Scare Tactics: For Good Reason

In the final stride of the 2008 election, the Republican Party has one more weapon up their sleeves, scare tactics. Scare tactics that portray the doomed fate of democracy by having a Democratic supermajority. This tactic tends to be strong and for good reason.

First, if democrats win control of the senate, they will gain the ability to discount filibusters. Bills will be passed through the house and senate without having to comprise with the Republican minority. This takes away an important check installed into our government by the founding fathers. With one party controlling the government, only a fraction of Americans will be represented by the partisanship of the Democratic Party.

It has already been proven that the Democratic controlled House of Representatives’ inability to pass legislation is due to their partisanship. Their dismal approval rating of 17% on good day represents two years of playing to their own party’s tune, and not to the rest of the country.

This scare tactic employed by the Republican Party will prove useful. They can show the dangers Democrats controlling government by pointing to particular bills. The financial bailout package, for example, would not have represented the entire country if there were a Democratic supermajority. Democrats would not have had to negotiate with house Republicans to get the bill enacted, and would have passed the first time around. This would have led to inequality in the bill, pushing the left winged liberal agenda. The Republicans can use examples such as that to show how insane it would be to give one party total power to manipulate law.

The Republican scare tactics will prove useful in the last few days of the campaign. Although a dirty trick, it may be the only chance McCain has to narrow the margin of undecided voters. As long as the scare tactics remain true to fact, McCain can still hold his head high for running a fair campaign for the presidency.