As I write, the joys of election cycle 2014 draw to a close. Many predict that the Republican Party will gain control of the Senate; but we’ll have to wait and see. Beyond this election, I have serious doubts and worries about the coming nature of politics.
Even today, many pundits have no idea what the Republican Party stands for. The dominant narrative for this election cycle defines both parties by their relationship to anything that may or may not be coined ‘Obama’, the democrats supporting it and the republicans against it. Sure, the opposition party traditionally runs as an alternative to the party in power. But this election cycle seems to place existential value on either not being or being similar to the president. Historically parties ran on policy-oriented campaigns, but that practice seems non-existent in the grand scheme of 2014.
Despite how the campaigns were run, they will inevitably end; the question now is what can be expected from a Republican-controlled legislative branch. I share Norm Ornstein’s cynical outlook–Speaker John Boehner will have greater difficulty in moderating the growing presence of far off-center representatives and consequently, obstructionism is bound to spike. One can easily reach this conclusion before taking in to account recent statements by Mitch McConnell and Reince Priebus, McConnell promising to use funding and/or shutdowns to seek concessions from Obama, and Priebus stating:
“While I can’t speak for the legislature, I’m very confident we will stop that…We will do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen: Defunding, going to court, injunction. You name it. It’s wrong. It’s illegal. And for so many reasons, and just the basic fabric of this country, we can’t allow it to happen and we won’t let it happen.”
The probable conclusions of the 2014 midterm elections will put the United States on a crash course. This all or nothing political mentality will bleed over into different aspects of the government. There will be more aggressive and financially dangerous standoffs between the House and the White house. Nominations to key parts of the government like judgeships or replacing the attorney general could be entirely blocked. Massive reversals and backtracking might happen as massive bills like the Affordable Care Act will get replaced or remodeled, which would send shockwaves of uncertainty through the economy.
On the up side, if Republicans get control of Congress there may be the possibility of things getting done. But therein lies the other problem: most policies that Republicans would try to pass will die in the senate or by presidential veto. If you thought Republicans wasted too much time trying to accomplish something beyond possibility (like killing the ACA with Obama still in office and the Senate being Democratic), then you will be disappointed as 2014 will refresh desires to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Which will inevitably fail, though leaders will remind us that these are symbolic votes.
I harbor no illusions; if the parties were reversed I would say the same thing. Beyond 2014 will be less productive and more mind numbing than previous years. Many fear that this election will turn, somehow, the previously least productive congress in history to an even less productive waste of taxpayer money. And sadly I agree.
Taylor Tielke, 2015, is a politics blogger for the Concordian. He is a junior from Yankton, South Dakota and at Concordia he studies political science, global studies and history. Besides the Concordian, Taylor is involved with Concordia Forensics, peer mentoring and Concordia’s Secular Student Community. In his free time Taylor reads the news avidly, works out and enjoys tea. Taylor finds politics, political philosophy, religion and foreign policy particularly intriguing topics.
It must be funny for some to see everyone rushing to the right and to the left, running political campaigns and elections when they already know that everything is fixed right from the start. Why these masquerades when it is clear that Jeb Bush will be at the White House in 2016 and all the promises made by these State politicians will hold no value? Today a widespread turmoil and a growing social discontent should be viewed in a larger context and not simply within the walls of local politics. We are now experiencing one of the stages of a World conspiracy and wherever you are in the World you are also part of it. Don’t let the media fool you. The conspiracy is not a theory. With 2.3 trillion dollars officially declared missing by the Bush administration one day before 9/11 and 2 more trillions stolen between the “Savings and Loan” affair and Enron a few Zionists like the Bush family and Dov Zakheim are now waiting for the total collapse of the world financial system and a World War of Religions. They maneuver from behind the scene to generate terror, chaos and despair in all places setting an idyllic stage for the next big surprise, one New World Order that was invoked for the first time by the father and will be announced by the son and next US president Jeb Bush. From ISIS to Al Qaeda how could anyone still believe the story of Osama bin Laden? The short memory of the people works wonders for the Zionists. Perhaps a few will still remember when George W. Bush told the terrorized US citizens to seal their windows with duct tape to protect from an imminent chemical attack. An irony like this can tell a story. The next day on the shelves of the stores all over the US there was no more duct tape for sale. But a recent revelation should soon come back to mind and clarify any possible inquiry: —Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), in an interview with the Daily Beast, Sept. 16 “Here’s the problem. He [Sen. John McCain] did meet with ISIS, and had his picture taken, and didn’t know it was happening at the time”. This picture is the obvious evidence that the World conspiracy is not a theory. The chief of ISIS is that same Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who spent time in a US prison and in a meeting with Mc Cain before being released in 2009. There is no doubt that the Zionists and their counter terrorist agencies have all the means to enlist and pay well mercenaries of all Countries and Islamic extremists without having to show their face or their wallet.
Once you recognized the objective of the Conspiracy all the rest will be easy to comprehend and to foresee. Besides, it will make no more sense to continue to play Monopoly when somebody has already stolen all the money.
http://www.wavevolution.org