President Obama is reelected. The Senate is still in Democratic hands with a greater majority than before.
The “Mourning” After has set in for a number of voters, constituencies, and interest groups.
Is there a time for rejoicing, too? Is there still a discernible purpose under heaven following the backlash to “Mitt-mentum”?
Certainly.
The fish are still swimming, the birds are still singing. The peace of your house still does not depend on the discord in the statehouse or the White House. Work with joy. Enjoy the fruits of your labor, everyone.
The world is not coming to an end. There is still a silver lining for every cloud.
What the People Want
The fact that the Republicans held onto the House is the real barometer of the national pulse, just as the Framers intended. The voters in this country still want to stop the spending. They do not want to deal with tax increases. They want a check on the gargantuan government that wants to give us more of our money in its own way. In California, redistricting reform and open primaries did put away two liberal incumbents: Howard Berman, who lost in a new district that included only one-fourth of his former district, and Pete Stark, an impolitic politician whose raving attacks included slights against Debra Saunders, former Angeleno and now a conservative essayist of the San Francisco Chronicle
As for the U.S. Senate, this week’s outcomes tell a different tale. One bipartisan senator, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, lost by five points, even though the Wrentham native brought careful compromise to the chamber. His ascendancy to the People’s Seat in 2010 was an angry Bay State backlash to President Obama’s distracted agenda on stimulus and healthcare instead of fiscal reform, debt reduction and job growth. Sen. Brown was an angry reaction, and two years later the voters in Massachusetts are sending back to Washington a senator who positively represents their views of Big Government and lax attention to social issues.
Knowing When It Is Time to Exit
Olympia Snowe of Maine got tired of Washington’s partisan gridlock, she claimed. In reality, knowing that a Tea Party Republican had ascended to the governor’s mansion in Augusta, Snowe was polling better with Democrats than Republicans. Rather than switch parties and get baited by voters, she chose to step down.
The disconcerting results in Indiana and Missouri should force the Grand Old Party to reassess their stance on social issues. Two qualified candidates made unqualified statements about abortion and the life of the mother. These issues must be decided at the most local level.
A grand majority of voters in this country oppose partial birth abortion and abortion on demand as a form of birth control. Still, the Republican party platform is “pro-life at conception with no exceptions.” We must also recognize that life is tragic and must admit for tragic consequences.
Aside from their unfortunate remarks, those capable men better represented their states’ views than their Democratic challengers. The voters in these states were moved by the offended media’s instantaneous opinions and last-minute outrage. Senators, who represent an entire state for six years to cast votes on momentous national issues, should not be so casually chosen. Repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment, anyone?
Based on the House majority, the conservative brand in this country speaks to a near majority of voters. Unfortunately, the Republican party has become more rigid on social issues instead of towing the line on fiscal matters. One cannot fault voters in California for not buying into the social moderation of Congressional candidates like Gary DeLong of Long Beach or Independent Bill Bloomfield of Manhattan Beach, if one takes into account that the Democratic majority in those districts are Democrats for a reason.
Character Trumps Cash
Limited Government, as a mantra, simply does not sell well unless the candidates are willing to offer a more secure source of dependence. We all need to lean on something or Someone; if not Big Government, then what? Limited Government advocates must answer this question, not just cut spending. Even Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, the most presidential of non-contenders, has evinced respect for people who are on welfare, outlining that they need real training (and a deadline) so that they have something better than the state to stand on.
A further point should lay to rest the divided opinion on Citizens United. No politician, no matter what his war chest, can buy an election. Despite Manhattan Beach millionaire Bill Bloomfield’s $7 million to the $6 billion of general election politicking, the partisan divide is closer and sharper. Critics of the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision can chuckle that billions of dollars had a negligible effect on our politics.
Ideas do matter.
Answers are essential.
Character and consistency count more than cash.
Though two years off, 2014 may bring the massive repudiation to the Senate (and the House) so lacking in 2012. A sharper, simpler message with respectful hope for those down and out as well as on the up and up can turn a nation adrift back on course. If Canada, Puerto Rico, and Wisconsin could implement budget reform without going broke, so can this country.
“Mourning” can become “morning” once again.
Mr. Schaper of Torrance, a teacher turned writer “on all topics timely and timeless,” may be contacted at aschaper1.blogspot.com and at asheisministries.blogspot.com
