Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Silver Linings

I have to say that I am quite pleased with the outcome of yesterday's election; but, for the benefit of those that are not so sure, consider the following:
1. An anti-war, anti-Bush, Democratic-majority in the House (and perhaps the Senate) is certain to reign in the neo-con-influenced foreign policy embraced by the administration since 9-11. This means a new policy in Iraq and hopefully a re-evaluation of our role in the Middle East.
2. Gridlock, gridlock, gridlock!! We can only hope that G.W. will finally discover the meaning of the term "veto." Learn it, Mr. Pres; love it; and, please, for the sake of us all, live it.
3. Two years of statist, big government policy and rhetoric, led by the forever-grimacing, Nancy Pelosi, is probably the best single preemptive antidote that the believers in liberty can hope for to combat Hillary in '08. I am guessing that Mrs. Clinton is not very happy this morning. Poor Bill.
4. And last, but certainly not least (rather, probably most importantly), maybe the so-called "conservatives" within the Republican Party will use this opportunity to perform a philosophical self-analysis of the collective direction of the Party. The Revolution of '94 was, in essence, a ratification of the small-government, libertarian-leaning tendencies of the Goldwater-Reagan-Gingrich philosophy. However, in the past 12 years, the Republicans in power have completely abandoned those principles in favor of something completely abhorrent to many of us who once supported them. Now that the good people of PA, MO and OH, respectively, have purged the Party of the nanny-state-Republicans, Santorum, Talent and DeWine, perhaps the Party will take a hint, change its course, and return to its small government roots. Please.
Now, let's cheer for government shutdowns in '07!