In an historic change of political leadership, Republicans' control of the House with the 112th Congress is sure to bring change to Washington. With Nancy Pelosi gone and John Boehner likely to be the new Speaker of the House, Obama faces a new political landscape. However, with so much to be expected of this new Congress, much like the election of Barack Obama in 2008, can the new political force deliver? America has spoken and the expectations are high.
There is no doubt the dramatic shift of power in the House is a bold statement from the American people; the 111th Congress' ways of operation proved too dramatic and "taxing" for mainstream America. However, Democrats still have a slim majority in the Senate (and, of course, a Democratic president) which will prove to be a political obstacle course getting legislation agreed upon and signed into law.
With the help of the Tea Party movement, Republicans' aggressive attacks on the Democrats yielded successful returns in key races throughout the U.S. Now, the challenge these newly elected officials face is how far right will the country (and the Democrats in congress) allow them to bend? Keeping campaign promises is hard to do, especially in a political climate like Washington, D.C. The Tea Party and middle-America will be expecting a lot from the 112th Congress - restrained spending, tax cuts, smaller government, overall fiscal responsibility and the possible repeal of the new Health Care Reform Bill. These are major elements Americans expect to see delivered from their new Congress.
With the lame duck session in December, Obama proved he and some fellow Democrats may be willing to reach across the aisle. This was best seen with the recent extension of the Bush Tax Cuts which the majority of Americans supported. If compromises like these continue, there will be much to be anticipated with the 112th Congress. If not, Americans are sure to rally together and hold these politicians responsible - the 2010 election showed they can. Regardless the political fight, Obama must be willing to come to the center or risk a huge upset in 2012.
There is no clear indicator as to what 2011 will bring for Congress and the American people. Will Congress participate in a political stalemate or will Democrats, for the first time since Obama was elected, come to the center?
The political tides in Washington are shifting in a way that hasn't been seen in quite some time - a Democrat in the White House and a split Congress. However, if there is one lesson to be learned from the 111th Congress, it is to adhere to the will of the American people. With the House up for re-election every two years, America has seen just how quickly the tables can turn in Washington. Democrats' loss of 60+ seats in the November elections proved to lawmakers that the power is with the people.
In a year when she wasn't even running for office, Sarah Palin managed to keep things interesting and alive in 2010. From a successful book to Tea Party endorsements, not to mention a reality TV show, Palin proved she is a force to be reckoned with no matter what side of the aisle your politics fall. Many of the candidates endorsed by Palin went on to win major seats in Congress and helped regain control of the House for Republicans.
It is no secret that the mainstream media, news outlets, TV personalities and liberal journalists have it out for Palin. This assertion is based off the observation of months of a grueling vice-presidential campaign (where the public witnessed massive amounts of unprecedented attacks hurled on Palin and her family). However, even after the 2008 political season, the criticism and dislike for Palin has actually managed to grow amongst those least fond of Palin. Why?
As the old saying goes, “You’re not anybody ‘til somebody hates you.” In the flicker of time which has been Sarah Palin’s ascension into the political spotlight, a militia of critics has begun aggressive strikes against the potential threat to Obama and her criticism of his “fundamental change” of America. Surely there are other voices in the GOP that have well-articulated the dissatisfaction from the Right with the current administration and the direction of the country - people like Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, to name a couple - but what scares the full-time critics on the Left the most is that Palin may actually have the conservative message sticking with mainstream America.
What exposes liberals’ fear the most is the assumption they have that Sarah Palin wants to run for President. There is widespread panic amongst the Left that she will run for president, win, crush Obama, and become the first female to hold the office…that is quite a scenario that even conservative supporters haven’t thought much about. It’s unclear if Palin has even thought that far ahead (even though 2012 isn’t too far away at all); but with her resignation as Governor, her outspokenness in the media, and her care-free lifestyle post-Governor, it appears that Sarah Palin isn’t playing by the rule book. If she really wanted all the things liberals fear, Palin would be conducting herself much differently...perhaps more like a typical politician. However, this firestorm of opposition may have actually ignited something within the Right. As Newton's Law states, "every action is accompanied by a reaction of equal magnitude." In this case, the reaction may be Palin herself.
It was just more than two years ago that Sarah Palin splashed onto the national stage and took hold of the GOP in a conservative “renaissance” – the term may sound a bit exaggerated, but there is something to be said for a serious female Republican candidate in the 21st century taking charge of her party and stirring up new found excitement within the base. If there is anything to take away from all the criticism Palin faces and that we, the public, must endure, it is that one things is clear (even if Palin’s political ambitions are not): the Left has something to fear; rather than fear it yourself, investigate what that “something” is and make your own opinion.
