The following is a blog, titled "You've Won... Now What?," I wrote for my soon-to-launch website. Thanks to everyone who voted. 
Now that the Democrats have won a historically contentious election, gaining control of the House of Representatives and -- likely -- the Senate, the question I have is what are they going to do for an encore? With power comes responsibility so instead of launching into meaningless investigations and feeding their desire for revenge, I hope the Democrats truly lead... show this fractured country what it means to stand up for what is right.
I tip my hat to Nancy Pelosi and wish her the best of luck as Speaker of the House, because she'll need it. Before the election, she was already a lightning rod for criticism by Republican pols who tried to scare their constituency with the prospects of a Congress led by such a liberal. It was shameful, but in certain areas that brand of politics can work. I don't know what to expect from a Pelosi-run House, but I know that if she doesn't deliver on some bread-and-butter core issues, such as improved economic conditions, health care, education, immigration and wages, and sanity in America's foreign policy in the Middle East, then Republicans will sweep Democrats out of office in two years. And the Presidency will likely remain in Republican hands.
Democrats are not without blame for the nastiness of this election. They demonized just as many candidates as Republicans did, and here in Connecticut, they let one of their potential new stars, Ned Lamont, twist in the wind. The party didn't work for him and largely let him spend portions of his own fortune on his fledgling campaign. That is just as shameful in my eyes as anything the Republicans did this fall. They bowed before Joe Lieberman's enormous ego, and probably cut a deal with him that they'd stay out of the race if he voted with Senate Democrats on key issues. The problem with that tactic is that Republicans were the ones who put Joe over the top; Republicans voted in large numbers for him... so, who do you think he'll feel beholden to? His former party that allowed him to lose the primary and force his independent run, or the party that embraced him with open arms?
The next two years will be fun to watch.
Now that the Democrats have won a historically contentious election, gaining control of the House of Representatives and -- likely -- the Senate, the question I have is what are they going to do for an encore? With power comes responsibility so instead of launching into meaningless investigations and feeding their desire for revenge, I hope the Democrats truly lead... show this fractured country what it means to stand up for what is right.
I tip my hat to Nancy Pelosi and wish her the best of luck as Speaker of the House, because she'll need it. Before the election, she was already a lightning rod for criticism by Republican pols who tried to scare their constituency with the prospects of a Congress led by such a liberal. It was shameful, but in certain areas that brand of politics can work. I don't know what to expect from a Pelosi-run House, but I know that if she doesn't deliver on some bread-and-butter core issues, such as improved economic conditions, health care, education, immigration and wages, and sanity in America's foreign policy in the Middle East, then Republicans will sweep Democrats out of office in two years. And the Presidency will likely remain in Republican hands.
Democrats are not without blame for the nastiness of this election. They demonized just as many candidates as Republicans did, and here in Connecticut, they let one of their potential new stars, Ned Lamont, twist in the wind. The party didn't work for him and largely let him spend portions of his own fortune on his fledgling campaign. That is just as shameful in my eyes as anything the Republicans did this fall. They bowed before Joe Lieberman's enormous ego, and probably cut a deal with him that they'd stay out of the race if he voted with Senate Democrats on key issues. The problem with that tactic is that Republicans were the ones who put Joe over the top; Republicans voted in large numbers for him... so, who do you think he'll feel beholden to? His former party that allowed him to lose the primary and force his independent run, or the party that embraced him with open arms?
The next two years will be fun to watch.
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
In regards to Rumsfeld, he flat out sucked and I'm glad he's gone. We should only have special forces over there training and advising current and future Iraqi forces in small numbers. The overwhelming presence of American troops is what I believe to be stirring up all this bullshit over there.