GOP's anti-Obama ads fail in Mississippi special election

Last week marked the third special election in which Republicans lost a House seat long held by their party. First, Dennis Hastert's seat in Illinois was wrested from the Republicans, an effort largely credited to the Obama organization outfitted to assist on the ground. The Louisiana 6th was next, followed by the Mississippi 1st, two districts so conservative they had been rarely considered in play. The Democratic Party's success is a frightening omen for the Republican leadership, a relative calm before a fast approaching political storm.

Democrats are poised to build on the gains they made in 2006, with a potential of picking up more than twenty seats in the House, pushing the Republicans even further into the wilderness of the minority. On the Senate side, there is equally good news. Democrats seem all but certain to pick up seats in Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia, and New Hampshire, and are also well positioned to defeat Gordon Smith in Oregon. Republican Senators are also running weakly in Alaska, Texas, Maine, Minnesota, Kentucky, and North Carolina. If the special elections thus far are, as Republican Congressman Tom Davis suggested, "canaries in the coal mines," Democrats may very well see a gain sufficient to guarantee a 60 seat, filibuster-proof majority. With such tremendous prospects for the Democratic party, and no sign that the Republicans have a plan to counter the inevitable, January of 2009 may well begin with a Democrat in office more powerful than any president in modern memory.

If Barack Obama is elected in such an environment, some historical precedents come to mind. The first is 1992, in which Bill Clinton ascended to the presidency at a time when Democrats controlled a 40 seat majority in the House and a six seat majority in the Senate. Given that these numbers are so similar to the ones Obama will inherit, there may be reason for pause. After all, Bill Clinton managed to bumble his first two years so badly that, in 1994, Republicans swept into power on the wave of the Gingrich revolution, leaving Clinton neutered, and a number of his campaign promises unrealized.

But 2008 is a far different scenario than 1992; beyond the numbers, the analogy fails to hold. The Democratic Party had been, for forty years, the entrenched majority in Congress. Though they maintained control after the 1992 election, they lost nine House seats. Frustration with Democrats, both in Congress and in the White House, had grown so much so that Bill Clinton was elected by running away from his party. Clinton's message of change was less about furthering the kind of progressive agenda that Congressional Democrats had envisioned, and more about co-opting Republican policies - from NAFTA to welfare reform. The Clintons' push for universal health care struck an adversarial tone with Members, shutting out many who had spent careers preparing to play a role. The circumstances in the country were different. The policy goals of the White House were different. And the tactical and strategic decisions were shoddy, arrogant, and misguided.

In 2008, Barack Obama will be riding a different kind of wave into the White House, one in which the country will be universally calling for unified, Democratic control in all branches of government. Rather than running away from Democratic philosophy, Obama has embraced it, pushing forth a progressive agenda that appeals to the Democratic base and Independents alike, without sacrifice. His rise to power evokes other historical precedents in which the analogy is far more accurate.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/realizing-the-revolution_b_102595.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Mississippi
• GOP
• attack
• ad
• Barack
• Obama
• speech
• John
• Mccain
• Iraq
• war
• economy
• NAFTA
• healthcare
• vice
• president
• election

[b20jdmintegra]

Every bit of this is republicans fault. They are acting like children. They've taken mud slinging to a whole new level and Americans are ashamed of their party's actions. They are actually trying to change the name "democratic party" to "democratic socialist party." They look fools!

[elfred1980]

Hehe we can just have people like you talk and Obama will barely need to campaign at all lol...

[RichPeru63]

It's interesting to note yesterday's special election in NY-9. This district was almost the exact reversal of MS-1. Both was with an eight-point margin (54-46 percent) and back in '08 when the Dems stunned the GOP, now it's the GOP stunning the Dems in a solidly Democratic district. Those who thought Obama was the "Teflon president" better think again. Oh, and speaking of Obama, when he was bragging in '08, he's now getting it thrown back at him!

[VileIntentionsUS]

@thatsmyrail That's ok... the people who voted for him can't even name the branches of government.

[ghostofjackie]

@sbowesuk Why? Does it offend them when we call them black? Are they not proud of having black skin? They can call me white so I can call them black. It should not be a double standard because all Americans are created equal.

[sbowesuk]

@ghostofjackie You might want to start describing him as an African American, not a "black". Just sayin'.

[RichPeru63]

I watch this video to remind myself of how things used to be and thankful that they're not anymore. Now that the GOP is ready to be thrown back into power, it is time for them to keep their promises and keep up with the good work. I'm an Independent and am thankful that we're looking back toward the GOP. They've done so much more good things than the Dems. have done while in power during the last 4 years.

[thatsmyrail]

Demonising Obama is pretty cool these days I guess. Most people don't even know why they bash Obama, and get their arguments from watching fox news.

[ghostofjackie]

@Truth1954 What? How can you call us racist crackers when we just elected a black to office? You are an idiot

[TheMrbuzi]

@aref9494 anti obama forum at JTF.org

[pmwncali]

@odetter88 It's his cocky attitude that is what is concerning. he said "some day their going to learn who i am" in reference to people claiming his actions weren't the actions to take. He then stated that he didn't care if you liked it or not, it's gonna get done. No concern for how anyone felt on the matter? Basically he was voted in to office so you couldn't have an opinion anymore.

[AngryScotty45]

@BeantownJim Good luck with that you moron.