Running Without “The One”
by Rob Hightower
Three more elections—and three more reasons why the Democratic Party is anything but on the road to an electoral monopoly. The question remains—what will the Democrats do when an election occurs and George W. Bush isn’t President and Barack Obama’s name isn’t on the ballot? What will be their message? How will they court the right of center independents? How will they appear to a conservative America?
Earlier this week, Democrats were touting their “race to 60”. They were now within sight of a cloture-guaranteed Senate. But the conservative voters struck back. Saxby Chambliss won decisively. Then, on Saturday, Republicans held a swing seat in the Shreveport-based Louisiana 4th District against a well-funded and highly touted Democratic challenger. On that same day, in the heavily Democratic Louisiana 2nd, New Orleans voters rejected scandal-riddled William Jefferson. They sent the first ever Vietnamese American to Congress—a Republican.
Democrats will attempt to spin these losses. “Georgia is one of the most conservative states in the Union.” “We always knew retaking the 4th District would be challenging.” “Rep. Jefferson was going to have a tough fight.”
Democrats will ignore the truth, however. Georgians went for McCain by only five points—and yet Chambliss won by an even greater margin. The DCCC poured a tremendous amount of money into the 4th District. And Jefferson having a “tough fight” never stopped voters from sending him back to Congress in the midst of controversy two years ago. But Democrats will never acknowledge these facts.
The problem? Democrats won in 2006 because used George Bush to frighten voters. In 2008 they had the benefit of Obama on the ballot. 2010 will pose a number of challenges—not the least of which will be an election without Obama’s name to draw voters to the polls and Bush to bash. Another challenge will be that from 2009 to 2010, Obama will no longer will able to obfuscate and dodge sensitive issues—he will have to take a stand. He will have to choose between the Liberal special interests who got him into the White House and the centrist stances that will enrage the left.
If Obama bows to the special interest—conservatives (most voters) will shoot back. If Obama goes to the center, the liberals who now rule Congress will be forced to vote against Obama’s policies (facing electoral defeat) or suffer the consequences of liberal malaise with MoveOn.org throwing up their hands.
Our role as conservatives cannot change. We must remain vigilant and stand for principle. We are not like the President-elect who claimed he is not “governed by ideology.” Ideology is important. Without a basic ideology and governing set of principles, the citizenry will never know who and what principles are governing this country. Limited government, responsible elected officials, faith, family, and freedom are the principles that reign supreme with Americans. And with a continued effort, as has taken place in these recent elections, we will continue to succeed at the ballot box. The road to victory has already begun—and our principles have and will continue to guide us.
