First Things: Anderson: What Went Right on Tuesday
November 9, 2006

Ryan T. Anderson writes:

I’m no expert when it comes to analysis of political trends, party politics, or electoral strategy. But Tuesday’s election seems noteworthy on a couple of points. And as we’ll see, certain Catholic bishops may have played a central role.

First, this election was decidedly not an affirmation of liberal policies or liberal politicians. For starters, the now partyless Joe Lieberman defeated Ned Lamont. The liberal Republican Lincoln Chaffee also lost.

The election was a vote to replace Republicans, who have controlled the Congress for twelve years and the White House for six. This is usual for sixth-year elections, as Ramesh Ponnuru points out: “In the last nine sixth-year elections, the president’s party lost, on average, 34 House seats and seven Senate seats.” This year, the replacement was only possible because the Democrats ran fairly conservative candidates and hid Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi from the public eye the month before the election.

Of course, one of the leading conservatives and the brightest defender of the poor and unborn was defeated: Rick Santorum. For many in the NARAL and LGBT lobbies, this was a scalp they’ve long coveted. But notice who they had to enlist to beat Santorum: a pro-life, Catholic democrat: Bob Casey Jr. And consider Harold Ford, a self-described “Jesus-loving, gun-supporting believer that families should come first, that taxes should be lower and America should be strong.” This is a Democrat. And, although Ford lost his race in Tennessee, he is typical of the candidates put in place to run. Jim Webb, who defeated the Republican incumbent in Virginia, is another clear example of this. Moderate to conservative Democrats were the ones who won contested elections. Liberals did not.

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