This Year's Election Was Primarily an Expression of Anger
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After every election, the pundits and talking heads rush to proclaim the end of this era or that one and predict the long-term realignment that never happens. >
That was truer than ever Wednesday morning as people continued to misinterpret this election and make generalizations based on their emotions instead of the evidence before them.
The party out of power almost always does well in off-year elections - not this well, but they always make gains. This is not necessarily a referendum on President Obama or the Democratic Party. It's largely an expression of anger and anxiety by people suffering in the economic mess Obama inherited, frustrated that things haven't improved faster.
People felt the same way in 1982, when Democrats made big gains in Congress when Ronald Reagan was in the White House and -unemployment was 10.4 percent, higher than it is today.
Exit polls bear all this out. For example, people are evenly split about whether health care reform should be maintained and expanded or repealed altogether.
A poll taken just a few weeks ago showed people disapproved of the GOP by a 53-25 margin, and less than 30 percent of people thought the Republicans in Congress were acting in good faith. Comments by Sen. Mitch McConnell that his No. 1 goal was to ensure that Obama is a one-term president does not inspire much confidence that much will get done in Congress in the next two years.
It's also important to note that the Republican wave did not carry everybody into office in closely contested races. People may have been mad and frustrated in Nevada and Delaware too, but once they learned about extremists Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell, they thought better of voting simply out of anger.
It was true in North Carolina too. Many pundits said Republicans could sweep the four toss-up -congressional races, but it looks like only Republican Renee Ellmers could prevail when all the votes are counted. >
The congressional campaigns were all high-profile affairs, waged on television and in the media. Most people knew who the candidates were and in the end decided they didn't want to risk making many changes in whom they sent to Washington.
That was much less true in state legislative races, where the Republicans took over the House and Senate for the first time in more than 100 years.
Those races were decided mostly by the angry anti-incumbent -sentiment -amplified by the endless stream of offensive attack mailers cranked out by the Republican Party and the outside groups -funded largely by Art Pope and his allies.
People didn't get to know many of the Republicans well, like self-avowed John Birch Society -supporter Glen Bradley, or they might have made the same choices as the folks in Nevada and Delaware. Instead, they just voted against everything and everybody they could, from incumbents to revenue increases.
This was an election of negative votes, not a question of people -voting >for >very much.
There's plenty of time for more analysis of what happened in the coming days as people parse turnout numbers and precinct -patterns. >The question is what -happens now with a General Assembly controlled by conservatives who ran campaigns pledging to dismantle public schools, roll back environmental protections and slash the budgets of vital -public institutions.
The message for progressives who might be feeling bowled over by Tuesday's results could not be clearer: Get up, dust yourself off and get ready for the battle in the General Assembly that could define this generation. >
The time to start is not in January. It is today. Nothing bad has happened yet in the House or Senate. No bills have been passed, no budgets have been written, no progressive laws repealed or -protections rolled back.
And remember, people in power want to stay there. It will be -difficult for the new majorities in the House and Senate to ignore groundswells of opposition to their extremist agenda and their plans to slash funding for education and human services because of an absurd pledge never to raise taxes.
At the very least, a vigorous opposition to right-wing initiatives will clearly define the issues for the next election and teach people much about the real agendas of the legislators they have elected.
To paraphrase a legendary labor leader, don't waste time mourning the results of the election. Instead, organize now to stop the damage the ideologues can inflict on North Carolina.
Chris Fitzsimon is executive director of N.C. Policy Watch.
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Comments
Matt_Woodruff 2 years, 6 months ago
"In North Carolina where the Republicans took over the House and Senate for the first time in more than 100 years"
And your point was......?
nothingspecial 2 years, 6 months ago
Very weak rationalization for losing the election. If you want an example of an election win revolving around anger and emotion there's no better one than 2008. Want to discount that one too?
blake 2 years, 6 months ago
nothingspecial, Go easy on Fitzsimon. He probably has not been sleeping well since Tues night, awakening in a cold sweat and frequent bouts of hyperventilation during the day. Let him have his false rationalizations. He was right about one thing; "This is not necessarily a referendum on President Obama or the Democratic Party." There is a barely conceivable, remote, infinitesimal possibility this was not such a referendum. Let him cling to that slim hope.
