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January 24, 2006
Setting the stage for congressional elections
When people ask me for political predictions, most of the time I suggest that they should let the candidates run the race. It’s a blinding glimpse of the obvious, but the outcome of most elections depends upon the execution of the campaign by the candidates and their strategist.
That really will be clear in this year’s mid-term congressional elections. The Democrats believe that believe that public opinion polls demonstrate voters’ unease with the Bush administration’s policy of wiretapping citizens calls without a court order.
Bush brain Karl Rove made it clear in a speech to the Rpublican National Committee last week that the Democrats’ position places them dangerously in the pre-9/11 world. He basically did what Republicans have been doing since Ronald Reagan — he called the Democrats wimps.
So if Rove presaged the theme for this fall’s election, we will see how Democrats counter. This is an issue that is hard to finesse. Either you believe that national security imperatives should allow the government to wiretap citizens to protect us from terrorists, or you don’t. There’s not much in-between.
Which political party will be on the offensive? And who will be on the defense? It’s clear from Rove’s speech that Republicans want to set the agenda. And with the president barnstorming the country this week, justifying his position, it will be fun to watch how the Democrats try to counter the bully pulpit.
Whoever defines this issue is likely to prevail in November. Control of the Congress may lie in the balance.
Posted Jan 24 2006 @ 07:32 AM