That About Does It

The AP is reporting that Jim Webb has defeated George Allen for the Virgina Senate seat. With this victory the Democrats have officially taken control of both Houses.

So what happened? Where did the Republican party go wrong? President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Karl Rove, they all predicted that Republicans would maintain control, even if by only the slimmest of margins. In my opinion, it came down to the following:

1. Americans want change. They're tired of hearing Republicans say they'll do something then watch as absolutely nothing happens, aka. balancing the budget. Closely tied into this is the fact that the Republican party has gotten away from their base, they've forgotten the values of the voters who put them in power as they have been seduced by Washingtonian politics. The party that was originally right of center has shifted somewhere to the Democratic left.

2. A Democratic party that offered change and values in the face of the Foley and Abramoff scandals. Americans decided that since Republicans have shied away from the moral integrity and values that got them there, maybe the alternative is better.

3. The Iraq war. No one wants to be there, but most people just don't get it about national security and the realistic threat that radical Islam poses. They're too busy listening to the drive-by media as they drive their posh suburbans to work to actually understand what's going on in the Middle East.

4. America is not as moral a country as we try to pretend; we like our freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want, and at whatever the cost. Take the abortion ban in South Dakota, parental notification in California and Oregon, the marriage amendment in Arizona, cloning in Missouri. All of these failed measures show our lack of morality as country.

So what's it going to take to get the Republican party back on track? The way I see it they will either learn from their mistakes and get back to their conservative roots, or, they will play the appeasement card and try to get along with everybody by moving further left. Only time will tell, but I'm sure we're in for an interesting next couple years.