sgmartin 2 years, 6 months ago
Thank you Chris. Well stated as usual
hardluck21006 2 years, 6 months ago
Here is another story by someone who is blinding the public by the Obama and rest of the Democrats smoke and mirror policy. Obama and the Democrats in office are spending this country into bankruptcy. 13 TRILLION in one year is ridiculous!!! This president has been in office for 22 months and yet they keep calling this Bush's mess. Time for you to stand and say "YES AMERICA, THIS IS MY MESS, UNEMPLOYEMENT AT 9.6%, SPENDING OUT OF CONTROL, HEATH CARE THAT IS UNASTAINABLE JUST LIKE SOCIAL SECURTIY". I would like one bleeding heart liberal to answer just question, IF YOUR PROGRAMS ARE SO GREAT, WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE MANDATORY? You want to know why, its because with out everyone paying for it, it would fail.
None 2 years, 6 months ago
So where did the billions spent under the Bush Administration go? I really didn't know that the TARP billions were appropriated under the Obama Administration...Why didn't Bush bring out his veto pen?
Please explain how the Wall Street mess exploded in January 2008 and a total lack of regulatory action by the Bush Admin that allowed Hedge Fund investors to trade in toxic paper a.k.a. Default Swaps? And Fannie and Freddie all of a sudden was a mess created by Obama!
Wow ~ I wonder what Obama would have been called had his administration come into office and six months later an economy that has taken at least a decade to spiral out of control - all of a sudden - we were in the black?
blake 2 years, 6 months ago
"Wow ~ I wonder what Obama would have been called had his administration come into office and six months later an economy that has taken at least a decade to spiral out of control - all of a sudden - we were in the black? "
He would have rightly been heralded as a great president. I would be praising him. Unfortunately, he took a terrible economy, exploited a crisis to pass unneeded and unwanted liberal projects that made the situation worse.
@Hardluck:"13 TRILLION in one year is ridiculous!!!" Yes it is, ridiculous and untrue. Obama has racked up 3 trillion in 2 years, the number is bad enough.
hardluck21006 2 years, 6 months ago
The 13 trillion is what Obama and his administration has spent in their budget, check your facts. And yet, still no has answered mandatory participation.
hardluck21006 2 years, 6 months ago
@ Blake "Please explain how the Wall Street mess exploded in January 2008 and a total lack of regulatory action by the Bush Admin that allowed Hedge Fund investors to trade in toxic paper a.k.a. Default Swaps? And Fannie and Freddie all of a sudden was a mess created by Obama!"
Well let's see. The Democrats took control of the Congress and the Senate in 2006. Barney Frank stated that there was nothing wrong with Fannie May and Freddie Mac, that they were sound and secure. Anytime that the banks are required to lend money to people who are unable to pay this money back is what contributed to the housing bubble.
Yes I do agree the Bush is responsible for TARP and that was unacceptable. If a company needs money, go to a bank and borrow money or just go out of business. Fannie May and Freddie May, AIG, GM, GE, or any other company who borrowed money should have gone out of business like any other company in the private market.
O bye the way, my brother's business did not get a bail out through the recession. They just worked harder for lower pay until demand came. No, things are not back to normal but they are still making it.
Ross 2 years, 6 months ago
Amen Chris. I can't wait to see how this new republican wave will solve these problems after spewing their rhetoric for so long!
blake 2 years, 6 months ago
@Hardluck, I went back and checked my facts. The federal budget for 2010 included $3.6 trillion in proposed spending and $2.4 trillion in revenues, leaving a deficit of $1.4 trillion. Sorry, I cannot figure out where you got your numbers.
None 2 years, 6 months ago
"he took a terrible economy, exploited a crisis to pass unneeded and unwanted liberal projects that made the situation worse."
Are you referring to the thousands of auto-workers, parts assembly, transmission companys, electrical systems, and tire manufactures who regained employment from those funds?
"Fannie May and Freddie May [MAC], AIG, GM, GE, or any other company who borrowed money should have gone out of business like any other company in the private market."
