I understand the desire by conservatives to try to control the post-election narrative by proclaiming that American is a “Center Right” Country in order to set up an Obama administration for criticism when he doesn’t govern from the “right”, but that’s not really where this Country is politically.
I’m not going to join the pundits and try to claim that I know exactly where this Country is politically, but I doubt after electing a Democrat to the White House and expanding Democratic majorities in Congress the American public is looking for a government that is “Center Right”.
After all, we had one party in control of this nation for the majority of this century. The public was willing to give Republicans the opportunity to run everything in this Country for the first six years of this decade, and when they botched it up by going “hard right” with episodes like the Terri Schiavo incident and massive corruption, the public switched horses in 2006 and continued with that trend two days ago.
I don’t think the results of the election were the American public saying, “move as much to the left as Republicans did to the right” by any means, but the fact is they didn’t elect conservatives or right wing radio talk show hosts on Tuesday.
They elected Democrats. In some cases they elected liberal Democrats. In all cases, I think they expect our Federal Government to govern on behalf of all people. We just got done with eight years of governance that was so one sided, those in charge were booted out in record numbers. I don’t think Democrats will make the same mistake.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and sons Carter and Colton.
Your presumption that the Democrats won’t make the same mistake is based on what? The American public, by a narrow, popular vote, margin voted in two of the most liberal senators we have (shame on them, BTW). I hope, but do not expect, them to be any different in the White House then they were in their senate seats, unfortunately. Coupled with the fact that the House of Representatives is controlled by Nancy Pelosi (God help us) and the Senate is controlled by Harry Reid pretty much tells me that not only will they “make the same mistake”, they’ll do it in spades.
…the fact is they didn’t elect conservatives or right wing talk show hosts on Tuesday.
I didn’t see the names any right wing talk show hosts on the ballot Tuesday. Are you implying that the election was a mandate for Democrats to re-impose the “Fairness Doctrine” and get those pesky right wingers off the air? Senator Schumer has already hinted that such a plan of action exists.
Stock Market down 10% in the two days after Obama’s election. Coincidince? Or perhaps those non-existent center right Americans are uneasy about their future under Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
@sean, it’s just ridiculous that you’re trying to pin the stock market performance on the election. Seriously. If the market had been flying high for the past month and on the day a new President was elected it went South, then I might think you had a point. Maybe you’re just joking though and it’s not coming across in the text.
As for right wing talk show hosts, of course they weren’t on the ballot, they’d never do such a thing as put themselves in a public situation where they couldn’t they couldn’t hit the kill switch when someone disagreed with them. There’s a reason they’re sitting behind a mic, screen their calls, and have their fingers on the kill switch. It takes real courage to run for public office.
At any rate, while they may not have been on the ballot, they sure spent a lot of time advocating for candidates they supported. For all their bluster and talk about ratings, the fact is they wield very little power outside their relatively small group of angry fringe listeners.
Sean,
The “narrow popular vote” was 6 points – not huge, but hardly by a hair. And almost exactly where it was called before the election (7 points).
You can say “shame on them” for electing Obama and Biden, but at least, at this point, it’s not nearly as shameful as electing Bush and Cheney, especially the second time. Obama is not walking around bragging about how he’s got political capital and he’s going to use it. He’s going to work to put together a team to try to fix the very large and real problems facing our country right now.
If you read much about Obama, it’s clear that he’s a smart guy. He knows he will be running for re-election in 4 years, and I’m sure he’s planning to make that as easy as possible. Swinging far left only gives the Republicans chum for the water in 2 years for mid-terms. It’s not hard to predict what they’ll be running on (regardless of whether things are getting better or not) – how the evil liberals have taken over Washington. But if they keep it toward the center, independents might not mind.
And Sean, I’m glad you used the word “hope” in your post – I hear it’s sweeping the nation :)
The right wing is very good at creating their own myths – and then believing them. Communism fell not because it was flawed, no as George Will stated in an interview to the deceased senior Buckley – Buckley defeated communism. Or was that Reagan?
Anyway, the “center right” is an appeal to popularity. I seem to remember that slavery was popular economic system at one time, or the belief that left handed people were evil and had to be trained to use their right hand.
The country is far more nuanced and depending on the issue someone can be “red” or “blue.” Namely social issues – like the defeat of civil rights where gay marriage is concerned.
Dan,
That was Smitty that commented on the stock market and people on the ballot, not me.
Jill,
The election of Bush for a second term “being shameful” is an opinion, but one I don’t agree with. That being said, I hope you are right in that Obama does put together a team to continue to move this country forward (I’m concerned as to how that’s going to come about).
I do agree with you that Obama is a smart guy. I am of the opinion that you don’t get to the position of President of the United States without being intelligent. Being intelligent, though, does not stop people from making bad decisions. If in fact Obama does swing far left, the fear of Republicans jumping on that, politically, is the least of our worries. What should be most worrisome is the fact that he WOULD BE governing from the far left. I “hope” you are right and he is pragmatic in his presidency – I just don’t think it’s going to happen.
MC Pickard, I could and should respond, in depth, to your comments, but to 1) compare “center right” appeal to slavery and 2) actually thinking that Communism is not flawed – that it is a right wing “myth” is dangerous and irresponsible. It’s that sort of thinking and the voicing of that opinion that creates schisms and doesn’t bring about “unity”…..
@Sean: 1) I was drawing a comparison in appeals to popularity, NOT that being “center-right” means you trade in slaves. Appealing to popularity does not guarantee that such values or politics are valid. The appeal of “center-right” functions in the same way. A majority may agree on sorts of things, it does not make such things valid in themselves. 2) Communism is flawed. Russia ran itself down, however, other conservatives like Will are all to willing to credit the Reagans and the Buckleys. 3) Lastly on schisms. If I point out that one political ideology, in this case, social conservatism is responsible for stripping the rights of homosexuals to marry, am I one the creating the schism? No. Check the exit polling in CA over Prop 8. African Americans who overwhelming voted for Obama also voted to make second class citizens of gays and lesbians. You want me to “unify” over that? No thanks.
Both parties are left of center, so I would agree with you that our country is not center-right.