In 2006 the American public raised its hand and said enough is enough. At the time the republican leadership of the house and the senate were producing bad ideas, scandal after scandal, the speaker was under indictment, and President Bush was seeing his approval ratings plummet. President Bush had tried to take on the establishment and change social security. The Iraq war was not going well, Osama Bin Ladin was and is still at large and the economy was showing signs of weakening. American voters turned the house and the Senate over to the democrats expecting them to do something different.

President Bush seemed to get the message. Instead of working on Social Security he began to work on a medicare drug benefit. He decided to deploy the “surge” in Iraq to move the campaign along. Suddenly global warming and a cap and trade system was being talked about. As oil prices went through the roof the congress began discussions about wind fall profits. As we entered 2008 the fragility of our financial system came to the forefront and President Bush began talking stimulus and sent checks to the working public to spend on consumer goods from China.   At the same time, the presidential race was in full swing and the American voter was still looking for “change”.

Bring on President Obama, bring on more spending, more stimulus, more debt and an even worse economy. In firm control of the house and the Senate the ideas just kept coming. Let’s reform health care, let’s pass climate legislation, let’s move forward on all of the ideas that we have been holding for the last 20 years. If the republicans won’t participate it doesn’t matter, we have a mandate. However, in classic form the American publican, now awoken to its new power to speak loudly and be heard was not done yet. 

We see the rise of the individual activist. As they group together they are called the “Tea Party Movement” and they are roundly dismissed by the democrats in power and by the main stream media. President Obama was elected with a majority, the House and the Senate are held by a super majority, the media is reporting that all is well, well except for Fox news. Additional commentary is coming from the radio, and groups and groups of individuals are finding their voices and organizing to protest the direction of Washington.

Elections have consequences, is the cry from Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The Democrats are going to move the cap and trade bill and the health care bill without any participation from across the aisle. And yes they do, New Jersey falls into the hands of a republican governor. Virginia falls into the hands of a republican governor. Then the unthinkable, Ted Kennedy the “liberal Lion” passes and a special election is to be held in Massachusetts.   Most would have considered this a non-issue, blue state equals blue senator. The “people’s seat” is won by a republican with the promise of a “no vote” on health care.

Where is all this change going? Today, CNN publishes a poll that says only 44% believe that President Obama should be re-elected in 2012. 52% think he should be a one-term President and they would like to see someone else going forward. The same poll put the congress in the 20% approval range. As many as 10 seats in the Senate are up for grabs in the mid-term elections of 2010, and republicans lead in most of these races. 

What kind of “change” are people really looking for? A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 63% of likely voters believe, generally speaking, that it would be better for the country if most incumbents in Congress were defeated this November. Just 39% Favor Health Care Reform, 58% Opposed - February 12, 2010. Only 35% of U.S. voters now believe global warming is caused primarily by human activity. A growing trend in opposition of the “agenda” set by President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid is obvious. 

However, this group is continuing to try and implement “change” in direct opposition to the will of the people. Are there enough supporters left in the country to fuel this train for the democrats or will 2010 derail the agenda and perhaps change the agenda?

It seems this administration is willing to be a “one term” administration since it shows no signs of turning from its agenda on all of the issues above. The President is planning to push the EPA to enforce its will on climate change. The President is expecting to see a healthcare bill come across his desk before November, and he is actively trying to justify his robust spending programs.

Progress is being made; several in Congress can see the writing on the wall and are either leaving or actively questioning the direction we are going. The media is beginning to report on the sour mood of the country, and candidates across the land are emboldened to run for office. Can the Republican party be revitalized and are those in the leadership of the party really hearing the message. Americans want change, real change. And this doesn’t mean just changing the brand from Democrat to republican.