The Tea Party and
the Workings of American Democracy
"In just scant months, the Tea Party
movement's entry into Congress has become a turning point in American politics.
Their presence in the forefront of the American legislature will serve to
extinguish the bi-partisan tradition of Congress."
After
the U.S. midterm elections, when Americans elected all 435 members of the House
of Representatives and one third of the Senate, Democrat President Barack Obama
will have to share power with a Congress that includes a House controlled by
his Republican opponents.
For
their part, the Democrats, who until now controlled both legislative bodies,
will retain the Senate and the presidency. They will therefore have to cohabit
with Republicans, who will comprise a majority in the House of Representatives.
Although such situations have occurred in the past, the big surprise of these midterms
was the entry into Congress of the Tea Party - an ultra-conservative movement
that emerged in April 2009 following demonstrations that took place while tax
returns were being submitted. The movement also gave Republicans some momentum in
campaigns for state governor in 37 out of the 50 states.
It
must be noted that once these results were made public and were understood by
the president, he behaved as a true advocate and defender of democracy by
contacting Republican leaders to lay the ground for an effective, sustainable
dialogue in the interests of the nation. When we talk about the relationship
between the U.S. president and Congress, it must be said that governing without
such cooperation would be impossible. It's true - one is often told that the president
is the most powerful man on earth. But it is often forgotten that he is only a
part, albeit an essential part - and Obama has shown himself to be a formidable
adversary on more than one occasion - of the way the U.S. system works. That's
because the Founding Fathers carefully crafted an institutional balance between
the legislative and executive branches that obliges both branches to carry on a
constant dialogue. As a result, political scientists say that only by
appreciating the central role that Congress plays can one talk about democracy
in America. This also explains the fact that in the recent election campaign,
Barack Obama constantly reminded voters of this and urged them to vote for a
Democrat majority in Congress to enable him to enact his programs.
It's
also worth noting that these midterms confirmed the tradition that the party in
power loses, irrespective of the popularity of the president in office. It's no
less true that, historically, there have been few exceptions to this. The most
notable was in 2002, when the midterms followed September 11, 2001. Then, the Republicans
of George W Bush, who was president at the time, retained their majority in
Congress. In the case of these latest polls, the tradition was only partially
confirmed. At one point before the voting, opinion polls suggested a
comfortable win for Republicans.
However,
[if the results weren't as bad as some had predicted for Democrats], under the new
circumstances, with Republicans at the helm of the House of Representatives,
Obama will certainly have a hard time passing any major reforms, whether they
be for immigration or environment reform. This will be quite significant, given
that at the moment, his popularity rate has dropped considerably due to health
care reform - which is seen by many Americans as a huge government intrusion into
their private lives. For that reason, 52 percent disapprove of his current
actions, and a third who voted for him in 2008 say they will no longer support
Democrats. We're a long way from the beginning of 2009, when 78 percent of
Americans had a favorable opinion of their president.
As
a consequence, the results of these midterms represent a loud wake-up call for
the current occupant of the White House. Republicans are exploiting Obama's most
unpopular policies to maximum effect and even his problems communicating with
his own government. For example, it was found that some important provisions of
his financial reforms are largely unknown by those affected (married couples, for
example), even though they are quite favorable to them.
In
any case, these elections were similar to the success of Republicans after 1948,
which was even better than the defeat inflicted in 1994 on the Democratic president
at the time, Bill Clinton. Now taking control of the House of Representatives,
Republicans are replacing the well-known Nancy Pelosi and, ruling out any last
minute surprises, her successor will be 60-year-old John Boehner, who up to now
has led the Republican minority. On the other hand, Democrats retain control of
the Senate. But there too, they have suffered considerable losses.
Last,
but not least, in just scant months, the Tea Party movement's entry into
Congress has become a turning point in American politics. Their presence in the
forefront of the American legislature will serve to extinguish the bi-partisan tradition
of Congress.
The
movement’s name was chosen as a reminder of the act of revolt in the port of
Boston in December 1773, which marked the beginning of the War of
Independence against the British. Even more notable is that, even without
naming their own leader or having a clear political program, dissatisfaction
over a range of subjects has crystallized in the Tea Party. These include opposition
to the federal government, which is considered too powerful, and the need to
reduce spending, lower taxes and create greater opposition to the health reforms
adopted and passed by Obama.
Republicans
have enthusiastically welcomed members of the movement, which is considered
more ultra-conservative than the ultra-conservatives of the Grand Old Party, as
the Republican Party is also known. However, there are voices that argue that
the demands by Tea Party radicals could in the end help Obama and the Democrats
and create more problems for Republicans. In his turn, future House Speaker
John Boehner could be faced with a real dilemma, which is to ensure that the Tea
Party remains a mobilizing rather than a centrifugal force. Otherwise, its effects
during the 2012 presidential elections when Obama seeks a new term could be
disastrous. Nevertheless, the movement claims it will do everything in its
power to ensure he doesn't win a second mandate.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
In
addition, regarding what this election reflects and its results, it is said
that Republicans are also divided over what policies to pursue - health reform,
which the aforementioned Boehner wants to abolish, immigration reform, or
deficit reductions. Above all, once the results are understood and the period
of euphoria or gloom has passes, all analysts agree: American voters have
issued a serious warning to President Obama just two years after his triumphal
electoral success. They have challenged him to listen to the people if he wants
to be reelected.Until then, he will need to carry on and work effectively
with a legislature in which the House of Representatives is controlled by
Republicans.
