Democrats in the spotlight
With the official results of Tuesday’s election pending, it seems the Democrats have swept control of the entire legislative branch of Congress. However, too many people are celebrating what could be a very short-lived victory. President Bush is out of office in a little more than two years, and while the Republicans have lost the majority in the House and Senate, they aren’t that far behind.
With the official results of Tuesday’s election pending, it seems the Democrats have swept control of the entire legislative branch of Congress. However, too many people are celebrating what could be a very short-lived victory. President Bush is out of office in a little more than two years, and while the Republicans have lost the majority in the House and Senate, they aren’t that far behind. Should the Democrats fumble this opportunity, they could find themselves in the cold for another decade after the 2008 election.
The greater part of the elections yesterday weren’t won on the merit of the Democratic platform, rather, it was because people were voting against George Bush and anyone who could be tied to him by party affiliation. However, given that the end of Bush’s presidential term is quickly approaching, this campaign strategy is no longer viable. Claiming total victory on the behalf of the Democrats in this situation would be akin to being excited that you were someone’s second choice to go to the prom because the first person flaked out.
Without the ability to run as being anti-Bush any longer, Democrats will be forced to follow up on their campaign agendas and hope that what accomplishments they may have in these two years hold up to the scrutiny of American voters. Given the president’s veto power and the Supreme Court’s more conservative leanings, this may be quite difficult. Failure to follow up on the missteps of the Republican Party could be disastrous, as now the blame can be shifted, rightly or wrongly, at a Democratic legislature.
The Democratic Party is now under the spotlight after begging for a chance to be there for the past six years. Getting there, in reality, was the easy part. The hard part will be performing up to everyone’s expectations. It’s going to get very hot on that stage, and only time will tell as to whether this rejuvenated Democratic Congress can handle it. The moment they start to sweat, the voters are going to notice, and the 2006 elections will only be a speed bump for the Republican Party.
