Now that Republicans (again) control the House, Senate, and White House, it has been fashionable in the media to run references to those who "caution" Republicans not to get too greedy and not to get too extreme.
I find this concept fascinating, that the party that got a majority (by a six-percent margin!) of the popular vote and won a far larger majority of contested races in this last election should be perceived as "extreme" rather than in tune with the electorate. (One indicator of the very real GOP surge is the margin of state house races they won - while midterm elections usually cost the majority party a net of 200-some seats, the GOP gained about 350, if my memory serves correctly.)
Can anyone remember if, in 1992, the media ran stories wondering aloud if the Democrats controlling the same three institutions would become too liberal? I can't, but I can't honestly say I was paying attention too closely.
If Republicans are in power, the automatic assumption is that they will be too greedy. What is the corresponding assumption one makes if the Democrats roar back to power?
Posted by wasylik at November 26, 2002 09:16 PM | TrackBack