An effigy of change has taken hold in the 7th congressional district in Virginia, and it spells hope for a nation mired in a political albatross.
In what’s being touted as a major upset to Republican politics, Dave Brat, an economics professor at Randolph-Macon College, widely defeated incumbent congressman and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor with a 56 to 44 percent win in the primaries. And given the district’s R+10 lean toward the GOP, Brat is all but a sure bet in November.
The facts surrounding Brat’s successful run are simply astounding, and should serve as a warning to both parties that change begins on the ground, and America is not pleased with what we see in Washington.
Brat was outspent 40 to 1. Cantor had the backing of PACs, corporations, and other benefactors locally and nationally. Brat raised a paltry $200,000 for his run, most of it from grassroots supporters (and no support from any Tea Party faction, as was erroneously claimed). Running up to the primary election, polls indicated a potential landslide victory for Cantor. He had taken on most of his previous contenders with merely a scratch against him. However, when you fall out of favor with your constituency, all the money in the world can’t cushion the effects.
Brat ran on a moderate platform, as evidenced by his positions closely aligning with basic tenants of classic, pre-schism Republicanism. His oft-repeated mantra includes:
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That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice,
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That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society,
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That fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of government,
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That the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations,
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That peace is best preserved through a strong national defense,
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That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers, is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation
Oh my God, a sensible Republican! Well, time will tell, anyway, but these points certainly speak more to positive intrinsic beliefs than the cronyism and other disparities embodied by his soon-to-be predecessor.
Logic and politics fell hand in hand, and won. Are your feet beginning to feel the pangs of frost, yet? Certainly, hell must have frozen over.
With an approval rating hovering around only 14%, it’s no wonder congressional incumbents, such as Cantor, the first Majority Leader in United States history to be voted out of active office, are facing a tough re-election process in November. This example of bucking the trend should strike fear into their cold hearts, and lead our elected representatives to the realization that none of their jobs are safe.
We will not stand idly by as career politicians destroy the tenets of America.
We can harp on enacting term limits all day, stand upon our soap boxes with bullhorns, and decry the injustice we feel by our sworn leaders’ betrayal of the people’s interests, but in our country, the only way to enact real change is to vote. Our quintessential right has been re-infused and given new hope by the actions of a 65,000 citizen-strong electorate.
Our nation doesn’t need to be ruled by an extreme, ruthless faction of tyrannical partisan hacks. We just need to pull our heads out of our asses long enough to smell freedom, and pull the lever for some well-qualified, levelheaded, fresh faces.
During a post-election event last night outside Richmond, VA, Brat stated, “”The reason we won this campaign, there is just one reason, and that’s because dollars do not vote – you do.”
Here’s your wake up call, Washington.
Comatose Republic 