Looking back on the 2014 election cycle, I see two largely unnoticed turning points that worked against Democrats and in Republicans favor. The first came in response to the October 2013 government shutdown. This was blamed, as shutdowns usually are, on Republicans, partly because of their skepticism about big government, and partly because media professionals tend to fault the GOP in any partisan fight. The shutdown occurred because about 40 Republican House members refused to support a continuing resolution funding the government without a proviso defunding ObamaCare. Texas freshman Sen. Ted Cruz had been barnstorming the country arguing that this would somehow delay ObamaCare from going into effect on schedule in October. Without those 40 Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner did not have enough votes to pass a funding resolution. Reluctantly, and with behind-the-scene warnings that it wouldnt work, Boehner went along with the shutdown for nearly two weeks. Boehner was right about the inability of Republicans to defund ObamaCare, and he was right about the public response. Republican poll numbers plummeted, President Obamas job approval shot up toward 50%, and the generic ballot — which partys candidate will you back in House elections? — showed a big 6% Democratic advantage. Democrats talked gleefully and not implausibly about regaining their House majority. Republicans had reason to fear that they would lose the one part of the federal government they control. When Boehner got House Republicans to cave on the shutdown, however, voters started noticing something else — something the media could not conceal: the fiasco of the rollout of healthcare.gov. The Obama administration had 42 months between the passage of ObamaCare and the Oct. 1 rollout. In the 42 months between the attack on Pearl Harbor and victory in Europe, the U.S. deployed a 16 million-man military around the world, produced thousands of ships, tanks and airplanes, and advanced in Europe and the Pacific to produce the absolute victory FDR promised over Hitler. In 42 months, the Obama administration couldnt build a functioning website. Voters noticed. By late November, the big Democratic lead in the generic vote had disappeared, never to reappear. Republican politicians and primary voters noticed, too. The pool of House hard-liners shrank from about 40 to perhaps a dozen. No more government shutdowns, thank you very much. In primary after primary, Republican voters did not opt, as they had in 2010 and 2012, for the loudest candidates standing on chairs yelling, Hell, no! Read More At Investors Business Daily: news.investors/ibd-editorials/111114-725936-government-shutdown-ebola-played-hidden-roles-in-big-republican-win.htm#ixzz3Io2VNEHw Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:24:48 +0000
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