Default swaps started with foreign investors and ended up on Wall Street where greedy investors were looking for quick money - turnover. Brokers were selling mortgages that wasn't insured by the FDIC - they manuvered around the insurance requirement by referring to the paper as swaps as opposed to full faith and credit. Companies like CountryWide Mortgage was using their own appraisers to improperly evaluate property values and CWM sales brokers as well as many others would write the mortgages and then bundle the packages and sell them to Hedgefunds who are still to this day unregulated. When the HFB called banks didn't have the money and no insurance to back the toxic paper. That's when retirement funds and investor portfolios went bust. All of this happen on Bushes watch....no one else.
Now having said that, if they are elected to office in Washington, they are bought and paid for with PAC money handed out by special interest groups. Sadly - American's wanted to clean house - just not their crooked representitives...business as usual.
blake 2 years, 6 months ago
I am referring to a $800 billion stimulus bill, which President Obama claimed had no earmarks, which accomplished little other than saddling the next few generations with insurmountable debt. Explain to me how building turtle tunnels, studying Alaskan grandparents, and teaching Siberians how to interact with their government did anything to stimulate our economy.
I am referring to a healthcare bill that is so cumbersome and riddled with regulations yet to be determined that it in essence freezes new hiring. The government should have been looking at ways to promote a healthy business environment---not this.
I am referring to a Congress that failed in 22mo to address the impending tax increase at all income levels, now just 7 weeks away. I am referring to a President who believes taxes should be raised due to his warped ideology than whether it would increase revenues.
JER 2 years, 6 months ago
On Jan 3, 2011, less than 2 months from now, "the voice of the people" will have their clock ticking on "taking back the country". Let's all note the unemployment rate, the deficit number and the number of federal employees on that day. That will make a good starting point for monitoring how well the conservatives are doing.
blake 2 years, 6 months ago
JER, the conservatives still have to contend with a democrat majority in the Senate and a presidential veto.
MooreNorth 2 years, 6 months ago
Anti-incumbent? If that were true, the elections would have been a wash. It seems to be more anti-idea than anything else. Anger,you bet. This anger started about the last half of President Bush's second term, and finally peaked when President Obama mashed the spending pedal to the floor. If the anti-incumbent theory were correct, McIntyre, Kissel, and Shuler would have lost. Instead, they ran as more conservative than the Republicans in their race, and against their own Party, and won. Chris, you know all us Right Wingers are always angry, so why should this election be any different?
None 2 years, 6 months ago
blake says...and I agree with a lot of what you are saying. Keep in mind like the Alaskian Bridge to no-where and an airport that only has a couple flights a year for [a] congressman are all pork barrel politics.
http://www.cagw.org/
ELIMINATE PORK-BARREL SPENDING Pork-barrel spending continues to be a long-honored Washington tradition. Year after year, politicians debase the political process by inserting personal projects into appropriations and authorization bills to try to win favor back home. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has documented more than $100 billion in appropriations pork since 1991.
http://membership.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_Pork_Barrel_Spending
Spending isn't just a one party issue....
MooreNorth 2 years, 6 months ago
Default swaps started in Congress through Fannie and Freddie. Everyone has the "Right" to own a home. Pork Barrel Spending is, indeed, very much a serious problem on both sides of the aisle.
JER 2 years, 6 months ago
Blake, so are you saying that the people have NOT spoken?
blake 2 years, 6 months ago
Oh, the people have spoken. Unfortunately, the President and most democrats have proven repeatedly in the past 2 years that they are not listening.
OBXNC 2 years, 6 months ago
If being a progressive is spending other peoples money like a kid spending their allowance in a candy store Obama and his bunch of political crooks have that well taken care. I don't care who was, or is now in office, the American tax payers are being robbed. I hope all of you are in good shape because you are going to have to work extra hard to make more money for the goverment to take it away at even a greater rate in the next few years.
JER 2 years, 6 months ago
Speaking of making more money, I see that W has peaked out of his cave, saw that the coast was clear and has proceeded to cash in on his presidency.
coffecreme 2 years, 6 months ago
2006 and 2008 was also an expression of anger. the american voter is fickle, spoiled and looking for instant gratification unlike the generation of the 40's