Unless you’ve been living in a bubble (or a dorm room), you know that the political foundations of our country are being shaken by a conservative resurgence.
In 2008, the Democratic agenda dominated the landscape as the people, tired of the George W. Bush presidency, overwhelmingly voted for the promises of Barack Obama and his cohorts.
Fast forward to the present day and we see a very different setting.
The Obama brand is toxic for candidates (see Arlen Specter, Creigh Deeds, Jon Corzine and Martha Coakley, for starters) and the (D) is becoming more of a scarlet letter for aspirants to higher office.
To further illustrate how America has changed in the past two years, we need not look any further than the race for George Mason University’s congressman next legislative session.
In 2008, Republican businessman Keith Fimian squared off against then Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Democrat Gerry Connolly.
In a colossally bad year for Republicans, Connolly received almost 55 percent of the vote, a clear margin of victory.
In Connolly’s first term, he voted alongside Nancy Pelosi on business-killing, freedom-suppressing and deficit-increasing legislation 97 percent of the time.
He voted for “Obamacare,” so when you’re required to purchase health insurance whether you can afford it or not, thank him.
He voted to nationalize student loans, giving control of your tuition funds to a biased bureaucracy with a tendency for gridlock.
When your future loan is denied for political purposes or because federal funds were raided to pay for other programs, thank Connolly.
He also voted for the stimulus plan and cap-and-trade so when our kids are trying to pay for these failed programs their whole lives, thank Connolly.
After almost two years of Connolly sticking it to Mason students and everyone else in Virginia’s 11th district, Fimian is back for yet another attempt at taking this seat.
While we cannot turn back the clock, this is the closest thing we have to a do-over.
Here are the same two candidates in the same district with the same voters.
The only difference is we’re now in the midst of a radical liberal agenda being pursued in the District of Columbia.
The outcome of this race will be a fascinating test case for the future of conservatism versus liberalism.
Conventional wisdom would say that Fimian has a pretty good shot at winning just based on the mood of the country.
He seems to have a distinct advantage on the issues by championing free enterprise, low taxes, limited government and reduction of the federal deficit.
As a successful business owner, he has actually created jobs and fits the mold of what voters are looking for in candidates this election cycle.
In 2008, Fimian warned us about Connolly and his destructive ideas and hopefully this time the electorate will listen.
So even if you have lived in a bubble, you do not need to go very far to see what the debate is about in this country.
It is very much about the people getting a taste of what far left policies are like under the failed leadership of Obama, Harry Reid and Pelosi – and unabashedly rejecting it in less than two years.
The people are screaming for a conservative approach to government and, God willing, the winners in November will deliver.
To be clear, Bush did not fully embrace the values I’m writing about.
What I’m saying is the country is looking for something new, something that hasn’t been realized in a very long time.
Fimian is just an example of the conservative resurgence that is going on in the U.S.
Whether he wins or loses is not as important as the underlying political movement fueled by the Tea Party.
Change is coming in November and, unlike 2008, this time it will actually be for the better.
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