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Originally Posted by Rekna
What does everyone think of cloture and the current situation? Clearly the ability of the minority party to hold the majority party in check is important. However, I think the the GOP senators are playing a dangerous game. If the American public view them as continuing blanket support for the president despite what their constituents think they are in a lot of trouble. Doesn't something like 70% of the people feel we should get out of Iraq? If this is the case GOP senators voting against leaving or reduction are going to be very unpopular in 2 years allowing the democrats to gain more seats in the senate. I think the GOP are signing their own death certificate for the next election cycle.
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A dangerous game indeed. Whenever a party openly contradicts the will of the majority of their constituents, they risk electoral losses during the next contest. That said, when we look at behavior like that currently being shown by the Republicans, our praise or condemnation of that action depends on the desirability (in hindsight) of the option they were advocating. So, if Margaret Chase Smith breaks with the popular anti-Communist spirit of the 1950's to condemn Joseph McCarthy, we view her as a straight shooter who sticks to her principles in the face of popular discontent. Yet, when Strom Thurmond opposes the burgeoning civil rights movement by filibustering the Civil Rights Act of 1964, we view him as a biggotted fool.
As for the Republicans, I have no idea how their current filibuster will be treated by history. What I can say with certainty is that the majority is not well-equipped to make military strategy decisions. I certainly don't claim to known with any level of certainty that the troop surge will work, but the fact that popular opinion opposes the strategy doesn't particularly influence my opinion one way or the other.
In terms of the
likely impact of this filibuster on electoral politics, voters have very short memories: nobody will remember what happened in February of 2007 when they enter the voting booth in November of 2008.*
*Except Host