Why it's important the Democrats win
From Where I Sit
Bradley Hart |
IN MY PAST two columns, I’ve been talking about how the Democratic Party, despite its natural advantages, is heading for another embarrassing loss this election year.
Since those columns ran, several people have asked me whether I’m actually hoping for the Democrats to win this fall or whether I’m offering my advice facetiously.
To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure how important a Democratic victory would actually be.
 It’s certainly true that a Democratic Congress would be far more likely to open up investigations into the Bush Administration and its various deeds.
At the same time, I think it’s widely overoptimistic of liberal activists to assume that a Democratic branch of government would be able to seriously reign-in the executive branch powers that President Bush and his advisers have assumed over the past five years.
I highly doubt that even an opposition-controlled legislative branch could halt this trend without popular support that will be lacking until the public comes to the conclusion that the anti-terrorism measures the country has taken since Sept. 11 have been infringements on our basic rights that actually do little to deter or prevent terrorist attack.
I think the best reason to support the Democrats this fall is based around a more abstract argument.
Governments that are controlled by one party alone, as our current one is, tend to be more susceptible to graft and corruption. One need only look to the Valerie Plame and the Jack Abramoff scandals for proof this has occurred.
The reason the Democrats need to band together to win this fall is so they can provide a valuable opposition voice against the Administration.
The Republicans, for their part, should be forced to defend their decisions and policies with real facts and wider popular support than their base alone can provide.
In that sense, the Republicans themselves will be stronger if they have to face real opponents and create new policies to replace their failed strategies of the past.
A one-party state is bad for the future of the Republic, no matter which party holds the monopoly on power.
That’s why I find myself rooting for the Democrats this fall despite their flaws – and why you should too, regardless of your political views.
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