In 2010, do Republicans deserve to win?
Yesterday’s political headlines across the news-o-sphere were all about apathy: It turns out Hispanics support the Democratic party by landslide margins, but roughly half of them aren’t going to vote.
Across the electorate, voters generally say they’re about divided on which party they support; and on many of the issues they actually prefer Democratic policy ideas.
But again, a big chunk of Democratic voters say they’re unlikely to actually cast a ballot this year — a level of apathy that could give the Republicans a whopping 56-38% advantage at the polls, according to Gallup.
Translated into House seats, that could give the GOP its largest majority since the 1920s. (Most analysts expect smaller, but still epic gains for Republicans.)
If this were a case of American voters being narrowly divided over policy, over the character of the politicians, over the values of the two parties, I’d say let the chips fall where they may.
But it’s increasingly clear that this vote is between people who care enough about their values to vote — and people who, quite simply, don’t.
In a democracy, for practical as well as sound philosophical reasons, victory should go to the people with the most passion, the most energy, and the greatest willingness to participate in the process.
Slate has a very interesting article in today’s edition talking about the “contempt” of American progressives.
Writer Shankar Vedantam argues that this contempt is more corrosive than the anger and rage we see among conservatives.
But Vedantam overlooks one factor: anger usually causes you to fight, while contempt usually causes a person to walk away.
That’s what we’re seeing this election cycle. Millions of progressives wanted faster fixes, more fiery rhetoric. They talked about hope, but what they really wanted was to see the right take one in the eye.
They got a healthcare bill and finance sector reform and Federal stimulus, but what they really hungered for was to see Rush Limbaugh humbled.
Because that didn’t happen, they’re checking out, taking their ballots and going home.
Tags: election10
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“…but what they really hungered for was to see Rush Limbaugh humbled.”
Yup, and Bush/Cheny charged with everything from war crimes to parking violations, to see Fox news and talk radio silenced, to see guns outlawed, drugs legalized, home ownership and health care made a “right” and anyone making 2 cents more than them taxed into poverty. Instead they found out the same thing a lot of Republicans found out- politicians talk a lot and don;t mean a word of it.
Do Republicans deserve to win? No. But neither do the Dems. The people that actually deserve to win are the ones that aren’t in politics for power, money, lifestyle, prestige, celebrity. The problem is there just aren’t too many people like that running.
What if the turnout is relatively high? What will your excuse be then?
JDM –
Then it will be a sign of straightforward, honest, committed and healthy democracy.
Both sides will turn up and vote their will and one side will win. That’s my definition of a great election.
If the outcome is still a landslide for Republicans, then I say right on. If Democrats win, hat-tip to them.
Brian, NCPR
I do not make forecasts. I have no idea what will happen. To me, all this speculation is done so that people who don’t have a real job can make some money and sound important. But….
Let’s say the so called Republicans do win big over the so called Democrats. If that were to happen, would we then see the so called Democrats organizing what someone might call the Coffee Party?
In the mean time, in between time, don’t we have fun!? Imagine that!
Then we could get rid of both the Republican Party and the Democratic Part and just have Tea Party people and Coffee Party people yelling and screaming at each other.
I think 2012 is what will tell a more interesting story.
People are pissed and scared right now because we are in the middle of bad recession if not depression and the people in power don’t seem to know what to do about it, those people are Democrats. I am still not sure this election will really be about ideas. We can’t really tell what is going on right now things still have to shake out. Did the interventions that have taken place work or not? We can’t tell how health care reform will work or not work, we don’t know if the economy will turn around or not, that will take at least until 2012.
If things have not changed by 2012 you may see the Democrats out of power for a long time.
The Republicans do not deserve to win and here’s why:
The recession ended in June 2009. My property taxes are up. My school taxes are up. My health insurance is going up again (by 12-13%) at year end. No raise in 4 years, but I still have a job. I smiling.
“They got a healthcare bill and finance sector reform and Federal stimulus, but what they really hungered for was to see Rush Limbaugh humbled.”
Not true. I agree that progressives are staying away or walking away, and maybe contempt is the right word for why its happening. I would say disillusionment is better.
If you take the healthcare bill as an example you may see that as a win for Obama. I look at it and say I would rather have gone down fighting for a better bill. Obama took single payer off the table before the negotiation began. Progressives expected Obama to fight for us. Maybe that was too much to expect.
Oh, and Limbaugh humbled? Nobody expects that from a deaf blowhard drug addict. Ooops, ex-drug addict. I thought conservatives hated drug addicts.
Boy the health care bill could end up being either really good for the President and the Democrats or it could be an unmitigated disaster. The cost of health insurance and our access to good health care are easily quantifiable for most people.
Bush, you don’t really believe the recession ended do you? If I tell you I’m the spitting image of Tom Selleck in his heyday, would you buy that too?
Knuck, as a rule conservatives, and most libs I know, look down on addicts. OTH a person that comes to grips with their issue and addresses them successfully has redeemed themselves on that issue. Same with lots of things. I’m not the worlds biggest Rush fan, but I often wonder where the compassion the left claims to have is for a totally deaf man who over came his handicap and addiction is. To me that’s just more proof the left talks the talks but never walks the walk.
As for China, yeah, a 5000 year history of slavery, murder, pillaging, torture, starvation and plague. Whats so freakin’ great about that? I remember when Nixon went to China and how everyone was just amazed that the breech had been crossed. Now they own a massive portion of our debt and we (Clinton) gave them “Most Favored Nation” status in spite of their gross human rights issues and political stance. Hindsight is 20/20, but better Nixon had just stayed home.
Belay the China section, wrong thread. That’s what I get for trying to post while babysitting.
Hey, here’s a question on whether or not Dems should win- Sen Gillibrand is launching a big investigation on why health care costs are going up rapidly. She acknowledges it’s because of the ridiculous and unConstitutional Health care Reform Act she voted for! So why should the people that brought this plague on us be kept in office?
“She acknowledges it’s because of the ridiculous and unConstitutional Health care Reform Act she voted for!’
Wow! Where did you see this! This is huge news! When did she says this?!!!!