The surprise did not happen. The most important factor in yesterday’s midterms, the demonization of propitiatory victim Barack Obama/president, went well, so well that it may induce unwarranted euphoria in many a Republican. Congress must be pleased, it won’t have to work for the next two years … or will it?
For with both chambers under GOP control ( and a welcome closing of the ranks around mainline candidates ), the gridlock only remains between the Hill and the White House; passing bills should be a chinch. Which in turn means that the strategy of opposing the President because he is Obama. Comparison is not reason and by concentrating on a tit-for-tat exchange, the Republicans would squander the next 24 months of law making as well as their chances in 2016. If there ever was a time for renewal, at least of tactics, for the Grand Ol’ party in this century it is now.
Just being in opposition to the President won’t suffice not only if running on emotions since his influence will slowly ebb in any case as the nation nears his succession but also because it would not revive the image of the Republican party as the one of great ideas it us to have, quite the contrary. The first order of business after a “historic” ( not really, logical and expected is more like it ) win is to return to work, i.e. lawmaking. If the new Republican Congres only writes bills with “irritants” to have Obama veto them, it will work as well as the aforementioned demonization against the President and no better in favor of the GOP. Taking advantage of the new batch of classic Senators and Representatives to draft proper imaginative proposals to make the country mov forward would paint the President into a corner. If he agrees on content, he appears to relinquish his last quarter on the job to Congress ( boosting the latter’s image ) but if he opposes good bills, he takes the blame loaded since the budget mishaps of refusing to work in bi-partisan manner of Congress ( at long last ). It’s your choice really, dear GOP but the path is clear and well-lighted!
No matter how well demonization worked for seats this time around, it does not equal with percentage points gains for the GOP but there is another level of threat, that of 2016 for after all, the best way to smoothen relations between a Republican Congress and the White House clearly has to be a Republican President along with it. There is importance in discussing the next GOP Presidential ticket for two reasons. First, its duo has to be found amongst those not too sullied by the gridlock image thing until and it has to be protected from it hence ( especially if part 1 – Sound lawmaking does not occur ). Second, the opposition is almost known which allows a reactive choice early, an advantage not to let slip by.
We can clear John Boehner who should be allowed to reap the benefits of the often dubious but always decent fight he personally led so far and the next Senate leader. But I surmise that we can just as easily pick the two running mates. I said it yesterday and it bears repeating, down low in opinion, the Republican party needs a savior. A real one too, not a figurehead on the rebound from abridge scandal or anything; let’s go virginal! One candidate combines all benefits at no cost : Rand Paul. There is no doubting the guy as a conservative and yet I’d bet most voters would not readily identify him as Tea Party which he is, a fact that could patch up recent months hurts within the GOP ranks. Although also guilty of filibuster driveling, Paul is however the antithesis of a Ted Cruz, a useful dichotomy in regaining public trust. Serving as Senator, he was less affected by the recent House, huh, call it steadfastness. Randal Howard Paul also serves on an interesting selection of Committees : Small business/Entrepreneurship, Homeland Security incl. on government efficiency, Health, Education and Labor, all of which are at play in speeding up the recovery of the Union. But more interestingly, he also served on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations incl. on African Affairs in which capacity he should have learned about foreign policy, the biggest lack of the Obama Administrations as I have often reported. [ The previous being said with crossed fingers since Rand Paul managed to oppose military action on Syria 2 years ago when it was time as shown by the fact that they are occurring now anyway but must be achieved to challenge the neo-con side of Clinton’s foreign policies. ] His backing of Mitch McConnell showed yesterday that his aura shines bright. About the biggest fault of Rand Paul is recurring spouts of copy-paste/plagiarism which honestly would be welcome in dealing eye to eye with China.
All jokes aside, Rand Paul is the natural choice for President at the moment but let’s see why by examining the Democrats for an instant. Barack Obama taking the brunt of the GOP treatment, there is none landing on a given Hillary Clinton at present and that is a mistake ( although parts like Benghazi likely better held in reserve for the campaign ). Just as Rand, Hillary is not a certainty mind you, they are say top potential picks. Just as Rand Paul if he or whomever else is shielded from the mess in Washington, she needs only lay low and stoop before pouncing time comes. Her candidacy is also almost all pros and no cons. She is tied to a popular President of two mandates, not the present one. She has her own track record but it should be easier to handle on her second national primary. Mrs Clinton faced the music in elections, including very macho and chauvinist remarks aplenty ( as were thrown at VP candidate Palin later ) and knows how to handle that. Her sex represents more of a bonus in fact. It is after all pure “bad” luck that the Democrats had to choose between 2 ways to write American history in 2008. That luck now may turn good with a chance for a repeat. And there is no way that the Republican party can equal that as was shown by the generous but doomed attempt by John McCain that same year of adding a boob sporting two on his ticket. Or is there?
For if freeing Hillary’s hands was bad, ignoring what she represents would be worse. The United States as so many analysts have noted are not a uniform electorate anymore and the small gentlemen’s club in Washington has been graced with more and more women in the last decades especially since 2000. Their representation may still be lesser than it should but their ambitions are not so limited. I’m not saying that the Republican party has to put a woman on his ballot but as long as we know the opposition will … Of course, there are already well-known feminine if not feminist figures in the GOP, mostly in the stub wing of it, the problem being that well would have here only a quantitative meaning. You do not want to have these debating Hillary on national TV for President unless you are the rare kind of Republican that wants a Democrat in the White House for 8 more years.
Not only is there such a gem in the ranks but what if she came with a bonus track like say, being Hispanic? Enter Susana Martinez then! The dashing if discreet Governor of New Mexico has an unblemished electoral record. Modern Dixiecrat, she used to be a Democrat and changed allegiance so that she knows the whole spectrum of the political zoo in DC and if anything this balances the Tea Party origin of Paul the other way. Her positions are normal for the GOP if slightly more amenable to follow reality. Her approval rating is based on the 60% line quasi-permanently despite a feeble economic growth in her state. Plus, her past as a District Attorney makes her a classic for Washington from the Founding Fathers time fashion.
But above and beyond any strongpoint in particular except her sound judgement, what makes her worthy is who she is not. That an articulate woman appeared on the GOP ticket not only annul the gender effect of the Blue side but by silencing the Palins, Bachmans et al by comparison, avoid the same from taking place between Hillary Clinton and the two Tip Hearty cheerleaders. Again, the American public has evolved and not gullible to the point of accepting a potted flower to balance an intelligent woman. Susana Martinez fits the bill.
So the Republican ticket is down. The Paul-Martinez campaign can start. There is the uncertainty of who would sidekick by Hillary but apart from a Kennedy, it likely won’t matter. As long as the Republican Congress focuses on producing quality laws and lets Obama dwindle by himself, the playing field will be level. The pair that I offered may not have in the end the approbation of the Republican base or figureheads but it offers the singular advantage of fitting the job ahead under the conditions we’ve outlined. That means making the most out of the good situation that befell it yesterday but if the GOP so wishes, it can disregard this advice and wait for March 2016 before devising a strategy concerning the White House around whomever shows up loosely and centered on yelling foul over Benghazi as Hillary Clinton becomes the second historically significant first in a row for the Blue team.
If it so wishes … We’ll be watching!
Tay.
Related reading :
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/05/the-two-faces-of-ted-cruz.html
Definitive Lapse of Reason 