Why the Democrats Push Despite Opinion Polls

Every reputable polling organization out there is showing Obama and the Democrats running in the negative as far as popularity goes.  The more Obama and his party push for Big Government the more they run into the negative.  Gallup last had Obama at just 47% favorable, a record low for a president in their first year.  Rasmussen has been showing negative for longer.

Why, with such horrible polling data do the Democrats keep pushing Cap and Trade, Obamakare, and yet another “stimulus” package?  There are two theories I believe.

The first theory is what I like to call “Damn the Torpedoes.”  This theory holds that the Democrats know they are tanking but see 2009 and 2010 as their only chance to push through so many Big Government programs that they will re-make the face of America that by the time they lose in the 2010 elections the United States will be so much like Europe in its overly regulated environment that it will be impossible to undo it all.  Thus, even if the Democrats tank in 2010 and the Republicans take over their vision for America will be a fait accompli.

The other theory is what I’d call “Strategery.”  Although President Bush mispronounced “strategy” he did outfox the Democrats for most of his 8 years in office, much to their chagrin.  Under the “Strategery” theory the Democrats figure they can get their agenda rammed through by early-2010 and by then the economy will start to improve and thus so will their approval ratings.  Also part of this theory are some wildcards that could go the Democrats’ way such as Sarah Palin continuing to be a major headliner for Republicans and the nascent Tea Party movement which will drain votes away from GOP candidates in 2010 allowing the Democrats to gain the advantage.

The sad thing about these two scenarios is that they both ignore a crucial fact of our country – we live in a Representative Republic and the wishes of the voters seem to be ignored as well as the expanding role of the Federal Government versus States’ Rights.

Nothing goes according to plan in politics and I think we can see some major hiccups coming from both Iraq and Afghanistan.  President Obama is sending tens of thousands of additional American troops in harm’s way under the condition that they will return to our country right before the mid-term elections, a highly cynical plan at best.  Also the economy is not reacting well to all of the taxes and regulations Obama and his party are desperately trying to enact and the recession may very well last longer than anticipated.

It seems strange that a party would head down the path of suicide simply to get their agenda enacted however nobody ever said Liberals made any sense under normal conditions.

Republicans, for their part, are not being put into a box as easily as Bush did to the Democrats, perhaps because Truth is on their side and the American people see this.  It is often said by Liberals that the Republicans are the party of No.  This tactic has not worked thus far nor has Obama’s fear mongering that Republicans are simply doing whatever they can to scare people into siding with them.

It may take a few prominent Democrats to fall in the elections of 2010 before that party begins to listen to the voters again.  Nevada’s Harry Reid comes to mind here.  Democrats can try and play down the results from the most recent elections which saw Republican gains in two out of three big elections, but the tide could be turning.

What is crucial at this point is for disaffected voters to continue to contact their representatives and to make their voices heard through protests and other means.

It is a sad reflection on the state of politics for one to hope that the Democrats do major damage to America and themselves in order for things to improve but as they seem hellbent on pushing their agenda through it may be the best that we can hope for under the circumstances.

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