New Hampshire Cries Havoc

“…Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war…” - Shakespeare

The American founding fathers, when framing the constitution apparently thought that unbridled democracy might be not such a wise thing, given the fickleness and gullibility of the American public. Their solution was the Electoral College, something everyone now agrees is outdated and anti-democratic. Given recent electorate behavior, I can’t help but wonder if those nascent republicans didn’t get it right.

In the 2006 American midterm elections, pre-election polling indicated and virtually every pundit, predictor and punter agreed that the prevailing issue was the war on in Iraq. The election was to be a referendum on the Bush administration’s handling of that particular tragedy. The results are history: the Democrats took majority control of the House and the Senate and elected the first female, putatively anti-war, Speaker of the House in History, Nancy Pelosi. It was a heady time for the Dems and those in the public most opposed to the war. It looked like it was finally the beginning of the end of the war-crazed neocons control of US foreign policy.

So, how did the newly powerful Democratic Congress tighten the reins on Mr. Bush and start to bring home the troops? It didn’t. It did nothing other than approve every spending increase for the war and every increase in troops asked for. Business as usual. A clear betrayal of the electorate’s trust. Well, with an election year upon us, surely the Democrats will get their comeuppance and be suitably chastised. At least that is what one would reasonably expect.

Then along came new Hampshire. After trailing Obama in the polls, a day before the primary televised “fighting-back-the tears” scene let’s Hillary “The Hawk” Clinton steal it at the last minute. And the Republicans line up behind that Prince of Peace, John “Boots on the Ground” McCain.

I am at a loss.