2008 Woodie Awards
A Dark Day For Liberals Across America, But This One's Keeping His Chin Up
Dan Murphy
Issue date: 11/5/04 Section: Commentary
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Devastation, disbelief, alienation,
anger and frustration are among
this liberal's emotions after watching Tuesday's election returns. I fear what this president will do to our country with a wide conservative mandate. I fear that this nation will be turned into a Bible thumping, survival-of-the-fittest country we were in the late nineteenth-century. However, I've not lost hope. Here are a few reasons why we liberals should exhale and realize that a second Bush Administration will not bring about the apocalypse. While this is a different stance from my position a few weeks ago, it's beneficial to look at the bright side, not the bleak side of the next four years.
The Power of the Minority. In the United States, minority parties have significant strength in our government. Though the Republicans have 55 Senators, many controversial matters, including the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice, require a supermajority of 60 Senators to avoid filibustering. When (yes, when) a Justice retires or dies in this Bush term, a massive political war will erupt. President Bush claims his model judge is ultra-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. If Bush nominates a Scalia-type judge to fill the vacancy of liberal John Paul Stevens or moderate Sandra Day O'Connor, you can bet on a Democratic filibuster. After all,
Roe v. Wade, the court case upholding a woman's legal right to abortion was upheld by just one vote in 1992's Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The Democratic minority in the Senate will fight for a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion, despite the conservative mandate in this election.
The Will of the People. America is not as conservative as these right-wingers say. A majority of us believe in legal abortions. In fact, 79 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or some circumstances. More than half of Americans believe that the Iraq War was a mistake. A majority of Americans want a clean environment. This is all good news for liberals. Will Republicans govern with these things in mind? Will they think of all Americans before they nominate a right wing extremist judge? I sure hope so.
anger and frustration are among
this liberal's emotions after watching Tuesday's election returns. I fear what this president will do to our country with a wide conservative mandate. I fear that this nation will be turned into a Bible thumping, survival-of-the-fittest country we were in the late nineteenth-century. However, I've not lost hope. Here are a few reasons why we liberals should exhale and realize that a second Bush Administration will not bring about the apocalypse. While this is a different stance from my position a few weeks ago, it's beneficial to look at the bright side, not the bleak side of the next four years.
The Power of the Minority. In the United States, minority parties have significant strength in our government. Though the Republicans have 55 Senators, many controversial matters, including the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice, require a supermajority of 60 Senators to avoid filibustering. When (yes, when) a Justice retires or dies in this Bush term, a massive political war will erupt. President Bush claims his model judge is ultra-conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. If Bush nominates a Scalia-type judge to fill the vacancy of liberal John Paul Stevens or moderate Sandra Day O'Connor, you can bet on a Democratic filibuster. After all,
Roe v. Wade, the court case upholding a woman's legal right to abortion was upheld by just one vote in 1992's Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The Democratic minority in the Senate will fight for a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion, despite the conservative mandate in this election.
The Will of the People. America is not as conservative as these right-wingers say. A majority of us believe in legal abortions. In fact, 79 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or some circumstances. More than half of Americans believe that the Iraq War was a mistake. A majority of Americans want a clean environment. This is all good news for liberals. Will Republicans govern with these things in mind? Will they think of all Americans before they nominate a right wing extremist judge? I sure hope so.