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Illogical Defines Midterm Results

Consider this: corporate profits are at record highs and America is adding 200,000 jobs per month

By David James

In the midterm election of 2014, the American people have spoken, and the results are curious. Curious because logic doesn’t always define American politics. Throughout American history, there have been examples of illogic in so many elections that the lack of reason seems to be the norm. Take for example the presidency of James K. Polk. In spite of the fact that he campaigned and succeeded on his campaign promises, he still lost his reelection. Or how about George H.W. Bush, who showed skilled leadership in organizing nations of the Middle East called “Desert Storm” in order to stop the aggression of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait? What happened? In spite of his incredible 75 percent public approval, he ost his reelection. Now here we are again.

Illogical defines much of the 2014 midterms, even though it is reasonable that constituents might feel disillusioned about the current state of our national government. Consider this: corporate profits are at record highs and America is adding 200,000 jobs per month. People are unhappy after the financial problems we sustained before President Barack Obama was elected; yet, unemployment is below 6 percent, our Gross National Product growth is the highest among the world’s developmental countries, the dollar is at its strongest levels in years, the stock market is near record highs, gasoline prices are falling, there’s no inflation, U.S. oil production is rapidly increasing, the deficit is declining at a rapid rate, and the wealthy are still making an staggering amount of money.

The United States is once again highly respected internationally (though the wiretapping of European leaders by the NSA didn’t help). But, it is a stark contrast of how the world viewed America during the George W. Bush presidency. President Obama brought the soldiers home from Iraq as promised (before the emergence of ISIS), and he is responsible for killing Osama bin Laden. Yet the GOP campaigned on an anti-Obama platform in the midterms – and it worked.

In other words, Americans elected into office members of the same political party that got us into our international and financial problems that we now face. Congressional public approval is less than 15 percent! Why is this? Why did this anti-Obama strategy work? Could it be that the GOP was able to convince Americans that all our problems were because of a black president? Or, was it just easier to blame one person (the president) rather than Congress? Could it be the constant drumbeat of negative attacks from birth certificates to Benghazi and immigration reform on the president? Or could it be simply the obstructionist strategy of the Republican Party in Congress to deny the president any success whatsoever, even if it means shutting down the government to do it? Politics is a blood sport, but when it sacrifices the good of the country it is always counterproductive. The GOP is certainly effective in campaigning, but if recent history is any indication, not so impressive in implementing policy. But, like I said, sometimes illogic is the norm in American politics.

David James
Eureka