The Moose weighs in on what happens if Bush wins.
While the Moose is rooting for the donkey, the elephant obviously could triumph tomorrow. If that is the case, expect some flowery unity rhetoric from President Bush both in his victory statement and inaugural address. It would be nice to believe, following a polarized election, Bush would finally deliver on being a uniter and not a divider. Given his track record, there is little reason to believe that he will have a born again experience transforming himself into Mother Teresa-like healer of the breach.
The objective of Boss Rove is to do unto the nation what he and Delay have done into Texas - destroy the Democratic Party and its institutions. It's obviously much more difficult to achieve this at the national level than in the conservative trending Lone Star State. But, that doesn't mean that the Bushies won't use the levers of the executive, legislative (and eventually the judicial) branches to further eviscerate Democratic constituent institutions and strengthen the power of corporate America while redistributing wealth upwards through perpetual tax cuts.
A second term will not necessarily mean that conservatism will consolidate power. Government spending,and particularly parochial pork barrel appropriations and corporate welfare will soar as Republicans continue to mimic the old Democratic lords of Congress and buy constituencies.
The K Street Project will further pressure the business community to march in lock step with the GOP. The only problem here is that the concierge for K Street - Mr. DeLay may be forced to surrender power due to his ethic problems.
Say good-bye to small government conservatism. Welcome the era of big government corporatism.
If the donkey lurches to the left after a Bush victory it would only play into Rove's hands. He would love for the Democrats to marginalize themselves and make his job easier. The challenge for the left would be to build an alliance with the center, and even moderates within the Republican Party, to oppose the excess of an emboldened Republican Party. Ultimately, the Democrats would have to have to return to the laboratory and work with Democratic Governors to develop pragmatic solutions and alternatives. In short, Democrats would have to become a party of ideas once again. The party would also have to figure out how to woo back lower and middle income voters who are culturally alienated from Democratic elites.
Want to know the what happens after a Bush victory? Actually a well-known Bush ally already gave us an idea on the big screen -
"What is best in life Conan?"
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women!"
LATER- THE MOOSE ADDRESSES A KERRY VICTORY
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