Dezaad
DP Veteran
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- Feb 7, 2005
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Only a Minor Earthquake by Charles Krauthammer
The central theme of this article is that during the last decade the American Electorate is divided almost evenly, and that shifts such as the one we saw on Tuesday do not indicate a major shift in the landscape.
In parts, I agree with this assessment. America has not become profoundly more liberal this last few years, and I think the article states the obvious on that point. I do think it is particularly astute to point out that this was an "event driven" campaign: If he means by that, events over the last couple years that have disillusioned Americans with Republican handling of events. He points it out in order to emphasize: (paraphrase) 'This election is not an indication that the pendulum has swung much to the left'. I think he's right.
However, I wish there had been such sober thinkers on the right when Bush first took office. It would have been great for Bush to have understood that the capture of even all three branches was not a mandate for the far right agenda. People initially trusted him, even if they didn't vote for him, to be the uniter he claimed to be. But, like with so many betrayals, instead of the uniter he became the divider, and our country has been bitterly polarized during his tenure. This was a direct consequence of the Republican insistence on ignoring Democrats, and thus ignoring the Center. Oh, I am not saying that Democrats are in the Center, but to ignore them in favor of the far right, is precisely to ignore the Center.
So, in the end, this Tuesday does, in fact, represent a major shift in American governance at least: To the Center.
For this Liberal, that is a welcome shift. Americans need a divided Party government in order to all be included. No matter how Liberal I am, I have always liked it best when the Parties have divided the government between them. It has always seemed right to me, because nothing radical happens and that is exactly what most Americans want.
Here's to the new government, and the tightly divided Senate!
The central theme of this article is that during the last decade the American Electorate is divided almost evenly, and that shifts such as the one we saw on Tuesday do not indicate a major shift in the landscape.
In parts, I agree with this assessment. America has not become profoundly more liberal this last few years, and I think the article states the obvious on that point. I do think it is particularly astute to point out that this was an "event driven" campaign: If he means by that, events over the last couple years that have disillusioned Americans with Republican handling of events. He points it out in order to emphasize: (paraphrase) 'This election is not an indication that the pendulum has swung much to the left'. I think he's right.
However, I wish there had been such sober thinkers on the right when Bush first took office. It would have been great for Bush to have understood that the capture of even all three branches was not a mandate for the far right agenda. People initially trusted him, even if they didn't vote for him, to be the uniter he claimed to be. But, like with so many betrayals, instead of the uniter he became the divider, and our country has been bitterly polarized during his tenure. This was a direct consequence of the Republican insistence on ignoring Democrats, and thus ignoring the Center. Oh, I am not saying that Democrats are in the Center, but to ignore them in favor of the far right, is precisely to ignore the Center.
So, in the end, this Tuesday does, in fact, represent a major shift in American governance at least: To the Center.
For this Liberal, that is a welcome shift. Americans need a divided Party government in order to all be included. No matter how Liberal I am, I have always liked it best when the Parties have divided the government between them. It has always seemed right to me, because nothing radical happens and that is exactly what most Americans want.
Here's to the new government, and the tightly divided Senate!
