I just have time for a short blog - I'm sure everyone's wondering where the hell I've been given how big a Dem I am and how tremendously happy I must be and am, but I've been way too busy - but there's something I want to say on this election.
While I think that clearly anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-Republican sentiment was a strong factor in the overwhelming Democratic victory (man, winning the House and Senate both has kept a smile on my face these last 48 hours), I think we can't ignore the pro-Dem results either:
Democrats won a majority of governorships and state legislatures. Hell, Texas Dems held onto all their incumbents in the State House and actually increased their number by 5 (this may cost Tom Craddick his Speakership actually) and we had a complete blowout in Dallas County. Clearly, Bush and national issues weren't at play there.
Also, most people seem to agree with us on the issues too looking at the referenda results across the country:
-South Dakoka's abortion ban failed and parental notification failed in California (again)
-Embryonic stem cell research won out in Missouri
-All 6 state minimum wage increases won across the country
-3 state ballot initiatives calling for troop withdrawal passed
-Hell, even one of the gay marriage bans, in Arizona, failed
And so on...
It has been the politics of fear that have kept Republicans in the majority. The people are on the side of progressives.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
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3 comments:
And that should be a note to Republicans who think that by returning to their "small government, socially conservative" approach they're going to win over more Americans in the next elections.
You might want to check the stats on this election 59% said smaller government and less taxes. Sounds like Reagan conservatives sat this election out. But you don't to believe me, we'll see soon enough in '08 after 2 years of tax and spend liberalism.
The charge of "tax and spend" liberalism may still have carried some weight in 2002, but it certainly does not now. Put simply, at least when you tax and spend, you end up with a better budget than what you do if you cut taxes and spend. So, two years of tax and spend liberalism would probably still produce a better fiscal situation than the one we're enjoying now.
Secondly, I very, very seriously doubt that the Democrats are going to raise taxes anytime soon, at least not to the extent that conservatives fear. We may agree to disagree on how much the average American ought to be paying his government, but I think it's easy to agree that Democrats are well aware that raising taxes is pretty much off the table for the next two years. That's why you hear talk even from Democrats who might be inclined to propose new taxes, that they're simply going to let the Bush tax cuts that slashed the estate tax simply expire; if they take that approach there'll be no new revenue in that direction until 2011, which is a fairly strong position to take considering how dire the budget situation is. No, I think the Democrats are not interested in being charged with raising taxes (even on the true Republican constituency, the wealthy) anytime soon, and will avoid that until the Presidency is in the bag.
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