Text 25061, 56 rader
Skriven 2006-11-13 19:05:36 av John Massey (1:123/789.0)
  Kommentar till text 25055 av John Hull (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: Why?
============

"John Hull -> All" <1:379/1.99> wrote in message
news:23732$POLITICS@JamNNTPd...
 JH> There has been a lot of speculation over the last week as to why the
 JH> Democrats won, aside from the historical imperative of the 6th year
 JH> being a year of loss for the incumbent party.

 JH> I contend that most of the reason why roughly 40% of the voters went
 JH> independent this year, siding with the Democrats, is due to simple
 JH> stupidity.  How else can you explain it?

Well this is one way.

The Republicans worked very hard for this defeat.  They've earned every lost
seat.  The Republican majority that was sent packing bore little resemblance
to the Republican majority that rode to power 12 years ago.  In 1994 we were
promised less government.  Over the next 12 years the Republicans more than
doubled the size of the government.  We were promised control over runaway
spending.  In the last six years discretionary spending has doubled.  We
were promised fiscal responsibility.  We got a bridge to nowhere in Alaska.
We were promised the elimination of the Department of Education.  After all,
educational achievement had been on a steady decline since education was
federalized under this Department.  In no time at all the Republicans
doubled funding for the Department of Education.  In the meanwhile America
continues to slip on the international scorecard of educational achievement.
The Republicans, in full control of the government, couldn't even manage to
stop the Mexican invasion.  How many Hispanics invaded our country across
the Mexican / American border in the last 12 years?  Twelve million?
Twenty?  Funny, but I don't remember pressing 1 for English in 1994.

According to exit polls, 42% of voters said corruption was number one.
Islamic terrorism came in at 40%...then the war in Iraq at 37%.  In other
words, the vote wasn't just an overwhelming rebuke of President Bush and the
Republican Party based on Iraq.  There were other issues at play.
Take corruption.  There were plenty of reasons for voters to grow tired of
the GOP.  Sure, some of the so-called scandals over the past few years were
really played up by the media, but after a while the stench grew to the
point that voters could no longer ignore it.  The Foley case was most likely
the last straw.  Voters instinctively knew that the Republican leadership
knew all about Mark Foley and his stalking of pages, but did nothing.  But
it's very interesting that terrorism comes in second at 40%.  Because
Democrats are the least-equipped party to ever deal with the issue of
Islamic terrorism.  That just shows you how far the Republicans have fallen,
that they lost their on their signature issue.

Also not mentioned in the reporting on the exit polling was illegal
immigration.  If there is any one single issue that has the Republican base
fed up with the president and his party, this is it.  Now that Speaker
Pelosi, and new committee chairmen Alcee Hastings and John Conyers will be
taking over in January, perhaps Republicans will get the message --- but not
before we get amnesty for the illegals already here.

Partly Boortz, partly me.

--- Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409
 * Origin:  (1:123/789.0)