"Pre-revolutionary" is the term former Carter administration aide Pat Caddell uses to describe the current mood in the country. He notes that recent polling finds that only 21 percent believe that the federal government is operating with "the consent of the governed." More than 68 percent say it is not.
The phrase is from second paragraph of the 234-year-old Declaration of Independence, "...Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." The words that follow are "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government."
Democracy Corp, founded by Democrats James Carville and Stan Greenberg, says that 64 percent of us believe the country is going in the wrong direction. Even though the Democracy Corp poll surveyed more Democrats than Republicans, a majority disapproved of the current administration's performance.
A recent CNN poll finds that voters rank Republicans significantly more likely than Democrats to manage government effectively, improve economic conditions and protect the country from terrorism. By a wide margin all respondents ranked the economy as the biggest problem facing America today. Likely voters picked Republicans by eight points when asked which Party "shares your view on the proper size and power of the federal government?"
An end-of-July poll of Washington state voters echoes the national trend. Statewide 53 percent choose "wrong direction." Only 31 percent think Gov. Gregoire and the Democrat-controlled Legislature have it right. Even in Seattle likely voters check off the "wrong direction" option by 46 percent versus 35 percent. The number most indicative of pending change is that independents pick "wrong direction' by 57 percent.
Michael Barone, author of "Almanac of American Politics," writes that Michigan voters picked up Republican ballots by a two-to-one margin in last week's primary. President Obama carried Michigan 57 percent to 41 percent just two years ago. The same occurred in Tennessee and Missouri. In Missouri more than 71 percent voted to oppose Obama's healthcare mandates and more than 40,000 voters cast ballots with only that issue checked. Senate leader Harry Reid explained that voters are too stupid to understand the issue. Better they shut up and let the political class rule.
From the Potomac to Seattle City Hall, the nanny state is on steroids. The federal government thinks it has a mandate to rule all, even down to school cafeteria menus. City Hall believes it can take away freedom of movement by eliminating transportation choices. No wonder 57 percent of respondents to a CNN poll say the federal government is a direct and immediate threat to freedom.
Even now Congress is busy redistributing another $26 billion from the working class to the political class in terms of payout to states who refused to reign in spending when the economy faltered. Gov. Gregoire's budget magic requires some $400 million of that to maintain the fiction that her Legislature passed a balanced budget.
This election is about whether the people or the political class is sovereign, says Caddell. Will it be the same here? The state's moribund Republican Party can do little to influence outcomes but many of its candidates may prevail nonetheless. In the only state-wide race, Sen. Patty Murray points to her status as a political insider citing her clout in increasing federal spending for Washington, all for our benefit of course. Challenger Dino Rossi says we need to change direction.
In another week we can begin raking through the primary results here to see if, indeed, the voters want to institute a new government.[[In-content Ad]]
