After elections, say goodbye to success of social conservatives
Slandering the term “liberal” will always be sport for conservatives — one they’ve been good at this election season. Before losing his final election, Mitt Romney boasted of being “severely conservative.” Noticeably, the governor’s self-description met no oppositional call for strong liberalism. On at least an implicit level, this changed on Nov. 6.
In many respects, liberalism emerged victorious from the 2012 elections. Our re-elected president’s best policies are his most liberal, but visions of a progressive Barack Obama are today without merit outside Fox News. The biggest liberal wins were found at the state level on social issues.
Going into last Tuesday, gay marriage had a 0-32 record in state elections and referendums. Marijuana legalization had passed in no states. Starting in 2010, Democrats lost their majority in the House of Representatives and were on track to minority status in the Senate.
Then something different happened. Recreational marijuana is finally legal in two states, and a legitimate electoral issue. Same-sex marriage passed in Maryland, Maine and Washington. Minnesotans refused a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Would-be Republican senate pickups in Missouri and Indiana lost seats for uttering one version or another of the Republican Party’s abortion platform: illegal, no exceptions. Our culture war’s prophesized turning point has arrived, and conservatives find themselves on the wrong side.
President Obama should not miss this. Liberal policies are popular when given a full-throated defense.
Gov. Romney did not lose on account of biased media or voter fraud. For his third consecutive election, Gov. Romney lost because his ideas are bad at best and immoral at worst.
The same can be said of the conservative movement at large.
We have one party that gambled an ailing economy on our nation’s highest office. They lost, but their obstructionism has yet to be fully vanquished.
The Democratic National Committee should run against a do-nothing Republican congress from day one of President Obama’s second term.
Near economic treason like we saw on the debt ceiling and all jobs measures cannot be tolerated another four years. Offering a liberal view for America’s future is President Obama’s primary second-term task.
Brian Marceau can be reached at [email protected]