Hippocrates In San Diego

Midterm Elections And The Road Ahead

Well, that was exciting, wasn’t it??? For the first time since 1994, a midterm election actually meant something. I haven’t seen so many people talkin’ politics since… when? It was nice to see people of all stripes get active, involved, and passionate about their government again. If there could possibly be a silver lining to some of the terrible events of the last 6 years (constitutional crisis over the 2000 election, 9/11, implosion of one of our major parties, major war, decline of our status as a moral world leader… I could go on) it might be that people are finally emerging from the apathy and numbness we’ve had about our politics since the Watergate scandal. While it could be said that the only thing that brings voters to the polling place anymore is a constitutional amendment to abridge someone else’s right to life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness, ultimately these abrogations of our constitutional liberties will be corrected by judicial or legislative mechanisms, or if all else fails, by popular movement. We are more cynical than ever. We can probably count on one hand the number of people that were truly shocked or surprised about Mark Foley, Ted Haggard, John Kerry, etc. Even charges surrounding a Congressional incumbent’s past domestic violence didn’t so much as cause an extra bubble in the simmering pot this election year. But we emerged on the other side — before even knowing which party will control the Senate — with a level of concern and wonder about what the next 2 years has to offer. Not radiant, naïve hopefulness, because after so many let-downs by our leaders, that would just be foolish. Concern and wonder — I’d take that over apathy any day.