I've never been one to worry too much about who sits in the Oval
Office.
Frankly, in many ways, it doesn't make a big difference.
But, as it becomes increasingly apparent that George W. Bush is
likely to be sworn in on Jan. 20, I'm starting to get the feeling he may
regret winning -- especially by such a narrow margin. His victory may be
Pyrrhic -- one so costly that, in the long run, his party concludes Bush
would have been better off losing the election.
Why do I say this?
Al Gore's bellyaching about losing the election by a few hundred
votes is going to continue for the next four years. It's not going to
end. Even after the fat lady sings, the electoral votes are cast and
certified and George W. Bush is sworn in as president, Gore will
continue insisting he won the election. And he will continue to get the
support of most Democratic Party leaders.
My esteemed colleague and friend,
David Limbaugh, spelled it out
accurately in his column, "The four years war," earlier this
week. We ain't seen nothing yet. The sour grapes will continue to be squeezed. Bush's legitimacy as president will be questioned by some Democratic Party official every day for the next four years -- and then some.
Some people think this sort of campaign will hurt Gore more than it hurts Bush. Some suggest that Gore is hurting his own chances for another presidential bid in 2004. Some believe this shameful process will actually help the Republicans with registration and grass-roots support.
You're forgetting something, folks.
Gore and the Democrats will get help in this war from their friends in the establishment press. The war won't only be political, it will be cultural. There will be pleas for power-sharing, coalition governments, consensus-building, etc.
It's time to consider the impact from this campaign. What will it mean?
Well, for starters, we need to examine the character of Bush and the Republican Congress. Is there any indication that either has the backbone to stand up to this kind of pressure? Is there any indication that either would govern effectively without that kind of pressure? Is there any indication that either has the stomach for this fight?
I don't think so.
I believe the continuing pressure will strengthen Bush's inclination to govern by consensus -- to form, in effect, a coalition government, a power-sharing deal. He will stack his Cabinet with Democrats and RINOs -- Republicans in name only. He will expand entitlements of every kind, promote bigger government, carry on a Democratic Party agenda under the guise of Republican leadership.
And Congress will go along for the ride. After all, the Republicans will have even a smaller working majority than they have had for the last six years.
In other words, I fully expect Bush to cave in to the pressure -- to yield to it, to counter it with bad leadership and weakness.
I know. I know. Many of you Bush fans are going to write to me and say: "Farah, why don't you give the guy a chance? How can you condemn Bush for things he hasn't even done yet?"
My friends, it is far too easy to condemn bad policy decisions after they are made. The real challenge is having the insight to condemn them in advance so that there is at least a chance that these bad choices can be averted.
What will be the political fallout from this prediction, if it pans out?
If Gore and Bush play their roles the way I think they will, look for the Democrats to take control of both houses of Congress in 2002. And look for the Democrats -- either Al Gore or Hillary Clinton or both -- to sweep into the White House in 2004.
"But Farah," you ask, "isn't there anything we can do about this? Is it inevitable? Have the fates been sealed? You're scaring me."
Sure, you can do something. Try to wake up George W. Tell him to stop his affirmative action program for Democrats and big-government liberals in his new administration. Tell him to ignore the whining of the opposition and the media. Tell him to turn his attention to a war of his own -- on the political corruption of the last eight years. Tell him to study the Constitution. And tell him to pray to the Almighty for guidance and wisdom in the next four years.