We are a country that votes much like a pendulum swings...
It's a fascinating study for political junkies and over many years and election cycles, the process continues to amaze and befuddle the experts who live for the rare moment of successfully predicting "future behaviors" of the electorate. Last November saw enormous movement in the political pendulum and it continues to swing...back towards conservatism.
My unscientific proof was a brief conversation on Thanksgiving in a room that was very mixed in its political affiliation. There was rare agreement until the issue of spending restraint came to the forefront and suddenly there was near silence, who would dare to step forward and "defend" the massive spending by states and our federal government? Even the lifelong liberal Democrats were in agreement that spending is out of control and much like a plane in a tail-spin, we need to immediately pull back this behavior and save our country from the fiscal abyss.
This is not the time for purity tests...It's time for sanity exams!
Should we focus our messaging on fiscal restraint, identify a "10 point plan" to reduce spending...and then actually keep our promises... the Republican party stands to engage a new generation of voters who will stay home with the party as long as we continue to live up to our commitments.
I'm somewhat surprised at the recent Des Moines register poll, which echoes my own sentiments about the pendulum swinging back towards conservative values. My first impression? This story is a product of the sales and marketing department, since the Register has been bleeding away readership at alarming rates over the past few years. We didn't need 800 Iowans to tell us what we intuitively already knew, Iowa is in large measure a conservative state. When we stay consistent in our message and our behavior, we will be rewarded with voters "coming home" to support conservative candidates.
Give our leadership credit too. Vaudt, McKinley and Paulsen have been sounding the warning bells for over two years now. Press releases from the IDP are sounding more and more defensive these days and the worst is yet to come.
Next month, when the Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) announces it's latest adjustment to state revenues, this already bleak scenario may turn into a 5 alarm budget crisis before the legislature gavels in to attempt "triage" on our state's budget wounds.
Then, Culver delivers his opening address to the legislature in January. Should he dare to point fingers and make excuses, be assured Iowans (and even his own party) will take decisive action.
Aside from rallying our country after 9/11, this is quite possibly the most unifying issue of our generation. Let's show wisdom in our message, restraint in our dialog and get this right.
