Bush, etc.
Bush and Republican Victory Explained
By Daniel G. Jennings
The reason the Republicans triumphed in last year’s presidential and congressional explain is simple: the American people want a strong and effective government.
Americans believe that the turbulent times in which we live require a strong and effective government. The issues facing us terrorism, economic upheaval, the energy crisis etc. require strong and decisive leadership.
Under President Bush the Republicans have shown themselves capable of strong and decisive leadership. President Bush has made tough decisions and stuck to them and the Republican Congress has stood behind him.
At the same time the Democrats have shown themselves incapable of strong or decisive leadership. The last two Democratic presidents, Carter and Clinton, were paragons of weak, indecisive leadership. Clinton couldn’t even get a Congress controlled by a majority of his own party to pass a policy as popular as national health care. Clinton didn’t even have a foreign policy beyond reacting to the crisis of the week as shown on CNN.
Is it any wonder the American people voted Republican in 2004, even though they were uncomfortable with Bush and company. For all its’ faults the GOP has shown itself more than capable of strong and decisive leadership. George W. Bush has given us bold and visionary leadership and taken serious risks to make that vision a reality.
The Democratic Party meanwhile has become an organized exercise in risk avoidance. The Democrats refuse to talk about serious issues or take serious risks. Instead they complain that Bush has taken too many risks. The present Democratic platform, balanced budgets, avoidance of military adventures abroad and reliance on international law to solve disputes between nations, looks as if it were written by do nothing 1920s Republican President Calvin Coolidge.
Americans today are voting for Bush and the Republicans for the same reason their grandparents voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Democrats in 1940 and 1944 and Harry Truman in 1948. Americans elected FDR in 1940 and 44, not because they liked or admired the man but because they knew he’d provide the strong leadership needed to win World War II. The same Americans voted for Truman in 1948 because they knew old Harry would provide the strong leadership needed to stop Soviet expansion in the Cold War.
Today Americans have the same opinion of the Democrats that their grandparents held of the Republicans. This opinion is that the Democrats are a weak wishy-washy party dedicated to not rocking the boat and preserving a comfortable status quo that keeps an arrogant and jaded elite in power.
The challenge for Democrats then is to convince the American people that they can provide strong and decisive leadership. Unfortunately for the Democrats, the only way to demonstrate strong and decisive leadership is to actually lead. To make tough decisions and stick by them. Clinton had his chance to do that back in the 1990s and he blew it.
Democrats will only start winning again if peace and prosperity returns and Americans decide that they don’t want strong leadership. Americans don’t want a strong government when times are good like they were in the 1990s or the 1920s. So unless the Democrats can locate another Harry Truman, the Republicans will be America’s party for the foreseeable future.
By Daniel G. Jennings
The reason the Republicans triumphed in last year’s presidential and congressional explain is simple: the American people want a strong and effective government.
Americans believe that the turbulent times in which we live require a strong and effective government. The issues facing us terrorism, economic upheaval, the energy crisis etc. require strong and decisive leadership.
Under President Bush the Republicans have shown themselves capable of strong and decisive leadership. President Bush has made tough decisions and stuck to them and the Republican Congress has stood behind him.
At the same time the Democrats have shown themselves incapable of strong or decisive leadership. The last two Democratic presidents, Carter and Clinton, were paragons of weak, indecisive leadership. Clinton couldn’t even get a Congress controlled by a majority of his own party to pass a policy as popular as national health care. Clinton didn’t even have a foreign policy beyond reacting to the crisis of the week as shown on CNN.
Is it any wonder the American people voted Republican in 2004, even though they were uncomfortable with Bush and company. For all its’ faults the GOP has shown itself more than capable of strong and decisive leadership. George W. Bush has given us bold and visionary leadership and taken serious risks to make that vision a reality.
The Democratic Party meanwhile has become an organized exercise in risk avoidance. The Democrats refuse to talk about serious issues or take serious risks. Instead they complain that Bush has taken too many risks. The present Democratic platform, balanced budgets, avoidance of military adventures abroad and reliance on international law to solve disputes between nations, looks as if it were written by do nothing 1920s Republican President Calvin Coolidge.
Americans today are voting for Bush and the Republicans for the same reason their grandparents voted for Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Democrats in 1940 and 1944 and Harry Truman in 1948. Americans elected FDR in 1940 and 44, not because they liked or admired the man but because they knew he’d provide the strong leadership needed to win World War II. The same Americans voted for Truman in 1948 because they knew old Harry would provide the strong leadership needed to stop Soviet expansion in the Cold War.
Today Americans have the same opinion of the Democrats that their grandparents held of the Republicans. This opinion is that the Democrats are a weak wishy-washy party dedicated to not rocking the boat and preserving a comfortable status quo that keeps an arrogant and jaded elite in power.
The challenge for Democrats then is to convince the American people that they can provide strong and decisive leadership. Unfortunately for the Democrats, the only way to demonstrate strong and decisive leadership is to actually lead. To make tough decisions and stick by them. Clinton had his chance to do that back in the 1990s and he blew it.
Democrats will only start winning again if peace and prosperity returns and Americans decide that they don’t want strong leadership. Americans don’t want a strong government when times are good like they were in the 1990s or the 1920s. So unless the Democrats can locate another Harry Truman, the Republicans will be America’s party for the foreseeable future.
posted by great one at 5:15 PM
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