The framers of our constitution set up a republic in order to protect against mob rule. Thus we have checks and balances not only between the three branches of government, but also between the federal government and the states. The electoral college system and the Senate make sure population centers like New York, California, and Texas don’t decide policy for the whole country and that the voice of smaller population centers is still given consideration. The two major political parties interestingly provide a good check and balance with each other. As history has shown, seldom does one party control both the legislative and executive. Rather, the opposing party usually gains control, or has a great influential minority, of the opposite branch. At this time in our history, we face a Democratic controlled executive and legislative that hasn’t been seen since the 1930’s. Many economists have argued that the length and depth of The Great Depression was made worse by this Democratic control and that the prior administrations were blamed for the lack of economic progress.
In general, as this article by Cal Thomas points out, government has failed miserably at being the solution to people’s problems. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as John Stossel points out through Thomas’s article, is an example of this. We should seriously consider the benefit of a liberal agenda being pushed through by a Democratically controlled executive and legislative. Many on the left think this is exactly what the country needs. I respectfully and profoundly disagree.
Joel
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Oh Joel, is this the best you’ve got in this late hour of McCain hope? Divided government is important, indeed. I’ve got an even better example of than you! The Bush Years.
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Or more specifically, the Gingritch revolution which began in 1998 when Republicans surged to power in Congress. They then took the executive branch in 2000, appointed two conservative Supreme Court justices, had innumerable political and Wall Street scandals and Katrinas and Iraqs while racking up a $10 trillion debt...
oh and did I mention that they had a Vice President who wanted (and managed) to be pretty much in charge of the Executive and Legislative Branches at the same time? An idea that spits on the Constitution, by the way.
is THAT the kind of divided government you mean?
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Yes Joel, you nailed it. We could take this back as far as the Reagan Revolution (R.I.P. 2008) which is now being questioned with increased fervor! One could argue, and many have, that Bush has shredded the Republican party of its values and direction.
A great articulation of this position is made by some random guy I found linked from somewhere:
http://larrygellman.blogspot.com/2008/10/will-republican-party-survive-and-does.html
Face it. Many conservatives feel more comfortable with Obama at the helm than McCain in this critical moment in history. MANY. They know he’s no socialist and they realize that Obama has the temperament to handle any 3am phone call better than McCain.
Like Reaganite Paul Rubin said in your Wall Street Journal link, we could be coming upon a new era of dominant thought in this country. An era that I see as more humane and more challenging to the human spirit. An era where any man or woman, white, black or muslim can aspire to inspire and lead. An era with a leader who will deliberate and consider all sides of an issue…. like we do here on Skull Sessions.
Read some of these Obama endorsements. It’s a new world out there. The Republican party has been defeated and humiliated by themselves. The pendulum swung so far right under Bush that you can bet it’s time for it to swing back left…. and that’s definitely not a bad thing.
Oh yeah, and where was Paul Rubin in 2000? Probably not screaming about divided government… he was probably advocating it.
It’s not a bad argument, Joel, but it would be more effective if we hadn’t just sat through 8 years of Bush and 14 years of Republican House and Senate, y’know?
Justin,
Many conservatives still do not feel comfortable with an Obama administration due to his fiscal and social positions. Let’s stick to those issues and not to rhetorical populist statements like “transformational”, etc. when discussing so called conservative comfort levels. Unless Obama suddenly becomes pro-life and pro-small government, then my guess is that at least 40% of the country (and probably more like 44 or 45%) will still not be comfortable with him. So, perhaps some conservatives are more comfortable with Obama, but then again there are probably between 5 and 15% of the Republican constituency that falls in the moderate category (this is totally a guess in makeup). Why is it that the Democrats are already acting like they’ve won? I know the polls are heavily in favor of Obama, but the election hasn’t happened yet, right?
BTW, the Gingrich revolution was in 1994.
Let’s be honest. The real money gets spent not on social programs but on the honor we must fight for in Iraq. We must fight and fight for honor because God forbid we admit a mistake. Joel, would you still have us fighting in Vietnam? Was that really the crucial battlefield between the U.S.S.R and America? Did it matter? Do you subscribe to the Domino theory? Fear and hate is what manipulates the public into supporting the Military Industrial Complex. If Esinhower were alive in 2003 he would have not gone to war and more over would have said it was merley fueling the M.I.F.C It’s become an engine for economic growth for the top 5% of the coutnry and the rest of us pray that our families will survive.
Supply side economics has been proven to be damaging to the wellbeing of the median of our nation as well as disasturous to those white collar number pushers who came to the tax payer for salvation in the end. TRICKLE DOWN is B.S. GAME OVER! You ask for small government now? After your party increased the size of gov. more then anytime sinde FDR’s New Deal. Smirconish just endorsed Obama too and he’s a “conservative.” Robo calls calling Obama by virtue a person that pals around w/ terrorist. Get a life. McCarthyist type stuff is outta here man. The War is over b/c that’ how we like it. But we wont rest till they pull every brick from that astrodome base apart. Your party just initiated the Nationalization of the banking system. So what about small gov?
Let’s start by undoing the Dept. Homeland Security b/c that traditionally was a D.O.D. job. Defense. NSA officers recently blew the whistle on the spying of Americans over seas. Journalist, Soldiers, Aid Workers having phone sex. Way to go Bushies! Way to freakin’ go! Vote people. Don’t elect another IDIOT!
Illegal Spying http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1491889
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