While it may be safe to go to the Chain O'Lakes with bumper stickers still sticking, and it may be safe to presume that President-elect Obama has captured more than just the votes of Wisconsin, the nation, and the world, I don't think it's safe to say that Obama's big win is necessarily the Democratic Party's big win. (And I'm not talking coat-tails.)

This nation has eight years of neo-conservative crap to clean up and the President-elect is going to be wading hip-deep into the clean-up job. That is, if he's lucky, it'll only be hip-deep. It could be much deeper. And how he handles the crap-clean-up is going to depend to a great extent not only on his support in the Democratic Congress, buy also the conduct of Congress.

Where am I going with this? I think the presumption that this election is a vote for change is correct, but that it's a vote for change TO the Democratic Party is presuming too much. I think it's really a vote for a change AWAY from the neo-con-led Republican Party. And as such, shouldn't be considered a mandate from the people for Democratic rule.

So, the Democratic President and the Democratic Congress are being handed the shovel with which to clean up after G.W. and company, and should they not do well at that (and at this point there's no reason to think that they'll do any better than any previous cleanups) then the country is going to find out that their vote for change resulted in not so much change after all. Politics as usual is not going to cut it for this Democratic government. They're going to have to be; they're going to have to attempt; and they're going to have to accomplish; something quite above and beyond what politics as usual usually delivers.

I think President-elect Obama has quite the opportunity here to shape the future of TWO political parties: his own and the Republicans. Because if his party doesn't deliver on the high expectations, AND if the Republican Party can divest themselves of their defunct neo-conservative philosophy and get back to more traditional conservatism, then this country will swing back in the other direction in 2010 or in 2012. Quite a lot to throw onto Barack's shoulders. But if there's one person who's got the positive attitude and the ability to generate that attitude in others, it's Barack Obama, and he could be the one person to be able to pull it off: the ascendancy of a new, an invigorated, a more mainstream Democratic Party, and the demise of a bankrupt Republican Party.

It's going to be an interesting two to four years. Stay tuned.

Tim (aka timje, Admin of The Bill Sebastian Forum)

Will the Constitution survive or will the steamroller of the "progressives" survive?
How long before the draft is re-instated (recall FDR & JFK revived it)?
Will the "inevitable test" Biden mentioned be Iran, Russia, or China?
Will the altruism extend to the new minorities that were once majorities?
Just a few thoughts from the lone Libertarian of Independence, Taxconsin.

Clearly the voters of Wisconsin and the US think that we will be better off in 4 years - that's why they voted for Obama. I don't think progressivism and the constitution are mutually exclusive. WHy do you think so?

Steve Hanson

Cruiskeen Consulting LLC

Uppity Wisconsin