I often disagree with Patrick Buchanan, but he makes some accurate observations in this column.
This center-right country is about to vastly strengthen a liberal Congress whose approval rating is 10 percent and implant in Washington a regime further to the left than any in U.S. history. Consider.
As of today, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco Democrat, anticipates gains of 15-30 seats. Sen. Harry Reid, whose partisanship grates even on many in his own party, may see his caucus expand to a filibuster-proof majority where he can ignore Republican dissent.
Headed for the White House is the most left-wing member of the Senate, according to the National Journal. To the vice president's mansion is headed Joe Biden, third most liberal as ranked by the National Journal, ahead of No. 4, Vermont Socialist Bernie Sanders.
What will this mean to America? An administration that is either at war with its base or at war with the nation.
America may desperately desire to close the book on the Bush presidency. Yet there is, as of now, no hard evidence it has embraced Obama, his ideology, or agenda. Indeed, his campaign testifies, by its policy shifts, that it is fully aware the nation is still resisting the idea of an Obama presidency.
In the later primaries, even as a panicked media were demanding that Hillary drop out of the race, she consistently routed Obama in Ohio and Pennsylvania and crushed him in West Virginia and Kentucky.
By April and May, the Democratic Party was manifesting all the symptoms of buyer's remorse over how it had voted in January and February.
I think the American public will have a severe case of buyers' remorse very soon after Obama's coronation should he win the election as expected. However, Buchanan predicts a backlash, either from a disappointed left, or from an American public that suddenly comes to realize what it has let itself in for. I suspect he is right -- there will be a backlash -- but I also suspect the backlash will go largely unnoticed.
Our left leaning "watchdogs" in the mainstream press will spend the next four years reporting that Americans of all background are living the good life, the world loves and respects America, the planet is healing, and world peace is at hand. Meanwhile the filibuster proof Democratic congress will devote its legislative agenda to making permanent leftist electoral gains. Hate Speech codes and the Fairness Doctrine will be priority items. Broadcasting non-leftwing thought will face obstacles. Any sort of backlash will be discouraged and ignored.
Worst of all, we will be stuck with Pelosi, Reid, and company for a very long time. The thought makes me ill.
