« Kean-Menendez Race May Determine Who Controls the US Senate...A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words | Main | MWW GROUP IS TWO FOR TWO...PICKS UP SECOND AGENCY OF THE YEAR AWARD »

Democratic victory: And now the hard part
November 08, 2006

Funny, how the only thing that's certain in politics is that nothing is for certain. Just two years ago, Bush had swept to a second term and the Republican-led Congress looked invincible. Many pundits, on both sides of the aisle, were proclaiming that the Democratic Party had become a permanent minority party destined for decades in the wilderness. And who can forget President Bush's press conference the day after the 2004 election, where he proclaimed that he had earned massive political capital and now he was going to "spend it." And spend it he did, but as yesterday showed, not wisely.

Fast forward two years, the Democrats are now in control and have numbers in the House to suggest that they may stay in control for many years. And commentators like Pat Buchanan are declaring the death of decades of conservative rule on talk shows this morning. But, before the Democrats get too cocky, I hope they remember that public opinion can turn on a dime - that the public voted against George Bush and Iraq as much, if not more, than they voted for them. And, now comes the hard part...governing.

Starting today, the Democrats have to show that they have better solutions and the answers that Americans are craving. And it won't be easy. Tom Delay was already on any program that would take him (yes, he's back...that didn't take long) declaring war on the Democrats...good to see he cares more about politics and power than the good of the nation...and the Democrats will have to deal with ideological splits in their own party. While many of the incoming Committee Chairs are good old fashioned liberals, many of the newest members are socially and economically conservative. And the old Democratic "class warfare" policies just won't fly anymore. It's ok to be progressive...I am proud to consider myself one...but, the business as usual division along social and economic lines will guarantee an unhappy electorate and short lived majority for the Democrats.

In his press conference today, when asked about yesterday's election, the President said "he didn't see it coming." If that statement isn't proof of how disengaged he and the Republican party have become, I don't know what is...his lack of understanding of the needs and aspirations of the American public is a great lesson for the Democrats.

If the Democrats chose to truly lead, we may look back on this election as the beginning of a round of major change in American politics...if not, it will just be another wasted expenditure of "political capital."

Posted by Michael Kempner at November 8, 2006 04:35 PM