The Only Poll That Matters
Well, it's Election Day. For some, the day invokes a feeling not unlike that of the Super Bowl. For others, it's a bit more like jury duty.
I don't know how the 110th Congress will look when the chads have settled sometime near Midnight, but I do know that, short of an absolute shellacking, Republicans should not despair over Congressional losses. After all, we've been repeatedly informed that the ruling party, historically, loses seats in mid-term elections. The last few elections, however, have turned this precedent on its head. This may be due to the GOP's sophistimocated get-out-the-vote strategery, or it may be the result of the War on Terror. I do not pretend to know.
What I do know, however, is that this previously common wisdom is under fire, to the point at which Democrats are positively giddy at the possibility that they might actually take control of a segment of Congress. Republicans, on the other hand, have become so accustomed to winning that they've grown despondent at the prospect of something which, until recently, was considered par for the course.
Electoral standards have been raised on the right side of the aisle, and correspondingly lowered on the left. And while I cannot fault conservative voters for being disappointed with what might unfold today, I do hope that disappointment, if it materializes, is tempered by perspective.
I say this not because I support all conservative candidates, or because I regard Democratic control of the House or Senate as an unmitigated bad. To the contrary, I have come to believe that no party will entirely behave itself if given free reign, and that a sane and competitive Democratic party is ultimately in the interest of all conservatives.
Whoever you are, do not be deterred by precedent, or even failure. Every election matters, but the truly worthy ideas will rise to the top. Maybe not this election, or even the next one. But they will. They always do. They do because the people who believe in them believe strongly enough to go out and support them, each and every time.
Anyone can answer a pollster. You have to care about what you believe in to go vote. Today, we find out who cares, and what it is they care about.
UPDATE: Mark Coffey of Decision '08 (whose forward-thinking site title is going to be the envy of Google in about 24 hours) wisely points out that if the Democrats do come out on top today, the, eh, fringier elements will probably take the credit. He also makes a very perceptive point about Hurricane Katrina:
Mark Coffey - November 7th, 2006 No, if the Dems win this one, the true culprit is clear: an air of incompetence surrounding Republicans over our handling of the occupation, fueled by the initial tepid response to Katrina.
Katrina? Have I lost my mind? Yes, Katrina…because prior to Katrina, there was still a feeling that there was a need to be measured in criticism of the Commander-In-Chief (remember the outrage directed towards the Dixie Chicks? Today, it would barely register). Après Katrina le deluge - on more levels than one…
» November 7th, 2006
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