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CounterPunch
November
12, 2002
What Have the
Elections Wrought?
by AHMAD FARUQUI
Last Tuesday's elections have spawned many myths,
some half-truths and a few truths. The first myth is that the
Republican Party swept the elections. Americans remain split
evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Of the 78 million votes
that were cast, only 41,000 votes in just two states determined
who ultimately gained control of the Senate. As expected, voter
turn out was low, at 39%. In California, the most populous state,
it was 32%.
The second myth is that anyone who voted
against the "Attack Iraq" resolution was defeated.
Congresswoman Nancy Pilosi of San Francisco, who had opposed
the resolution, won hands down with more than 80% of the vote.
She is about to become the first woman House Minority Whip, with
the departure of Richard Gephardt from that position. Across
the Bay, in Oakland, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who not only
voted against the "Attack Iraq" resolution-but who
had also cast the single negative vote in the entire House of
Representatives against the "Attack Afghanistan" resolution-won
with more than 80% of the vote. At the same time, Democratic
incumbents Max Cleland of Georgia and Jean Carnahan of Missouri,
who had voted in favor of the resolution, were defeated.
The third myth is that George W. Bush
is invincible. The Republicans did indeed gain control of both
Houses of Congress, but their majorities are small. As noted
by the Economist, "The next race for the presidency could
be just as close as the last one." With his poor syntax
and strident tone, President Bush comes across as a bumbling
if indignant simpleton to many Americans who believe he is simply
a front man for right-wing hawks in the Republican Party. Bush
has neither the intellect of Bill Clinton nor the charisma of
John F. Kennedy. He has none of the story telling ability of
Ronald Reagan. And he lacks the humanism of Jimmy Carter.
The first half-truth is that President
Bush pulled off a feat that had only happened a century ago under
President Theodore Roosevelt. While it is indeed true that he
is the first Republican president since Teddy Roosevelt to have
gained control over both houses in a mid-term election, two other
Democrats have performed the same feat. Franklin D. Roosevelt
picked up seats after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and
John F. Kennedy picked up seats after the Cuban missile crisis.
The first truth is that the Republicans
ran on a single-point agenda that capitalized on the tragic events
of September 11. Karl Rove, who sits in the West Wing of the
White House, masterminded the election strategy. He helped to
refine part of Bush's stump speech that drew some of the biggest
applause during the campaign trail. He insisted that the president
make a reference to acts of terrorism against civilian Americans,
and vow to "hunt down these cold-blooded killers one by
one." This phrase capitalized on a psychology of fear that
had been triggered by the horrific events of 9/11. It rekindled
concerns about future dangers, by reminding voters of the imminent
threat posed by Saddam's use of weapons of mass destruction.
The threat, in an unexpected way, became very tangible as two
snipers went on a three-week rampage of serial killings in the
vicinity of Washington, DC.
The second truth is the president's blitz
campaign during the last five days before the elections-in which
he went on a ten thousand mile tour, visiting seventeen cities
in fifteen states-made a major impact. Ken Duberstein, a former
chief of staff to President Reagan, said, "It took the oxygen
out of other issues. When the president comes into a state, all
the news is dominated by the president and Air Force One."
The president's decision to visit Minnesota, and campaign on
behalf of the Republican Senate candidate, may well be the primary
reason why former vice president Walter Mondale was defeated
in the Senate race. The Democratic incumbent, Senator Paul Wellstone,
was widely expected to have been re-elected, had he not been
killed in a plane crash a few days prior to the election. He
had voted against the Attack Iraq resolution.
The third truth is that the Democrats
did not offer a credible alternative on domestic policy, especially
on how to fix the ailing the economy. They failed to exploit
the obvious opportunities that such a situation presents to the
opposition party in any country. Examples of overlooked facts
include the following. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level
in nine years. Corporate scandals continue unabated. The National
Bureau of Economic Research has not announced that the recession
that began in March 2001 is over, and economists expect the GDP
to grow at an anemic rate of 1% in the fourth quarter. To jump-start
a stalled economy, a nervous Federal Reserve Bank has cut the
federal funds rate by half a percentage point to 1.25%. The rate,
which was 6.5% just a year ago, has been cut 11 times so far.
The US budget has a deficit of $159 billion, and it is still
expected to be in the red next year by $145 billion, prior to
counting the cost of a war against Iraq. If current trends continue,
the deficit is likely to rise to the $200-300 billion range by
the year 2005.
The fourth truth is that the Democrats
lined up behind the president on foreign policy, and were anxious
to not be seen as wimps, appeasers or unpatriotic. Thus, they
joined the Republicans in supporting the White House's Attack
Iraq resolution. When it passed with a two-third majority in
the House and a three-quarter's majority in the Senate, they
simply conceded leadership to President Bush who is now "as
strong as potash" according to Democratic Senator Zell Miller
of Georgia.
In summary, the Republicans are indeed
victorious, and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi
has said, "we'll go on the offensive now." The most
visible trend will be the continued militarization of US foreign
policy. A Department of Home Security will be established, and
the Attorney General will continue to curtail civil liberties
by prosecuting Americans under the PARIOT act. There will be
more targeted killings of alleged al-Qaida leaders using Hellfire
missiles. War against Iraq is a virtual certainty, and will most
likely occur in January of February. Washington under the Republicans
will continue to pursue a strategy for remaking the entire Muslim
world, beginning with the Middle East and proceeding on to Central
Asia. All of this may herald victory for the Democrats in 2004.
Ahmad Faruqui,
an economist, is a fellow with the American Institute of International
Studies and the author of Rethinking
the National Security of Pakistan. He can be reached
at faruqui@pacbell.net
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November 10,
2002
Ali Abunimah
Sharon's
Appendix
M. Shahid
Alam
Political Geography
Zionist Theses and Anti-Theses
Michael Neumann
Demonstrating a Genteel Reticence
Rosemary &
Walter Brasch
Personal Possession:
War and Iraq, a Recollection
Ralph Nader
The Mid-term Elections
Mark J. Palmer
Bring Back the Grizzly
Robert Fisk
Bush's "Clean Shot"
Dave Marsh
And the Beat(ing) Goes On
Adam Engel
No Blood for Marijuana in Iraq
Josh Frank
Sleater-Kinney
Rocks
Our Protest Songs Are Here
Clifford Lyle Marshall
Give the Trinity Back to the Salmon
Zeynep Toufe
Turn These Children into Stone
Philip Farruggio
In Name Only
Charles Sullivan
Mountain Party Rising!
Bernard, Krieger, Alam
Poets'Basement
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