factor": 2012 Election
63 days and counting. It will be interesting to see how voter turn out is and if all the predictions about a GOP comeback come true.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for the Democrats, the benefits that citizens will see from health care reform won't really kick in until after the 2010 elections. Meanwhile, the Obama administration gets no credit for keeping us from going into an actual economic depression. Recent economic models* show that without the stimulus package unemployment would be twice what it is today and the deficit much greater. A larger package would have been better but was opposed by conservatives in Congress, who now blame the Administration for not doing a better job with economic recovery from a recession that started one year before Obama took office. This seems to be the tactic: filibuster, thwart and undermine all efforts of the Administration to improve our country and then blame Obama when those delayed and weakened measures that finally get passed don't produce desired results. The hypocrisy and willingness to let American citizens suffer for political gain is nauseating.
ReplyDeleteI can see why Tea Party folk want to change the political status quo with corporate money and entrenched politicians running the show. But how can a movement that was secretly funded and organized by the multi-billionaire Koch brothers (whose privately held Koch Industries this year was named by the University of Massachusetts one of the top ten air polluters in US) really be a grassroots movement against vested corporate and political power? A long and carefully researched article** by Jane Mayer in the August 30 edition of the New Yorker spells out in gruesome detail the many ways the Kochs are manipulating American politics behind the scenes. Reading it will make your skin crawl.
*one example: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/articles/2010/0817_stimulus_success_burtless/0817_stimulus_success_burtless.pdf
**Mayer's article, "Covert Operations":
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all
Cosmo--
ReplyDeleteOn the health care issue, the progressives really felt detrayed when the administration and congressional leaders didn't stick with a demand for the federal government being an insurer itself, but instead left the insurance industry as the last man standing between a consumer and a doctor/hospital. No question, the GOP is determined to stonewall and pass the blame on to the Obana/Democrats. The sad part is that they seem to be carrying the day with Democrats seeming reluctant to blame the Republicans directly for keeping the economic pain going.
Thanks for the email, Charley, about the Op Ed column by Frank Rich in the NYT about the billionaires bankrolling the tea party:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/opinion/29rich.html?emc=eta1