Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Watching the crowds...
Last night, watching the election returns, it was sad to watch the "election parties" for the people who lost (even though I was usually for their opponents). It's painful to work hard for something you believe in and lose. Even seeing the thinly-populated ballroom containing disappointed supporters of the marriage amendment (which I so vigorously opposed) made me feel a bit of their sadness.
More to come on all this tomorrow, but for now two quick observations:
1) A few years ago, it seemed that tea party furor would profoundly affect American politics. It did, kind of, but not in a way that benefited the Republican party. By driving that entire party to the right, it not only cost Republicans the presidency, but cemented Democratic majorities among blacks and hispanics. Moreover, tea party Senate candidates failed miserably in Indiana and Missouri, depriving the Republicans of any chance of re-capturing the Senate.
I suspect we won't hear much about the tea party in the future.
2) On the Minnesota marriage amendment, the proponents of this measure over-extended by pushing for a gay marriage ban in Minnesota's constitution, when there already was one in our statutes. They hoped it would drive out the conservative vote, but instead (or in addition, perhaps), it drove out big groups of progressives who cared passionately about this issue. The irony is that this turn-out probably played in role in Democrats re-capturing both houses of the state legislature, where they might now move to legalize... gay marriage. The proponents of this needless amendment not only lost-- they created a movement that will continue towards the legalization of gay marriage in Minnesota, and may already have the legislative votes to do so.
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I would add that Republicans are also doing a pretty good job of cementing a Democratic majority among the nation's youth. While monitoring a poll for 12 hours in affluent Haymarket, Virginia, I saw a stark contrast between grumpy older people (who were clearly voting for Romney) and exuberant youth (who were for Obama). Republicans would be ill advised to blame this loss on minorities and gays. The greater threat may be losing the next generation.
a very astute observation, texpat. i know the old saying about 'if you're not a democrat when you're young, then you don't have a heart. but if you're not a republican when you're grown, then you don't have a mind.'
well, a lot of those young democrats are becoming entrenched.
part of the problem there is the increasingly irrelevant tea party, which forced the republican party farther and farther to the right, which caused the party to lost a lot of moderate republicans (fiscal conservatives who are more liberal on social issues) to the democratic party.
in my opinion, the far left is just as crazy, if not crazier, than the far right, but there seems to be more of a moderate left than there is a moderate right anymore.
well, a lot of those young democrats are becoming entrenched.
part of the problem there is the increasingly irrelevant tea party, which forced the republican party farther and farther to the right, which caused the party to lost a lot of moderate republicans (fiscal conservatives who are more liberal on social issues) to the democratic party.
in my opinion, the far left is just as crazy, if not crazier, than the far right, but there seems to be more of a moderate left than there is a moderate right anymore.
# posted by 
: 8:58 PM
: 8:58 PM
I agree with much of what has been said, except for the "cementing" part, on the part of Latinos and the youth. Both of those blocs are very much up for grabs. But the Republicans have to quit being stupid. If able Republican candidates and office holders quit worrying about whether Grover Norquist and Rush Limbaugh have given them passing scores on their litmus tests, then maybe they'd quit having such sway. Much of the moderate conservative perspective, on economic, social and other policy issues, is representative of a majority of Americans. It's the litmus tests that drive voters the other directions.
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