2008 Woodie Awards
Midterm election results conjure optimism
By: Kelley Atherton
Issue date: 11/16/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
I woke up the morning of Nov. 8 with the sun shining on my face, the birds chirping and knowing that the tides of politics were shifting in my favor. Claire McCaskill did what few thought she would do and beat out incumbent Jim Talent, helping the Democrats take back the Senate. I was, for the first time in a long time, genuinely proud to be an American.
The American people had spoken. They were sick and tired of being lied to by a corrupt government and voted in a whole slew of new representatives and senators. People also were tired of the religious right shoving mistruths down their throats about stem cell research and abortion. Not only did Missourians vote to allow stem cell research, but South Dakota voted down a proposed ban on abortion.
More people voted in this midterm election than 2002. More than 40 percent of registered voters went to the polls this year compared to 39.7 percent in 2002, according to the American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate.
Most impressive was the young adult. Twenty-four percent of registered 18 to 29-years-olds nationwide voted this year; whereas, in 2002 only 20 percent voted. That's two million more people than four years ago, according to the University of Maryland's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Because so many more people voted this year, we reshaped our government. The midterm elections proved our vote does matter. Every person has a voice and the ability to use it. The founding fathers would be proud.
Whether the Republicans say it or not, as a direct result of the election, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigned, making my day even better. He and everyone else knew he screwed up with the Iraq War and was now sulking away with his tail between his legs.
After Rumsfeld resigned, President George W. Bush held a press conference Nov. 8 in response to the news. The president looked distraught and scared when asked about Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker hopeful. She vowed election night to follow all of the 9/11 Commission's suggestions, meaning the causes of Sept. 11 and the justifications for the war in Iraq would be thoroughly investigated. Liberals knew eventually the truth about that fateful day and the subsequent war would come out. Say it with me: the Republicans are going down.
Also in the press conference, Bush chalked the midterm election up to the natural swing of American politics. He said it had nothing to do with his abysmal approval rating - 43 percent - up slightly since the summer, according to Rasmussen Reports, an independent electronic polling firm. However, the National Republican Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," he thought voter fraud had something to do with the election outcome.
I guess the Republicans are mad they didn't try as hard to throw the election their way. There was no evidence of voter fraud. There were little problems, but the numbers don't lie. If the Republicans are smart, they'll back off and think of a new strategy for the next election.
The truth is the Republican base is fractured. Older conservatives think Bush made a mistake in Iraq. Even evangelical Christians are distancing themselves from the Grand Ole Party, and the public is disillusioned with the party in general. The Democrats didn't do anything different; people were just frustrated with the Republicans.
I have to question the obvious though: will this election change anything? I might be overly optimistic. Do the Democrats have what it takes to bring justice to the American people? They've floundered a lot in the past - 2004, 2000, 1988, 1984 and 1980, on and on. I wonder if they've learned their lesson.
We have to believe. That's why we voted, right? Because we believe we can make a difference in our nation's politics and I believe the Democrats will take what the people have given them and do the right thing. Our country deserves better. Our current government and the country can be better, but it will take time and new leadership.
Kelley Atherton, a senior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.
The American people had spoken. They were sick and tired of being lied to by a corrupt government and voted in a whole slew of new representatives and senators. People also were tired of the religious right shoving mistruths down their throats about stem cell research and abortion. Not only did Missourians vote to allow stem cell research, but South Dakota voted down a proposed ban on abortion.
More people voted in this midterm election than 2002. More than 40 percent of registered voters went to the polls this year compared to 39.7 percent in 2002, according to the American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate.
Most impressive was the young adult. Twenty-four percent of registered 18 to 29-years-olds nationwide voted this year; whereas, in 2002 only 20 percent voted. That's two million more people than four years ago, according to the University of Maryland's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. Because so many more people voted this year, we reshaped our government. The midterm elections proved our vote does matter. Every person has a voice and the ability to use it. The founding fathers would be proud.
Whether the Republicans say it or not, as a direct result of the election, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigned, making my day even better. He and everyone else knew he screwed up with the Iraq War and was now sulking away with his tail between his legs.
After Rumsfeld resigned, President George W. Bush held a press conference Nov. 8 in response to the news. The president looked distraught and scared when asked about Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker hopeful. She vowed election night to follow all of the 9/11 Commission's suggestions, meaning the causes of Sept. 11 and the justifications for the war in Iraq would be thoroughly investigated. Liberals knew eventually the truth about that fateful day and the subsequent war would come out. Say it with me: the Republicans are going down.
Also in the press conference, Bush chalked the midterm election up to the natural swing of American politics. He said it had nothing to do with his abysmal approval rating - 43 percent - up slightly since the summer, according to Rasmussen Reports, an independent electronic polling firm. However, the National Republican Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said on "The Rush Limbaugh Show," he thought voter fraud had something to do with the election outcome.
I guess the Republicans are mad they didn't try as hard to throw the election their way. There was no evidence of voter fraud. There were little problems, but the numbers don't lie. If the Republicans are smart, they'll back off and think of a new strategy for the next election.
The truth is the Republican base is fractured. Older conservatives think Bush made a mistake in Iraq. Even evangelical Christians are distancing themselves from the Grand Ole Party, and the public is disillusioned with the party in general. The Democrats didn't do anything different; people were just frustrated with the Republicans.
I have to question the obvious though: will this election change anything? I might be overly optimistic. Do the Democrats have what it takes to bring justice to the American people? They've floundered a lot in the past - 2004, 2000, 1988, 1984 and 1980, on and on. I wonder if they've learned their lesson.
We have to believe. That's why we voted, right? Because we believe we can make a difference in our nation's politics and I believe the Democrats will take what the people have given them and do the right thing. Our country deserves better. Our current government and the country can be better, but it will take time and new leadership.
Kelley Atherton, a senior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.
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