OPINION:
The 2014 election is over. And yes, there are always a few surprises that make you scratch your head, but 2014 is not an anomaly. It is part of a pattern that we have seen in American politics over the past decade. This election cycle represents the fourth time in the past decade that one party has ousted the other party from Congress or the White House.
The inability to heed the voices of average Americans by both parties is demonstrative of the hold on this process by politicos and interest groups eager to win at all costs in spite of the consequences to our country and its people. This election has provided further clarity to the evident governance crisis facing our country.
The American electorate in 2014 proved resilient in its sense of civic duty. The electorate exercised its right to vote in spite of being fed up with both parties. With a few notable exceptions, voters, in essence, were turning out to vote for the lesser of two evils.
One such exception was Republican Senator-elect Cory Gardner. He ran on a problem-solving agenda: with positivity and youthful optimism for the future of his state and this country. He did not rely on negative campaigning or old school tactics. In short, Cory Gardner embodies the can-do attitude that voters of both parties are clamoring for.
The 2016 election cycle may well depend on how both political parties and their leaders react to the lessons that this Tuesday, November 4th has taught us. The smart, successful party will have listened to the electorate and will proffer a solution-based agenda to the American people.
What might that agenda look like? Approval of the Keystone Pipeline, corporate tax and immigration reform, and a comprehensive transportation bill are a good place to start. Moving forward, creating jobs and working together is a great way for both parties to restore the faith of the American people in their future. Which party will seize the moment? Hopefully both! If so, the 2014 election will be a harbinger of good things to come.
Does this solutions-driven agenda mean we conservatives leave our principles at the front door? Not at all! It means standing by our principles while seeking solutions to our nation’s needs. This is what Reagan would have done when faced with hostile chambers of Congress. It’s what any good patriot should do. It’s what leaders of both parties should demand of their members.
Al Cardenas is the chairman of the American Conservative Union.
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