Americans don't want to see triumphalism and celebrations. What do they want to see? Asses and elbows, that's what. Hard work. Real work. Ignoring special interests. Listening to the people. Delivering actual policies that really demonstrate that.
Heres the pollster Rasmussen on the trend he sees, plain as day:
The reality is that voters in 2010 are doing the same thing they did in 2006 and 2008: They are voting against the party in power. This is the continuation of a trend that began nearly 20 years ago.... This reflects a fundamental rejection of both political parties.
More precisely, it is a rejection of a bipartisan political elite that's lost touch with the people they are supposed to serve. Based on our polling, 51% now see Democrats as the party of big government and nearly as many see Republicans as the party of big business. That leaves no party left to represent the American people.
Voters today want hope and change every bit as much as in 2008. But most have come to recognize that if we have to rely on politicians for the change, there is no hope. At the same time, Americans instinctively understand that if we can unleash the collective wisdom and entrepreneurial spirit of the American people, there are no limits to what we can accomplish.
In this environment, it would be wise for all Republicans to remember that their team didn't win, the other team lost.
The gauntlet for us all to throw down beginning Wednesday? That we're all ready to keep shuffling the deck. We're ready to vote in droves for independent candidates who put regular folks first. If party politicians don't stop throwing poop, if they don't stop putting special interests and reelection first, if they don't start listening and delivering, we'll consider party affiliation to be a stain, a scarlet letter that says "don't vote for me."
I think Rasmussen has it exactly right, and have said the same thing repeatedly in assorted venues. Naturally, I have been abused by partisans from both sides for so saying. Ah, well. Truth hurts, especially when it conflicts with one's cherished fantasies.
ReplyDeleteThe So-cons and Fis-cons will shortly be doing battle over the soul of the GOP, just as the leftists and centrists did battle over the soul of the DNC last cycle (leftists won). The So-cons have the "advantage" of incumbency, but then again, so did the centrists. And the rising tide of TEA this cycle is primarly that of pissed-off limited-government center-right fis-cons who mostly want the government to STFU and go away and quit interfering in their lives and making them WORSE.
I managed to buy the "over" bet on the House months ago at GOP +38. Now I wish I'd taken the 2-1 odds on GOP +50 instead. My call for the night is GOP 49 Senate, 62 GOP House, and I suspect the House may run higher. The Senate may go one more seat either direction, but the GOP will move to at least 48, and WILL take the House with VERY comfortable majority margins, exceeding the 52-seat swing of '94.
Krugerrands and Eagles are selling at a hair over $1400 this morning. Think I'll trot off down to my local metals dealer and build up that Xmas cash stash a bit.
Darn memory. 1994 was a 54-seat swing, not 52.
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