Our Short-Sighted Electorate

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Most political analysts predict that the Republicans will make huge gains in November, likely taking over the House and gaining several seats in the Senate. Voters are angry over the economy and disenchanted with the Obama Administration. While there is some justification for this malaise, rewarding the GOP come November is insane; no rational reading of America�s problems would dictate that the solution is more Republican control.

For all of the shortcomings of the Democrats and Obama*, the Republicans have been in lock-step opposition to every sensible policy for the past 20 months; they fought against healthcare reform and the stimulus package, sided with the banks against financial regulation and student loan reform, blocked climate change and energy legislation, and even opposed extending unemployment benefits.

By any objective measure, if the Republicans had had their way the economy would be in much worse shape, perhaps rivaling the Great Depression. And what are the current Republican priorities? They say they�re against budget deficits, but they want to extend the Bush tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and repeal healthcare reform�even though the Congressional Budget Office says many of its measures will help control future costs.

Past Democratic supporters who threaten to stay home and wage �protest votes� are simply not thinking straight. If they believe things are bad now, wait till the Republicans take power. There�ll be endless Congressional investigations, a shredding of safety nets, and likely a government shutdown.

The problems we face require long-term planning and sacrifice on all our parts. It�s no help at all, and in fact invites a further crisis, if our impatience leads us to simply �throw the bums out.�

The main thing in the Democrats� favor is that many Tea Party extremists have won Republican primaries, giving the Democrats opportunities they would not have had if reasonable Republicans had won. GOP Senate candidates Sharron Angle, Rand Paul, Ken Buck, and Joe Miller are true radicals, with views ranging from the bizarre (Buck: our education system was much better in the 1950s) to the outright oppressive (women who are raped should be forced to have babies�all four).

Democrats also have a cash advantage going into the elections, and it�s hardly too late for those who are disillusioned to wake up and realize that not voting would be a colossal mistake.

*I think many on the left have been right to criticize Obama for compromising too much and not fighting hard enough for progressive ideals. He and other Democrats failed spectacularly on energy and climate change legislation. Not bringing immigration reform up for a vote has demoralized many Latinos, and hurt his popularity with this rising constituency. In addition, Obama�s fetish for bipartisanship has worked to blur the ideological lines that separate the parties: on the issues that matter most, the country sides overwhelmingly with Democratic policies.

P.S. Eugene Robinson goes even further than me; in a column last week, he said Americans were acting like �spoiled brats.� He�s right.

Voices of Reason

Our Short-Sighted Electorate