The Story

A Blip on the Radar

Nov. 8, 2010 | By Ross Kingston, DSJ Staff Columnist

Tuesday, November 2nd: a historic and inspirational night for Orange Americans across the country as the Republicans once again took control of the House of Representatives, sweeping in John Boehner as the new House Majority Leader. By all means an important moment for all of the people out in this great nation with truly horrendous fake tans that make them seem like overzealous Syracuse fans.

Yet, in spite of all the hype, this was not, and I can’t say this strongly enough: NOT a political revolution of any kind.

The media’s narrative for this election (less so MSNBC) was that a �"Republican [wave/tsunami/earthquake/other horrific natural disaster]” was going to decimate the Democrats’ hold on our nation’s second branch of government. To be sure, the Republicans made a notable comeback. Prior to Tuesday night, the senate was thusly divided: 59 Democrats (counting two independents) and 41 Republicans. The house was split: 233 Democrats and 202 Republicans. In the aftermath of the election, the numbers have swung in favor of the GOP, with the two chambers now being broken up like this: Senate: 53 Democrats and 46 Republicans; House: 188 Democrats and 239 Republicans.

If this election seems somewhat familiar, you may be recalling the 2006 midterms, when the Democrats took control of both houses from the Republicans, who were by then suffering greatly from President Bush’s national image. Or maybe that nagging thought could be of President Clinton’s first term, when he saw his party cede control of both houses of Congress to the opposition.

What I’m getting at is this: it’s ludicrous to get too upset (or jubilated, depending on your political inclinations) over election results like these. The American people have made it pretty clear that at our core, most of us basically hate both parties and so we as a nation just switch to the other one when the then dominant group has pissed us off excessively.

The real story of this election, or at least what I think we ought to judge the political climate of this nation by, is the narrative of what happened to the prominent Tea Party candidates. There were three particularly notable people this election bearing the Palin stamp-of-approval: Christine O’Donnell, Carl Paladino, and Sharon Angle.

O’Donnell, a candidate for a Delaware senate seat grabbed comics’ attention with her statements on masturbation, her ignorance as to the contents of the First Amendment (�"show me where it says ‘separation of church and state’ in the Constitution”) and the revelation that she was at one point a practicing witch. She lost tremendously, garnering only 40% of the vote while her Democratic rival snagged 57%.

Angle, a Tea Party challenger for Harry Reid’s Nevada senate seat was notorious for shunning interviews and refusing to clarify her positions. She actually said to one reporter who demanded answers from her: �"Well, when I’m senator you’ll know what my positions are.” Wow. Soak it in. In any event, she lost to Reid with 45% of the vote to his 50%.

Finally, onto my personal favorite: Republican candidate for governor of New York, Carl Paladino. Paladino grabbed headlines when it emerged that he had sent emails containing bestiality to coworkers, amongst other shockers (you really cannot make this stuff up). Democratic challenger, Mario Cuomo, massacred Paladino 61.4% to 34.1%.

I have to say- I’m kinda sad. With Ted Stevens now deceased and neither Robert Byrd nor Michelle Bachman making the news as much, I was looking for some new politicians to fill the insanity-void. Looks like I may have to wait a bit.

Yes, it seems as though America may be settling down. Sure, there was a swing to the right in the House and Senate, but the true crazies were unsuccessful in their political bids. The Tea Party wave that was predicted to crash over America didn’t come.

Now that the midterms are over the pundits are, in true politically over-eager fashion, already beginning to talk about the Republicans’ plans for 2012. Names of possible candidates are emerging and it’s clear the folks at Fox are seeing vultures circle the White House.

Just how safe are things for the Republicans, now, though? They called this election, �"A Mandate on Obama” and similar things. And yes, from the results it’s clear that a lot of people are unhappy with what they perceive to be the Democrats’ lack of accomplishments over the past two years. But their track record is not nearly so desolate as it may seem. Granted, the Republicans fought the president tooth and nail, but there were some Democratic victories; they just haven’t been very well publicized.

It’s hard to say what’s going to happen in 2012. The results from Tuesday were really not that radical. In fact, what would actually have been shocking is if the administration had been able to live up to the messiah-like image so many held of Obama in 2008. The Republicans gained a not inconsequential number of seats, but we did not see an extreme triumph of the far-right.

It should now be clear that the Tea Party does not have the mainstream support necessary to become a powerful presence on the national scale. If the Dems grow a pair and advertise their legislative accomplishments, we may see Obama in the White House for another term. Or, if things stay as they are, we very well may not.

What we can know is this: Tuesday was not a �"tsunami.” It was a slight correction in the balance of power that was clearly inevitable to those of us who knew that Obama’s spell would lose its hold sooner or later. Ten years from now we’ll look back on last week and see what occurred for what it really was: a blip on the political radar.

Ross Kingston is a staff columnist for the DSJ. His views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.