Perhaps Neither Party Won Election Night
Finally! Someone who's willing to roll through all of the "we won Election Night" hullabaloo (The Democrats won! No, the conservatives won!) That someone is Dallas Morning News columnist Carl Leubsdorf who points out, well, they're both losers.
For the Democrats, diminished enthusiasm among independent, young and minority voters raises questions whether the coalition that elected President Barack Obama will help the party fend off significant losses in next year's more important mid-term congressional and state elections.
How do you get the youth to vote every year, not just when it's for Obama? Heck, they should've just put Obama's name on the ballot. Or let them Twitter their vote, whatever the daggum heck that means.
And while this was true of youth voters, CQ Politics also notes the absence of black voters.
Back to Leubsdorf:
For the Republicans, the aggressive stance of its conservative base and resulting fallout suggests the GOP may be headed down a historical path in which an energized base takes control of a defeated party with disastrous national results, at least in the short term.
This may be the more damning of the problem for either beast: a secession by the the far right into their own political party could introduce a much-needed third voice into the game, leaving the Democrats with the largest remaining base.
So let this be a lesson to you all celebrating your party's victory: you ain't won diddly poo! In fact, you're all screwed, just like the rest of us. Next time, try not overbidding in the Showcase Showdown.
