Polls say that Democrats will likely take control of the House of Representatives and maybe even the Senate. If you haven't heard this, you're either living under a rock or watch Fox News. Most politicos think that Dems will go from 29 seats down to take the majority in the House and from 11 seats down to gain a majority in thh Senate (though this is less likely). Less than a third of the country thinks Congress is doing a good job; over half think Democrats should be in charge.
Any why? Did the Democratic Party's policies suddenly start to resonate with voters? Some of them, at least. But here's what I see happening: they're actions betray their words.
The traditional conservative movement (born in the 1960s and taking power in Congress after the 1994 midterm elections) was based on small government, fiscal responsibility, family values and a powerful military deterrent. The current Republicans in power have created a massive ineffective bureaucracy (Dept. of Homeland Security), reduced the effectiveness of government agencies (FEMA, for example) and ran up the natinal dept to 8.5 Trillion dollars (up from 5.6 Trillion when he took office). Dozens of Republicans in Congress and the White House have been arrested for money laundering, lying under oath, racketeering, conspiracy, and other crimes. They've also show how ineffectively a military the size and strength ours can be run.
And then came Mark Foley, the man who carried on illicit converstaions with teenage boy pages. Unfortunately for Foley and his party, Republicans built up their image as being wholesome, pious, moral people and aligning themselves with the far Christian Right. Being caught as a gay man who sent naughty email to teenage boys who worked for him completely undemined that narrative. And so now, what's left?
Campaigning Republicans have lost their image as strong, responsible, effective moral leaders, and for a good reason.
Now we'll see if the Democratic Party reborn in early 2005 can make a positive impact in the nation's political scene.
This is an editorial by the Chairman of the Johnson County [Kansas] Sun:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1459&dept_id=155743&newsid=17284084&PAG=461&rfi=9 I recommend it.
We'll all find out in a little over 3 weeks what kind of leadership we'll have for the next 2 years.
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