With gubernatorial victories in Virginia and New Jersey, the Republican Party benefited from a constantly changing and consistently fickle political pendulum.
Some conservatives will claim these victories represent a nationwide referendum against widespread liberal policies.
However, any clambering about a massive Republican comeback in 2010 remains premature. Make no mistake, though — these elections do have serious implications for the wider political landscape.
The election of Republicans Bob McDonnell in Virginia and Chris Christie in New Jersey deals a significant blow to the perception of momentum for President Obama and his coalition of liberals and conservative “blue dog” Democrats in Congress.
Naturally, liberals in the media and the Obama administration will downplay these events, as they would be foolish not to. Those paying attention to various left-wing mouthpieces should prepare for hearing one excuse after another, but the intensity and repetition of these denials only suggest the significance of the political repercussions for Democrats.
Let us not forget that Obama personally appeared on the campaign trail no less than three times for the New Jersey Democratic candidate Jon Corzine. Obviously, these elections meant something to the administration.
The most disturbing trend for Obama and his ilk should be the rapid desertion of independent voters.
In both elections, independents favored the Republican candidate by a 2-to-1 margin. Conservative Democrats in typically red states should view these elections as a portent of things to come, as well. The near-dominant majorities favoring the Democrats in the House and Senate are a direct result of the number of moderate candidates elected from conservative areas.
These same centrist Democrats face electoral oblivion thanks largely to the radically liberal agenda Congress has pushed upon the country.
The conservative districts that elected those Democrats want no part of cap-and-trade legislation or health care reform. The liberal brain trust making up the party’s leadership has used a number of coercive tactics to bring the blue dogs on board with its progressive legislation.
Ultimately, however, this dilemma spells disaster for a number of moderate Democrats in the 2010 election.
For those keeping score at home, Obama won Virginia and New Jersey by a margin of 52-46 and 57-41 percent, respectively. Tuesday’s elections represent a massive swing in both states.
Before conservatives become too euphoric with Tuesday’s results, Republican victories this year do not necessarily mean the GOP will suddenly win those states thanks to electing a Republican governor. That will depend on much more, especially in the 2012 presidential election.
As I have mentioned in an earlier column, politics operates in a cyclical fashion. After the Democratic landslide in 2008, liberals rejoiced at the so-called demise of the Republican Party.
It would be unwise for liberals to forget the beating they received at the hands of Republicans in the 2004 election.
Still, the Republican phoenix has not risen from the ashes just yet.
Expect Democrats to maintain control of Congress following the 2010 midterm elections next November. The GOP will undoubtedly gain seats and this will bring more balance to the legislative branch.
The tenuous alliance Team Obama crafted in Congress between its more liberal members and conservative Democrats will find it even more difficult to pass legislation.
The proverbial political pendulum, which swung so far to the left this last election, has begun to swing back.
You write well though.
Keep up the good work