US Midterm Elections
Posted on November 8, 2006 - Filed Under Politics | 3 Comments
So who else stayed up until after 5 a.m. watching the results and exit poll predictions of the US Midterm Elections. Anyone?
I can categorically say that it was not worth it. While I did become better acquainted with some of the various MSNBC, CNN and Fox News pundits and anchors that Jon Stewart regularly pokes fun at, it was a dreadful waste of time and has resulted in me missing all my lectures today. Judging by this Daily Show clip from 4 years ago (and recently replayed), the midterms are not that important in many Americans’ view. Voter turnout at 40% says it all really…
When I left the television at about 5:20 it was already clear that the Democrats had taken the House. The word ‘wave’ was been sloshed around frequently on all the stations, with some pundits even resorting to the term ‘tsunami’. As it turns out, it looks more like a big wave with the Democrats having gained about 25 of the already declared seats with 30 or so still undecided. The Democrats will need a reasonably comfortable majority if they hope to pass legislation on some of their more ‘liberal’ policies, given the fact that many of the newly elected Democrats ran on what are traditionally Republican platforms such as pro-life, anti-gun control, etc in order to win in red states.
Less clear when I left the TV last night, and still undecided, was the Senate race, with the balance today precariously poised at 49 seats for both parties and two races too close to call. One of these is the Virginian election involving Vietnam veteran Jim Webb running for the Democrats and Republican incumbent George Allen (or, as Jon Stewart recently referred to him, “Macaca Goldstein” [It’s funny if you’ve been following the race]). This one looks likely to go to a recount given a difference of just a few thousand votes in a state where turnout was over two million. (Under Virginia law, a margin of less than a half-percent can trigger a recount which the state pays for. A losing candidate can also request – and pay for – a recount if the margin is less than 1 percent [source: Washington Post]). The other race, involving Democrat Jon Tester and another Republican incumbent, Conrad Burns, is also down to the wire. In the event of a 50-50 split, the Republicans will maintain control of the Senate through Vice-President Dick Cheney, who is given a casting vote in the event a tie since Vice-Presidents hold the largely ceremonial position of head of the Senate.
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You missed Alfred Moore gathering us around for a merry chat about essays.
Besides that, been keeping an eye on the elections myself. Which reminds me, I have a newspaper in my bag which I haven’t read yet. Anyway, enough of my writing what I’m thinking here…. they’re calling this the start of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign (I don’t know if you heard her speech, it was in reply to something Cheney said about whatever the result of the elections, US policy would remain unchanged – though annoyingly he is probably right). Anyway, putting my mixed opinions about Madame President Clinton aside, a little premature don’t you think?
I’ve noticed that since Bertie survived the payments scandal and the popularity polls are surging for them, Fíanna Fáil have become rather arrogant. Let’s just hope the Democrats don’t do the same with their victory and start making grand assumptions about their assured victory in the future, or inevitablythe elephant will step on the donkey again.
I don’t think it’s premature, at least based on what the TV pundits were saying last night. John McCain visited something like 20 states in the run-up to the election, so people are seeing that as early campaigning on his part. Someone whose name I don’t recall has claimed that ‘we are living in the era of perpetual campaigning’, or words to that effect (he meant ‘we’ as in ‘we in America’).
I’m sure that there’s no danger that the Democrats will take their current support for granted. Besides, a Republican victory in 2008 is not necessarily a bad thing; it depends on who’s running for both parties. If I was eligible, I’d vote for McCain over a clown like John Kerry.
As would I. And I didn’t have time to read over my comment before I posted it, so just to clear things up, I wasn’t saying I think the Democrats will take their newfound power for granted or anything, I was just saying there’s a chance of the wrong attitude developing, especially considering how partisan attitudes have changed in America in the last decade or so. The Republicans when campaigning for this election spoke as if a Democrat victory would destroy America in the War On Terror, and keep in mind those ‘dirty’ ads.
The point I’m trying to make is, I just hope the Democrats won’t develop this kind of mentality evident in the Republican Party in the future.