And the pendulum swings back.

Just eight months into his nascent presidency, a new Gallup poll shows that conservatives outnumber liberals in every single state. Except for in Washington D.C., a greater number of people consider consider themselves conservative over moderate or liberal. Looking at the numbers for each state, one wonders where all of these self-identified conservatives were on November 4, 2008? Less than a year into the era of hope and change that Democrats promised to usher in, Americans are coming out in droves to oppose expansionist policies – primarily when it comes to health care. As the pendulum swings back toward the right,

I wonder if this is just what conservatives needed – someone to remind them of what they do not stand for. Just a few months ago, the big question of the day was how conservatives were going to make changes in the GOP in order to attract more voters. On the one side were the traditionalists, arguing for going back to the party’s conservative roots a la Reagan. On the other side of the spectrum were the ‘big tent’ supporters, who believed the Republican party needed to step back, particularly on social issues like abortion and gay marriage to entice more voters.

But, in the face of massive government spending and a potential government takeover of the health care industry that would run private insurance to the ground, the senseless debate about the party died rather suddenly. There were real problems and threats to the system to deal with. The potentially disastrous consequences of Obama’s policies brought together all conservatives, all fiscal conservatives that is. And isn’t that really the fundamental philosophy that we all agree on? Limited government, economic freedom, individual opportunity, property rights, states’ rights – these are the pillars of conservative philosophy, the foundation on which America was built. And those ideas have produced a country that has seen more innovation, progress and wealth than any other in history.

It seems that every so often we are doomed to repeat history, and to forget how we got to where we are. In the President’s case, the code he speaks in, particularly during the time between the election and his inauguration, made it sound like he would govern from the center (maybe even right of center in some cases). But in reality, as we have all learned now, President Obama is a classic leftist; he is just able to hide it better than other politicians because he recognizes what many of us have been saying all along and what this new Gallup poll confirms – that America is still a center-right country. And so it took Americans longer than perhaps it should have to deconstruct Obama’s language, his intentions. But, in the end, no matter how many consultants you hire and focus groups you listen to, Americans will judge you by your actions and not how good a speech you can give. Obama’s rhetorical style is what got him elected, but it also what is driving his fall from grace. Lofty speech that appeals to people’s emotions will only get you so far.

The health care debate has brought all of this to the forefront. People are willing to give a new President, administration and Congress time to prove themselves on economic issues, immigration, social issues etc. But health care is different. Americans have drawn the line and are engaging with their representatives in a way that I have never seen in my adult life. Liberals like Sen. Specter who insist that health care opponents are not representative of America can only ignore the reality on the ground for so long. Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom to pick yourself back up. And in a way, this is what has happened in the last eight months. Conservatives hit rock bottom and are picking themselves back up. Let’s hope they do so before the Obama administration comes up with some great sales pitch (after all, this is their greatest strength) that moves the pendulum back the other way.

Tags: health care debate