by Menzes Sweet


A win is a win. I’m glad it happened. I’m glad it’s over. But I can’t say that I’m enthusiastic about Bush’s victory. Sure, I’m a conservative and so I’m mildly pleased he beat Kerry. But I’m not – as most media networks would have you believe – one of those red-state Americans who was mostly motivated to vote out of a concern for “moral values.”

Bush doesn’t represent my moral values (and I’m certain he’s not on the same page as many of those living along the brown banks of the Mississippi). More importantly, he doesn’t represent my political values.

Bush isn’t what I want him to be: a conservative who detests big government, strictly interprets the Constitution and opposes bloody, expensive military expeditions into foreign nations. I voted for him because he was the less painful choice and because, like many people, I clung to party lines when I couldn’t find a better alternative. This year, Bush represented more – but not much – of what I hold dear than any other White House wannabe.

In the pre-election whirl, some conservatives suggested that we vote for another party – the Libertarians or the Constitution Party, for example – to send a message to the Republicans. I guess this message was supposed to say something simple like, “Hey!” That sort of “strategic” voting is pointless, something people do to convince themselves that their vote is extra special. Who wades through the ballots looking for such messages after the election anyway? I don’t think Bush, happy, excited and now busy looking for ways to get rid of Colin Powell, will get it.

Still, I hope he does. The ruling party must know that not all conservatives share their beliefs. Pundits attributed Bush’s victory to under-the-radar-voters who came out in droves to support (or defend) moral ideals. Many coast-dwelling Americans seem surprised by the appearance of these people, as if they suddenly spurted up from a corn field to vote against gay marriage. Perhaps European observers are correct and liberals here truly don’t realize which country they live in.

I’m not surprised at the appearance of those voters. But this moral majority (somehow I just know they’re going to be calling themselves that) are not the only brand of conservative. There are many others, including myself, who aren’t marching along with the Bush horde. My concern is that the Right will now bow too much toward the religious and behavioral ideals that helped them win, rather than focus on politics and government. No matter what you think of gays or abortion, remember that the real issues behind these things – privacy and the ability of the government to interfere with individuals' rights – are political, not emotional or religious.

Still, there is good rising from this election. The Republican victory extends beyond the White House to the Senate, the Congress and governorships across the country. Conservatives gained and held onto solid ground. This will benefit the economy and, I hope, other issues such as immigration, as states begin buckling under immigrant tides. Finally, not all of these newly elected Republicans buy Bush’s doctrine; perhaps some will even have the backbone to challenge it.

There’s always the chance that we’ll see Bush mellow with the new freedom of another, final term. Perhaps he'll even develop an exit strategy for Iraq, or maybe he'll reverse the big government trend he's begun. I'll cross my fingers and hope Bush listens to more conservative – but not necessarily Republican – voices.

Unfortunately, the rush of victory doesn’t usually leave those in charge looking for ways to improve their performance. It's up to those of us who are happy, sort of, to change things. The administration now must listen to us – those on the Right who in the end lent our support but hesitated as we pulled the lever. I say now’s the time to send that message.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------