Last week, Vice President Joe Biden made national headlines when he spoke at a Democratic fundraiser here in Madison for gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett. When he did not receive an enthusiastic response from the crowd, Vice President Biden slighted donors by saying ""You're the dullest crowd I've ever spoken to."" While the vice president is no stranger to embarrassing gaffes, his remarks speak to a larger issue within the Democratic Party—apathy.
Two years ago, Democrats, led then by Senator Obama, were ‘fired up and ready to go' as they were ready to bring new ideas, new solutions and new leadership to Washington D.C. Many who had never participated in the political process, inspired by a message of hope and change, were flocking to the Democratic Party in droves.
Today however, as evidenced by recent Wisconsin polls favoring Republican candidates, many who were inspired by Obama's message have come to find that his campaign slogans were no different than any diet pill—advertising and offering much, but in the end failing to deliver real results.
Instead, our economy remains listless, despite adding billions of dollars in stimulus money According to a recent release by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment remains at 9.6 percent regardless of promises that it would never go above 8.0 percent. The very politics-as-usual attitude that Democrats promised to expunge, remains the status quo as, according to the Wall Street Journal, Democrats plan to attack political opponents by threatening to use IRS and other government agencies to scrutinize groups that support Republicans.
As Democrats become more disillusioned, Republicans are standing by, excited and motivated. Perhaps the biggest reason for Republican enthusiasm and Democratic apathy is the fact that Democrats are offering no real solutions for fixing the nation's problems. Their only solution to issues such as health-care reform, the economy and unemployment is to throw more money and government at problems that thus far money and government have been unable to solve.
Democrats argue that their policies are in the best interest of the American people. They say that we should be thankful to such a generous federal government for doing what is in our best interest. What they don't understand is that Americans do not need the federal government to provide for them and solve their problems.
We are and always have been a society that favors personal responsibility over government control and self-reliance over government handouts. While Democrats continue with this rhetoric, Republicans are offering a much more appealing message of fiscal responsibility and reducing the size and power of the federal government. The Pledge to America, mirroring the 1994 Contract with America, is a list of things Republicans promise to do if elected. While not all Republicans have signed on with the pledge, it is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to offering concrete ideas.
Another reason for Republican enthusiasm is that Republicans are actually listening to people. The Tea Party movement, which began as a group of concerned citizens voicing concerns about the direction of the country, has turned into a national movement to be reckoned with.
While many on the left continue to use hateful, vitriolic rhetoric to belittle and berate the movement, Republicans are paying attention. Many Tea Party members were once disillusioned with the Republican Party, but now the Tea Party has accounts for a huge portion of republican enthusiasm and will continue to be influential in the party well after the election.
Other issues, such as health-care reform, have added to the enthusiasm gap. An average of polls from Real Clear Politics states that 51 percent of Americans want the law repealed while only 39 percent approve. What's more troubling for Democrats is that a recent The Hill/ANGA poll points out that even one in four Democrats want it repealed. The unpopular law was passed in the face of bipartisan opposition using backroom deals and payoffs such as the ""cornhusker kickback"" and the ""Louisiana purchase."" The federal government has never forced citizens to buy a good or service as the health-care law does. While the constitutionality of the law is being challenged now, it remains deeply unpopular with the American people and is even causing a backlash within the Democratic Party.
As the midterm elections approach, Democrats like Vice President Biden will try to revive the enthusiasm that swept them into power two years ago. While they will continue to use the worn-out rhetoric of ‘government knows best,' a refreshed and energized Republican Party will offer their ideas on how best to tackle our nation's challenges.
Matt Payne is a junior majoring in Chinese and economics. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
