A look at the 2006 mid-term elections and their possible effect

The 2006 Congressional mid-term elections are just around the
corner. In many ways this election is a pivotal point for both
the Democrat and Republican parties. For over a decade the
Republican party has maintained control of both the Senate and
House of Representatives. Though due to many issues those now
face, the country that may very well change.
 
Whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, most
Americans agree the problems this nation and the world face are
serious and need to be addressed. Unfortunately it appears that
within the United States partisan politics and an unwillingness
to compromise has prevented any real progress.
 
In the House of Representatives the Democrats need to gain 15
seats to achieve a majority vote. Many political pundits from
both parties believe this will be the case and some say the net
gain will be much higher, though most qualify their opinion with
a healthy "anything can happen".
 
The Senate race is much tighter with the Democrats' needing 6 seats
to gain a majority position. The outcomes of the various Senate
races seem to be much harder to predict. Opinion polls
(something all politicians and news agencies rely on) vary from
day to day though most show that at least two of the Senate
races are impossible to predict.
 
If the Democrats take control of congress what will change? It
is a good question but difficult to answer. The executive
branch will still be Republican and a "divided government" as
it is sometimes called has proven problematic in the past.
 
The American style of democracy relies on a system of checks
and balances with a congress providing the role of oversight as
one of its functions. Most if not all political analysts agree
that Congress has been rather lax recently in exercising that
particular responsibility.
 
The war in Iraq, terrorism, immigration, social security and
health care reform seem to be the issues most Americans are
concerned with. Whether or not any one or all of these issues
are addressed and resolved after the mid-terms remains an open
question.

Recently Republicans have had a difficult time responding to
the various problems and scandals that have plagued them, with
the Rep. Tom Foley / page situation only adding to the list.
The base, or core of the Republican Party which includes
conservative evangelicals have voiced serious concern over the
direction of the party and the apparent drifting from core
Republican values.
 
Fiscal responsibility, smaller government and personal freedoms
have historically been major parts of the GOP platform. Federal
spending, the deficit and the federal government are at this
point larger than ever before and growing. Many would argue
that personal freedoms are being threatened in the war on
terror.
 
The Democrats do not have it any easier. Unable to communicate
a clear message and an inability to provide a new direction for
the country, most Americans find themselves forced to choose
between two apparently dysfunctional political parties.
 
The possibility exists that after this election cycle both
parties will try to set aside their differences and tackle the
major issues. If the Democrats' do gain a clear majority in both
houses, then both parties will be forced to at least try to
work together if they are to get anything done.
 
The President will have two years left in his second term and
with the situation in Iraq no where near resolved and a
majority of Americans feeling the war was a mistake, it is
likely both parties will work towards a quick if imperfect
solution.
 
A "divided government" situation, where one branch (for
example: the Executive) is controlled by one party and another
branch of government (Legislature) is controlled by the
political opposite can have both positive and negative aspects.
 
 
Proper Congressional oversight has a better chance of being
exercised and maintained and a larger proportion of the
population will generally have their concerns heard and
addressed. Two political parties with an equal share of power
will leave a smaller unrepresented minority (in theory).
 
The down-side is the very real possibility that nothing gets
done. Both sides so entrenched and unwilling to move on an
issue that if the Executive branch is presented with a bill to
sign it is vetoed and any proposals made to Congress are
rejected out of hand.
 
An honest willingness from both parties to work on the
demanding issues of the day will not only serve their own
individual interests but serve the country as a whole, which is
why they were elected in the first place. 
 

The 2006 Congressional mid-term elections may provide a new
dynamic to Washington and a real opportunity to address some of
the problems that face this nation. With the middle-east more
volatile now rather than less, North Korea and Iran working
towards nuclear weapons, America's damaged reputation in the
eyes of the world and the serious reality of America's domestic
problems, both Democrats, Republicans and the Nation would be
best served by setting aside partisan politics and setting to
work on the difficult issues we now face.