The American people elected for change on Nov. 7, giving Congressional majority control to the Democrats, based mostly on the issue of the Iraq war. In two years' time or less, however, the American public will come to realize this was not the change they had in mind.
Post-Botox Nancy Pelosi is in way over her head, and what's worse is that she doesn't even know it yet. Her first press conference as majority House speaker lacked substance and policy insight. The Democratic Party is bitterly divided and will accomplish far less under her watch than the Republicans did in the past two years.
The Republicans admittedly have been plagued by scandals and, as far as Wisconsin is concerned, have sold out for the most part to special interests like the ethanol and road builders' lobbies, but they at least had a platform they have refused to implement out of fear of alienating voters. The Democrats, on the other hand, lack such a platform to stand on. They've ridden hard on the "Bush's fault" slogan. And their solution? "Bush's fault?" Anybody who naively believes nothing will change with the Democrats in charge and there will be partisan cooperation is sadly mistaken.
Critics will say I am being a sore loser. Hardly. I assure you I will leave that to the Democrats, as if anyone needed reminding of the Kerry/Edwards bumper stickers that are still prevalent two years after the election. You lost; give it up! It wasn't even close this time.
Am I disappointed in the election results? Sure, but in general, while Republican candidates lost, conservatism prevailed. In Wisconsin, the marriage amendment and the death penalty advisory referendum passed, and what's more is that this state has a Republican watchdog looking over Doyle's shoulder for the next four years. Across the nation, seven of the eight states with a ban on gay marriage on their ballot passed it (Arizona, the lone dissenter, failed to pass it by only 2 percentage points), a measure to recognize domestic partnership in Colorado was shot down, affirmative action was restricted in the state of Michigan and the people of Arizona recognized English as the official language of the state.
I'm not going to make excuses. I could go on and on about how Scott Walker, the county executive, would have made a better candidate than Mark Green, how he would have won Milwaukee County easily, how he would have brought undecided voters over, etc., but we'll be back where we started with Jim Doyle as governor.
We need to face facts – we lost, plain and simple. Why? There was no concentration on conservative values, not just in Wisconsin but across the nation. Republicans spent too much time assuring voters they weren't 'extreme'; that wedge issues like gay marriage, the death penalty and stem cell research were left unused. The fate of the Republican Party will be at stake in the next two years, and if we wish to protect it from RINOs, we need to sober up and move on.
Kastner is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences.