On November 7, Americans went to the polls and threw Republicans out of both houses of Congress. The Democrats took more than a 30-seat majority in the House, and have also gained a majority in the Senate. While Republican losses were expected, the magnitude of the loss was much greater than many observers had predicted. While we were unable to turn out a column for The Poly in time for the paper the following day, the College Republicans would still like to comment on the election, and offer the Democrats our congratulations.
Along with our congratulations, we would like to remind the Democrats of what happened after a similar election in 1946. This is ancient history, but it provides a good lesson for the Democratic party now in control of the House and Senate. In 1946, Democratic President Harry Truman was very unpopular, with approval ratings around 32 percent. Republicans were able to gain 55 seats in the House because of this. Voters selected Republican candidates more because they weren’t Democrats than for any other reason. Of course, this is not a sustainable campaign strategy; in 1948, the Democrats ran against what they called a “do nothing” Republican Congress, gaining 75 seats in the House, and re-electing Truman president.
Very similar things may happen when voters turn out to the polls in two years. Democrats did not run a visionary campaign this year. Yes, they were excellent at criticizing the war, Bush, and the health care system, but no concrete plans were laid out by Democratic candidates. Despite the massive wins in this election, we still don’t know what the Democrats’ “exit strategy” for Iraq is­—their biggest complaint. There are Democratic representatives in favor of leaving now, leaving in six months, leaving gradually beginning at some point soon, and even the odd Democrat who wants to finish the job. There are some who want a timetable, and others who want an objective-based plan; basically, there is confusion. The danger for Democrats is that they might end up looking like the Republican Congress of 1946.
In order to avoid the fate that Republicans suffered 60 years ago, Democrats will have to make solid progress in their newly-won Congress. Popular measures will have to be passed for the voters to keep their faith in Democratic representatives. The Democrats have proposed a few measures which should come into effect quickly, but these will have to solidify works supported by the moderates who voted them into power, not just their left-wing base. Otherwise, a Republican landslide could be just around the corner.
Republicans are already preparing for 2008; most notably, a number of Republicans have filed paperwork to begin working on their presidential campaigns, including John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. I’m sure the Democrats will agree that the next few years—especially 2008—will be very interesting.
Editor’s Note: “The Elephant’s Peanut Gallery” and “Straight from the Ass’s Mouth” run biweekly and are opinion columns granted by the Editorial Board to the College Republicans and the College Democrats.
