Gridlock and load

Clarence Page has written a column that brightens my day. According to Mr. Page, recent polls confirm what most people who have been paying attention already knew, that most conservatives prefer to adhere to 'principles' rather than compromise. The great irony of the election earlier this month was that Republican voters tried to put people with minimal government experience and strong anti-government ideology in charge of running the government. Taken at face value, that looks like a typical GOP formula.

Based on much of the online commentary by website readers, conservatives of the tea-dium party persuasion are still gloating and making triumphalist remarks. In a few weeks though, we'll be getting down to the nut-cutting and the newly elected congress-ers will take their first baby steps toward becoming 'career politicians.' Successful politicians are almost always the ones who know when and how to compromise and cut deals. It's been that way forever, and I expect it will continue to be that way in 2011-2012.

If uncompromising conservatives force governmental gridlock, so what ? Maybe that's what America needs right now. Gridlock in Congress is definitely not an item on my current list of things to be worried about.

I've always believed that when most people complain about wasteful 'pork barrel' spending, they're referring to spending by the government that doesn't benefit them personally in some way. It will be interesting to see how new congress-ers who don't bring the bacon back to their home districts fare in future elections. Eventually, spending cuts will start to affect programs that voters like or depend upon -- there isn't enough money being spent on programs NOBODY likes to make much difference if every dime was cancelled.

So I'm optimistic this afternoon. One way or another, the conservatives in the House and Senate will shape the path for the next two years. If they get what they want and it works, the economy recovers and everyone goes to bed happy. If they get what they want and it doesn't work, we're stuck with the status quo (or worse) and we don't have to hear about the tea-dium party anymore. For me, that's a win-win proposition.