The 2014 Midterm Elections offer an interesting contrast for Oregonians to study in partisan politics for the next two years. In Washington DC, the Republicans strengthened their control of the House and gained control of the Senate with a small lead. The Republicans are very good at winning elections and have shown that consistently. But now that the election is over, they cannot blame the President for every bill that doesnt pass and demonize his person or his positions. They need his signature, since their numbers arent veto proof. They have to govern. They have to work with the Ds or they risk being labeled as ineffective by the American Public. The filibuster is no longer their tool for obstructionism. The extensive use of the filibuster is not a typical Democratic tactic, so I anticipate its use will greatly diminish. And as much as the President may be under pressure to work with Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader McConnell, the Republicans are under similar pressure to work with the President. In Oregon, the Oregon House is staying under control of the Democrats and Democratic control of the Oregon Senate has increased. Theres already talk of bringing back progressive bills that didnt pass in recent legislatures. And from this Democrats point of view, Oregon Democrats have as much to be concerned about from a centrist overly accommodating Governor Kitzhaber as they do from the Republicans. So, as Oregonians we get to compare the effectiveness of our state legislature to that of our nation in DC. It promises to be quite educational.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 14:54:14 +0000
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