I've got a news flash for y'all....Americans are mad! Not because of the upcoming remake of "The Karate Kid" (though there are a lot of questions surrounding that, namely "why is a movie about a Japanese martial art taking place in China....with Will Smith's kid?"). No, Americans are mad at their government! Now, I know that's not surprising. Americans have always hated their government. But there's something different this year. Americans actually seem to be acting on that anger. If you've been watching the news, (or the Daily Show), you may have heard reporters talking about "anti-incumbent feeling" or similar ideas. What's this all about?
Well, you may not be aware of it, but we're smack dab in the middle of election season. No, there's no presidential election, but in November we will be electing all 435 members of the House of Representatives, as well as 36 senators and a couple dozen of governors. Now, even though those elections don't happen until November, the political parties are currently scrambling to decide who they want to nominate to be their candidate in November. All across the country, the parties are holding primary elections to choose their candidate. A primary election is like a playoff election. In baseball, the American League and the National League each hold a series of playoffs to determine who will be their representative in the World Series. It's the same thing in politics. The Republican Party will hold a playoff elections (primary) to determine who will be its candidate for the general election in November, and same deal for the Democrats.
Now, normally, nobody gives a flying hoot about these primaries, so usually the current person in office, or the "incumbent", gets the nomination. Not this year. We've already seen several incumbents being told by their party supporters "You're out, someone else is in." In the House, West Virginia Democrat Alan Mollohan was rejected after 27 years, and Alabama Republican Parker Griffith was thrown out after switching from the Democrats last year. Over in the Senate, Utah Republican Bob Bennett was thrown out after 18 years. And in Pennsylvania, in a huge upset, Democrat Arlen Specter (who switched from the Republicans last year) was defeated after having been in the Senate for 30 years. Again folks, keep in mind, these losses came in PRIMARY elections. That means their FELLOW PARTY MEMBERS voted their butts out! An additional primary election in Kentucky saw that state's Republicans reject the "insider" candidate for political newcomer Rand Paul (son of libertarian congressman Ron Paul, who ran for president in 2008). In addition, 13 Senators and 37 Representatives have chosen NOT to run for re-election, rather than face the wrath of the voters.
So why are Americans mad? Why are they voting out all of these incumbent candidates? You may have noticed that the voters' anger is directed at BOTH major parties, but why? Here's Mr. G's take on things: After eight years of Republican George Bush as president, during which the country faced two wars, a blundered response to Hurrican Katrina, the Patriot Act, loss of civil liberties, possible torture of prisoners at Guantanomo Bay, increases in the national debt, a struggling economy, an unpopular and expensive bailout of the banking and auto industries, and the insepid idiocy of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," Americans really did "hope" for some "change." So they voted in Democrat Barack Obama, who promised them...hope and change. Perfect! Fast forward 18 months, and what is the country facing? Two wars, a blundered response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, a renewal of the Patriot Act, a continuing loss of civil liberties, prisoners still in Guantanomo Bay, a surge in the national debt, an unpopular and expensive recovery bill (TARP), and the insepid idiocy of "The Suite Life on Deck"...(really? They're on a boat now?). Add an unpopular health care bill to the picture, and you've got the situation we are now facing. Americans were promised change, and so far, the Obama Administration seems to have failed in delivering that change. Or, in the case of the health care bill, it's been change that a sizeable portion of the electorate opposes.
Hence, we now face the Year of the Anti-Incumbent, where anybody who's been in Washington, or even has the image of a career politician, is in danger of losing. And perhaps the next target...Sen. John McCain from Arizona. That's right. Less than two years after running for president, McCain is now fighting for his political life. That primary is still two months away. Will the voters anger calm any by then? Or will the full might of the Tea Party folks come out against him and send him packing? What are your thoughts and predictions are all of this? Questions? Be sure to respond!
