Amnorix
11-03-2004, 05:45 AM
I have not read the various articles in detail yet, but it appears clear that George Bush will retain the Presidency for another 4 years.
I have the following post-election thoughts:
1. Amazing that all this money and effort could be spent and we're basically going to be in the exact same situation for the next 2 years as we were in the last two, other than a very small handful of House and Senate seats.
2. I've said before, and will say again, that the winner of the '04 election has a very tough road to hoe over the next 4 years. None of Iraq, the economy and deficit, nuclear proliferation and terrorism are going to be easily tamed. If not handled well, the winner could easily find himself and his party swept out of power in '08. I do not wish for bad things to happen, but let us simply say that the challenge will be great, and we'll just have to wait and see.
3. The Neo-cons get to keep their guy and their agenda for another 4 years. The next 4 years will most likely determine whether the Republican party ends up dominated by neo-cons or traditional conservatives for the next generation.
4. If Bush can effectuate permanent Social Security reform during the next 4 years, then I may end up being reasonably pleased at his re-election. There's little doubt that Democrats are completely paralyzed on the issue. Unfortunately, I fear that Bush won't be willing to take the political beating in light of the fact that the Democrats could filibuster the whole thing in the Senate, if they felt the need to score political points at the cost of the country's overall well-being.
5. Iraq (and any other country he decides to invade in the next 4 years) will be Bush's legacy. He has the opportunity to make it either the shining glorious highpoint of his administration, or else to watch it become his Vietnam. Whether Bush is thought of in the same light as FDR or LBJ for his wartime administration skills will be decided by the time of our next election.
6. McCain-Feingold is a failure, I think. I believe I now favor completely federally funded elections. It would be worth it to remove money as the path to the corridors of power, and to remove all these idiotic third parties that are injecting themselves into politics in a way that has not been seen in the last hundred years. But this whole area is sticky and fraught with peril, and I won't pretend I have all the answers.
I have the following post-election thoughts:
1. Amazing that all this money and effort could be spent and we're basically going to be in the exact same situation for the next 2 years as we were in the last two, other than a very small handful of House and Senate seats.
2. I've said before, and will say again, that the winner of the '04 election has a very tough road to hoe over the next 4 years. None of Iraq, the economy and deficit, nuclear proliferation and terrorism are going to be easily tamed. If not handled well, the winner could easily find himself and his party swept out of power in '08. I do not wish for bad things to happen, but let us simply say that the challenge will be great, and we'll just have to wait and see.
3. The Neo-cons get to keep their guy and their agenda for another 4 years. The next 4 years will most likely determine whether the Republican party ends up dominated by neo-cons or traditional conservatives for the next generation.
4. If Bush can effectuate permanent Social Security reform during the next 4 years, then I may end up being reasonably pleased at his re-election. There's little doubt that Democrats are completely paralyzed on the issue. Unfortunately, I fear that Bush won't be willing to take the political beating in light of the fact that the Democrats could filibuster the whole thing in the Senate, if they felt the need to score political points at the cost of the country's overall well-being.
5. Iraq (and any other country he decides to invade in the next 4 years) will be Bush's legacy. He has the opportunity to make it either the shining glorious highpoint of his administration, or else to watch it become his Vietnam. Whether Bush is thought of in the same light as FDR or LBJ for his wartime administration skills will be decided by the time of our next election.
6. McCain-Feingold is a failure, I think. I believe I now favor completely federally funded elections. It would be worth it to remove money as the path to the corridors of power, and to remove all these idiotic third parties that are injecting themselves into politics in a way that has not been seen in the last hundred years. But this whole area is sticky and fraught with peril, and I won't pretend I have all the answers.