Competing plausible meanings of the recent elections’ results
| From editorial boards, columnists and op-ed writers to commentators and talk-show hosts, everyone seems to be talking about the lessons to be drawn from elections held last Tuesday. The lessons range from a rejection of President Obama and his policies to a rebuke to the national GOP leadership. Some of these so-called lessons are more plausible than others. (See for example our discussion here.) Here is a listing of some of the lessons:
· Voters remain fearful about the economy. Independent voters are a force to be reckoned with. Everyone wants results. [New York Times] · Democrats must focus on getting stuff done. Republicans must move toward the middle, away from fringe party elements. [Charles M. Madigan, Chicago Tribune] · Democrats can’t take their current dominance for granted; Republicans will falter if they insist on candidates who conform to rigid national party standards over the interests of local points of view. [USA Today] · Republicans must run as center-right problem-solvers or risk the fate of Doug Hoffman in NY-23 [Washington Post] · Persistent high unemployment and the spectacle of continued gridlock in Washington threaten Democratic dominance of the political landscape [David S. Broder, Washington post] · While the elections were a rebuke to the right wing, Obama and democrats must find a way to reenergize their base [E.J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post] · Ignore the post-election analysis. [Ruth Marcus, Washington Post] These lessons boil down to three messages: results, results, results; focus on improving the economy; and embrace independents. The second lesson, a facus on improving the economy, can be seen as a subset of the first, getting results. Our view is that getting results is the most critical lesson that Democrats must take away from these elections. For Republicans, the lesson requires both getting results and embracing independents. |
