According to the pundits and strategists who basically control coverage of politics these days, the Republicans are poised to take control of the United States Senate to go along with their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. This sends shudders up the spines of many Democrats and strengthens the spines of many Republicans, who think this would be the first step toward taking back the country.
I hope the Republicans do take control of the Senate but not for partisan reasons, for good government reasons. If the Democrats retain control, nothing will change. We will still have a standstill, gridlocked government in Washington, with each side's goal being to gain the upper hand for the next election or the next headline. If the Republicans take control maybe this will happen: Republicans will realize they are as responsible for what happens, or doesn’t happen, in Washington as President Obama down the street. They, too, will be held accountable AND responsible for progress/lack of progress for the country.
Together, maybe those two elements will break the gridlock. It's happened before. Books have been written on how divided government can work. Some think what we have today (a Republican House and Democratic control of the Senate and White House) is divided. But that isn't the true divided govern. Control of Congress by one party and control of the White House by the other; that is divided government.
Accountability tends to make one responsible. It’s easy to shoot off your mouth when there’s nothing you can do about something. When you are accountable, there’s a lot less mouth shooting. As things stand today, Republicans can block the President and claim (in their minds) victory. The President can point to the “Tea Party” blocking all the good he wants to do. No one wins. Except maybe those who raise money for each side.
But, with a Republican Congress and a Democrat in the White House, I don’t think that politicking will fly with the voters for long. They will expect progress.
So, let me be clear, having extreme Right Wingers in control scares me. They tend to be sanctimonious and driven by a doctrine many find wrong. Not my cup of tea. Nor are extreme liberal Democrats who seem to have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that threatens their theology or arrogance. Neither animal is built to govern, only to block, oh, and to pontificate.
But with a Democrat in the White House who is concerned, as are all Presidents at this stage of their tenure, with legacy; and a Republican-controlled Congress that wants to stay in control, maybe, maybe we can get off the dime and get some things done.
I hope.
I hope the Republicans do take control of the Senate but not for partisan reasons, for good government reasons. If the Democrats retain control, nothing will change. We will still have a standstill, gridlocked government in Washington, with each side's goal being to gain the upper hand for the next election or the next headline. If the Republicans take control maybe this will happen: Republicans will realize they are as responsible for what happens, or doesn’t happen, in Washington as President Obama down the street. They, too, will be held accountable AND responsible for progress/lack of progress for the country.
Together, maybe those two elements will break the gridlock. It's happened before. Books have been written on how divided government can work. Some think what we have today (a Republican House and Democratic control of the Senate and White House) is divided. But that isn't the true divided govern. Control of Congress by one party and control of the White House by the other; that is divided government.
Accountability tends to make one responsible. It’s easy to shoot off your mouth when there’s nothing you can do about something. When you are accountable, there’s a lot less mouth shooting. As things stand today, Republicans can block the President and claim (in their minds) victory. The President can point to the “Tea Party” blocking all the good he wants to do. No one wins. Except maybe those who raise money for each side.
But, with a Republican Congress and a Democrat in the White House, I don’t think that politicking will fly with the voters for long. They will expect progress.
So, let me be clear, having extreme Right Wingers in control scares me. They tend to be sanctimonious and driven by a doctrine many find wrong. Not my cup of tea. Nor are extreme liberal Democrats who seem to have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that threatens their theology or arrogance. Neither animal is built to govern, only to block, oh, and to pontificate.
But with a Democrat in the White House who is concerned, as are all Presidents at this stage of their tenure, with legacy; and a Republican-controlled Congress that wants to stay in control, maybe, maybe we can get off the dime and get some things done.
I hope.
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