Early in the morning of Nov. 3, 2004, I was waiting at the West Campus bus stop for a ride back to East. My emotions were running high. The palms of my hands were still stinging red from countless high-fives, and my throat was sore from shouting "Four More Years!" It had been an exciting night for this young neoconservative. After hearing the frightening results of the exit polls, the man I voted for had came out on top.
Several feet away, an upperclassman was screaming into her cell phone, "Mom, these f-ing hicks don't understand anything! They shouldn't even have the right to vote."
The major networks were hesitant to call Ohio, but she knew exactly what had happened. Somehow-even with Fahrenheit 9/11, left-wing news reporting (save Fox News) and countless books and articles on why Republicans are evil-Dubya had pulled it off again. And despite what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other Ohio conspiracy theorists would later say, this one was fair and square.
As I listened to this girl rant and rave, I flashed a wide grin.
Hearing this bitter, dejected Kerry supporter reveal her appalling prejudices against half of the United Sates just made the victory that much sweeter.
But now, almost two years later, the Republicans are at risk again, and as the midterm elections grow closer, my attitude has changed. I no longer parade around with a smug grin on my face. My orange "W 2004" hat, which I once wore proudly, is stashed away. The conservative posters that once decorated my wall are resting on my bedroom floor back home, gathering dust.
Having won control of the federal government at the expense of student activists like me, the Republicans have accomplished little. Every day the Iraq war is wearing down the will of the American people. The agenda of compassionate conservatism has pretty much been abandoned. Our immigration laws are still not enforced. Old problems remain, and new problems appear all the time. According to the latest USA Today/Gallup poll, President Bush's approval ratings have risen slightly, up to 44 percent. But they will surely fall again once people inevitably forget the horrible violence terrorists are capable of unleashing here and abroad. After working for half a century to gain power, conservatives are at risk of losing everything.
So what are we to think of this? Is there a chance that the Republicans will succeed in outwitting the Democrats once again? Will this 21-year-old neoconservative once again have the chance to celebrate a GOP victory on a cold November morning?
I think so.
Republicans may not entirely represent conservative interests, but they are a far better alternative to the Democrats-and better at winning, too. Unlike the GOP, the Democratic Party remains a hostage to its base, which aims to take control of the party and shape the country in its own image. In addition, the base refuses to let go of any of its beliefs for the sake of politics.
Republicans, on the other hand, are more pragmatic, and that is why the conservative agenda-although plagued by incompetence and corruption-has advanced well beyond the liberal one in recent years.
Just look at the primary elections.
Although many prominent Democrats supported Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., they did so halfheartedly because the far left believed he had betrayed them in his support for Bush's foreign policy. The base is so powerful that, in the recent Democratic primary, Lieberman was ousted by Ned Lamont, who opposed the war. As far as the extreme left is concerned, anyone who strays from its ideology must be purged from the party.
The story is different with Republicans. Although a powerful base exists, the party is not overpowered by it. And although fractured in ideology, the Republicans remain an appealing alternative to the Democrats in the eyes of most conservatives. But more important, conservative voters understand that one must sometimes sacrifice conviction to win, and only with victory does anything get accomplished.
The reelection of Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., to the Republican ticket is a perfect example. The Rhode Island moderate is disliked by party conservatives, but they quickly realized that he was the only one who could succeed in the general election. As a result, top Republicans eagerly gave him their full support, and he won.
As I look back to two years ago, I understand that it was not the best display of sportsmanship, but I flashed that self-righteous smile at the bus stop because I had invested so much emotional energy into that election, and I truly did not expect a victory for Bush.
As the midterm election approaches this year, I am even more worried. I fear that apathy and disappointment have overwhelmed conservatives who see few results from the government they worked so hard to elect. But looking to the last three elections, I remain hopeful that, despite policy failures, the Republicans will triumph once again.
Jamie Deal is a Trinity junior. His column runs every other Thursday.
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