The polls are closed and the results ( mostly) are in. The Republicans have increased seats in the House of Representatives by 12 seats and control of the Senate went to the GOP after they got seven new seats, with three more not yet decided. The Republicans are partying and the Democrats are already talking about how the new majorities need to compromise to liberal demands if they are ever going to win another election. Anyone remember the libs compromising on anything the last six years?
After the respective parties and the crying ends, the reflecting should begin. This election sent many messages, some of them soon to be ignored. The results of this election came after Barack Obama told Americans that, although his name wasn’t on the ballot, his policies were. Americans voted resoundingly against those policies. The voters said that they didn’t like Obamacare. Most candidates ran on repeal of the Affordable Care Act, voters said it wasn’t affordable, they couldn’t keep their care and they chose to act against it with their vote. Voters also told politicians they wanted an end to the divisiveness. We are Americans, not just men or women. The “war on women” rhetoric failed Democrats miserably. We’re not just black, or white or Hispanics; we’re Americans! The issues mattered more to voters. They want the economy to be the focus. Minimum wage means nothing until you have jobs! They want security both inside the country and abroad. We need to guard against our enemies overseas, while standing by our allies. We need to fight terrorists here and overseas and keep disease at bay, whether Ebola or tuberculosis or the enterovirus coming across our Southern border that has killed or paralyzed so many here.
This election was a cry to stop the direction this country was going. This was a sharp reprimand of the liberal agenda. Illinois, Massachusetts and Maryland, once progressive bastions, now have Republican governors. While the New York governor is a still a Democrat, the voters chose to give the New York Senate to the Republicans. Liberal Democrats can deny the meaning of this election, but they lost big on election night.
However, before we applaud the establishment Republicans, lets remember that the majority of those new Republican seats in both houses of Congress rest with Tea Party Conservative candidates. Yes, South Carolina re-elected Lindsey Graham, but they also elected Tim Scott, a staunch conservative. Mia Love, a Tea Party favorite, was elected to the House of Representatives in Utah. While the Tea Party gave Republicans control of the House in 2010, they added to their numbers in this election and were instrumental in gaining control of the Senate. This is something that needs to be remembered as both houses of Congress go further.
The Republicans need to get things done. They have two years. But they have to be mindful. A couple of months ago, I heard an interview with Mark Steyn and he had a great analogy. The Democrats are heading over the cliff at full throttle, while the Republicans are heading over cliff in third gear. The result is the same; both go over the cliff. Now that they have control, are they going to continue over the cliff in third gear, or are they going to slam on the brakes and turn the country back on the path to greatness, where we belong? Control of the car is all yours, Republicans! What is your first move?
marjarhead1 