One year ago, Barack Obama was elected President. His campaign’s theme was hope and he promised to bring change to America.
Less than ten months after taking office, Obama has certainly brought change. Thus far in his presidency, he has worked to rapidly expand the power of the government, particularly of the executive branch, while threatening the freedom and liberty we have enjoyed. The problem is that the hope that was the basis of his campaign never materialized. Despite the massive stimulus package, jobs continue to be lost. Unemployment numbers keep climbing. Americans have seen the change and it’s not what they hoped for.
Tuesday, for the first time in Obama’s presidency, the citizens of this country were able to make their voices heard through the ballot box. Being an off year between the Presidential election and the mid-term Congressional elections, there weren’t many notable races. But there were four results there were very significant.
- Governor’s Race in Virginia. Not only did Republican Bob McDonnell beat Democrat Creigh Deeds by a huge 59-41 margin, but Republicans also won the races for Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. This was a state that Obama carried last November.
- Governor’s Race in New Jersey. New Jersey is a blue state that has not elected a Republican governor since 1993. But it was a close race. Obama personally campaigned hard for Democrat incumbent Jon Corzine. But when the voters had their say, Republican Chris Christie came out on top.
- Congressional Race in New York’s 23rd District. It would have been a great story if independent conservative Doug Hoffman beat Democrat Bill Owens after forcing “Republican” Dede Scozzafava to drop out of the race. But unfortunately, he came up short. But it’s not all bad news. If Hoffman didn’t run, then regardless of whether Owens or Scozzafava won, New York’s 23rd district would be represented by a liberal. The voters at least had a legitimate conservative choice in Hoffman. Also, despite being the pick of the Republican establishment, Scozzafava had to drop out because she had no chance of winning with conservative Hoffman in the race. Hopefully this will send a signal to Republicans all over the country: If you want to run as a Republican, you had better be a conservative. Having an “R” next to your name means nothing if you don’t stand for conservative principles.
- Vote on Same-Sex Marriage in Maine. The state government in Maine legalized same-sex marriage in May. But through a petition by the citizens, the issue was put on the ballot for the voters to decide. By a 53-47 margin, the “people’s veto” overturned the out of touch legislation and defended traditional marriage. Maine is now the 31st state to reject same-sex marriage by popular vote. No state has approved same-sex marriage through the vote of the people.
These numbers are encouraging. It shows that the country has not turned as far to the left as many feared after the 2008 election. In fact, the country is moving back to the right, thanks in large part to Barack Obama.
Of course, the White House has been quick to say that these outcomes have nothing to do with Obama. But that claim is foolish. His policies and agenda are are the heart of the American people’s disapproval.
I will concede though that this is not all about Obama, even though it is primarily directed at him. This is more than disliking a President (which is what we saw with George W. Bush). This is a larger conservative movement that opposes a government that has overstepped its bounds and trampled underfoot the Constitution with their policies and legislation.
This election is a wake-up call to all moderate Democrats and Republicans in Congress: If you support the Obama-Reid-Pelosi agenda, your seat is in jeopardy. It is a reminder that conservatism is alive and well and that Republicans, rather than running to the middle, need to stand their ground in defense of the Constitution and the hard-working American people who are responsible for making this country great.
After Tuesday’s election, the 2010 elections are looking even more promising.
-Andy Sochor
