Reflections on the Fragile Coalition of 2004.

Christopher Brinson, President, Federalist Society, UA School of Law, Tuscaloosa, AL
Member of the Board of Directors, Redeem the Vote, Inc.
Chris.Brinson@law.ua.edu

The 2004 Presidential Election saw President Bush re-elected, along with enlarged Republican majorities in the United States Senate and House. This occurred despite Presidential approval ratings hovering below fifty percent and widespread anguish about the direction that the War in Iraq, gas prices, and healthcare were taking. 

Shortly after the election, the founder of Redeem the Vote wrote that the election represented a “fragile coalition” of religious voters. This “fragile coalition” was one that should be nurtured by both Democrats and Republicans, and it would be “a model for future legislative and policy initiatives if approached properly.”

Of course, the key words in that quote are “if approached properly.” Despite their 2004 election success, Republicans failed to nurture this fragile coalition. Instead, they proclaimed a landslide-like mandate for right wing policies of every kind. Despite controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, the GOP failed to implement anything of real substance in 2005 and 2006 as a result. Why? They did not treat their majority as a slim coalition of support and did not involve people of opposing viewpoints in their policy-making decisions.

Remember social security reform? No progress. Immigration reform? No progress. Public support for the War in Iraq? It collapsed. Significant healthcare legislation? Non-existent. What did the American people receive instead? Scandal, cronyism, incompetence.

This is not because Republicans are bad or that Democrats have better answers. This is what results when our elected officials do not reach out to those who disagree with themselves to hammer out compromises that will affect all Americans. To be sure, the Democrats and the President may be repeating the same mistakes of the past Congress in failing to reach compromise, as of yet, in funding the Iraq War.

The point is that the American democracy is meant to be a slow and deliberate process, either fueled by careful and principled compromise toward progress or bogged down by extreme ideological forces on either side of an issue. Those of us with strong views on a particular issue do not have to sacrifice our personal views if we participate in the democratic process. However, we all must be willing to engage those with different viewpoints and come to sensible compromises. All the while, we can continue fighting to bring more of our fellow Americans to see the reasonableness of our political views, whatever they might be.

America has always been a nation with a deep faith in God. Though the 2008 election is still over a year away, my hope is that those who place their faith in the Almighty (and even those who do not) might all come together and participate in the democratic process by voting. No matter whom you support, your vote matters. And whatever party or candidate you give your vote to, remember that whatever “fragile coalition” that emerges after the election should always respect and include opposing viewpoints so that real progress can be made.
 

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