In 2009 our national political process descended into chaos with partisan accusations, blaming and an absolute lack of willingness on the part of elected leaders to behave like those representative of our democracy. One side refused to fulfill their contracts as elected government officials salaried by taxpayers. They held up the works on what would have, in normal times been mostly small issues. They forgot they don’t get paid by a single portion of the electorate to carry out some one sided agenda. They get paid by all of us to facilitate forward momentum by focusing on legislation addressing issues critical to all of us at this time in our history. They have however, done a great job of campaigning.
The other side has stayed busy on the hill, but as if black and white were all the rage in Washington, has opted to hardly campaign at all campaign save for the week just before elections. The other side has been running around campaigning like there was a fire at their backs with the support of well heeled lobby groups and activist organizations. One might think this would be an obvious time to get on the trail furthering the agenda.
Yet for most of the elections in a year when poll numbers have been low and ostensibly they should be expected to campaign passionately they haven’t. The line we’ve been fed consistently is it’s impossible for Democrats to win anything due to sagging poll numbers for Congress and the president. Low numbers are no reason to half heartedly execute jobs- just the opposite.
And the president can’t be their only go to person carrying all their weight, and doesn’t even need to be. On Tuesday April 13, Ted Deutch, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 19th District beat his Republican opponent handily. The race was to determine a replacement for U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler who is retiring. It was said to be a gauge for this November’s elections.
If so, Democrats have a much better chance than has been bandied about. “Deutch defeated Republican challenger Ed Lynch with 62% of the vote to Lynch's 36%. The district has a history of voting heavily Democratic, voting 65% for President Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election.” (http://www.rttnews.com/Content/PoliticalNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=1269247)
Republicans weren’t running alone. “ ‘Shifrel and Siegel said Broward’s tea party activists mobilized in support of Republican Ed Lynch. They ramped it up as much as they possibly could and had an all-out attack going. There were tea party people on street corners all over north Broward holding great big American flags and Lynch signs,’ Shifrel said.” (http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/04/dems_republicans_debate_signif.html)
In a Democratic district with Tea Party activists out campaigning Ted Deutch beat his Republican challenger with numbers essentially average for his district. Not only is that indicative of the fact Democrats don’t have as much to worry about come November as was thought, but that they may have a chance in certain districts and areas where things are favorable for them or perhaps even tight. In a midterm election with a recession weighing down on our nation Democratic losses are expected. But, right now, there is no reason for them to hide their heads and not come out. Nothing is written in stone.
They need to get out and work, and in a unified manner relative to the area. Their jobs are to represent on the hill and the campaign trail. If they are unable to do so they are going to see grass roots groups and third parties popping up across the nation ready to replace them come 2012.
The Tea Party has been good for strict conservatives as it has given them a voice which they felt absent in the Republican Party. Many looking in from the outside don’t like the tone of much of the rhetoric, violent threats and racism displayed on signs. But, on whole they have been good for conservatives and Republicans thus far.
Democrat voters and independents on the left, if they don’t like what they see in November, due to their party’s behavior should be as mad then as Republicans have been with their own party since November of 2008. They need to get out and work as energetically as they have in Washington and without relying solely on the president to carry them through. Voters have to see Democrats need it the same way Republicans have to prove they will follow through on promises and can work in Washington not just the campaign trail.
To read about my inspiration for this article go to www.lawsuitagainstuconn.com.
This site made manifest by dadaIMC software