How Republicans Can (or is That Will?) Blow Their Midterm Victory

How can the GOP blow the
advantage it gained at the state and national levels in last week’s
midterm elections? By mistaking hostility toward Barack Obama’s
failed policies for a positive embrace of a vaguely defined
conservative agenda heavy on increased spending (especially on
defense) and the promotion of a narrowly defined range of
acceptable lifestyles.

As can be gleaned from some of the midterms’ other results,
voters want a government that keeps its nose out of our private
lives and morality. Alaska, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. all
legalized recreational pot and staunchly anti-abortion “fetal
personhood” initiatives were voted down in the two states that put
the matter before voters (support for Roe v. Wade,
the 1973 Supreme Court decision that guarantees a woman’s right to
a first-trimester abortion, has remained above 50
percent for decades). Gallup finds fewer and fewer Americans
think the state should “promote traditional values.” Currently, 48
percent agree with that notion while an equal number says “the
government should not favor any particular set of values….

At the same time, twice as many Americans think there’s too
much regulation of business and the economy as believe there’s too
little and 59% think the government has “too much power.” That’s
up 17 percentage points from a decade ago.

That’s from a column I wrote for Time. Read the whole thing here.

Here’s Reason TV’s “The Very Best (and Worst!) Election
Outcomes.”
Go here for full text of that.