Your New Speaker of the House

The Americans who bothered to vote have spoken. Nancy Pelosi, one of the most liberal members of Congress, representing the San Francisco district, will be the new Speaker of the House.

When I say that this is due to the Americans who bothered to vote, I choose my words very carefully. Surprisingly, Karl Rove's drive to get out the vote failed. Other than in rare instances such as Virginia and Ohio, voters stayed home for the most part. Despite predictions of a large voter turnout, only about 40% of registered voters went to the polls, putting this election on par with most other midterm elections.

Thus, the common mantra, 'The American people have spoken,' is not quite true.

Be that as it may, those who bothered to vote chose candidates on the basis of very faulty logic, not the least of which is punishment for scandal, as if the Republicans are the only ones who have been soiled. Iraq loomed large in voters' minds as they bought into the empty rhetoric of 'a change of course,' although Democrats have never really offered an alternative plan other than to vilify Bush for the present plan.

Now the Democrats are in position to reap the consequences of the voters' ire over Iraq, fairly or unfairly. Clearly the Demos will not withdraw and leave the entire area at the mercy of individuals who could conceivably blow up the entire world. What, then, are they going to do about it, given that they have raised the expectations to an unreasonable level and have thus set the bar very high?

Pelosi is not in an enviable position in her new role. Not only has she carved out for herself a dismal record on issues, but she has been one of the most harsh, shrill, and vitriolic critics of President Bush, referring to him as incompetent and dangerous. This does not bode well for her supposed desire to 'work with the President in a bi-partisan fashion.' Nancy Pelosi has never worked in a bi-partisan fashion. There is absolutely no reason to believe she will start now. Yet she and her Party's reputations are on the line when it comes to Iraq for the mere reason they ran on the issue, and now they must deliver. This will be a highly difficult prospect.

The Democrats are a very divided Party all of a sudden. At least two dozen of their candidates ran as conservatives and won. These new Democrats will hardly stand by for Pelosi, Kennedy, Kerry, Reed, Feinstein, Boxer, and Dodd to unleash on the citizens their ultra leftwing agenda. They are also smart enough to know that to 'cut and run' in Iraq, as most of the Demos' leadership and core base wants to do, will only set up the entire Middle East as a bastion of nuclear-armed terrorists who will hold the world hostage.

Thus, not only will Pelosi face discontent and disarray within her own Party, but she will have great difficulty reaching out to Bush and company in light of her personal attacks on the President. The President could even forge an alliance between the new conservative Democrats and the Republicans to form a 'new majority' that will thwart each and every measure that Pelosi and her ilk attempt to unleash on the citizens.

Such a new majority--Republicans and conservative Democrats--could potentially be an even more powerful force in Congress than the Republican majority. And with Joe Lieberman in a perfect position to mentor the new independently minded Democrats, Pelosi and company may well find themselves in more of a diminished position now than ever before.

All the talk about the Demos being 'ready to govern' may sound nice in a victory speech on Election Day, but the truth of the matter is the Democrats are going to have a very hard time over the next two years.