Electorate Comes Out Swinging

The unconscious democracy of America is a very fine thing. It is a true and deep and instinctive assumption of the equality of citizens, which even voting and elections have not destroyed.

- G.K. Chesterton, What I Saw In America, 1922

 

Chesterton penned that about 90 years ago. The question is, of course, have voting and elections come any closer to destroying our confidence in the "assumption of the equality of citizens"?

I ask because I have been trying all morning to think of someone I know who really believes that our government is at all concerned anymore with "the people", their problems or welfare. There is a growing recognition of two classes in society; the hoi polloi and the ruling elite.

I don't believe this is mere cynicism, either, but is just an acknowledgement of something more or less transparently true. As the saying goes, and Randy Quaid might insist, "You're not paranoid if everyone really is out to get you.".

One sees, though, glimmers of life in the electorate, yet. We can be a cantankerous and still (hopefully) unpredictable bunch. The recent shuffle in Congressional seats, though welcome, I don't read as any sort of deep tectonic shift. It strikes one more as, well... I opened with GKC... migth as well close with him;

 

The whole curse of the last century has been what is called the Swing of the Pendulum; that is, the idea that Man must go alternately from one extreme to the other. It is a shameful and even shocking fancy; it is the denial of the whole dignity of the mankind. When Man is alive he stands still. It is only when he is dead that he swings. - "The New House" Alarms and Discursions

Comments

[John Kasaian]

Hmmm....I think the swing revolves around some key issues, especially health care reform--a poorly written, incomplete & horribly expensve bill which the electorate properly feels was jammed down their throats. Apparently they didn't feel it was jammed down their throats hard enough to unseat the balance of power in the Senate.

What is encouraging is that one party no longer has control of both the House and the Senate so it should be more difficult to get legislation passed.

The nation always seems to fare better when
Congress does what it is handsomely paid to do, which is nothing.

[Michael Baruzzini]

"Apparently they didn't feel it was jammed down their throats hard enough to unseat the balance of power in the Senate."

Despite the fact that I disagree vehemently with those who hold the majority in the Senate, and I'm encouraged by the results in the House, I was somewhat pleased to see that the Senate did not swing as hard as the House, simply because this is exactly what it was designed to do. The House is supposed to be highly responsive to the populace; the Senate was designed to be more permanent (hence the name.) Even despite the 17th amendment, I like to see the Senate preserving something of its original constitutional character.

[Del]

This election sends two messages to Washington:

1) It is a clear vote of No-Confidence in the Obama/Pelosi regime. There will be no more forward motion to that agenda; debate will be how to preserve/undo the Obamacare and the stimulus pork spending.

2) It is a huge increase in genuinely pro-life legislators. the public funding of abortion was foolish -- when 51% of Americans self-identify as "pro-life," and a great many supporters of abortion would still like to see some sort of restrictions on late-term abortions and taxpayer funding of the same.

Obamacare means forced-euthanasia looms over the horizon, too.

[Bill912]

Remember what the vicar told the bishop in "The Quiet Man", when John Wayne and Victor McLaglen took a break from their fight and went into the pub:

Bishop: "Does that mean the fight's over?"

Vicar: "No, no; that's just the end of round 1."

Round 2 has just begun.