Fred Barnes, writing in the Wall Street Journal, points to something I have been pondering:
We Could Be In for a Lurch to the Left
A President Obama would not face the same constraints as his Democratic predecessors.
For the first time since the 1960s, liberal Democrats are dominant. They are all but certain to have a lopsided majority in the House, and either a filibuster-proof Senate or something close to it. If Barack Obama wins the presidency today, they’ll have an ideological ally in the White House.
A sharp lurch to the left and enactment of a liberal agenda, or major parts of it, are all but inevitable. The centrist limits in earlier eras of Democratic control are gone. In the short run, Democrats may be constrained by the weak economy and a large budget deficit. Tax hikes and massive spending programs, except those billed as job creation, may have to be delayed.
But much of their agenda — the “card check” proposal to end secret ballots in union elections, the Fairness Doctrine to stifle conservative talk radio, liberal judicial nominees, trade restrictions, retreat from Iraq, talks with Iran — doesn’t require spending. And after 14 years of Republican control of Congress, the presidency, or both, Democrats are impatient. They want to move quickly.
Add to that all the liberal judges Obama will name to the Federal courts (and the increased pressure for conservative judges to resign), renegotiating NAFTA and increasing protectionism, bankrupting the coal industry, suing conservative think tanks until they run out of money and resources, an electorate overwhelmed by the ACORN “registrations”, and then some:
Another important change is the enhanced power of liberal interest groups. The influence of organized labor, environmental activists, militant pressure groups like MoveOn.org, left-wing civil libertarians, teachers, trial lawyers and feminists is stronger than it has ever been in Washington. Democrats are leery of bucking them on even the smallest issue.
While the media acts as benevolent cheerleader.
Over to you, Locutus:
Related reading, via Maria:
Is Obama Really the Messiah?
And I almost forgot,
school indoctrination (h/t GoV), too. Not that we don’t have that already…
UPDATE
Dan says, Bring it on!
Barnes sums it up quite well.
However as a society, Americans are normally right of center and small c conservative for the most part.
If the lurch left is as extensive as Barnes suggests, I for one, will “hope” for a “change” to bring the nation back close to TDC (top dead center).