What it all means

Well, the dust is settling on the election grounds and, finally, all those mind-numbing campaign ads will die off. About the time those roadside campaign placards have finally been harvested we will witness Democrats being sworn into office. The truth about this election probably won’t be heralded in the news media, but it is clear: the Republicans didn’t lose, Conservatism won.

The Democrat Party is hardly the first thing that comes to mind when I think of conservatism, but they dressed themselves up as conservatives and won. The Republicans were swept into office in 1994 with a mandate to clean house: eliminate pork, demolish the Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts, promote a balanced budget with an eye toward fixing Social Security, and make the clouds rain soda pop and gumdrops. And wide-eyed freshman Republicans went to Washington, rolled up their sleeves, and... became the very Democrats they ran against!

I am not upset at all that the Republicans got spanked at the polls. They deserved it. They were at the helm when the government swelled like a dead pig in the summer sun. They were the ones elected to fix that back in 1994, and reaffirmed in 2000 when George Bush came into office. It just turned out that once the Republicans got comfortable in D.C. they forgot why they were there.

Democrats are there now, and though they don’t have the numbers to do everything they want, they can do some of it. Expect the following:

• Donald Rumsfeld’s head on a pike. He has become the whipping boy for the war in Iraq, and the Republicans will offer his head on a platter to take it off the agenda. Condi is next. She’s a threat to Hillary.
• They will make political hay about all the resignations from cabinet positions. Hey, this is normal for any second-term president in the waning years. It happened to Bill Clinton too, remember? It’s just normal. They are making a career/retirement move. Can’t blame them for that.
• The minimum wage will increase. Count on it. Will it help or hurt businesses? Who can say. But you can wager your entire life savings that it will be a priority.
• Illegal immigration will come up and yield an amnesty program. It won’t be called that of course; most Americans are solidly against it. They are not against immigrants, just the illegal kind, and even more against having terrorists sneak across what is, essentially, a big pasture with a rickety fence. Even George Bush is noncommittal on the issue. Secure borders will just be a smoke-and-mirrors proposition, at best. The Republicans were scared to lose potential hispanic voters, and so were the Democrats, so nothing was—or will be—done about the open borders. Meanwhile, Hamas is sneaking into the country from our southern border unimpeded.
• Our nation’s enemies will do something to test the Democrat’s mettle, to feel out what kind of spine they have. It’s coming. Go buy some batteries and duct tape.
• Get up and scream if you like, but in reality, not a whole lot will change. You’ll still pay a lot for gas, still press 1 for English, still not have a plan for alternative fuels development (my number one political issue), and will still go to work every day and pay income taxes, not a flat tax. And it’ll be all right. You’ll survive. We’re going to have good days and bad days regardless of the party in power.

Still, I am waiting for the day when something is done about government spending two dollars for every nickel it takes in, and a time when people think the government is not responsible for being their Mommy and Daddy. A time when people accept that life has risks and responsibilities and take responsibility for their own screw ups. I long for the day I see a high-level politician standing up for a real belief and not just making a speech based upon talking points generated by poll numbers. The Republicans couldn’t deliver, and neither will the Democrats. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Any government that suddenly realizes it can vote itself a pay raise is doomed. We need real reform. We need to shrink the government. But it won’t happen any time soon.

P.S. At least Tuesday in Georgia was a Sonny day!

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